(cricket) A swing across the line of the ball (resembling a scything motion) played without much technique, often resulting in a chunk of the pitch being dug up by the bat.
(intransitive, cricket) Of a fielding side; to ask an umpire for a decision on whether a batsman is out or not, usually by saying "How's that?" or "Howzat?".
(idiomatic, intransitive, cricket) For a fielder to position himself behind the wicket (relative to a team-mate who is throwing the ball at the wicket) so as to stop the ball, and prevent overthrows.
(cricket) Describing a commentary (especially on the radio) in which a commentator describes every ball bowled, every shot hit, and the positions of the fielders; normally assisted by a summarizer who describes the game as a whole and provides other comments and a scorer who keeps a record of all statistics
(cricket) An organised group of cricket fans which arranges touring parties of its members to follow the English cricket team on all of its overseas tours.
(cricket) The principle employed by umpires in cases of uncertainty concerning a batsman possibly being out, in which the decision must be in the batsman's favour.
(slang, cricket) A whitewash victory for the West Indies cricket team. Started in the 1984–86 "Blackwash" series of the West Indian cricket team in England in 1984.
(cricket, now historical) Designating a form of bowling (now against the rules) characterised by fast, short-pitched balls aimed at the batsman's body or leg stump rather than the wicket.
(cricket) With a standard batting grip, the hand placed further down the handle of the bat; the batsman's dominant hand, providing most power to a shot.
(cricket) An event whereby the ball is struck and either touches or passes over a boundary (with or without bouncing), usually resulting in an award of 4 (four) or 6 (six) runs respectively for the batting team.
(transitive, idiomatic, UK, figuratively) to surprise (someone); to introduce (to someone) something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.
(cricket) The white line marked at each end of the pitch through the wicket and ending at the return creases. When bowling the bowler's front foot must not cross this line until after the ball has been delivered.
(cricket) A tabular presentation of the key statistics of an innings or match: batsmen’s scores and how they were dismissed, extras, total score and bowling figures.
(cricket, of a batsman) To take a few steps down the pitch towards the bowler as they deliver the ball, either to disrupt the length of the delivery, or to get into a better position to hit the ball.
(cricket) A line comprising two semicircles of 30 yards radius centred on the wickets joined by straight lines parallel to the pitch used to enforce field restrictions in a one-day match.
(transitive, cricket) To increase one's individual score, especially from 50 runs (a fifty) to 100 runs (a century), or from a century to a double or triple century.
(cricket) The area near the batsman's off stump where, if a ball passes that area, the batsman is unsure whether to play it (and risk an edge) or leave it (and risk being bowled).
(cricket) One of the white lines drawn on the pitch to show different areas of play; especially the popping crease, but also the bowling crease and the return crease.
(cricket) A catch of a ball which was played into the ground near the batsman and bounced up to a fielder. Spectators who could not see from a distance that it was played into the ground may incorrectly think that the batsman is out.
(cricket) A kind of batting stroke, aiming to go on one knee to a good length or slightly short of length delivery off a fast- or medium-paced bowler and 'scoop' the ball over the head of the wicketkeeper, straight towards the boundary.
(cricket) A pitch of the ball that aims to land it on the stumps from as great a height as possible, preferably with the ball descending behind the batsman standing at the crease.
(cricket) A type of ball, bowled by an off-spin bowler, that, unlike a normal off break, spins from leg to off for a right-handed batsman; the off-spinner's version of the googly.
(cricket) A type of shot played by swinging the bat in a vertical arc, through the line of the ball, and hitting it along the ground, normally between cover and midwicket.
(cricket) A player of the fielding side, whose task is to gather the ball after the batsman has hit it, to catch the batsman out, or to prevent him from scoring.
(cricket, in a one-day match) A line, marked on the field, consisting of two semicircles around each wicket joined by parallel lines, outside of which there may be no more than two fielders
(cricket) A style of bowling in which the bowler imparts spin to the ball by running his fingers down its side as he releases it; off spin for a right handed bowler and left arm orthodox spin for a left-handed one.
(cricket) A three- or five-day cricket match, with two innings per side, played under a set of conditions specified and officially recognised by an official governing body of cricket.
(cricket, countable) An event in which the batsmen run four times between the wickets or, more often, a batsman hits a ball which bounces on the ground before passing over a boundary, resulting in an award of 4 runs for the batting team. If the ball does not bounce before passing over the boundary, a six is awarded instead.
An informal form of children's cricket where a ball (usually a tennis ball) is bowled underarm at the legs of another player holding a cricket bat, and the next bowler throws from where the ball lands.
(cricket) A batsman's shot in which the ball deflects off the inside edge of the bat and travels fine down the leg side behind the batsman and often travels to the boundary.
(cricket) To touch a delivery with one's glove while the gloved hand is on the bat. Under the rules of cricket, the batsman is deemed to have hit the ball.
(countable, cricket) The area of grass on which a match is played (a cricket field); the entire arena in which it is played; the part of the field behind a batsman's popping crease where he can not be run out (hence to make one's ground).
(cricket) A ball bowled so as to pitch roughly half way down the wicket, ie. half-way between batsman and bowler. (From a slow bowler this is a poor delivery, likely to be hit to the boundary.)
(cricket) A rule ("law" in cricket) which when invoked results in the dismissal of a batsman (out), whereby the batsman has deliberately hit the ball with his bat a second time for a reason other than to protect his wicket.
(cricket) Describing a method of dismissal of a batsman (out) in which the batsman hits his own wicket either with the bat or his body, usually while attempting to play the ball.
(cricket) A type of shot played by swinging the bat in a horizontal arc, hitting the ball high in the air to the leg side, often played to balls which bounce around head height.
(cricket) A type of shot played by swinging the bat in a horizontal arc, hitting the ball high in the air to the leg side, often played to balls which bounce around head height; a hook.
(cricket) One side's (from when the first player begins to bat, until the last player is out) or individual player's turn to bat or the runs scored during those durations.
(cricket) Describing the way of getting out in which the ball would have hit the batsman's wicket, but hits the batsman's legs or more rarely another part of the batsman's body without first hitting the bat or a hand holding the bat.
(cricket) A run scored by a batting side arising from the ball striking any part of the batsman's body (other than the hand) without touching the bat. Leg byes are recorded as extras and do not affect the batsman's individual score. A leg bye can only be scored if the batsman was genuinely attempting to play a shot, or genuinely tried to avoid being hit by the ball.
(cricket) A style of bowling in which a (right-handed) bowler spins the ball such that, after bouncing, it moves from leg to off (for a right-handed batsman).
(baseball) Initialism of left field, Initialism of left fielder. [(baseball) The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and to the left of a person standing on home plate and facing the pitcher.]
(cricket) The direction (line) and point at which a delivery hits the pitch (length) of a delivery considered as a whole, especially that of a group of a particular bowler's deliveries.
(cricket) A fielding position, now confined to the amateur game, behind the wicket-keeper (so as to retrieve balls that the wicket-keeper misses); a fielder in this position
Alternative spelling of long stop [(cricket) A fielding position, now confined to the amateur game, behind the wicket-keeper (so as to retrieve balls that the wicket-keeper misses); a fielder in this position]
(cricket) A run out of the non-striker by the bowler before bowling the ball if the non-striker leaves his crease too early; thought by some to be ungentlemanly, but is within the rules of the game.
(cricket) Initialism of no ball. [(cricket) A ball delivered by a bowler in violation of any of the various laws; the extra run then credited to the batting side; the signal, with an arm outstretched, then made by the umpire.]
(cricket) A cricket ball never previously used in a match; a replacement new cricket ball taken by the captain of the bowling side at certain specified times during an innings.
(cricket) A batsman who is sent in to bat higher than his usual position near the end of a day's play (when light is poor), in order to protect better batsmen.
(cricket) A ball delivered by a bowler in violation of any of the various laws; the extra run then credited to the batting side; the signal, with an arm outstretched, then made by the umpire.
(cricket) The result of a one-day match in which a side fails to complete their innings, or to bat the minimum number of overs, because of bad weather.
(cricket) To get out by deliberately obstructing a fielder in order to prevent him from making a catch or run out, or from gathering the ball (very rare).
(cricket) Initialism of one-day international. [(cricket) a one-day match played between teams representing the Test nations; a similar match in a tournament such as the World Cup]
(cricket) A style of bowling in which a (right-handed) bowler spins the ball such that, after pitching, it moves from off to leg (for a right-handed batsman).
(intransitive, cricket, of the umpires) To ask the batsmen if they wish to continue playing in conditions of poor light. If they do not, play is suspended for bad light.
Alternative form of off spin [(cricket) A style of bowling in which a (right-handed) bowler spins the ball such that, after pitching, it moves from off to leg (for a right-handed batsman).]
(cricket) The act of a batsman, running between the wickets, failing to ground himself or his bat behind the popping crease before turning for another run; the umpire's signal indicating this (the run does not count).
(cricket) A form of cricket, played on one day, in which each side bats only once. Each side's innings finishes when either their allotted number of overs has been completed, or all ten wickets have been lost.
(cricket) describing the first period of play, usually up to the fall of the first wicket; describing a batsman who opens the innings or a bowler who opens the attack
(cricket) A dismissal; a state in which a member of the batting team finishes his turn at bat, due to the application of various rules of the game, such as the bowler knocking over the batsman's wicket with the ball.
(cricket) The region of the field roughly outside of the infield or the wicket-keeper, slips, gully, point, cover, mid off, mid on, midwicket and square leg.
(informal) A 2006 scandal in which the Pakistani cricket team forfeited the Oval Test Match against England after allegations of tampering with the ball.
(cricket) The period when two specific batsmen are batting, from the fall of one wicket until the fall of the next; the number of runs scored during this period,
A game played with hexagonal pencils marked by hand on each side so they can be tossed like dice — or sometimes with conventional dice — in which players generate scores and attribute them to imaginary cricket players and teams by compiling a scorecard.
(cricket) Either of two white lines, each drawn on the pitch in front of a wicket, between which the batsmen run, and from where the bowler may legally bowl.
(cricket) A scuffed and roughened area of the pitch, where the bowler's feet fall, used as a target by spin bowlers because of its unpredictable bounce.
Alternative form of run chase [(cricket) the situation in which the side batting last need to score a certain number of runs to win; the effort made by such a side to win]
(cricket) A run out, a running out. The method of getting out in which a batsman, in making a run, has not reached the popping crease when a fielder breaks his wicket with the ball.
(baseball) When a batter successfully reaches first base, or when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base or returns to the base he last occupied; not out.
(idiomatic, cricket) of a ball that pitches short of a good length; a ball that bounces closer to the bowler than the area of the pitch regarded as the best for dismissing or restricting the scoring of the batsman.
(cricket) A large screen, at each end of a cricket field, coloured to provide visual contrast to the cricket ball, to aid the batsman in seeing its movement through the air.
(cricket, countable) An event whereby a batsman hits a ball which does not bounce before passing over a boundary in the air, resulting in an award of 6 runs for the batting team.
(cricket, colloquial) A shot in which the ball passes over the boundary without touching the ground, for which the batting team is awarded 6 runs; a six.
(cricket) a device that combines slow-motion video and a graphical representation of sound waves recorded from stump and pitch microphones to determine whether a small noise (a snick) occurred as the ball passed the bat and/or pad, and thus whether the batsman made contact with the ball.
(cricket) A bowler who bowls the ball (in cricket) relatively slowly, with spin on it, such that the ball moves in an irregular manner after it bounces; as opposed to a fast bowler.
(cricket) The umpire who stands at or near square leg to rule on decisions at the batsman's end of the wicket. In some circumstances, the umpire may stand at the equivalent position on the opposite side of the batsman (between gully and point), but is still referred to as the square leg umpire in these circumstances.
(intransitive, cricket, of a wicket-keeper) To stand immediately behind the wicket so as to catch balls from a slow or spin bowler, and to attempt to stump the batsman.
(cricket) Used to describe a shot where the ball deflects off the edge of the bat, but is not caught by the slips or wicket-keeper and instead results in runs for the batsman.
(cricket) In non-standard cricketing rules, a substitute player who is able to come on and replace any player at any point during the game, and to take over the other player's batting and bowling duties.
(baseball) Of a baserunner, when a fly ball is hit, to put one's foot on the base one is currently at until the ball is caught. When the ball is caught, the baserunner may attempt to advance to the next base, at the risk of being tagged out.
(idiomatic, cricket) (For a new batsman, with help from the umpire) to mark a point on the popping crease in front of his wicket so that he knows where it is behind him; to guard.
(cricket) Any of the officially recognised nations who play Test cricket: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and Zimbabwe.
(cricket, Australia, Victoria) A form of backyard cricket; the defining rule of the form, which requires the batsman to run if they hit the ball; the rule increases the pace of the game by creating more runout chances than in ordinary cricket.
(cricket) a type of ball, bowled by a leg spin bowler, that spins forward and, when bouncing off the pitch, bounces higher than expected and slows down
(cricket, soccer) The coin toss before a cricket match in order to decide who bats first, or before a football match in order to decide the direction of play.
(intransitive, cricket, of a batsman) To walk off the field, as if given out, after the fielding side appeals and before the umpire has ruled; done as a matter of sportsmanship when the batsman believes he is out.
(cricket) A ball that passes so far from the batsman that the umpire deems it unplayable; the arm signal used by an umpire to signal a wide; the extra run added to the batting side's score
(cricket) A style of bowling in which the bowler spins the ball by releasing it from the back of the hand, running his/her fingers down the side of the ball as it is released.
(cricket) A type of ball bowled by a leg break bowler, which spins backwards and skids off the pitch with a low bounce.
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