Glossary of terms used in cricket

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The sport of cricket has a large vocabulary which includes many unusual terms. A comprehensive glossary is a necessary aid for people trying to understand the sport. The list below, still under construction, highlights key terms for expansion into glossary format. Some of the terms will need an article in their own right.

Many of the more obscure terms relate to fielding and to the pitch, so the fielding positions and pitch diagrams below should help towards understanding them.

In the descriptions, bold text is used to highlight other terms which are relevant to the one being read.

As of October 2025

This list is not complete; you can help by adding missing items.

A

Abbreviations

With cricket's wide range of terminology, many abbreviations are commonly used. Some are explained in this glossary, but see also Abbreviations used in cricket.

Across the line

See Cross-bat shot below.

All out

Ten members of the batting team have been dismissed, and the innings ends at that point. One batter remains not out.

All-rounder

A player who is good at both batting and bowling—the majority of players are good at only one. The all-rounder often bats in the middle of the batting order. Depending on whether he/she is better in one skill than the other, they may be termed a batting all-rounder or a bowling all-rounder. There are also wicket-keeper-batters (see below). A "genuine" all-rounder is a player who is equally good at batting and bowling. This type of player is also, usually, a good fielder. There have been many famous all-rounders including W. G. Grace, George Hirst, Wilfred Rhodes, Keith Miller, Gary Sobers, Richard Hadlee, Andrew Flintoff, and Ellyse Perry.

Amateur

While the word suggests someone who plays for fun in their spare time, for over 200 years the amateur in English cricket was a specific type of full-time player who theoretically played only for out-of-pocket expenses such as travel and accommodation. In reality, there was considerable abuse of the principle, especially by the Grace brothers, and the term "shamateur" was coined. It was said of W. G. Grace that "he made more money out of cricket than any professional".

In the old Gentlemen v Players match, the Gentlemen were amateurs and the Players were professionals. There was an unabashed social class distinction in this and amateurism, along with the fixture, was finally abolished in 1962. All first-class players are now professional, and the word "amateur" is applied to weekend players only.

Analysis

A statistical summary of a bowler's performance in an innings. If twelve overs were bowled with three maidens, and four wickets were taken for 27 runs, it is recorded as 12–3–27–4 in scorecards.

Appeal

Most usually associated with the "Owzat!" call to the umpire which is made by the bowler and other fielders when they believe the batter should be given out. In fact, it is a request by any player to an umpire for a decision on anything that may affect play: for example, an appeal by a batter for play to be suspended because of poor light.

Arm ball

Also called "going with the arm". Usually relates to a spin bowler who, instead of spinning the ball, delivers it straight so that there is no deviation after pitching. The tactic is a deceptive move by the bowler to entice the batter into making a mistake. It is so-called because the ball goes in the direction of the arm as a continuation of the bowler's follow-through.

Around the wicket

Normally, when a bowler delivers the ball, the bowling arm is next to (or over) the wicket. That is called bowling "over the wicket" because the bowler is trying to bowl as straight as possible between the two wickets. If the bowler switches to the other side of the wicket, so the bowling arm is further away from it, that is called bowling "around the wicket" so that the bowler can achieve a more angled approach in the delivery. It is a tactic used to confuse the batter who might then make an error and be dismissed.

"Ashes"

The "Ashes" is the name given to the prize at stake in any Test series between Australia and England. After Australia defeated England in 1882, the Sporting Times newspaper printed a mock obituary lamenting the death of English cricket and including the message that "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". In the next Australian season, England captain Ivo Bligh said he was going to "recover those ashes" and, after his team won the deciding match, some ladies burned a bail and presented its ashes to him in a small urn that Bligh eventually bequeathed to MCC. It is in the museum at Lord's, and is the supposed trophy for which Australia and England always play (there is now a replica trophy which is presented to the winning captain for publicity purposes).

Asking rate

In a run-chase situation, especially the closing stages of a limited overs match, the runs per over needed by the side batting last to achieve their target and win the match.

Attacking field

The majority of the fielders are in close catching positions, leaving the infield and outfield areas largely undefended.

Averages

Batting average is the mean number of runs scored by a batter per innings and is calculated by dividing their total number of runs scored by the number of completed (excluding not out) innings they have played through the period under consideration (e.g., series, season, career). Bowling average is the mean cost of runs conceded by a bowler per wicket taken and is calculated by dividing the total runs conceded by the number of wickets taken, again by period.

Away-swinger

See Outswinger below.

B

Back foot

A batter's back foot is the one nearest the stumps when he/she is taking guard.

When bowling the ball, the bowler's back foot in the delivery stride must land within the two return creases while the front foot must land on or behind the popping crease. If the rule is broken, the umpire calls "no ball".

Back foot drive

A drive shot played off the back foot. Driving is normally a front foot shot but a skilled batter can play the drive equally well after stepping back. Gary Sobers was an outstanding back foot driver.

Back foot play

The batter transfers weight onto the back foot in order to play the shot. Generally, a batter will move backwards if the ball is pitching short of, or longer than, a good length. There are a range of back foot shots including back foot drive, backward defensive stroke, hook, leg glance, pull and square cut.

Back spin

An under-spin of the ball by the bowler who wants it to come more slowly off the pitch.

Backing up

This has two meanings. It can refer to a fielder who supports a colleague by getting into position to prevent an overthrow. It also refers to the non-striker moving forward as the bowler delivers the ball.

Backlift

The batter on guard raises the bat backwards (the "backlift") towards the stumps as the bowler approaches, to be ready to play a shot.

Backward point

An infield position that is behind square and to the left of the umpire at the bowler's end. It is opposite backward square leg and between point and short third man. Refer to the fielding positions diagram.

Backward square leg

An infield position that is behind square and to the right of the umpire at the bowler's end. It is opposite backward point and between square leg and short fine leg. Refer to the fielding positions diagram.

Bad light stopped play

If the daylight dims, the batters can appeal to the umpires for a stoppage in play because they cannot see the ball well enough. If the umpires agree, they will suspend play for safety reasons until the light improves.

Baggy green

Nickname of the cap worn by members of the Australian team in international cricket. The cap was introduced in the 1890s, and it has a distinctively "baggy" shape in typical late-Victorian style. Its colour is myrtle green. The baggy green cap is an iconic symbol in Australia, akin to the red and white roses of Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Bail

There are two bails on each wicket, laid horizontally along the top. They must not project more than half an inch above the top of the stumps and so the maximum height of the wicket is 28.5 inches.

Ball

See Cricket ball below.

Ball-tampering

Bowlers often polish the ball, usually on their trousers. However, nobody is allowed to rub it on the pitch or ground. Ball-tampering is an illegal action which seeks to change the condition of the ball by artificial means. No substance other than sweat or saliva may be applied to the ball. Deliberate scuffing of the surface and attempting to raise the seam of the ball are banned.

Bat

See Cricket bat below.

Batter

See Batting below.

Batting

Two members of the batting team are on the pitch when play is in progress and are called the batters. The one facing the bowler is called the striker and his colleague at the bowler's end is the non-striker. Batters are classified by hand so "RHB" means right-handed batter and "LHB" means left-handed batter.

Batting average

See Averages above.

Batting gloves

Tight fitting leather or fabric gloves which are strongly padded at the back, traditionally with tubular rubber. They are an essential item of protective gear worn by the batter. If the ball strikes a glove with which the batter is holding the bat, the glove is considered an extension of the bat, and the batter is out if a fielder catches the ball on the full of that glove. If the ball hits a glove not in contact with the bat, then the batter is not out if the ball is caught on the full.

Batting order

The captain decides, before the match begins, the order in which his team members will bat from one to eleven. The specialist batters invariably occupy the first five or six positions. The order is announced before start of play but it is not fixed and the captain can change it at any time.

Beach cricket

As it says, a fun way of spending a day on the beach.

Beamer

An illegal fast delivery which does not bounce and, if it goes close to the batter's head, is considered very dangerous. It is banned by Law 41 — Unfair Play and the umpire must call it a no ball under Law 21 — No ball.

Behind square

Basically, any fielding position in the diagram which is above a line drawn from deep point through the striker's popping crease to deep square leg. The area includes the point, fine and leg sectors of the field. Refer to the fielding positions diagram.

Block

Any defensive shot which is designed to abruptly halt the ball's progress.

Blockhole

Basically, the place where the batter's feet and bat are positioned when taking guard and awaiting delivery of the ball. If the bowler delivers a yorker (see below), it is sometimes said that the ball has been bowled "into the blockhole".

Bodyline

Also known as leg theory, a controversial and now illegal tactic utilised by England captain Douglas Jardine in the 1932–33 Test series in Australia. It involved the bowler aiming at the batter's body so that he would use the bat awkwardly to defend himself, and potentially give a catch to a ring of close fielders on the leg side.

Bosie

The Australian term for the googly, named after the delivery's originator, B. J. T. Bosanquet. It is an off-break bowled by a leg-break bowler, and is also called a wrong 'un.

Bottom hand

Refers to the batter's grip of the bat handle, so the bottom hand is the lower one closest to the blade of the bat. Too much use of the bottom hand when making the stroke will cause the ball to be hit upwards, increasing the risk of being caught. The batter's bottom hand is his natural one, right or left.

Bouncer

Also called a bumper, this is a short-pitched fast delivery which reaches the batter chest- or head-high. It is intended to discomfit the batter who may either take evasive action or play a risky cross-bat shot like the hook or pull.

Boundary

The perimeter of the playing field. It is often defined by a rope encircling the outer edge of the field, with spectator seating beyond. During play, a shot by the batter which clears the boundary on the full is worth six runs—this is similar to a home run in baseball. A shot which reaches the boundary after the ball has been in contact with the ground is worth four runs, and that is often called "scoring a boundary".

Bowl-out

A tie-break method that has sometimes been used in limited overs matches. It is like the penalty shootout in football. Players from each team take turns to bowl at undefended wickets and the team with the most "hits" is the winner.

Bowled

A common means of dismissal; the bowler has hit the wicket with the ball and the wicket has broken with at least one bail being dislodged. If the ball hits the wicket without dislodging a bail, the batter is not out.

Bowled around his legs

The batter has been bowled by a delivery that pitched on the leg side and turned sharply towards the off side, having gone past the batter's legs, before hitting the wicket. Top-class leg spinners like Richie Benaud and Shane Warne took a lot of wickets in this way.

Bowler

See Bowling below.

Bowling

In short, bowling is done by the bowler who bowls the ball at the batter's wicket. To bowl means to propel the ball fairly at the bowler's target, which is the wicket at the other end of the pitch.

Bowling analysis

See Analysis above.

Bowling average

See Averages above.

Bowling crease

One of the four white lines which are painted at each end of the pitch and known as creases. The stumps are precisely aligned in the centre of the bowling crease, which is 8 feet 8 inches long and marks the end of the pitch. This crease has nothing to do with bowling any more, so its name is a misnomer. As they define the ends of the pitch, the two bowling creases must be 22 yards apart. See pitch diagram.

Box

Item of protective gear held in place by a jockstrap and worn inside the batter's trousers to protect the genitals.

Break

Any deviation of the ball from a straight course immediately after pitching, most commonly caused by spin. The ball is also said to have turned.

Bump ball

A batter hits the ball into the ground and a fielder catches it on the bounce. This is not out, because the catch was not taken on the full without the ball bouncing.

Bumper

See Bouncer above.

Bye and leg bye

These are extra runs which can be scored if the ball when bowled does not touch the bat, but goes past the wicket-keeper.

Runs which are scored in this way, without the ball touching either the bat or any part of the batter's body, are called byes. If the ball touches any part of the batter's body other than the hands (which count as part of the bat), the runs are called leg byes.

Byes and leg byes are not counted as runs by the batter. They are counted as extras (see below) and are added to the team total only.

The mark of a good wicket-keeper is the ability to restrict the total of byes and leg byes to a minimum. Byes were first recorded in the 1770s.

C

Captain

The team leader who is responsible for making tactical decisions. Usually the team's most experienced player.

Caught

A catch is a common means of dismissal, and it is recorded as caught in the scorecard. The batter has hit the ball with the bat, or with a hand holding the bat, and the ball has been caught on the full by a member of the fielding side.

Century

A popular term for a batter's score of 100 or more. 50 is called a half-century; 200 a double-century; 300 a triple-century. A batter who scores a century is sometimes referred to as a "centurion".

Chinaman

See Slow left-arm unorthodox.

Conditions

Referring to either or both of the pitch and the weather. Pitch conditions have a significant bearing on the match, and team tactics are always determined with the state of the pitch, both current and anticipated, as a key factor. The pitch and some parts of the field are covered during bad weather. Groundsmanship is very important in cricket as considerable care — mowing, watering, and rolling — is necessary to prepare and maintain pitch surfaces.

Creases

Four white lines painted at each end of the pitch. They are dual-purpose as they define the batter's safe territory and determine the limit of the bowler's approach. They are called the bowling crease, the popping crease, and two return creases. See pitch diagram.

Cricket ball

A cricket ball has a casing made of hand-stitched leather built around a cork interior wound with twine. As such, it is rock-hard and a very dangerous projectile. In men's cricket, it weighs 5.5 ounces; in women's cricket, 5 ounces. The circumference is nine inches. Balls are dyed red for first-class and club cricket, white for limited overs.

Cricket bat

The blade of a bat is made of willow and must not exceed 4.25 inches in width. The handle is made of cane layered with thin strips of rubber and bound with twine. The whole handle is encased in a rubber sheath. The maximum length of the whole bat is 38 inches. There is no actual weight limit but they tend to weigh two to three pounds, though some players like Clive Lloyd have favoured a heavy bat weighing four pounds.

Cricket field

The playing area. It is a large grassy space of variable size and shape, though normally round or oval with a diameter of 140 to 160 yards.

Cricket pitch

See Pitch.

Cross-bat shot

Basically, any shot played across the line of flight so that the ball is hit to the leg or on side of the field. Examples are the hook, pull, and sweep shots.

D

Decision Review System (DRS)

Declaration

Delivery

Delivery stride

Dismissal

Draw

The result of an unfinished double-innings match, in which the team batting last has not scored enough runs to win the game when playing time ends. Law 16.5.2 defines it as a game which has not ended in either a tie or a victory.

Duck

E

Equipment

Extras

F

Fast bowling

Fielder

Fielding

Finger spin

First-class cricket

Follow-on

G

Gauntlets

Handwear worn by the wicket-keeper. They are specially reinforced to protect the hands, and are also fitted with wrist protectors.

Gloves

Only the batters and the wicket-keeper may wear gloves on the field. These are reinforced for safety reasons. See Batting gloves (worn by the batters) and Gauntlets (worn by the wicket-keeper).

Googly

Also known as a "wrong 'un" or a "bosie", it is an off-break bowled by a right arm wrist spinner with a leg-break action. It is also an orthodox delivery bowled by a left arm unorthodox spinner with a "chinaman" action. Essentially, the ball spins in the opposite direction to that of the spin bowler's stock delivery. It was devised by B. J. T. Bosanquet at the end of the 19th century and the Australian term "bosie" was coined in his honour.

H

Handled the ball

Helicopter shot

An unconventional batting shot which was made popular by MS Dhoni. The batter uses a low grip and a high backlift when expecting to receive a full-length delivery such as a yorker. The shot requires fast wrist movement to force the ball upwards, the intention being to score six runs. Dhoni characterised the shot by using shoulder rotation in his follow-through, and circling the bat over his head.

Hit the ball twice

Hit wicket

I

Innings

One of the main phases of play into which a match is divided. Depending on the type of match, there may be two or four innings.

Innings victory

In a double innings match, if one team scores more runs in one innings than their opponents can score in two completed innings, the winning team is said to have won the match by an innings and the number of runs they are ahead. They have thus achieved an innings victory and their opponents have suffered an innings defeat.

Inswinger

International Cricket Council (ICC)

L

Laws

Short form for The Laws of Cricket.

League cricket

Leg before wicket (lbw)

Leg break

Leg bye

See Bye and leg bye above.

Limited overs

List A cricket

M

Maiden

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)

Men's cricket

N

No ball

Non-striker

Not out

O

Obstructed the field

Off break

Orthodox left arm spin

Out

Outswinger

Also called the away swinger, a fast delivery in which the ball swings (i.e., achieves lateral movement) in the air and moves away from the batter's body to the off side. In other words, it swings away from the batter having seemed to be going straight towards the wicket (an inswinger swings towards the batter). A fast bowler effects swing by using a particular grasp of the seam in the hand before releasing the ball. The outswinger is helped by the sort of damp, cloudy conditions that often occur in England, rather than in hot, dry countries. Fred Trueman was an exceptional outswing bowler.

Oval

Cricket fields tend to be either round or oval in shape, with a diameter of 140 to 160 yards. There are many grounds with "Oval" in their name, such as the Adelaide Oval; the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown; and, most famously, The Oval at Kennington in south London.

Over

Overarm bowling

Overthrow

P

Pads

Partnership

Pavilion

Pitch

A specially prepared rectangular area of the field on which the wickets are sited and creases are painted. It is 22 yards long between the wickets and is ten feet wide. It is a flat surface with very short grass. See Pitch. Changing pitch conditions have a significant impact on a match's progress. See pitch diagram.

Pitched delivery bowling

Playing time

Popping crease

Drawn parallel to, and four feet in front of, the bowling crease. It is drawn to a length of 12 feet but, in fact, its length is the width of the field from boundary to boundary. At the bowling end of the pitch, when the bowler reaches the delivery stride, the back foot imust land within the two return creases while the front foot must land on or behind the popping crease. At the batting end, the popping crease marks the limit of the batter's "safe territory". See pitch diagram.

R

Result

Return crease

There are two return creases at each end of the pitch. They are painted perpendicular to and adjoining the ends of the popping crease through the ends of the bowling crease to a length of eight feet. In the delivery stride, the bowler's back foot must land within the two return creases (the front foot must land on or behind the popping crease). Although, the return creases are drawn eight feet long, they actually extend from the popping crease to the boundary behind the wicket-keeper. See pitch diagram.

Roundarm bowling

Run

Run out

S

Safe territory

Batters cannot be stumped or run out if they or their bats are touching the ground behind the popping crease, which is the limit of their safe territory.

Schools cricket

Scoring

Seam bowling

Sightscreen

Single

Single wicket

Slow left-arm orthodox (SLA)

Slow left-arm unorthodox aka Chinaman (SLC)

An unorthodox style of left-arm wrist spin bowling in which the ball is released from the hand over the little finger (this is sometimes called a back of the hand delivery). The resultant rotation of the ball is clockwise. The bowler normally operates on the right side of his wicket, so that his bowling arm is over the wicket. If the batter is right-handed, the bowler directs his delivery in a diagonal direction towards the batter's off stump, and the ball on pitching turns in from the off towards the batter and his leg stump. If the batter is left-handed, the chinaman turns away from him towards his off stump. The origin of the term "chinaman" is uncertain, but popularly attributed to West Indian bowler Ellis Achong, who was of Chinese origin.

Spell

Spin bowling

The Spirit of Cricket

A preamble (introduction) to the 2017 issue of The Laws of Cricket. It emphasises the need for respect and fair play, regardless of the actual Laws (rules) of the game.

Square leg

Striker

Stumps

A wicket has three stumps which are each 28 inches long with a maximum diameter of 1.5 inches. They are made entirely of wood, usually polished ash. They are placed upright in a straight line in the centre of the bowling crease, so that the width of the whole wicket is 9 inches. See pitch diagram.

Stumped

Substitute

Swing bowling

T

Team

Test cricket

Tie

The result of a match (of any kind) in which all innings have been completed, and the scores are level. In top-class double-innings matches, ties are rare, and only 69 have been recorded from the first in 1741 to the end of 2024. There have been two "Tied Tests": Australia v West Indies at the Brisbane Cricket Ground in 1960; and India v Australia at the Chepauk Stadium in 1986.

Timed out

Toss

Twenty20

U

Umpire

Adjudication (control of the match) is performed on-field by two umpires. One of the umpires stands behind the wicket at the bowler's end, and the other stands in a position called square leg, which is directly in line with the other wicket and about fifteen yards from it. In televised matches, particularly those played at international level, there is often a "third umpire" who can make decisions on certain incidents with the aid of video evidence. See fielding positions diagram.

Underarm bowling

V

Village cricket

W

Wicket

Made entirely of wood (usually polished ash), a wicket consists of three upright stumps placed in a straight line at the centre of each bowling crease, and surmounted by two horizontal bails which are placed across the two gaps. The dimensions of a wicket are 28.5 inches high by 9 inches wide. See pitch diagram.

Wicket-keeper

Wicket-keeper-batter

Like the all-rounders who bat and bowl equally well, there are some skilled wicket-keepers who are also strong batters, and tend to be high in the batting order. Examples are Les Ames, Jim Parks, Kumar Sangakkara, MS Dhoni, and Adam Gilchrist.

Wide

Wisden

Short form used for Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, which has been published annually since 1864.

Women's cricket

Wrist spin

Y

Yorker

References

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to cricket.

• Barclays (1986). "Part XI: Glossary". In Swanton, E. W.; Plumptre, George; Woodcock, George (eds.). Barclays World of Cricket. London: HarperCollins. pp. 693–700. ISBN 978-00-02181-93-8.
• Chambers (2006). The Chambers Dictionary (10th ed.). Chambers Harrap. ISBN 978-0-5501-0185-3.
• "The Laws of Cricket" (3rd ed.). Marylebone Cricket Club. 2017.
• Oxford (2004). Oxford English Dictionary (11th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-1986-0864-6.
• Williamson, Martin (2007). "A glossary of cricket terms". ESPN Sports Media Ltd.