A complete glossary of cricket terms
A
All-rounder: A player who can either play as a batsman or as a bowler.
Appeal: A call by a player to an umpire for a decision on any matter concerning play.
Ashes: Test series played between Australia and England.
Average (Batting): The mean number of runs per completed innings over a period (Season, tour, Test series, ODI series, Twenty20 series or career). It is calculated by dividing a batsman aggregate by the number of innings discounting any in which he is 'not out' or 'retired hurt/ill'.
Average (Bowling): The mean cost of each wicket in terms of runs over a period. It is calculated by dividing the number of runs conceded by the number of wickets taken.
Away swinger (Also termed as out-swinger): A bowling delivery which moves in the air from leg to off side.
B
Back up, to: While fielding, to prevent overthrows by standing behind the wicket-keeper or another fielder to stop the if he misses it.
Backward point (Gully): An offside fielding position between Point and the Slip area.
Bails: Two pieces of wood, which are placed end to end on top of the stumps.
Ball: It is made of stitched leather dyed red with an interior of cork layers each bound with twine.
Bat: It is a blade for the striking part, must be made of wood - willow.
Beamer: A fast, head-high full pitch delivery which is an illegal ball according to the law.
Belter: A pitch which offers little help to bowlers and so heavily favours batsmen.
Blue: Awarded for appearing for Cambridge or Oxford in a University match.
Bosie: Australia's term for the googly.
Bouncer: A fast short-pitched ball which is aimed to reach the batsman at shoulder height of above. It is also termed as Bumper.
Boundary: The limit of the playing area on all side which is marked by rope. It also refers to a hit which sends the ball beyond the boundary rope. The batsman is awarded four if it touches the ground within the playing area first and six if it does not.
Bowl, to: To propel the ball at the batsman.
Bowled: The method of dismissal whereby the bowler bowls down the striker's wickets (stumps), even if the ball touches that batsman's bat or person first.
Bowling crease: The white painted line, 8 feet 8 inches in length. It extends equidistantly on either side of the stumps at each end of the pitch. Under the no-ball law the bowler must not overstep the popping crease at the moment of delivery.
Box: A light shield worn by batsmen, wicketkeepers, and fielders occupying the close position to protect the genitals.
Break: A ball's deviation from the straight on pitching.
Break-back: A fast off-break which is produced by the bowlers cutting his fingers across the seam.
Bump ball: A ball which rebounds directly from the striker's bat to the ground before being caught.
Bye: A run scored from a ball which passes the striker without touching his/her bat or his/her body.
C
Cap: A cricketer's headgear. Also, in English first-class cricket, a capped player is the one who has been awarded his county 1st XI cap.
Carry one's bat, to: The act of an opening batsman who remains not out at the end of his team's innings.
Castle: Another term for the wicket.
Caught: A method of getting the batsman out whereby the striker has touched the ball with his bat, or his hand or glove (below the wrist) while holding the bat, and it is subsequently held by a fielder.
Century: Another term for 100 runs.
Charge: When a batsman leaves his crease to attack the ball.
Chinaman: The left-arm bowler's off-break to the right-handed batsman.
Chop: A form of late cut which is executed by bringing the bat down sharply on a ball on the off-side just as it passes the batsman.
Chin music: The act when the fast bowlers aim the ball the batsman's head.
Chucker: A bowler who throws the ball instead of bowling it.
Closing the face: Turning the face of the bat inwards to hit the ball on the leg-side.
Close field: The fielding position which are close to the striker batsman.
Closure (Declaration): When a team decides to end the innings before getting all-out.
Cow shot: A rustic shot played across the line of the ball with near horizontal bat and which aims to send the ball on the leg-side.
Creeper: A ball which shoots along the ground.
Cross batted: A stroke which is subsequently played across the line of the ball.
Crumbling pitch: The one which is dry and disintegrating.
Cut: A stroke played with a horizontal bat at a short-pitched ball on the off-side.
Cutter: A ball bowled at a medium pace or above, is made to deviate off the ground on pitching.