Nightwatchman (cricket)
Encyclopedia
In the sport of cricket
, a nightwatchman is a lower-order batsman who comes in to bat higher up the order than usual near the end of the day's play. This nightwatchman's job is to maintain most of the strike until the close of play (remaining in overnight, hence the name) and so protect other, more capable batsmen from being out cheaply in what may be a period of tiredness or in poor light. The theory is that losing two top-order batsmen in quick succession would be worse than losing one top-order batsman and a tailender.
However the nightwatchman's effort is not considered to be wasted, nor is he expected to play foolishly; otherwise he would not last very long. The role of nightwatchman is generally given to players who emphasise defensive technique over quick run-scoring. However there have been occasions when nightwatchmen have made a big score, and six have made centuries
in test match
es. Generally speaking, the nightwatchman plays conservatively on the night, but the next day may be allowed a freer role to score runs.
Some claim the tactic can be rather ineffective because, if the nightwatchman does survive until the end of the day, the opposing bowlers are given a less capable batsman to start on afresh the next day. Steve Waugh
abandoned the tactic during his captaincy of Australia. However, it was reintroduced by Ricky Ponting
.
The nightwatchman is not to be confused with the pinch hitter
, a lower- or middle-order batsman who is promoted up the order in limited-overs games in the hope of scoring quick runs without too much concern for his wicket.
by nightwatchmen :
There has been some debate about whether Nasim-ul-Ghani
(who later opened in a Test) and Boucher
were genuine nightwatchmen - but in the matches in question they both came in at No. 6, at the end of the day, ahead of more recognised batsmen.
An honourable mention goes to Alex Tudor
of England who made 99 not out
against New Zealand in 1999 at Edgbaston
, who finished his innings stranded one run short of a maiden test century
when the target of 208 runs for victory was achieved.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, a nightwatchman is a lower-order batsman who comes in to bat higher up the order than usual near the end of the day's play. This nightwatchman's job is to maintain most of the strike until the close of play (remaining in overnight, hence the name) and so protect other, more capable batsmen from being out cheaply in what may be a period of tiredness or in poor light. The theory is that losing two top-order batsmen in quick succession would be worse than losing one top-order batsman and a tailender.
However the nightwatchman's effort is not considered to be wasted, nor is he expected to play foolishly; otherwise he would not last very long. The role of nightwatchman is generally given to players who emphasise defensive technique over quick run-scoring. However there have been occasions when nightwatchmen have made a big score, and six have made centuries
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
in test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
es. Generally speaking, the nightwatchman plays conservatively on the night, but the next day may be allowed a freer role to score runs.
Some claim the tactic can be rather ineffective because, if the nightwatchman does survive until the end of the day, the opposing bowlers are given a less capable batsman to start on afresh the next day. Steve Waugh
Steve Waugh
Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler...
abandoned the tactic during his captaincy of Australia. However, it was reintroduced by Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
.
The nightwatchman is not to be confused with the pinch hitter
Pinch hitter (cricket)
In cricket, pinch hitter is the usual term for a batsman promoted up the batting order in order to score quick runs. As attempting to score runs quickly involves playing more aggressive shots and thus an increased likelihood of being dismissed, it is generally considered unwise for a top-order...
, a lower- or middle-order batsman who is promoted up the order in limited-overs games in the hope of scoring quick runs without too much concern for his wicket.
Test centuries by nightwatchmen
There have been six test centuriesCentury (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
by nightwatchmen :
| Player | Team | Score | Versus | Ground | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasim-ul-Ghani Nasim-ul-Ghani Nasim-ul-Ghani is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 29 Tests and one ODI from 1958 to 1973. At the time of his debut, aged 16 years, he was the world's youngest test player.... |
Pakistan | 101 | England | Lord's Lord's Cricket Ground Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
1962 |
| Tony Mann Tony Mann (cricketer) Anthony Longford Mann is a former Australian cricketer who played in 4 Tests from 1977 to 1978.... |
Australia | 105 | India | WACA Ground WACA Ground The WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association.... , Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
1977 |
| Syed Kirmani Syed Kirmani Padma Sri Syed Mujtaba Hussain Kirmani played cricket for India and Karnataka as a wicket-keeper.-International career:... |
India | 101 not out Not out In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress... |
Australia | Wankhede Stadium Wankhede Stadium The Sheshrao Krushnarao Wankhede Stadium is a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Mumbai. This ground was built after disputes between the Cricket Club of India, which owns the Brabourne Stadium, and the Mumbai Cricket Association over the allocation of tickets for cricket matches... , Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
1979 |
| Mark Boucher Mark Boucher Mark Verdon Boucher is a South African cricketer, who holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper. He was educated at Selborne College and has represented Border, Africa XI, ICC World XI, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders of the Indian Premier League, and... |
South Africa | 125 | Zimbabwe | Harare Sports Club Harare Sports Club Harare Sports Club is a cricket ground in Harare, Zimbabwe. Initially known as Salisbury Sports Club, Harare Sports Club has served as the primary cricket venue in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe since its inception. The ground became a Test venue in October 1992 when Zimbabwe played their inaugural Test,... , Harare Harare Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its... , Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three... |
1999 |
| Mark Boucher Mark Boucher Mark Verdon Boucher is a South African cricketer, who holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper. He was educated at Selborne College and has represented Border, Africa XI, ICC World XI, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders of the Indian Premier League, and... |
South Africa | 108 | England | Sahara Stadium Kingsmead Sahara Stadium Kingsmead Kingsmead is a cricket ground in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It operates under the sponsorship-based name of Sahara Stadium Kingsmead where Sahara is the trademark of a sponsor from the IT industry. Its stated capacity is 25,000, although grass terracing makes up part of the viewing area.... , Durban Durban Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
1999 |
| Jason Gillespie Jason Gillespie Jason Neil Gillespie is an Australian cricketer who formerly represented Australia at international level, in both Tests and One Day Internationals, and South Australia, Yorkshire and Glamorgan at first-class level. His primary role is as a right-arm fast-medium bowler, but he is also a competent... |
Australia | 201 not out Not out In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress... |
Bangladesh | Chittagong Divisional Stadium Chittagong Divisional Stadium -See also:*List of Test cricket grounds... , Chittagong Chittagong Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading... , Bangladesh Bangladesh Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south... |
2006 |
There has been some debate about whether Nasim-ul-Ghani
Nasim-ul-Ghani
Nasim-ul-Ghani is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 29 Tests and one ODI from 1958 to 1973. At the time of his debut, aged 16 years, he was the world's youngest test player....
(who later opened in a Test) and Boucher
Mark Boucher
Mark Verdon Boucher is a South African cricketer, who holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper. He was educated at Selborne College and has represented Border, Africa XI, ICC World XI, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders of the Indian Premier League, and...
were genuine nightwatchmen - but in the matches in question they both came in at No. 6, at the end of the day, ahead of more recognised batsmen.
An honourable mention goes to Alex Tudor
Alex Tudor
Alex Jeremy Tudor is an English cricketer who has spent two spells with Surrey as well as playing for Essex. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler. He was awarded the NBC Denis Compton Award during the 1997 and 1998 season...
of England who made 99 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
against New Zealand in 1999 at Edgbaston
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
, who finished his innings stranded one run short of a maiden test century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
when the target of 208 runs for victory was achieved.
External links
- The Nightwatchman in Test Cricket: A Follow-up Analysis - A review on the effectiveness of using nightwatchmen
- The Myth of the Nightwatchman - Statistical analysis aiming to debunk the concept of nightwatchman