Simon Hughes
Usually, a team's sprightliest fielder is stationed at cover point. South Africa's Jonty Rhodes has made this position his own, as has Ricky Ponting of Australia. Derek Randall was a legend there for England, as were Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards for the West Indies. It's a vital
position as most defensive shots go in this direction, and you can expect batsmen to look for quick singles in that area. Both Rhodes and Ponting take regular 'wickets' with direct hits on the stumps.
 Cover point
Cover point is square of the wicket, about
25 yards from
the bat. His main task is to prevent the single.
Cover point is not the easiest place to field as the ball will be bouncing and skidding across old wicket ends and bowler's footholds from previous matches. Originally, this position was so close it was practically on the 'point' of the bat, hence its name; now it has retreated some 25 yards. Not only is he there to stop the batsman taking easy singles with little defensive pushes, but also to get in the way of cuts and square drives. Rhodes, in particular, charges in from quite a deep starting point
and throws himself around like
an athletic goalkeeper.
The young Pakistani Imran Nazir
is the Jonty Rhodes of the sub-continent, which is quite a
development since Pakistan is not famous for producing brilliant
fielders. His prowess can be seen well in the incident below: a breathtaking catch from a Marcus Trescothick uppish cut.
 Predatory instinct
Imran Nazir is in a great balanced position as the batsman hits the ball, ready to spring in either direction. His instinctive soar and grasp of a firmly hit shot almost defies belief.
Copyright material reproduced under license from Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London, England
Copyright © Simon Hughes 2001
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