Simon Hughes
Back foot - the right foot
of the right-hand batsman.
To a short ball, a batsman
may take a step backwards towards the stumps to play
the ball off the back foot.
Backlift - a batsman's
first raising of the bat behind himself in readiness for playing a shot. Brian Lara's backlift is a lot more pronounced than most.
Backing-up - the non-striking batsman beginning
to move up the pitch as the bowler releases, in case there's a chance of a run. Also used to describe fielders getting in place behind the wicket as cover, in case a throw from the outfield is wild.
Bakerloo - a slang reference to a batsman playing down the wrong line.
Ball doctoring/tampering: a number of illegal
practices by the fielding side (scratching, applying Vaseline, etc.) to change the ball's condition.
Bang in - when a fast ball is directed into the middle of the pitch and is intended to rise up at the batsman. The West Indians call this 'putting it in the mud'.
Bat-pad - a close fielding position on the leg-side (also known as short leg) to catch the ball ricocheting off the edge of the bat onto the pad (or pad onto bat).
Beamer - a delivery flying
at the batsman's head without bouncing. It's usually accidental and causes the batsman severe heart palpitations if it's straight. It would be unwise to attempt a shot.
Belter - a flat pitch, very much favouring the batsmen.
Blob - a batsman scoring nought.
Blockhole - a place on the crease where the batsman marks his guard. A delivery
'in the blockhole' is one aimed to slide under the bat.
See yorker.
Bouncer - a fast ball directed into the middle of
the pitch intended to leap up around the batsman's head. It used to be called a 'bumper'.
At present, only two are allowed per over in Test cricket.
Boundary - the edge of the playing area, delineated by a white line, a rope or a fence. It must be at least 60 yards from the bat in Test matches.
There was no such thing in cricket until the 1860s (before that, every hit had to be run). Now, if the ball runs over
the boundary it counts as four, irrespective of how many runs the batsmen have completed. A hit that clears the boundary without bouncing is worth six. (Apologies to the initiated, but a man was overheard in a hospitality box at a Lord's Test saying, 'Do they still have sixes in cricket?')
Box - not the hospitality version, this is an oval shaped protector worn by batsmen, keepers, short legs and, on bumpy outfields, anyone else who values their manhood.
Bowling crease - the
front line the bowler must not overstep when delivering the ball.
Bump ball - an apparent catch that is not out because the ball has, in fact, been hit hard into the ground.
Bunsen - rhyming slang for
a turning wicket, after bunsen burner.
Bye - a run scored from a ball that passes by the batsman and wicket and is fumbled or missed by the keeper, enabling the batsmen to take a run. The run is added to the batting total but not to the individual batsman's score.
Copyright material reproduced under license from Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London, England
Copyright © Simon Hughes 2001
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