An enthusiast's storage depot for favourite quotes
including a beginner's guide to terms
This here is a wattle, the symbol of our land
You can stick it in a bottle, you can hold it in your hand
Australia, Australia, Australia, we luuuuuuuv you
Except on the field of cricket, where we in England prefer someone we can beat, like Mauritius.
This is a selection of wise words of wisdom mainly from that unparalleled crew of enthusiastic commentators that actually make me "WATCH" CRICKET ON THE RADIO, for heaven's sake, even when there's a perfectly good TV coverage. A heartwarming and much loved institution - the TEST MATCH SPECIAL team - HOORAH! (with some from the television as well, just for balance).
Some samplers:
"Streak plays a semi-agricultural carve outside the off stump" (Henry - ZimVEng
22jul00)
"...plenty of movement in the air, rather sticky as well..."
"He would be wise to hold it across the seam for an over or so" (Richie Benaux,
scathingly)
"Healey's there, scampering out from behind the stumps" (JA - Ashes 5jan99)
"It's holed out down at long leg"
"...if you can get somebody out before they get in..." (Boycott)
"Patel took it down on his knees in front of slip" (JA, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 11aug02)
"It's awfully uncomfortable to have McGrath up your sleeve, isn't it" (Henry. Of course.)
I have to admit that the quotes section is heavily biased towards "Blowers", which is hardly unexpected. Given his inimitable style and unquenchable enthusiasm as well as his welcome penchant for describing buses and aeroplanes (and pigeons, flies, sea gulls, clouds, helicopters and cranes, to mention a few), all thrown in with the odd verbal stumble due to over-excitement, he is a joy to listen to.
Just about everyone else has their place here too, but the more serious or dry commentators will find few credits here when they are sage or professional, it's just not that kind of venue, sorry.
Some commentators and experts have few quotes here, quite undeservedly. Vic Marks' comments, although sadly few in number since they come over less well on paper and out of context, hold a special place in my heart for the studied sagacity of their considered words of wisdom given in his calmly measured voice with its gentle pace and warm accent, a refreshing yet warm breeze of common sense given in dulcet tones that quite belie his taste in shirts. Similarly for Foxy Fowler who I think should be given more credit than is found here, for his no-nonsense incisive and expert comment completely without hyperbole, shedding light on what others have missed, and for simply being a normal human being who I would probably enjoy a pint with.
Email me at: 
cricket@fluffyrabbit.com. To search for specific words or phrases try control-F (hold down control key then press the F key), this works with most web browsers.
R4 commentators: (CMJ) Christopher "CMJ" Martin Jenkins - received pronunciation but not too plummy
R4 commentators: (HB) Henry "Blowers" Blofeld - very very plummy with butterfly mind
R4 commentators: (JA) Jonathan "Aggers" Agnew - vivacious wit
TV & R4 summary (PB) Peter Baxter - fairly RP, calm, also on FortranV's Bad Head Park album
R4 experts: (VM) Victor "Vic" Marks - sweet, received pronunciation, with silly chuckling laugh - bit of a repressed snorty hmmhmmy hur hur yuk-yukky giggly laugh
R4 experts (SL) Sid Lawrence - slight West Country accent (NWfinal99)
R4 experts: (TB) Trevor Bailey - growly stickler for tradition (no longer broadcasting)
R4 experts: (Fox)(FF) Graham "Foxy" Fowler - Staffordshire? accent
R4 experts: (Tru) Fred Truman - Yorkshire accent
R4 experts: (Con) Jeremy Coney = very soft spoken New Zealander
R4 experts: (MSel) Mike Selby - ? grumpy, bit of an unkind slagger off sometimes
R4 scorer: (Bill) William "Bearders" Trindle - THE statistician
TV commentators (1999): (DG) David Gower
TV commentators (1999): (GB) Geoffrey Boycott
TV commentators (1999): (TL) Tony Lewis
TV commentators CH4 (2002): (RB) Richie Benaud - soft spoken Aussie, excellent ex-spinner
TV commentators CH4 (2002): (MA) Mike Atherton, Lancashire accent, ex-England opening batsman
"if you can get somebody out before they get in..." (Boycott)
to explain: a batsman starts his innings by walking out and is then in, he tries to play himself in so he can hit out and not get out
"and it's gone down to a very fine third man" (JA, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"Ubrage has 52 from 53" (JA, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"lazily strokes him up to long off" (PB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
silly mid-off
sliced a fraction
a leg stump half volley
a long barrier field position
"and that nearly took Mongia's nose off. If there was a drip on the end of his nose it'll be on the pitch now" (HB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
"it was just like shelling peas" = made the shot look easy (HB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02), "he might have been hitting the ball with a stump it was so..."
"that fairly raced away along the ground" (HB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
"a fairly mincing stride" (HB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
"Chandanar runs back like a scalded cat [to retrieve the ball he stopped and dropped]" (HB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
"nature is singing a sweet evening song" (the sun is out on a pleasant evening at Bristol) (HB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
"you might say he's teetering on the edge of the sin bin, which is a very uncomfortable place to be" (on bowler ? who has already been warned for running down the wicket and is now treading carefully but still close to the line) (HB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
"lazily strokes him up to long off" (PeterBaxter, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
"another plane coming in rather slowly, it ought to waggle its wings a bit but that would upset the passengers" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"X takes the bails but his [Jones the batsman] back foot is anchored in the best Welsh manner" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"looking like a bank clerk going to war" [on grey haired batsman some years ago] (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"Umpire Tiffin signals a rather airy leg bye there" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"no-one's paying a blind bit of notice at the moment; a helicopter flies over. Its been rather good for helicopters..." (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"and he's eternally left handed [on Giles] (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"gives the pitch a good pat, rather a friendly little pat that one, the previous was ?rather agrressive?" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"A huge seagull flies over our heads and away; is that another helicopter? (disappointed) no I think its an aeroplane" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"we had a winking seagull the other day...you dont often see a seagull wink" (approx) (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"...I'd have bet you the whole of Lombard Street to a china orange that Nasser Hussein would have given his right arm for a good spinner" (approx) (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 10aug02)
(suddenly and very excitedly) "Ooh look another claret coloured bus... I love these claret coloured busses, they give me all sorts of ideas." (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 10aug02)
"I was going to say he was a bit longer in the tooth but that's not true, he's a bit longer in the leg than his partner" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 10aug02)
"That's a wild swinging drive by Stewart, and, and um, that really wasn't the most splendid of strokes." (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 10aug02)
"My accountant assures me that Stewart's got 22 off 23 balls, thank you William
"and that's played away through mid wicket for four. He hit that away off his toes too beautifully for words. He [Vaughan] goes to 174, it's 307 for 4, and that really was a lovely stroke, ?ayeowe? meat and drink to him , I mean a half volley on his on his legs, but he none-the-less executed the shot brilliantly" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 10aug02)
HB: "Goochie I want to ask you a question, you've been watching a bit of the cricket over the last few minutes. How many overs would you, when do you think Vaughan hit his last four, how many overs do you think have gone by since he hit his last four?" Gooch: "...quite a while, for quite a while now Ganguly has had a man on the cover boundary for Harbajan Singh and on the mid wicket boundary as well so it'd be difficult for him to pierce the boundary but a little while I'd have thought." HB:"Well you're absolutely, you're very right, I don't know how little a while is but 13 overs is the answer and it was rather a long time I thought, I was rather surprised when Bill told me that. And um, Bill I'm not implying that you didn't tell me absolutely correctly, I'm you know, I was still nearly surprised that that period of time had elapsed. " Bill:"You keep on asking me these questions and then being astonished by the answers." HB:"Well I know, I do, I hope you find that gratifying, ha, ha, ha." (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 10aug02)
"Patel took it down on his knees in front of slip" (JA, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 11aug02)
"That action of Sehwag [playing no stroke to a ball that left him LBW] was quite inexplickers" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 11aug02)
"He (Tendulkar] set off like a lamp lighter for that 4th run" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 11aug02)
"there was an element of the curtain rail about that" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 12aug02)
"he's permanently hung up his jockstrap" = retired (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 12aug02)
fly slip = fielder placed at same angle to basman as the slips but near the boundary instead of near the batsman
"Stewart leapt to his right like a performing seal and came up with a good one." (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 12aug02)
"what Goochie would call a curtain rail shot" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 12aug02)
"This time Stewart doesn't appeal, there is no need, he [Dravid] didn't hit it." (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 12aug02)
"... smitten, er smited, or smote or whatever it is, for four" (paraphrased) (JA, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 11aug02) "smitten, smote, just say smeared" (Mike Selby, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 11aug02)
"a classical lofted on-drive, nothing sloggish about that" [on Flintoff's 6] (Foxy Fowler, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"There's much waving of arms out there and Ganguli is sending a man out to deep square leg" (JA, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"the ground's looking a picture" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"give him an inch and he takes a yard, he doesn't need much width [on Flintoff]" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"...324 for 5 and there's another aeroplane buzzing its way to Heathrow" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"...Ted Dexter, who was no slouch with the bat" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 5day, 26jul02)
"and with cricket of this quality, who needs horns?" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"...excitement all around the ground, if this were a bottle of champagne the top would blow off at any moment" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"I bet you wish you were here, although there's hardly be room for you in the commentary box but we wish you were here" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"all England want now is a wicket, first and foremost, and then five more" (CMJ, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"Ganguly played what can only be described as a cow shot" (CMJ, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"a fairly innocent ball" (CMJ, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02) = fairly well bowled, nothing special, definitely not a bad ball
"he [Irani] was in for a bit of a spanking in his first over" (Mike Selby R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02) = batsman scored a lot of runs off his [Irani's] bowling
"he's a modest bowler, by modest I mean moderate, but he has this amazing self-belief .... which generates his own luck for him [Ronnie Irani]" (Mike Selby, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"he IS 29 years old" (Mike Selby) "yes, getting on a bit" (JA, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"oh it's Kaif, my dear old thing" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"It's Gough or bust for England" (CMJ, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"Radio 4 listeners you are back after the most exciting shipping forecast there's ever been, except you didn't hear it cos it was happening here at Lords" (exciting wicket taken while R4 listeners were subjected to the shipping forecast not the cricket, at a vital moment in the game) (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"a stingy sort of forward half push" (PeterB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
"I think that sums up Jayawardena, he's obviously a quality player but he gets in and gets out again" (Vick Marks, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
"...and raps the pad of Attapatu" (PeterB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
"he [Trescothick] threw at that the kitchen sink, the bath and everything else in that room as well" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"I was reading the extras rather than the overs" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"...there goes twinkle toes Tendulkar, his legs were running almost faster than he was" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"and it gets excitinger and excitinger" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"India have 30 off 5 overs, they need 6.5 an over and have only 5" (JA, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
"Attu Patu using his bat like a conjuror uses his wand" (HB R4 Eng-Sri 1jun02)
"money for old bus tickets" (HB R4 Eng-Sri 1jun02)
"the batsman will just milk him on the leg side" (Mike Selby R4 1jun02)
"..a bumble bee has just come to have a look at us through the window... they're lovely buzzy things, I rather like bumble bees, bumble bees and ladybirds" (HB R4 1jun02)
hooker - "Fernando is a renowned hooker" (J Agnew, R4, Eng-Sri, 16jun02)
"two short legs, one of them being Hussein himself" (J Agnew, R4, Eng-Sri, 16jun02)
"he went through a bad patch where he couldn't bat his eyelids" (Mike Selby, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 28jun02)
"and a white seagull flies overhead, a very white seagull, I wonder which washing powder it uses" (HB, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 28jun02)
"... a rather posthumous appeal" (HB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 6jul02)
"Nick Knight has decided to throw caution to the winds, and he's thrown it very far away" (Harsha Bhogle, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 9jul02)
"a knee high full toss on leg stump" (?, R4?, 1day, 4jul02)
"lifted over the leg side and floated downwind" (Mike Selby, R4, 1dy Eng-Ind, 9jul02)
"you know he can do the job but you wouldn't bet your house on him would you?" (Mike Selby, R4, 1dy Eng-Ind, 9jul02)
"Ubrage is the most horrible bowler but he is very effective and has a brain on his shoulders" (CMJ, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 9jul02)
Not that there weren't any, I just didn't write down any, probably too busy listening.
"I won't say he's just been ambling up this morning, but he's been, er, having a few more looseners than would normally be the case" Richie Benaud, CH4, Ashes Test 5, on Glen McGrath bowling Ramprakash caught behind after a fine knock, Aug01
"he's done the old milkman, took the bottle from the top" Ch4 Oz endMar01 SriLankaV.Eng last 1 day = fielder missed picking up ball by trying to grab it from the top of the ball
"to pull the bowler through the bowler and mid-on takes something" (?Oz EngVZim final Jul00)
"Streak plays a semi-agricultural carve outside the off stump" Henry ZimVEng 22jul00
"that was almost a sweep shot off the front foot against a medium pacer!" (CH4 Oz EvZ final jul00)
"...a very strange, what would you call it, deep leg slip fielder"
"it's awfully uncomfortable to have McGrath up your sleeve, isn't it" (HB)
"looking to hit inswing off side" (CH4 pres EvZ final jul00)
"tries to hit the ball leg side ie trying to hit with the swing (of that particular ball)" (CH4 pres EvZ final jul00)
"not running in at full bore"
"..very bottom hand dominant" (CH4 Oz on F.Rose's batting WIvEng 6aug00)
"Jack Russell behind the timbers in his old washerwoman hat" (HB NWfinal99)
"Barnet runs, casting off the years with every step" (HB NWfinal99)
".. a seagull trotting around at long off." (HB - Ashes 5.1.99)
"...and there is no run" (HB - Ashes 5.1.99)
"...as the second highest scorer in the series, Ramprakash has risen in stature" (CMJ - Ashes 5.1.99)
"Healey's there, scampering out from behind the stumps" (JA - Ashes 5.1.99)
"Hick scratches around like an old hen in the crease there." (HB - Ashes 5.1.99)
"oh he's out... he didn't really come forward enough, oh dear, oh dear." (HB - Ashes 5.1.99)
"That was a good spanking stroke and it goes through to the boundary." (HB - Ashes 5.1.99)
"There are deep reserves of determination now in Hussein." (CMJ - Ashes 5.1.99)
"Waugh goes like a gazelle to the right and pouches the ball. Rather a large gazelle." (HB - Ashes 5.1.99)
Of course few things live up to the all time classic
"The batman's Holding the bowler's Willey"
but here are a few anyway:
Ball=Gloucestershire tail end batsman; Windows=?; Bowler=fielder for Somerset
"Ball went low to his left (to catch the ball)" (HB NWfinal99)
"Holloway caught Ball off Smith for 13" [Holloway batting Ball was fielding] (HB NWfinal99)
"...Snape, cover Windows" (HB NWfinal99)
"Bowler, caught Russell..., bowled Harvey" [Bowler was batting] (NWfinal99)
"...went just past the diving Bell" (CMJ NWfinal99)
If you DON'T hear one or more of these in a match, something must be very wrong
bowl line and length
catches win matches
open the face of the bat
bowl up in the block hole
use the pace of the ball
Some things can NEVER be said in cricket, particularly criticism of the umpires
(HB:) "...and they're on 98..." (Bill:) "99. The scoreboard's stuck." [=the Lords scorers are not keeping up properly]
lbw decision was very close [=wrong] / extremely close [=badly wrong]
"a very close call indeed" or "very close" it was out but the umpire got it wrong
"fairly ordinary shot" (a poor one)
"they're allowing Umpire Buckner to loosen up with few arm exercises" - India bowled 3 wide balls in an over (?, R4, Eng-Ind 1dy, 9jul02)
"rested" = modern term for "dropped from side" (CMJ, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 9jul02)
Just when you learned enough to understand that a batsman does not just simply hit a ball, that there are specific strokes to be played, and you thought you finally knew a drive from a sweep, this lot came along.
Bat stroke descriptive verbs - I think all heard on R4 on 3way 1day series Eng-Ind-Sri jul02 except those marked "!" which were heard in other commentaries (verb's past tense is in brackets if past is not simply xxx-ed):
- push, pull, reverse_pull, pull_uppishly,
- slice, sweep, reverse_sweep, swing (swung), hook,
- clip, chip, chop, smash, thrash,
- middle, edge, bottom,
- clump, club, slog, smack!, heft!, drive (driven), half_drive, sky!,
- run (ran), turn, tickle, work[with plenty of bottom hand][it away on the on side],
- spoon, cut (cut), smear, nibble!, nurdle, nick,
- play, hit, dig[out](dug), swing(swung), throw_the_kitchen_sink_at_it{HB}, spank{Indian commentator},
- squeeze, square_squeeze_drive{CMJ}, steer, stroke, thump, flick, carve, dab, glance,
- run it away [down the off side], run it to third man, lift [lifted that over the covers],
- flail {not necessarily a hit}, flap [at it] {not necessarily a hit}, swish {not necessarily a hit},
- hoick, turn, paddle, crack, hammer
...and on the borderline, being mostly used with "gave it a ...":
- good_hard_biff, half_turn_half_sweep, crunching_drive
No particular order and not a complete list, these are some of the puzzling or tricky rules that can cause a bit of confusion when watching/listening.
Rules: Fielder throws in, direct hit on stumps, batman is in his crease (well, he edged out of it, then back in as fielder threw ball, ball bounces off stumps and flies away, batmen take a run. Suggestion of changing rules to make it a dead ball. (CH4 EvZ final jul00)
rules: caught out if batsman hits ball with bat or gloves but not wrist or arms
rules: bat pad & pad bat re: lbw & catching
rules: bat-pad: ball hits the bat first then the pad, if the ball is caught the batsman is out because ball hit bat.
rules: bat-pad: ball hits the bat first then the pad, batsman cannot be out LBW because leg did not impede directly the bowled ball, the bat did.
rules: pad-bat: ball hits the pad first then the bat, if the ball is caught the batsman is out because ball hit bat.
rules: pad-bat: ball hits the pad first then the bat, batsman can be out LBW if other rules agree because leg interfered with bowled ball directly, not on rebound.
rule lbw - ball hit Ramprakash 1/2. The ball hit Ramprakash pad just when pad was just in line with off stump though first bounce was outside off stump - he was out mainly because he was back not forward. Technically very hard decision. Irony ...
rule lbw - ball hit Ramprakash 2/2. Irony is it would obviously hit stumps, but that doesn't matter in certain circumstances.
rule lbw - Brian Lara not lbw although the ball probably would have hit the stumps, because... "he came (leaned or stepped) forward away from the wicket"
rule lbw - Nick Knight not out because although ball was going to hit the stumps... "it was pitched outside off stump" (i.e. first bounce of bowl was outside the line from off stump to the comparable stump of the opposite wicket) (not sure about this one)
rule lbw - Alex Tudor not out, ball hit pad 4in outside off stump (CH4, Eng-Sri 15jun02)
rule lbw - Ashley Giles not out, ball hit pad only just outside off stump (CH4, Eng-Sri 15jun02)
rule lbw - when not playing the ball, i.e. deliberately putting the bat behind the pads so that the ball cannot hit it.
rules LBW - leftarm bowler coming round the stumps [to R arm bat??] must land in the red zone [imaginary line between outside edges of outside stumps] to be considered LBW (CH4 Oz jul00)
rules LBW - ball bowled landing on leg side of batsman must land in the red zone to be considered LBW (and must then go on in line with stumps), whereas ball bowled landing on off side can land outside red zone and still be considered (CH4 rules 5/6aug00)
rules: fielding overthrows & running: if batsmen run and reach crease, and fielder throws and hits stumps but then the ball carries on going, the batsmen can continue running even though stumps have been hit (anomalous rule much criticised for not being cricket / not common sense) (CH4 & R4 various)
rules: danger area = 5ft in front of popping crease and 1ft either side of middle stump.= area of pitch which bowler must not run on after releasing the ball. If he does, it is called "running down the pitch", he is given a warning and after 2?3? is disallowed from bowling (Richie Beneau et al aug00))
rules: popping crease = crease at bowler's end (at the next over it will become the batting crease)
rules: no ball - feet: at least some part of bowlers front foot must be on or behind the popping crease at the moment the ball is released, else it is a no ball and counts for one extra (run).
rules: no ball - all: The batsman cannot be caught out ?or stumped? from a no ball but ?can be run out? if batsman chooses to run?
rules: Mark Ramprakash was reported by umpire D.B.Hare for violating clause 3 of ICC code of conduct. His dissention was both physical and verbal. He was fined 25% of match fee, suspended for one test match with the suspension suspended for 6 months!
rule: if the batsman deliberately pads the ball away (?and specific position of batsman?), the umpire can stop them running
rules: batsman can stop bowler from bowling that ball if a fielder moves after the bowler starts his run up
rules: follow on 1/2 = When 2nd team to bat gets 200 or less than 1st team, the 2nd has to bat again immediately.
rules: follow on 2/2 = After a follow-on, if the 2nd team still loses, that's called an innings defeat.
rules: innings defeat = see follow on
rules: new ball after 80 overs (in test cricket, ?others?), but captain of bowling side chooses when to take it
rules: not playing the ball - byes cannot be taken
rules: umpire signals: leg by = umpire touches his raised knee
rules: umpires change over ends after both teams have had their first innings
rules: a wide in one day cricket is much narrower than in test cricket
rules: wide - a wide that is missed by batsman & fielders and goes on to boundary scores 5 = "5 wides"
rules: wide - you CAN be stumped off a wide (CMJ, R4, Eng-Sri 1dy, 9jul02)
rules: Duckworth Lewis = complex method of predicting what a side's final score would be in 1 day cricket if rain, bad light or other problems prevent finishing an innings. Devised by Duckworth & Lewis.
A large set of (serious) words and phrases heard on radio or tv commentaries, with explanations for those I know and have got round to doing. At the very least they illustrate the surprisingly large vocabulary of cricket, in some cases provide help and guidance to the linguistic confusion that is cricketting banter.
I started following cricket comparatively recently, with virtually no background in the sport. Well ok, I have held a bat at school once or twice and been as terrified as anyone and qualified for the Primary Club at about 5 years old, I can also bowl underarm and know how hard a cricket ball is when you try (note "try") to catch it. So I started writing down these terms in the hope that some of it might rub off. Maybe it'll help you too. If you want to add definitions or correct me or want something explained (assuming I know) then Email me at: cricket@fluffyrabbit.com. To search for specifics try control-F (hold down control key then press the F key), this works with most web browsers.
10 wickets per innings
100 runs = century
1000 runs in: county cricket etc = good score
3rd man
12th man = substitute
150 runs (onwards = big hundred)
1st slip
200 runs = double century
2nd slip
3rd slip
4 innings per test match
5 runs (ball hit fielding side's spare helmet placed behind stumps)
50 = half century
7th ball of the over "Hussein was out on the 7th ball of the over" (a "no ball" had been bowled previously and was discounted as a valid (bowled) ball
A caught by B off C for N runs
a four
a six
accepts his cap = a bowler accepts (not takes) his cap from the umpire at the end of his bowling spell
agricultural = lacking finesse "a good agricultural clump from Kaeef" (Vic Marks, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
appeal
area: ground
area: pitch
area: wicket
arm ball
arm guard
ask = required score (esp. when run chasing)
ask - a huge ask = a large required score
attacking the tail (putting pressure on the last few batsman)
avoid the follow on = score enough runs (when batting second) to avoid being forced to bat again immediately (i.e. before the 1st team's 2nd go) for the second innings. Must be within 200 runs to avoid it.
back of a length
back foot - "...stands up and hits this off the back foot" (CMJ R4 4aug00 WIvEng)
backward point
backwards short leg
backwards square leg and a deep square leg
ball carries (i.e. doesn't bounce between bat and catcher)
ball: length
ball: scuffed
ball: seam
ball: shine
bang the ball in [into the pitch] = bowl ball hard at the ground so that it bounces up high
bat-pad: ball hits the bat first then the pad which means if the ball is caught the batsman is out. See pad-bat
bat: face
bat strokes - smear : "just smeared it away..." (JA)
bat strokes - tickle : "tickled away down the leg side..." (JA)
bat strokes - drive :
bat strokes - nurdled: "...a deliberate nick; Jack Russell waited for that one and just nurdled it down" (CMJ NWfinal99)
bat strokes - nurdled: "Jack Russell is 31 not out, he's noodled nurdled and weaselled through that (innings)" (HB NWfinal99)
bat strokes - uppish "...who plays that a little uppishly" (CMJ NWfinal99)
batting attack: "Johnson is such a good attacker of the ball"
batting crease
batting end
beamer ?
beaten - "it would have beaten leg stump" (i.e. missed leg stump??)
bit - it's bit and it's turned and got a lot of purchase (JCNZ99)
bit - of bat "he got a bit of bat on that" = part of bat hit the ball but not enough to change ball's direction much
bobble - "[the ball] bobbles down to long off" (PB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02) = travels with many small bounces rather like a skipped stone
body blow - batsman gets hit by bowler bowling at him with a bouncer (deliberately intimidating)
bodyline = setting several or many fielders on leg side as if they are slips but on the leg not off side, then bowling balls at the batsman's body so he fends off, which tends to sky the ball towards these leg side fielders. Banned as boring to watch and potentially dangerous.
boots = special shoes = footwear
bottom edge - a little bottom edge back onto the stumps
bouncer - ball that bounces unusually high, usually deliberately to intinidate the batman, preferably to hit him if he moves too slowly or doesn't see it in time, to hurt, shock, and put batman off, and maybe hurt enough to interfere with batman's playing ability, mainly a psychological weapon
boundary
bowl a four ball (4 runs)
bowl around the wicket (bowling arm is the arm further from the stumps when releasing the ball)
bowl line and length
bowl over the wicket (bowling arm is the arm nearer to the stumps when releasing the ball)
bowl slower to give it more chance to bite (i.e. be in good contact with ground when it bounces and therefore more friction between ball and ground to better enable change of direction)
bowled
bowled out
bowled balls: flipper = ? [Ashes Jul2001]
bowled balls: slider = goes straight on [Ashes Jul2001]
bowled balls: leg spin = spins into leg side [Ashes Jul2001]
bowled balls: leg break = looks like leg spin but goes (roughly) straight on [Ashes Jul2001]
bowled balls: scrambled seam = ball spinning with seam going around all over the place, not on any one axis [Ashes Jul2001]
bowled balls: off spin = ?
bowling crease
bowling end: the end from which the ball is bowled
bowling line
bowling within - "Flintoff is bowling within himself" (could do more, not straining)"
bowling - leg break = spins from leg to off
bowling - googly = wrong'un = spins opposite to leg break
bowling - flipper = looks like {same wrist position} but hurries straight on
bowling "it's been a seamers' game so far"
bowling "bowl wide of the crease and angle in"
bowling "he would be wise to hold it across the seam for an over or so" (Richie Benaux on bowler going wide again)
bowling "a good angle coming around the wicket"
bowling "drew the batsman into the stroke"
brakes - putting the brakes on = preventing the batsmen from scoring so easily
bring up third man (change position of that fielder to closer to the batsman)
brute "a brute of a delivery by Darren Gough" Ashes Jul2001, which ball was also described as a "lifter", and as a "snorter"
by - run awarded although ball not hit with bat, e.g. hits leg and the batsmen run
cack handed - "...picked up by X who flicks it cack handed back to Stewart" (HB, R4, Eng-Sri 1day 27jun02) = throws it with the left hand
calling - "his calling's good" = batsman shouts whether to run or not, accurately, i.e. no mistakes which might cause a run out and no missed chances to get a run
castling (stumps knocked over?)
caught
chalk one up = ? : (not in the meaning of batsman made a score) "he's chalked that one up" (Dermot Reeve, Oz commentator in surprise on batsman hitting ball with toe of bat and wicket keeper diving horizontally to catch it after first bounce, CH4 Eng-Sri 16?jun02)
chase - in the chase = capable of reaching or surpassing the score that the other team made
chase - run chase =
chip the ball = hit it up in air usu gently from the end of the bat
chop on
come on to the bat
coming on - "the ball's coming on, on this pitch" (CMJ, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02) = ?
cover drive "a cover drive away through extra cover" (Richie Benaud 1day W.I.vZim 7/7/00) = hitting ball to the cover field position
cover point
covers (fielders)
covers (tarpaulins)
crease: "Hussein rarely leaves his crease" (an Aus - Ashes 5.1.99)
crease: line marking the batsman's safe area to be in to aviod a stumping
crunch game - (JA, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02)
cut - cut it for four
cut back = ball changes direction (on bounce) to go more towards the stumps
cut shot (as if cutting nettles with a stick on off side, ones I've seen are hit behind square)
dance - [batsman] dances down the pitch
danger area = protected area = 5ft from stumps & 1ft either side of middle stump. Bowler must not run into this area and esp. not cause damage to pitch, if does so is warned and on the 3rd warning is not allowed to bowl for rest of innings. New name from mid 2002? is "protected area".
dead ball = ball is effectively considered not to have been bowled i.e. no runs, byes, no wicket possible, does not count towards the over, and ball is bowled again. Due e.g. to batsman or umpire not being ready.
dead ball -??(where batsman e.g. Atherton, doesnt try to play the shot but makes it look like it, but ball comes off thigh pad and on for 4 byes)
dead game = cannot impact result of a tournament
deep - he bowled that one in from the deep (JA)(meaning?)
deep backwards square
deep backwards square leg
deep extra cover
deep fine leg
deep square leg
deep: "two men out in the deep on the leg side"
delivery = the bowling of a ball
dig in -"Flintoff quite bravely digging that in half way" = bowling hard at the ground to bounce the ball high
dig out - batsman digs out a low ball
dolly C&B = an easy? caught and bowled "almost a dolly C&B" (HB, R4, Eng-Sri 27jun02)
dorothy "and that is a Dorothy and a big one at that" Ch4 Richie Benaud 1st Jul01 Engv.Aus OneDay test Trescothick on 55 = six, from Dorothy Dicks
dot ball = no run scored and no wicket taken (from scoring recording method which is to write a dot e.g. "1 . . 1 . 4" = 1 run, 0, 0, 1, 0 4 runs.
double wicket maiden = bowler gets two wickets in one over for no runs
drawn - "the stumps were drawn" = pulled out of the ground at close of play
drift "ball drifted from middle to just outside leg"
drive = a type of batting stroke
drive - "that's the stroke that's brought about Flintoff's dismissal before - the miscued drive" Richie Benaud Engv.Zim Jul00
driven away = batsman plays ball using a drive stroke
dry over - a dry over = no runs = a maiden over
edge
exposed tail: a tail with poor batsman in it
extra cover
face - of bat - "showed the ball an open face and chipped it over the gulley"
face - of bat - "showed the face of the bat to the bowler" (hit the ball at him)
face - face the bowler - face the bowling = be bowled a ball, regardless of hitting it or not i.e. be on strike
face guard
facing "out for nought without facing" (facing the bowler/bowling)(batsman was run out) CH4 Eng beating Pakistan 40C eve 24oct00. "he's gone without facing" (Vick Marks, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02) = was run out before being bowled a ball
feeding - "feeding Tudor at mid-off" = hitting the ball [direct or close] towards Tudor
field
field the ball
fieldsman = fielder
fine leg
first slip
five byes (from ball hitting fielders' spare helmet)
five wickets in hand (at 254 for 5) put your side in a good position (lots of runs and few wickets for batting side)
fizz: "The ball fizzed away." (CMJ - Ashes 5.1.99)
fizz: "The ball fizzed by, off the edge of the bat" (HB - Ashes 5.1.99)
flappy - "a bit flappy" (CMJ R4 4aug00 WIvEng on Tescothick hook shot)
flick = hit mainly with the wrists rather than with (the greater force of) the arms
flick - "Thorpe flicks that away to ... " (JA, R4 test Eng-Sri 1jun02)
flipper: "not a leg break, more an attempted flipper"
floating away
follow on (see avoid...)
follow the ball = batsman to keep carefully watching the ball at all times
follow the ball = captain or bowler changes positions of fielders so as to place one where the ball has just been hit
follow through - no follow through = batsman did not swing the bat far after hitting the ball
follow through - "he's got a lovely follow through" (JA on Tudor NZ99)
for: batsman
forced "forced back on the crease"
forward short leg
full: "on the full" i.e. without bouncing
full: "ball went past the slips on the full (i.e. without bouncing)"
full & volley - "a very full half volley"
full face
full length - "that was fuller in length and taken by Boucher"
full toss = ball bowled so that it hits the bat without bouncing on the ground first
full toss: "two full tosses aren't a great help" (TB on Salisbury)(full tosses can be easy to hit and score runs from)
fuller in length = bowled ball first hits pitch nearer the batsman's stumps
fuller length
gap: "found a gap through the field"
gate = gap between bat and pad
gate - "through the gate" (ball went between bat and leg then hit stumps - G.Boycott)
gloves
going down - "That's going down" (GB referring to not LBW)
googly
googly: "...possibly a googly. Very wide of the off stump and it came in a little." (JA? - Ashes 5.1.99)
got away: "this one got away from the bowler"
ground
guard - taking guard "X taking guard from umpire Orchard" (HB, R4, Eng-Sri 1day 27jun02) = batsman getting ready lining up bat in line with stumps using directions from umpire
gully = (origin) unknown (Bill R4 3aug00)
gulley
half volley
handle
handy - see useful
hat trick: 3 wickets on consequtive balls from the same bowler, even if separated by innings or match
hattrick = three wickets in a row from consequtive balls
hatrick = bowler has taken 2 wickets in 2 balls and next ball could take a 3rd. Note, must be 3rd consecutive ball bowled by that bowler, but some debate as to whether this should be (a) in the same over (b) in different overs (c) whether can be in next innings (d) whether can be in next match
held up - "it just held up a fraction" = bowled ball did not fall as far as its arc would suggest (so it hits the bat higher up than the batsman would expect) (CMJ R4 Eng-Sri 1jun02)
helmet
hit the deck hard (fall over badly)
hoicked shot
hold back / hold ball back (of bowling) = bowl a ball slower than it looks: one method is to hold ball with fingers splayed apart and not gripped so firmly so that ball leaves hand slightly later than otherwise and with less force.
holed out - "it's holed out down at long leg" (on Atherton's high hit ball to Ntini for a catch)
hook - "he top edged a hook over the wicket keeper" (Bill Frindall, R4, Eng-Sri 1jun02)
hook shot
in = be batting
in - come in = walk onto pitch to start batting e.g."X will come in at number 4" = X is scheduled to be the fourth batsman to play
in - get in = score at least 1 run
in and out - "...if you can get somebody out before they get in..." (Boycott)
infield
in short at cover
innings
inside edge
inswing - bowled ball swerves in the air in towards batsman (the action of the ball i.e. its movement)
inswinger - bowled ball swerves in the air in towards batsman (the bowled ball itself)
jab "it was just a short arm jab, there was nothing wrong with the ball" Ch4 Richie Benaud Engv.Aus OneDay test when Ponting hit Mullaly for six
jag: "gets to jag one back at the batsman"
keeper
knock = a spell of batting for one batsman, ?not necessarily his entire innings, but punctuated by something like tea time?
knock - Ramprakash's knock can only have done him good
knock e.g. "an outstanding knock" - vg batting innings (still not out in this case)
knocked off him = "Dewer's had 9 fours knocked off him" = batsmen have hit 9 fours from his bowling
knuckle ball - ball held between knuckles of hand, wedged deeply between 1st & 2nd fingers and maybe held also by thumb, done in order to bowl a slow ball which deceives batsman since delivery looks same as a faster ball held normally and when bowled with same pace of run-up and speed of arm (also called fork ball in baseball)
lacquer = protective covering on new bat
larrup = "[Alex Stewart] really larruped that" = wallop = hit very hard, and possibly extravagantly (Mike Atherton CH4, Eng-Sri, 14jun02)
last man
lbw - leg before wicket = ball hits batsman's pads and if pads were not in the way the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps; however there are complex rules about what is and is not lbw
leading edge
leg
leg - "what an extraordinary field with two long legs" "It has a long leg, a fine leg, deep square leg." (Jon Agnew, R4, Eng-Sri, 16jun02)
leg before wicket (search for "lbw")
leg break
leg break - a quickish leg break
leg break = "...turning from the leg, a googly turns the other way." (HB - Ashes 5.1.99)
leg by / leg bye
leg side - Cronje tends to stay leg side of the ball
leg side: "going down the leg side" (just missing leg stump)
leg spinner
lifter (see brute)
line and length
line - across the line "...played across the line of X and was out LBW"
long hop - you don't want to bowl a long hop at this pace (TB on Salisbury's spin bowling)
long leg
long off
long on
long on - in a situation like this you've got to keep your long on and long off a little straighter (World Cup 99)
long stop = (origin) well behind keeper (Bill R4 3aug00)
long tail: "England has a long tail which was exposed yesterday" (JA? on England's collapse of last 4 batsmen)
looper - spun off bat in high arc or loop, slow and easy to catch
loose drive = not completely controlled, in this case the bat twisted in batsman's hands i.e. it was held too loosely (End-Sri?, 4jul02)
loosener
lose a wicket
lynch pin - Donald is the lynch pin of the S.African attack
maiden = maiden over
maiden over
maiden over = (origin) nothing scored off it, batsman hasn't interfered with it (Bill R4 3aug00)
maiden test hundred = first one
make a statement - "he (the batsman) makes his statement to the bowler that he is not going to be intimidated." G.Boycott
makers name - "the batsman's showing them the maker's name" (HB NZ99) = the maker's name on the back of the bat, meaning swinging the bat right round
mark - off the mark = batsman has scored at least one run
match
match referee
maximum - a maximum = scoring a 6
meat (of the bat)
mid off
mid on
mid season form
middle
middle & leg
middle & off
middle order batsman
midwicket
milk - "milks him through the mid-off gap" = scores an easy run (CMJ WIvEng 15Jul00)
mixed: "the bowler's mixed it up" = bowled a variety of balls in the over
movement in the air
movement in the pitch
movement off the seam (ball changing course after bouncing on the seam of the ball)
movement: the ball is moving (not going in straight line)
Nelson = score of 111 or multiple = superstition : to counter bad luck have to keep feet off the ground as much as possible. Umpire David Shepherd, the main proponent, traditionally stands on one leg and jumps gently up and down when a side (or more rarely batsman) is on 111.
new ball
nibble - Thorpe just nibbles that, nurdles it down to third man (HB, R4 1day test Eng-Sri 1jun02)
night watchman
nip and tuck = very close, nothing to choose between two options (common expression of JA, R4 Eng-Sri 1day test 7jul02)
no ball - doesn't count as one of the 6 balls of an over and has to be rebowled, batmn cannot be out but can score runs (I think, or are they byes?), usually caused by bowlers foot wholely over the bowling crease when the ball leaves the bowler's hand, but also if it's the 3rd bouncer in an over and the bowler has been warned each time
non-striker = batsman who's not facing the bowler for that ball
not quite middle
nurdle - see nibble
off break
off drive: "playing a flowing off drive"
off drive: "big off drive"
off spinner
off the pace "a little bit off the pace" Ch4? an Ozzie Ashes Jul2001 = too slow (fielding in this case)
offering the light - as daylight fades to specific measured dullness (lightmeters), umpires offer the option to the batsmen ofsuspending play until the light improves (usually tomorrow, but sometimes if v.dark clouds0
on drive = hit ~straight down the on side of the pitch
on song = playing well and with good rhythm
on the off stump - bowled ball is heading towards the off stump
on the turn: "hit on the turn rather than on the drive"
on the up - "he hit it on the up" (D.Gower on bat being angled upwards?)
on the up: "hit it on the up" (bat angled upwards)
on the up - "one of the best players in the game at taking the ball on the up" (CH4 Oz on Alex Stewart Surrey.v.Lancs aug00)
on the up = ball rises after hittting
one run off the over
open the face of the bat (see face)
open the innings
open the shoulders
opening batsman
out
out: "batsman's on his way out" - i.e. walking onto the field to start batting
out field
out for a duck = i.e. first ball no runs
outside edge
outside off stump - first bounce of bowl was outside the line from off stump to the comparable stump of the opposite wicket "pitched outside off stump"
outswinger
over
over the top - "that's over the top" (i.e. over the top of the fielders)
over the top: "over the top - over the heads of the (in this case) slips (D.Gower)
over the top - "Thorpe's gone over the top" = hit ball high, over fielders, poss trying for a six or four
over the wicket (opp. of round the wicket)
pace
pad-bat - ball hits the pad first then the bat. See bat-pad
pad (n) = protective leg covering
pad (vt) "pads it away on the off side" = batsman deliberately hits the ball away from the stumps using his pads
paddle: "batsman paddles it round the corner"
pair = ? ("[the batsman] Craig White's on a pair")
partnership
pearler - "it was a pearler" (unhittable ball?)
peppered - hit by balls esp. bouncers
pick up a wicket (get a batsman out)
pinch hitter = ?
pitch - bowl
pitch - ground
pitch: "ball pitching in the rough outside leg stump"
pitch: "ball wasn't pitched up enough, it was short of a length"
pitch: "slightly over-pitched"
play in - "had to play himself in, that's why it took 99 balls (to reach 50)" = settle down and get used to bowers & conditions before doing anything possibly risky, at the expense of a low run rate (CH4 Mark? EvZ final jul00)
play on
playing on - continuing
play on = hit ball onto own stumps : "if a batsman plays on he can't play on"
point: "he played out to just backward of point." (CMJ - Ashes 5.1.99)
point (position) = (seen fairly behind square, not too far away
point (scoring) - 45 point 3 overs is 45 overs and 3 balls out of 6 of the 46th over, not actually a decimal point
polish - "Salisbury polishes the ball as if his life depended on it" (HB)
popping crease - crease which bowler bowls from i.e. the line they must not put the forward foot over when bowling
position: "...three men round the bat (?on the off side?), a slip, a gully and a silly point." (HB - Ashes 5.1.99)
pull: "batsman pulls it for four"
pull & paddle - "The batsman pulls it for 4, paddles it round the corner"
punching - "punching it through mid-on"
push
push & chop - "it was pushed through a bit by Giles, a nice chopping shot. "
push & drive & turn - "a push perhaps, half a drive, but a turn as well (TL)"
put down = drop a catch
rank ball = bad one
refuse the ball - batsman hits ball and could run but decides not to (e.g. to avoid a single which would put the weaker batsman on strike (VM, R4 test Eng-Sri 1jun02)
return catch - bowler catches direct from batsman
reverse sweep - bat played almost horizontally, but bat turned and ball hit opposite from sweep i.e. to off side not leg
reverse sweep
rewarded - "he's bowled very well but without being rewarded" = bowler didn't get a wicket
right (/left) arm fast medium
right (/left) arm fast medium bowler
right (/left) arm medium
right (/left) arm medium bowler
roll - he can roll his arm over = can bowl passably or better (Indian HB, R4, Ind-Sri 1day, 11jul02)
room "give himself room" (batsman) = move position to allow more movement of the bat when hitting
run = batsmen run once from their respective stumps/creases to the opposite end
run out
run: single
runs: per ball = 1 2 3 4 5(off helmet or with a no ball) 6
saunter "...and they saunter a single" = run a slow single run (HB, R4, Eng-Sri 27jun02)
saving one = preventing the batsmen from running a single
saving one - "a man on the leg side saving one"
saving one - "you don't often see mid-off and mid-on saving ones in one day cricket" (? jul00)
scores (significant): 5 wickets per innings
scores (significant): 50 runs for team, or partnership, or batsman
scores (significant): 100 runs for team, or partnership, or batsman
scores (significant): 150 runs for team, or partnership, or batsman
scores (significant): 200 runs for team, or partnership, or batsman
scores (significant): 1000 runs for batsman's career
scores (significant): duck
screamer: "taken a screamer"
scuffed
seam
seam - "he would be wise to hold it across the seam for an over or so" (Richie Benaud on bowler bowling wide again)
seam bowler
seam picking
seamer: "the question is, how many has he got with his seamers and how many with his off breaks"
second slip
send - send the batsman on his way = get him out
set the field = order the fielders into position
settler "a nice little settler" = something to settle the nerves of bowler or batsman e.g. batsman reaching first 50 in a series
short extra cover
short fall (score)
short fine leg
short leg: "coming up from short fine leg to forward short leg"
short mid wicket
shorter length
shovel - "all he could do is shovel it round the corner" (CMJ, R4 Eng-Sri 1jun02)
shy - shy at the stumps - "Vaughan shies at the stumps underarm" = fielder (or other)throws ball at stumps usually quickly but not necessarily accurately (CMJ)
side or team per innings
silly mid off
silly point
single = 1 run
skimmer - (JA)
slashing - "a slashing drive through the covers" (HB, test Eng-Sri 1jun02)
slather and whack: "Steve Waugh might do a bit of slather and whack" (Richie Benaud re: Waugh batting after injury - Ashes Aug01 pre- 452for2 CH4)
sledger: "one of the best sledgers of all time" (bowler mouthing at batsman to put him off)(?also bowling intimidating bouncers at batsman?)
slice: "sliced a fraction"
sliced shot
slide - "slides it [hit ball] away"
slip = (origin) from mistake, so slip fielder is for batsman's mistakes (CH4 4aug00)
slog = powerful, unsophisticated and less controlled hit, hint of random wild hitting and ugliness about the stroke: "it wasn't a slog by any means because this ball was picked" (? on Mark or Steve Waugh, Ashes01)
slog sweep = sweep shot played hard and crudely
smear : "Knight's down the pitch with a rather ugly smear (JA, R4 Eng-Sri 1day test 7jul02)
smash
smeared: "He smeared it away into the mid-wicket gap." (HB - Ashes 5.1.99)
snorter (See brute)
soft hands - "played with nice soft hands" = holding the bat gently so that ball does not rebound far (esp. far enough to catch)
soft hands = holding bat gently, not too tightly, means that hit ball doesn't go very far thus often allowing quick run if fielders are positioned far away
spell - spell of bowling = bowls for 1 or more consecutive overs (alternating with the othe bowler of course)
spin
spin bowler
splice - "off the splice of the bat" = hit where handle meets main body of bat
split the field = hit ball between two fielders
spring (join handle to face)
square
square: "hit it square"
square leg
squeezed & edged - That was squeezed out rather than edged.
stands up - [of wicket keeper] = stands close to the stumps
steer - he steered it (the ball) through the air - i.e. hit it under control (in a particular way)
steered: "ball was steered away on the off side"
sticky: "plenty of movement in the air, rather sticky as well"
sticky: "a sticky patch for the batsman"
stolen - "they've stolen a third [run]" = they took another run after an overthrow (JA, R4 Eng-Sri 1jun02)
strangles - "almost strangles Jayawardena on the leg? side" - prevents him from playing a stroke due to ball being too close to hit? (CMJ R4 Eng-Sri 1jun02)
streaky - "He's off the mark but it was streaky and I'm not talking about the bowler,(Oz) I'm talking about the shot. Punched in the air, the shot of a nervous man (IanBishop" (CH4 EvZ final jul00)
string: "2nd string isn't bad either"
stroke
stump: to remove bails using the ball or the hand holding it while the batsman is out of his crease (i.e. is towards the bowling end beyond the crease)
stumped
stumps: close of play on a given day
stumps: off
stumps: three pieces of wood that the batsman tries to stop the bowler from hitting with the ball
stumps broken: "would have brought Merv Kitchen (3rd umpire) into action had the stumps been broken" (VM)
swat - "that's just swatted away, you can't be short" (CH4 EvZ final jul00)
sweep
sweep shot = bat played roughly horizontally
swing: "had the swing going" (bowler)
swing - "Cork needs to keep his wrist behind the ball to get some swing" (TL)
swing - "Cork seeing that the ball is beginning to swing now is going to have to adjust his angle a bit"
swing & seam - it (the ball) was swinging to the on side but it cut away off the seam
swing bowler
tail end batsman
tail ender
tail = last few batsmen ("non-specialist batsmen")
tail: "the question is, is the tail going to wag?"
tail: "the South African tail's very much up in the air at the moment" (playing well)
tail collapses - last few batsmen (see tail wags) fail to score well or enough or many at all, and/or are all out fairly quickly (often at crucial point)
tail wags - last few batsmen ("non-specialist batsmen") score siginficant number of runs (esp. if crucial point in game), and/or stay in for a long while
tails are up - excited and interested - "quite a bit more noise around the wicket from the Sri Lankans, their tails are up" = fielders are enthusiastic and vocal, complimenting the bowler, appealing for LBW and catches, "he [Vaas] has his tail up" = is bowling with enthusiasm (aussie, CH4, Eng-Sri 14jun02)
take - a take - to take - catching the ball but not for a catch
take a catch
take a wicket
take guard - Ramprakash is out there taking guard already (on the field replacing last batsman)
take on - Flintoff (batsman) now to take on Donald (bowler)
take two (runs)
tea time
telegraphed - "a slightly telegraphed one I felt that time" (of a bouncer from Caddick) = bowler made it obvious [intentionally or not] to batsman that he was about to bowl a particular type of ball (i.e. in a particular way, not a different physical ball) (in this case a bouncer) (CMJ R4 Eng-Sri 1jun02)
test match
thick edge
thick inside edge
thick outside edge
thickish edge
thin edge
third man
third man = (origin) behind slip n keeper (Bill R4 3aug00)
third man square
third slip
third umpire
three runs
throat - "Raoul Dravid has put it straight down his [Flintoff] throat" = hit ball straight towards fielder (?, Eng-Sri, jul02)
through - the ball went right through him = batsman missed the ball entirely (and in this case nearly hit the stumps)
throw - throw in = fielder throws ball back to wicket keeper or bowler or other person near stumps
throw - throwing the bat = hitting ball hard and maybe wildly
tickle - "would have been doubly frustrating if he had got a little tickle onto that" (CMJ R4 1jun02)
tidy - a tidy over = well bowled with very few runs from it
tied down - batsman is tied down (unable to make runs, having to defend)
timbers = stumps
time: day
time: knock
tips: balls swings in the air more when it's overcast i.e. cloudy
tips: if batsman hits ball behind square, the non-striker calls whether to run or not
tips: the wicket keeper sets the depth of the slips i.e. if keeper is far from the stumps so will the slips be, if keeper is too far then the ball won't carry to the slips
tips - a strong breeze often prevents the ball from swinging
toss = toss of a coin to decide who gets to choose whether to bat or field first
toss up - "X tosses it up outside Y's off stump" (JA, R4, Eng-Ind 1day, 13jul02) = bowl (esp. slowly esp. of spin bowler)
traditions: batsman raises bat at 50 and also takes off helmet at 100
turn: "turned just outside the leg stump, quite a big turn "
turn - "the ball is turned by Stewart" (CMJ R4 4aug00 WIvEng)
turn - hit with the turn
twelfth man
two (runs)
umpire
umpire: "Umpire (Steve) Buckner is a lingering death merchant" (HB on slow decision)
umpire: "Steve Buckner (West Indian Umpire) is the lingering death merchant" (HB on slow decision)
underneath - he's got underneath it = bat under the ball in order to hit it in the air
upside down bat "as Slater walks off he's holding his bat upside down, a sure sign that a batsman is disappointed" ?Jonathan Agnew? Ashes Test3 2001
useful - "a very useful start" = good, e.g. a high score
wandy woof - "a bit of a wondy woof" (RB) on a total miss by Alec Stewart (see also windy)
waft - "waft away outside off stump" (JA 3aug00 WItest)
well run
wicket - getting a batsman out
wicket - ground
wicket keeper
wicket maiden
wicket maiden = bowler bowls an over with no runs and takes one wicket
wicket match
wide
wide: "Umpire Shepherd turns around and spreads his arms like a galleon. A splendid signaller of a wide is Umpire Shepherd." (HB NWfinal99)
wide mid on
wide-ish mid on
wielding the willow
windy woof - on unconfident strike by Caddick which hit edge and resulted in catch (HB, test Eng-Sri 1jun02)
wrist spinner
wristy = ball hit & controlled using wrists rather arms
wristy flick - ... gives that a wristy flick (JA, R4 test Eng-Sri 1jun02)
wrong-un (Aus - Ashes 5.1.99) = googly
wrong-un (Aus - Ashes)(JA) = "pitched on round about the stumps and spun down the leg side"
X for Y - runs made by team for number of wickets lost
X for Y - wickets taken by bowler at cost of number of runs
X runs behind with Y wickets remaining
yard or two = "Vaas has found a yard or two" = is bowling faster (aussie, CH4, Eng-Sri 14jun02)
yorker
yorks - "and he yorks him" = bowls a Yorker and gets the batsman out
======== ========And try these links....
Jonathan Agnew's "Aggers" website
Test Match Special
http://www-uk.cricket.org/
http://www-uk.cricket.org/link_to_database/NATIONAL/ENG/CLUBS/MCC/MCCWebcam.html
Cricket field positions in graphics BRILLIANT !!!
(the above link may change, if so, go to the cricket.org site and look for "About Cricket", article "A diagram of fielding positions" by Robert Carter.)
http://laban.vr9.com/
(rules & regs)
http://www-uk.cricket.org/link_to_database/ABOUT_CRICKET/EXPLANATION/
http://www.cricketunlimited.co.uk/
"I don't like cricket-ah.... oh no.... I love it-ah"
last updated 21sep02