IPL Cricket Terminology and Glossary

A

Arm Ball- A ball bowled by a slow bowler with no spin on it and does not turn as expected but stays on a straight line.

Asking rate- The runs required per over for a team to win a one-dayer match.

Appeal- When a bowler appeals to the umpire because he thinks he has got a batsman out.

Across the line- A shot played with the bat moving laterally to the ball's direction of motion.

All out- An inning ending due to the batting side running out of wickets, usually when 10 or 11 batsmen have been dismissed. The term is an inapplicable title, as there is always one batsman left not out.

All-rounder- A player who is proficient at both batting and bowling. Some recent sources regard a wicket-keeper/batter as another type of all-rounder.

Around the wicket (or round the wicket)- A right-handed bowler passing to the right of the non-striker's stumps in their run-up, and inversely for a left-handed bowler.

Attacking field- There is a fielding configuration in which more fielders are close to the pitch to take more catches.

Attacking shot- An aggressive hit by the batsman to score runs.

B

Boundary- The rope around the edge of the pitch.

Beamer- When a fast bowler bowls a ball to a batter that reaches him without bounce is called a Beamer. This is illegal and an automatic no-ball.

Bails- The two small pieces of wood sitting on top of the stumps must be removed for a batter to be bowled out.

Back foot- When batting, the foot closest to the stumps. When bowling, the foot contacts the ground before the front foot.

Back spin- A delivery with a backward spin so that after pitching, the ball slows down and skids onto the batsman.

Batting average- Batting Average is the average number of runs scored per innings by a batsman.

Batting collapse- When several batters are dismissed one after the other, scoring very few runs.

Block- A defensive shot to stop the ball without trying to score runs.

Bottom hand- The hand of the batsman is closest to the blade of the bat. Shots played with the bottom hand often are hit in the air.

Bouncer- A fast short-pitched delivery that rises (bounces) over the batsman's head.

Bowled - A mode of a batsman's dismissal that happens when a delivery hits the stumps and removes the bails.

Bowled around the legs- It is an out that's bowled by a bowler who passes the batsman on the leg side before hitting the wicket.

Bowling average- The number of runs a bowler gives, divided by the number of wickets they have taken.

Bump ball- A ball played off the bat into the ground and then caught by a fielder.

Boundary- In cricket, the boundary is the edge of the playing field, which is marked by a rope or a line of white posts. The boundary is usually marked at a distance of 70-90 m from the pitch, and is used to determine whether a batted ball has gone for four or six runs.

Bye- If the ball is hit beyond the boundary, it is known as a "bye" and the batting team is credited with four runs.

C

Carrom ball- A style of slow bowling delivery in which the ball is released by flicking the ball between the thumb and a bent middle finger to form a spin.

Carry the bat- An opener batter who remains not out through the entire innings.

Catch- A fielder catches the ball before touching the ground in one or both hands. A fair catch leads to the batsman being caught and dismissed.

Caught- A method of dismissal in which one of the fielders, including the bowler, catches the ball before it touches the ground after the batsman hits it.

Caught and bowled- A player gets dismissed by a bowler's catch.

Caught behind- A player gets dismissed by a catch taken by the wicket-keeper.

Centurion- A player who has scored a century (100 runs).

Clean bowled- Bowled without the ball first hitting the bat or pad.

Cover (or the covers)- A fielding position on the offside, forward of point and squarer than mid-off.

Cow corner- The field area between deep mid-wicket and wide long-on.

Cow shot- A shot that is aimed to go towards the cow corner.

Cover drive- A batting stroke directed towards the cover area.

Crease- A crease is a line or set of lines painted on the field of play denoting the area within which the batsman can legally stand when taking guard. The crease is made up of two sets of lines, one set at either end of the pitch, which join together at both ends. The crease is marked by a set of four lines, with two on either side of the stumps.

D

Deep- When a fielder fields near the boundary e.g. Deep Mid-on, Deep Cover, Deep Third Man, etc.

Duck- When a batsman is out without scoring any run.

Duck (Golden)- Golden duck is referred to when a batsman is out on zero on the very first delivery.

Declaration- When a captain decides to close an innings when there are wickets in hand i.e. batsmen still remaining to bat.

Delivery- An act of bowling.

Doosra- When a right-handed off-spinner bowls a delivery turning from off to leg side.

Drive- A stroke by a batsman like 'cover-drive’.

Dolly- An easy catch taken by a fielder.

Daisy cutter- A low delivery in which the ball bounces twice or rolls along the ground before reaching the batsman.

Dead ball- A state of play during deliveries, wherein the batters may not score runs or be given out.

Death bowler- A term given to a bowler who regularly bowls during the death overs of a limited-overs match and has become adept at limiting the number of runs scored. Bowlers are also described as "bowling at the death".

Death overs (or slog overs)- The final few overs of a teams' innings in a limited-overs match.

Dipper- A delivery bowled that curves into or away from the batsman before pitching.

Dot ball- A delivery bowled without any runs scored because it is recorded with a single dot in the scorebook.

E

Edge (Snick or Nick)- When a batter only touches the ball with the side of his bat and is caught by the wicketkeeper.

Extras- Runs added to a team's total which is not created by the bat/batsman e.g. bys, leg-byes, no-ball, wide-ball, etc.

Economy rate- The average number of runs scored per over in the bowler's play.

F

Field- The Cricket playing area also refers to a fielder or the position of the fielders.

Fine Leg- Field position, whether short-leg or long-leg.

Full Toss- A Bowler's ball which doesn't hit the pitch before reaching the batsman.

Finger Spin: A bowling method that helps slow bowlers to spin the ball with the help of a finger/fingers.

Flight- A slow ball with a loop in the air dropped onto the pitch to trick the batsman.

Full Blooded- Batting stroke played with full physical power.

First Chance- The bowler who comes to replace either of the players who bowled the first and second over of the innings.

Free hit- A penalty given when a bowler bowls a 'no-ball'. The bowler must bowl another delivery, and the bowler cannot dismiss the batsman from that delivery. The fielders may not change positions between the no-ball and the free hit (unless the batters changed ends on the no-ball).

Full length- A delivery that pitches closer to the batsman, but further away than a half-volley.

Full pint- A delivery is knocked entirely out of the ground by a stump.

Full toss- A delivery that reaches the batsman on the full, i.e. without bouncing.

G

Good Length- The length of this bowling delivery pitches in a position where a batsman faces difficulty playing a stroke.

Googly- Leg break bowling to the right-arm batsman, it appears that the ball will spin leg to off or middle to off, but instead, it will spin in opposite directions to mislead the batsman.

Grubber- A delivery after pitching the surface goes very low.

Golden Duck- When a batsman is out the first ball.

H

Half Volley- A bowling delivery which pitches very near the bat that the batsman must strike the ball immediately.

Hook- A batting stroke when played on the side of the short-pitched delivery.

Howzat- A slang of "How's That?" -an appeal by the fielding side to the umpire asking for dismissal of a batsman.

Hat-trick- A bowler taking a wicket off each of three consecutive deliveries bowled in a single match.

Helicopter shot- A batting shot played by flicking the ball on the leg side, often avoiding close fielders and trying to hit a boundary.

Hit wicket- A batsman getting out by dislodging the bails off the wicket behind them either with their bat or body.

I

Incoming batsman- The incoming batsman to come next as per the batting order.

Inswing- A delivery that curves into the batsman in the air from off side to the leg side.

In-cutter- A delivery that moves into the batsman after hitting the surface.

Infield- The field region that lies inside the 30-yard circle (27 m).

Innings- A player's or team's turn to bat (or bowl).

Inside edge- The edge of the bat facing the batters' legs.

Inside-out- When a batsman plays a ball aggressively and often dances down the pitch toward the covers.

J

Jack- A number eleven batsman.

Jaffa (also corker)- Usually, a well bowled, unplayable delivery from a fast bowler.

K

King Pair- A batsman is out on the first ball for zero in both innings in a test match, he begged King Pair.

Knock- A batsman who makes a high score in an innings can be said to have had a "good knock".

Knuckleball- A type of slow ball delivery where the fast bowler holds the ball on the knuckles of their index and middle finger.

L

LBW- Leg Before Wicket is when a batter stops the ball from hitting his stumps using his pads and is given out.

Late Cut- With a horizontal bat a wristy stroke played outside the off-stump in the slip area.

Long Leg- A fielding position near the boundary, behind the wicket.

Left-arm orthodox spin- The style of spin bowling produced by left-arm finger spin.

Left-arm unorthodox spin- The style of spin bowling produced by left-arm wrist spin; the left-arm equivalent of leg-spin.

Left hand- A batsman who bats left-handed is a 'left-hand' bat.

M

Maiden Over- An over in which the batsman scores no run.

Man of the match- An award given to the highest-scoring batsman, leading wicket-taker or best overall performer in a match.

Medium-pace- A bowler who bowls slower than a pace bowler but faster than a spin bowler. They usually bowl at about 55–70 mph (90–110 km/h).

Middle of the bat- Also known as the "meat" of the bat. A shot that has been "middled" means that it is hit with great power and timing.

Middle order- The batsmen bat at between numbers 5 and 7 in the batting order. Often includes all-rounders and the wicket-keeper.

Mid-off- A fielding position to save a run on the off side, which is located in front of, and close to the line of the wicket.

Mid-on- A fielding position to save a run on the leg side, which is located in front of, and close to the line of the wicket.

Mid-wicket- A fielding position to save a run on the leg side, located between mid-on and square leg.

N

Night Watchman: When a wicket falls shortly before the closing of the play, a low-order batsman is sent in to play out time to prevent a better batsman from losing his wicket.

No Ball: An illegal delivery wherein the bowler has to bowl extra. A run is added to the score.

Net run rate (NRR)- In a match, the average run rate scored by a team minus the average run rate scored against them.

No-ball- An illegal delivery for which the batting side is awarded one extra. The bowler must deliver another ball in the over, and the bowler cannot dismiss the batsman on a no-ball.

No man's land- An area of the field where a fielder cannot save a single, nor stop a boundary.

O

Off-Break- When a ball turns from off to leg.

Off-Cutter- Fast off-break bowling cutting the fingers across the seam of the ball.

Off-Drive- Drive on the front foot which hits the ball between cover and mid-off.

On-Drive- Drive which hits the ball between mid-wicket and mid-on.

Off-side- The half of the pitch in front of the batsman's body before they take strike.

Off spin- The style of spin bowling produced by right-arm finger spin.

Overarm- The bowling action with the arm swinging from behind the body over the head, releasing the ball on the downswing without bending the elbow.

P

Pitch- A area of 5 feet in width and 22 yards long, between the two sets of stumps.

Point- A close fielding position square with the wicket on the off-side.

Pull- A forceful stroke sending the ball between mid-on and mid-wicket.

Paddle sweep- A fine sweep, almost just a tickle of the delivery pitched on or outside leg stump.

Paddle scoop (also known as a scoop shot, ramp shot, Dilscoop or Marillier shot)- A shot in which the batsman drops on one knee and scoops the ball over their shoulder or head, using the bat as a ramp to redirect the ball's momentum.

Picket fences- An over in which one run is scored off each delivery. It looks like picket fences 111111, thus the name.

Q

Quick- Traditionally, a quick bowler who completed his over in a short space of time.

Quick single- When the two batsmen sprint between the wickets to score a run.

R

Reverse Sweep- When a right-handed or left-handed batsman plays a sweep shot towards the other side by changing the stance from left-handed to right-handed and vice versa.

Run-out- A method of dismissal not credited to the bowler. When a batsman ran for a run and failed to reach the stumps in time, a fielder hit the stumps by throwing the ball.

Rough- A worn section of the pitch just in front and to the side of the stumps.

Reverse sweep- A right-handed batsman sweeps the ball like a left-handed batter and vice versa.

Reverse swing- The art of swinging the ball away from the rough side.

Royal Duck- A dismissal for zero from the first ball faced in the game.

Run rate- The average number of runs scored per over.

S

Seam- The stitching around the ball's circumference that fastens the leather.

Seamer- A medium or fast bowler who uses the seam to deviate the ball when it pitches.

Shooter- A ball does not rise off the ground after pitching.

Short-Leg- A close fielding position on the leg side could be forward, short-leg, backward or square.

Slip- Fielding position on the off-side near the wicket-keeper.

Square-Cut- A batsman hitting the ball just backward of point.

Stumps: Three wooden sticks surmounted by the bails.

Sweep- Another stroke played off the front foot from the crouch position on the leg side.

Silly- If this word is in front of a fielding position, it is very close to the batsman.

Slower Ball- When a fast bowler takes the batsman by surprise by intentionally bowling a slower ball.

T

Tail- Lower order of players in the team of 11 who are not selected for their batting skill.

Test Match- A contest of two innings per side in 5 days between the two full members of the ICC (International Cricket Conference).

Tie- Match ended with equal runs scored by both sides and the team batting last, having completed its innings.

Top Spin- Leg-break bowling when the ball gains pace after bouncing but does not deviate laterally.

Twelfth Man- An emergency fielder.

Twenty20 (or T20)- A form of limited-overs cricket in which each team has one innings with a maximum length of twenty overs.

U

Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) (or Decision Review System, DRS) - Official system to challenge certain decisions made by an umpire.

Umpire's call- The outcome of the Umpire Decision Review System is if the third umpire finds any margin of error.

Uncapped- A player who has never played at the international level.

Underarm- The bowling action with the arm swinging from behind the body in a downswing arc and then releasing the ball on the upswing without bending the elbow.

Under-spin (also back-spin)- Backward rotation on the ball, causing it to decrease speed immediately after pitching.

Unorthodox- A left arm spin bowler who spins the ball with their wrist, similar to a right-arm leg-spin bowler.

Unplayable delivery- A ball that is impossible for the batsman to play.

Upper Cut- A typical shot played against a short ball or bouncer.

Uppish- A shot with a risky height, the possibility of the batsman being caught.

W

Wicket- Three wooden stumps having bailed on top. Wickets are pitched opposite and parallel to each other, 22 yards apart. The term is also used to describe the pitch.

Wicket-Maiden- An over in which the batsman scores no run, but at least one wicket falls.

Wide- The umpire signals when a ball goes high over or wide of the wicket as "wide" and a run is added to the score as a penalty.

Y

Yorker- A ball pitched near the bat or batsman's toes, the batsman has to stop it quickly, or the ball will pass underneath the bat to hit the wickets.

Z

Zooter or Zoota- A variation of the flipper bowled by a leg-break bowler.