Fielding in the
sportSport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determinant of the outcome , but the term is also used to include activities such as...
of
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, cricket had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being...
is the action of fielders in collecting the
ballA cricket ball is a hard, solid ball used to play cricket.-Manufacture:Cricket balls are made from a core of cork, which is layered with tightly wound string, and covered by a leather case with a slightly raised sewn seam...
after it is struck by the batsman, in such a way as to either limit the number of
runsIn the sport of cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 or 100 runs , or any higher multiple of 50 runs, is considered a particular achievement...
that the batsman scores or get the batsman
outIn the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out . At this point a batsman must discontinue batting and leave the field permanently for the innings.-Role:Once dismissed, a batsman cannot score any more runs in that innings...
by catching the ball in flight or running the batsman out. A
fielder or
fieldsman may field the ball with any part of his person. However, if while the ball is in play he wilfully fields it otherwise (e.g. by using his hat), the ball becomes dead and 5 penalty runs are awarded to the
battingIn the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
side unless the ball previously struck a batsman not attempting to hit or avoid the ball. Most of the rules covering fielders are in Law 41 of the
Laws of cricketThe laws of cricket are a set of rules framed by the Marylebone Cricket Club which serve to standardise the format of cricket matches across the world to ensure uniformity and fairness...
.
In the early days of
Test cricketTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. It is generally considered the ultimate test of playing ability in the sport.The name "Test" may have arisen from the idea that the matches are a "test of strength and competency" between the sides involved...
, fielding was not a priority and many players were sloppy when it came to fielding. With the advent of One Day International matches, fielding became more professional as saving runs became more important. A good fielding side can often save 30+ runs in the course of an ODI innings.
Fielding position names and locations
Since there are only 11 players on a team, one of whom is the
bowlerA bowler in the sport of cricket is usually a player whose speciality is bowling, analogous to a pitcher in baseball. A bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder....
, and usually another as the
wicket-keeperThe wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
, at most nine other fielding positions can be used at any given time. Which positions are filled by players and which remain vacant is a tactical decision made by the
captainThe captain of a cricket team is an individual who, during the course of a match, has several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
of the fielding team. The captain (usually in consultation with the bowler and sometimes other members of the team) may move players between fielding positions at any time except when a bowler is in the act of
bowlingIn the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler....
to a batsman.
There are a number of named basic fielding positions, some of which are employed very commonly and others that are used less often. However, fielding positions are not fixed, and fielders can be placed in positions that differ from the basic positions. Most of the positions are named roughly according to a system of polar coordinates - one word (leg, cover, mid-wicket) specifies the angle from the batsman, and is optionally preceded by an adjective describing the distance from the batsman (silly, short, deep or long). Words such as "backward", "forward", or "square" can further indicate the angle.
The image shows the location of most of the named fielding positions. This image assumes the batsman is
right-handedRight-handedness is the form of handedness in which one has greater coordination and dexterity in the right hand than in the left hand. Right-handed individuals will perform everyday tasks such as writing, cooking and carrying out one's personal hygiene with the right hand.A variety of studies...
. The area to the left of a right-handed batsman (from the batsman's point of view) is called the
leg sideThe leg side, or on side, is defined to be a particular half of the field used to play the sport of cricket.From the point of view of a right-handed batsman facing the bowler, it is the left hand side of the cricket field...
or
on side, while that to the right is the
off side. If the batsman is
left-handedLeft-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. Most left-handed people exhibit some degree of ambidexterity...
, the leg and off sides are reversed and the fielding positions are a mirror image of those shown.
Catching positions
Some fielding positions are used offensively. That is, players are put there with the main aim being to catch out the batsman rather than to stop or slow down the scoring of runs. These positions include
SlipIn the sport of cricket, a slip fielder is placed behind the batsman on the off side of the field. They are placed with the aim of catching an edged ball which is beyond the wicket-keeper's reach. Many teams employ two or three slips...
(often there are multiple slips next to each other, designated
First slip,
Second slip,
Third slip, etc, numbered outwards from the wicket-keeper) meant to catch balls that just edge off the bat; Fly slip; Gully; Leg slip; Leg gully; the short and silly positions.
Bat pad is a position specifically intended to catch balls that unintentionally strike the bat and leg pad, and thus end up only a metre or two to the leg side
Other positions
Other positions worth noting include:
- Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
- Long stop, who stands behind the wicket-keeper towards the boundary (usually when a wicket-keeper is believed to be inept and almost never seen in professional cricket). This position is sometimes euphemistically referred to as very fine leg.
- Sweeper, an alternative name for deep cover, deep extra cover or deep midwicket (that is, near the boundary on the off side or the on side), usually defensive and intended to prevent a four being scored.
- Cow corner, an informal jocular term for the position on the boundary between deep midwicket and long on.
Also the
bowlerA bowler in the sport of cricket is usually a player whose speciality is bowling, analogous to a pitcher in baseball. A bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder....
, after delivering the ball, must avoid running on the pitch so usually ends up fielding near mid on or mid off, but somewhat closer to the pitch.
Modifiers
Deep,
long : Farther away from the batsman.
Short : Closer to the batsman.
Silly : Very close to the batsman.
Square : Somewhere along an imaginary extension of the popping crease.
Fine : Closer to an extension of an imaginary line along the middle of the pitch bisecting the stumps.
Wide : Further from an extension of an imaginary line along the middle of the pitch bisecting the stumps.
Forward : In front of
square; further towards the end occupied by the bowler and further away from the end occupied by the batsman on strike.
Backward : Behind
square; further towards the end occupied by the batsman on strike and further away from the end occupied by the bowler.
Additionally, commentators or fans discussing the details of field placement will often use descriptive phrases such as "gully is a bit wider than normal" or "mid off is standing too deep, he should come in shorter".
Restrictions on field placement
Fielders may be placed anywhere on the field, subject to the following rules. At the time the ball is bowled:
- No fielder may be standing on or with any part of his body over the pitch
A cricket pitch is the central strip of the cricket field between the wickets. The pitch is 1 chain or 22 yards long and 10 feet wide. The surface is very flat and normally covered with extremely short grass though this grass is soon removed by wear at the ends of the pitch.In amateur matches,...
(the central strip of the playing area between the wickets). If his body casts a shadow over the pitch the shadow must not move until after the batsman has played (or had the opportunity to play) at the ball.
- There may be no more than two fielders, other than possibly the wicket-keeper, standing in the quadrant of the field behind square leg. See Bodyline
Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia, specifically to combat the extraordinary batting skill of Australia's Don Bradman...
for details on one reason this rule exists.
- In some one-day matches
Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket and in a slightly different context as List A cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day, whereas Test and first-class matches can take up to five days to complete...
:
- During designated over
In the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. An over is normally bowled by a single bowler. However, in the event of injury preventing a bowler from completing an over, it shall be completed by a teammate....
s of an inningsAn inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring...
(see Powerplay (cricket)A Powerplay is a rule introduced in 2005 concerning fielding restrictions in One Day International cricket and designed to give a temporary advantage to the batting side. In the past, there was a 15-over period at the start of an innings when only two fielders were allowed outside the 30-yard circle...
), there may be no more than two fielders standing outside an oval line marked on the field, being semicircles centred on the middle stump of each wicket of radius 30 yards, joined by straight lines parallel to the pitch. This is known as the fielding circle. In addition, during these overs there must be two fielders (other than the wicket-keeper) in designated "close catching" positions.
- For the remainder of the innings there may be no more than five fielders standing outside the fielding circle.
- The restriction for one-day cricket is designed to prevent the fielding team from setting extremely defensive fields and concentrating solely on preventing the batting team from scoring runs, which many consider leads to boring play.
If any of these rules is violated, an
umpireAn umpire in cricket is a person who has the authority to make decisions on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
will call the delivery a
no ballIn the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...
. Additionally a player may not make any significant movement after the ball comes into play and before the ball reaches the striker. If this happens, an umpire will call and signal 'dead ball'. For close fielders anything other than minor adjustments to stance or position in relation to the striker is significant. In the outfield, fielders may move in towards the striker or striker's wicket; indeed, they usually do. However, anything other than slight movement off line or away from the striker is to be considered significant.
Tactics of field placement
With only nine fielders (apart from the bowler and wicket-keeper), the captain of the fielding team must decide which fielding positions to cover, and which to leave vacant. The placement of fielders is one of the major tactical considerations for the fielding captain.
Attacking and defending
The main decision for a fielding captain is to strike a balance between setting an
attacking field and a
defensive field. An attacking field is one in which fielders are positioned in such a way that they are likely to take catches, and thus likely to get the batsman out. Such a field generally involves having many fielders close to the batsman, especially behind the batsman in either slip or short leg positions.
A defensive field is one in which most of the field is covered by a fielder; the batsman will therefore find it hard to score large numbers of runs. This generally involves having many fielders far from the batsman and in front of him, in the positions where he is most likely to hit the ball.
Many factors govern the decisions on field placements, including: the tactical situation in the match; which bowler is
bowlingIn the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler....
; how long the batsman has been in; the wear on the ball; the state of the wicket; the light; or even how close you are to an interval in play.
Some general principles:
Attack…
-
- …new batsmen : A batsman early in his innings is more likely to make a miscalculated or rash shot, so it pays to have catching fielders ready.
- …with the new ball : Fast bowlers
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
get the most swingSwing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as swing bowlers. Swing bowling is generally classed as a subtype of fast bowling.-Physics of swing bowling:...
and bounce with a newer ball, factors that make it harder to bat without making an error.
- …when returning from a break in play : Batsmen must settle into a batting rhythm again when resuming play for a new session or after drinks, bad weather, or injury interrupt a session. While doing so, they are more likely to make mistakes.
- …with quality bowlers : A team's best bowlers tend to deliver the most difficult balls to hit, so they get the most benefit from the support of an attacking field.
- …when the pitch helps the bowler : A moist pitch helps fast bowlers get unpredictable seam-movement of the ball, while a dry, crumbling pitch helps spin bowlers get unpredictable spin and damp, overcast conditions help swing bowlers. All three situations can lead to catches flying to close attacking fielders.
- …when the batting team is under pressure : If the batting team is doing poorly or has low morale, increase the pressure by attacking with the field.
-
- …when batsmen are settled in : It is difficult to get batsmen out when they have been batting for a long time and are comfortable with the bowling. The best tactic is often to defend and force the run scoring rate to slow down, which can frustrate the batsman into playing a rash shot.
- …when the batting team needs to score runs quickly : In situations where the batting team must score quickly in order to win or press an advantage (because, for example, a team is approaching the limit of a limited-overs innings), slowing down the rate of scoring runs lessens their chance of doing so.
- …when the batting team is scoring quickly : If the batsmen are managing to score runs quickly, it is unlikely they are offering many chances to get them out, so reduce the run scoring rate.
- …when the ball and pitch offer no help to the bowlers : If there is no movement of the ball and the batsmen can hit it comfortably every time, there is little point in having lots of close catching fielders.
- …when using weak bowlers : If a relatively poor bowler must bowl for any reason, the best tactic is often to limit the potential damage by containing the free scoring of runs.
Off and leg side fields
Another consideration when setting a field is how many fielders to have on each side of the pitch. With nine fielders to place, the division must necessarily be unequal, but the degree of inequality varies.
When describing a field setting, the numbers of fielders on the off side and leg side are often abbreviated into a shortened form, with the off side number quoted first. For example, a
5-4 field means 5 fielders on the off side and 4 on the leg side.
Usually, most fielders are placed on the off side. This is because most bowlers tend to concentrate the line of their deliveries on or outside the off
stumpStump is a term used in the sport of cricket where it has three different meanings:1. part of the wicket, 2. a manner of dismissing a batsman, and 3. the end of the day's play .-Part of the wicket:...
, so most shots are hit into the off side.
When attacking, there may be 3 or 4 slips and 1 or 2 gullies, potentially using up to six fielders in that region alone. This would typically be accompanied by a mid off, mid on, and fine leg, making it a 7-2 field. Although there are only two fielders on the leg side, they should get relatively little work as long as the bowlers maintain a line outside off stump.
As fields get progressively more defensive, fielders will move out of the slip and gully area to cover more of the field, leading to 6-3 and 5-4 fields.
If a bowler, usually a
leg spinLeg spin is a style of spin bowling in cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action, causing the ball to spin anti-clockwise at the point of delivery...
bowler, decides to attack the batsman's legs in an attempt to force a stumping, bowl him behind his legs, or induce a catch on the leg side, the field may stack 4-5 towards the leg side. It is unusual to see more than 5 fielders on the leg side, because of the restriction that there must be no more than two fielders placed behind square leg.
Another attacking placement on the leg side is the
leg side trap, which involves placing fielders near the boundary at deep square and backward square leg and bowling
bouncerIn the sport of cricket, a bouncer is a type of delivery, usually bowled by a fast bowler. It is pitched short so that it bounces on the pitch well short of the batsman and rears up to chest or head height as it reaches the batsman.Bouncers are used tactically to drive the batsman back on to his...
s to try to induce the batsman to
hook-Language:* Hook , a rhetorical device that "hooks" the listener* Hook , a diacritical mark in the Vietnamese alphabet* Narrative hook, a literary technique-Media and entertainment:* Hook , a catchy musical passage...
the ball into the air. For slower bowlers, the leg trap fieldsmen tend to be placed within 10–15 m from the bat behind square, to catch leg glances and sweeps.
Protective equipment
No member of the fielding side other than the
wicket-keeperThe wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
may wear gloves or external leg guards, though fielders (in particular players fielding near to the bat) may also wear
shinShin may refer to:* Shin In-Seob Korean footballer, currently playing for Adelaide United* Shinbone, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates* Shin Buddhism, a widely practiced branch of Buddhism...
protectors, groin protectors ('boxes') and chest protectors beneath their clothing. Apart from the wicket-keeper, protection for the hand or fingers may be worn only with the consent of the umpires.
Fielders are permitted to wear a helmet and face guard. This is usually employed in a position such as silly point or silly mid-wicket, where proximity to the batsman gives little time to avoid a shot directly at their head. Due to the discomfort, the duty of fielding "under the helmet" or "under the lid" is often delegated to the most junior member of the team. If the helmet is only being used for overs from one end, it will be placed behind the wicketkeeper when not in use. Some grounds have purpose-built temporary storage in the form of a cavity beneath the pitch, approximately 1m x 1m x 1m in size, accessed through a hatch flush with the grass, which can be used for storing a helmet, shin pads or drinks for the fielding side. 5 penalty runs are awarded to the batting side should the ball touch a fielder's headgear whilst it is not being worn unless the ball previously struck a batsman not attempting to hit or avoid the ball. This rule was introduced in the 19th century to prevent the unfair practice of a fielder using a hat (often a
top hatA top hat, top-hat, silk hat, cylinder hat, plug hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat worn prior to and including the 19th and early 20th centuries...
) to take a catch.
As cricket balls are hard and can travel at high speeds off the bat, protective equipment is recommended to prevent injury. There have been some recorded deaths in cricket, but they are rare.
Fielding specialities
Many cricketers are particularly adept in one fielding position and will usually be found there:
- Slips require fast reactions and intense concentration. Most top slip fielders tend to be top-order batsmen (although Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as the greatest leg spin bowler in the history of the game...
and Andrew FlintoffAndrew "Freddie" Flintoff, MBE, is an English cricketer who plays for Lancashire County Cricket Club, England and Indian Premier League team, Chennai Super Kings...
are two recent notable exceptions to this rule), as these are both skills that require excellent hand-eye coordination.
- Pace bowlers will often be found fielding in the third man, fine leg and deep backward square positions during the overs between those they are bowling. These positions mean that they are at the correct end for their bowling over. They should see relatively little fielding action with plenty of time to react, allowing them to rest between overs. They also usually have an ability to throw the ball long distances accurately.
- Players noted for their agility, acceleration and throwing accuracy will often field in the infield positions such as point, cover and mid-wicket.
However, players are rarely selected purely because of their fielding skills, and all players are expected to win their place in the team as either a specialist batsman or bowler (or both). This even applies to wicket keepers, who are generally expected to be competent middle-order batsmen.
Throwing the cricket ball
There were many competitions for throwing a cricket ball the furthest distance, particularly in the earlier years of the game.
WisdenThe Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As well as John Wisden & Co, the group included the The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Cricinfo – the world's highest traffic cricket website – and the Hawk-Eye computerised...
describes how the record was set around 1882, by one Robert Percival at Durham Sands Racecourse, at 140 yards and two feet. Former Essex allrounder
Ian PontIan Leslie Pont is an English former cricketer. Known for a powerful throw and a brief foray into the world of baseball, Pont mainly played for Essex during his career, as did his brother Keith Pont....
threw a ball 138 yards in Cape Town in 1981. There are unconfirmed reports that
Jānis LūsisJānis Lūsis is a Latvian athlete who competed in javelin throw.Lūsis trained at Daugava Voluntary Sports Society and later at Armed Forces sports society...
, the Soviet javelin thrower who won the Olympic gold medal in 1968, once threw a ball 150 yards.