Simon Hughes
The first thing any batsman does when he arrives at the wicket is take his guard, or 'line himself up' across the crease so that he knows where he is standing in relation to the stumps. He will hold his bat up vertically and ask the umpire what stump it is covering. He will then scratch or chip a mark on the crease so he knows where to stand and rest his bat in relation to the wicket. Sometimes, if the ground is really hard, he'll hammer a bail in to create a small indent. Batsmen do this so they know the exact whereabouts of the wicket without having to look back all the time. There are a variety of guards; 'two' (bat covering middle and leg stumps) and 'middle' are the most popular.
 Usual guard
Guard is a habitual thing – most batsmen will fix on their preferred guard early in their career and then stick with it.
 Making your mark
During a Test match the crease area soon becomes a mass of overlapping dents and scratches.
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Copyright © Simon Hughes 2001
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