Nukkad to Nation / Cricket terms

Cricket terms explained

These are the cricket words you will see in Nukkad to Nation and on any broadcast, explained in a sentence each. They are grouped by batting, bowling, fielding, scoring and formats.

What are the main batting terms?

On strike

The batter facing the bowler. Scoreboards mark the striker with a *.

Not out

A batter still in when the innings ends, shown as 45*.

Leave

Letting the ball pass without playing a shot.

Drive

A shot played with a straight swing, usually along the ground through cover or mid-off.

Lofted shot

A shot hit in the air, aiming to clear the fielders or the rope.

Rotate the strike

Taking singles so both batters keep facing balls.

Partnership

The runs two batters add together before one of them is out.

Anchor

A batter who builds an innings and bats long, while others attack.

Power hitter

A batter built to score fast, especially in the last overs.

What are the main bowling terms?

Good length

A ball landing where the batter is unsure whether to go forward or back.

Yorker

A full ball aimed at the batter’s feet or the base of the stumps.

Bouncer

A short ball that rises towards the batter’s head. The number per over is limited.

Slower ball

A change of pace designed to make the batter play too early.

Swing

Movement of the ball through the air.

Seam

Movement of the ball off the pitch after it lands on the seam.

Off-spin

Finger spin that turns from off to leg for a right-handed batter.

Leg-spin

Wrist spin that turns from leg to off for a right-handed batter.

Googly

A leg-spinner’s ball that turns the other way. Googly is also the name of the game’s mascot.

Maiden

An over in which no runs are scored off the bat.

Economy

Runs a bowler concedes per over.

Figures

A bowler’s overs, maidens, runs and wickets, written 4-0-28-2.

What are the main fielding and dismissal terms?

LBW

Leg before wicket: out because the ball would have hit the stumps but struck the batter’s leg first.

Caught behind

Caught by the wicketkeeper after an edge.

Bowled

Out because the ball hit the stumps.

Stumped

Out because the keeper broke the stumps while the batter was out of the crease.

Run out

Out because a fielder broke the stumps before the batter made their ground.

Slip

A fielder beside the keeper, waiting for edges.

30-yard circle

The ring that limits how many fielders can stand far out in limited-overs cricket.

Review

A request to the third umpire to check a decision with ball-tracking or edge detection.

Umpire’s call

A review too close to overturn. The decision stands and the side keeps its review.

What are the main scoring terms?

Extras

Runs not scored off the bat: wides, no-balls, byes and leg byes.

Wide

A ball too far from the batter to hit. It costs a run and must be bowled again.

No-ball

An illegal ball, usually a front-foot overstep. It costs a run and brings a free hit.

Free hit

The ball after a no-ball, from which the batter can only be run out.

Required rate

The runs per over a chasing side needs to win.

Manhattan

A bar chart of runs in each over.

Worm

A line chart of runs added up over by over.

Wagon wheel

A picture of where a batter’s runs went around the ground.

What are the formats of cricket?

Test

International cricket over five days, two innings per side.

First-class

Domestic cricket over four days, two innings per side.

ODI and List A

50 overs per side, international and domestic.

T20I and T20

20 overs per side, international and domestic or franchise.

Follow-on

Making the side that trails by 200 (150 in four-day games) bat again straight away.

Super Over

One extra over per side to settle a tied knockout.

See how the game applies these in the rules in the game, or start with how to play.