Cricket dictionary

Cricket dictionary


Here are some commonly used terms in cricket and their definitions:

  • Bat: A wooden implement used by a player to hit the ball.
  • Ball: A hard leather ball that is bowled by the bowler.
  • Bowler: The player who bowls the ball to the batsman.
  • Batsman: The player who uses the bat to hit the ball.
  • Wicket: A set of three wooden stumps and two bails which are placed at each end of the pitch.
  • Run: The score made by a batsman when he hits the ball and runs to the opposite wicket.
  • Boundary: The perimeter of the playing field, beyond which a ball hit by the batsman counts as four or six runs.
  • Catch: A method of getting a batsman out, where a fielder catches the ball before it touches the ground.
  • Out: When a batsman is dismissed by the fielding team.
  • Duck: When a batsman scores no runs before being dismissed.
  • Innings: The period of time during which one team is batting.
  • Umpire: The official who adjudicates on the laws of the game.
  • LBW: Leg Before Wicket, a method of getting a batsman out where the ball hits the batsman's leg in front of the wicket.
  • Yorker: A delivery that is bowled at the batsman's feet.
  • Spinner: A type of bowler who bowls the ball with spin to deceive the batsman.
  • Pace bowler: A type of bowler who bowls the ball at a high speed.
  • Run rate: The rate at which runs are scored by a team in a particular innings.
  • Fielding: The part of the game where the team not batting tries to prevent the batsman from scoring runs.
  • Duckworth-Lewis method: A method used to calculate the target score for the team batting second in a rain-affected match.
  • Powerplay: A period of time during which only a certain number of fielders are allowed outside the inner circle.
  • All-rounder: A player who is skilled both in batting and bowling.
  • Century: When a batsman scores 100 runs in an innings.
  • Double century: When a batsman scores 200 runs in an innings.
  • Hat-trick: When a bowler takes three wickets in three consecutive deliveries.
  • Fielder: A player who is responsible for fielding the ball hit by the batsman.
  • Duck out: When a batsman is not out but has not scored any runs.
  • Follow-on: When a team enforces the rule that the opposing team must bat again without getting enough runs in the first innings.
  • Maiden over: When a bowler bowls an over without conceding any runs.
  • No-ball: When the bowler oversteps the mark while delivering the ball or delivers the ball above waist height.
  • Over: A set of six deliveries bowled by a bowler.
  • Silly point: A fielding position close to the batsman on the off-side.
  • Slip: A fielding position behind the batsman on the off-side.
  • Third umpire: The official who watches replays of close decisions to make a decision.
  • Wide: When the bowler delivers a ball outside the permissible line on either side of the wicket.
  • Yorker: A delivery bowled at the batsman's feet, aimed to hit the base of the stumps.