Be a cricket fan or not, we all more or less must have heard terms like slips, gully, point, cover, mid-on, fine leg and so on. But do you know what they mean and where they are located on the cricket field? Do you know how they are used to create different fielding strategies depending on the situation of the game?
In this quick little guide, we will explain everything you need to know about the cricket fielding position names, their roles and their importance. We will also explain you some cricket fielding positions that will help you visualize the locations of the fielders on the ground.
When you’re done with this blogpost, you will be able to identify all the cricket fielding positions and understand how they are used to create different fielding strategies. You will also be able to impress your friends with your knowledge of cricket fielding position names! Let’s get started on positions!
What are Cricket Fielding Positions?
Cricket fielding positions are the locations where the fielders (the players of the team that is not batting) stand on the cricket field. There are 11 players in a cricket team, out of which one is the bowler (the player who delivers the ball to the batter) and one is the wicketkeeper (the player who stands behind the stumps to catch the ball).
The remaining nine players are called fielders, and they can stand anywhere on the field within certain rules and regulations. The main purpose of the fielders is to prevent the batters from scoring runs by catching the ball before it bounces or by running them out before they can complete their run.
The fielders can also try to create pressure on the batters by restricting their scoring opportunities or by creating chances for dismissals. The fielders can also support the bowler by giving him feedback and encouragement.
The captain of the fielding team decides where to place the fielders on the field depending on various factors such as:
- Type of bowler (fast, medium, spin)
- Type of batter (right-handed, left-handed, aggressive, defensive)
- Condition of the pitch (hard, soft, dry, wet)
- Condition of the ball (new, old, shiny, rough)
- Stage of the game (powerplay, middle overs, death overs)
- Score of the game (chasing, defending, close, one-sided)
The captain can change the fielding positions at any time during the game except when the bowler is in his run-up or delivery stride. The captain can also consult with other players such as the bowler or senior players before making any changes.
The captain can also set different fielding strategies for different batters or bowlers depending on their strengths and weaknesses. For example, he can set an attacking field for a new or weak batter or a defensive field for a well-set or dangerous batter.
The captain can also set different fielding strategies for different types of deliveries such as yorkers, bouncers, slower balls, spinners, etc. For example, he can set a close-in field for a spinner or a deep field for a fast bowler.
The captain can also set different fielding strategies for different situations of the game such as powerplay overs, middle overs, death overs, etc. For example, he can set a restrictive field for powerplay overs or an aggressive field for death overs.
The main objectives of the fielding team:
- Restrict the scoring opportunities of the batting team
- Create pressure on the batters by creating chances of getting them out
- Support the bowler by backing up their deliveries
- Prevent boundaries (four or six runs) by stopping or catching the ball before it reaches or crosses the boundary line
To achieve these objectives, the fielding team needs to have a balanced combination of:
- Close catchers: Fielders who stand very close to the batter (within 15 yards) and try to catch any edges or deflections from the bat
- Inner ring: Fielders who stand within 30 yards of the batter and try to stop singles or run out batters
- Outfield: Fielders who stand beyond 30 yards of the batter and try to stop boundaries or catch high shots
The captain has to be very smart and flexible in setting his fielding positions and strategies as they can make a huge difference in the outcome of the game.
Cricket Fielding Positions Names & Roles
Now that we have seen the categories and locations of cricket fielding positions, let us look at their names and roles in more detail. We will start with the close-catching infield positions, then move on to the inner ring positions, and finally cover the outfield positions.
Close-catching Infield
These are usually specialized catching positions that require quick reflexes and good hand-eye coordination. They are mostly used against fast bowlers or spinners who can induce edges or deflections from the bat. The close-catching infield consists of possible positions named:
- Wicketkeeper
- The slips(First Slip, Second slip, Third slip & Fourth slip)
- Gully
- Leg slip
- Leg gully
- Silly point
- Silly mid-off
- Silly mid-on
- Short leg
Here are what they mean:
Wicketkeeper : This is the most important fielding position in cricket, as he is responsible for catching balls that pass by or deflect off the batsman’s bat or body. He also has to collect balls that are bowled wide or short by the bowler, and stump or run out batsmen who leave their crease. He wears gloves and pads to protect his hands and legs from injury. He stands behind the stumps on either side of the batsman, depending on whether he is right-handed or left-handed.
The Slips: These are the fielders who stand next to or behind the Wicketkeeper on his right side (for a right-handed batsman). They are mainly used to catch edges or nicks from fast bowlers or spinners that go past or over the wicketkeeper’s head.
There can be up to four slip fielders in a row, named first slip (closest to the wicketkeeper ), second slip (next to first slip), third slip (next to second slip), and fourth slip (next to third slip). Sometimes, there can be a fifth slip or even a sixth slip, but these are rare. The slip fielders need to have good concentration, coordination, and communication skills, as they have to react quickly and catch the ball with both hands.
Gully: The fielder who stands next to the slips, but slightly behind and wider, at an angle of about 60 degrees from the batter. Their role is to catch any balls that are edged or deflected by the bat towards them, especially those that are cut or steered by the batter. The gully is usually used against fast bowlers or spinners who can make the ball bounce or turn sharply.
Leg Slip: The fielder who stands next to the wicketkeeper on the leg side, at an angle of about 30 degrees from the batter. Their role is to catch any balls that are edged or deflected by the bat towards them, especially those that are glanced or flicked by the batter. The leg slip is usually used against fast bowlers who can make the ball swing into the batter, or spinners who can make the ball turn away from the batter.
Leg Gully: The fielder who stands next to the leg slip, but slightly behind and wider, at an angle of about 60 degrees from the batter. Their role is to catch any balls that are edged or deflected by the bat towards them, especially those that are hooked or pulled by the batter. The leg gully is usually used against fast bowlers who can make the ball bounce steeply, or spinners who can make the ball turn sharply.
Silly Point: The fielder who stands very close to the batter on the off side, almost in line with the stumps. Their role is to catch any balls that are popped up by the bat or pad, or to run out batters who leave their crease. The silly point is usually used against spinners who can make the ball bounce or turn unpredictably, or batters who are not confident in playing forward.
Silly Mid-off: This is the fielder who stands very close to the batsman on the off side (for a right-handed batsman), usually slightly ahead of silly point. He is mainly used to catch edges or deflections that go off the bat or pad, or drive shots that go in that direction.
He is also called a silly point sometimes. He needs to have similar skills as silly point but also needs to be alert for any chances of running out the batsman if he leaves his crease.
Short leg: This is the fielder who stands very close to the batsman on the leg side (for a right-handed batsman), usually in line with the stumps. He is mainly used to catch edges or deflections that go off the bat or pad, or pull shots that go in that direction.
He is also called silly mid-on sometimes. He needs to have similar skills as silly points, but also needs to be aware of the leg umpire’s position and not obstruct his view.
Silly mid-on: This is the fielder who stands very close to the batsman on the leg side (for a right-handed batsman), usually slightly ahead of short leg. He is mainly used to catch edges or deflections that go off the bat or pad, or pull shots that go in that direction.
He is also called short leg sometimes. He needs to have similar skills as a short leg, but also needs to be alert for any chances of running out the batsman if he leaves his crease.
Roles of Cricket Fielding Positions
Cricket fielding positions have different roles depending on their location and purpose on the field. Some of the roles of cricket fielding positions:
Catching: Catching is one of the most important roles of cricket fielding positions. Catching means taking a catch of a ball that has been hit by the batter before it touches the ground. Catching can result in a dismissal of the batter and can change the course of the game. Catching requires good reflexes, concentration, anticipation, and coordination. Some of the cricket fielding positions that are mainly used for catching are slips, gully, short leg, silly point, etc.
Stopping: Stopping is another important role of cricket fielding positions. Stopping means preventing a ball that has been hit by the batter from reaching or crossing the boundary. Stopping can save runs for the team and can create pressure on the batters.
Stopping requires good agility, speed, diving, and throwing skills. Some of the cricket fielding positions that are mainly used for stopping are point, cover, mid-off, mid-on, square leg, fine leg, etc.
Throwing: Throwing is another important role of cricket fielding positions. Throwing means throwing a ball that has been stopped or collected by a fielder towards the wicketkeeper or bowler to run out a batter who is attempting to complete a run.
Throwing can result in a dismissal of a batter and can change the course of the game. Throwing requires good accuracy, power, and timing skills. Some of the cricket fielding positions that are mainly used for throwing are third man, deep point, deep cover, long off, long on, deep square leg, deep mid-wicket etc.
Supporting: Supporting is another important role of cricket fielding positions. Supporting means backing up another fielder who is throwing or catching a ball to prevent any overthrows or misfields.
Supporting can save runs for the team and can create pressure on the batters. Supporting requires good awareness, communication and teamwork skills. Some of the cricket fielding positions that are mainly used for supporting are mid-off, mid-on, mid-wicket etc.
Conclusion
Being a cricket fan, you must have wondered about the names of the different fielding positions in cricket and why they are called so. In this quick quide, we have tried to explain the origin and meaning of the most common cricket fielding position names like slip, gully, point, cover, mid-off, mid-on, square leg, fine leg and many more.
We hope this short guide has helped you to understand the strategies behind the placement of fielders in cricket. If you enjoyed reading it, keep following us for more interesting and informative reads on cricket!
