Do you know what’s a Yorker? Or what about a Maiden Over? And why do players talk about Ducks in cricket? Sounds confusing, right? Take a wild guess—do these terms have anything to do with birds or something else?
Here’s the answer! A Duck means a batsman gets out without scoring. A Yorker is a deadly ball that lands right at the batsman’s feet. And a Maiden Over? That’s when a bowler delivers six balls without conceding a single run.
Cricket is full of such quirky terms—Orange Cap, Purple Cap, Bouncer, Free Hit, Silly Point, and many more. It can feel like learning a new language!
But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll explain 100+ essential cricket terms in a fun and easy way. By the end, you’ll know your Slips from your Sweep Shots. Let’s get started!
100+ Cricket Terms Every Beginner Should Know
Here are over 100 essential cricket terms every beginner should know:
1. All-Rounder
A player skilled at both batting and bowling.
2. Appeal
When fielders ask the umpire to declare a batsman out, usually by shouting "How's that?"
3. Ashes
A historic Test series played between England and Australia.
4. Agricultural Shot
A wild, unrefined swing of the bat, often resulting in a missed or mis-hit ball.
5. Beamer
A fast, full toss that reaches the batsman above waist height without bouncing, considered dangerous and usually deemed a no-ball.
6. Block Hole
The area right at the batsman's feet where a well-executed yorker lands.
7. Bunny
A batsman who is frequently dismissed by a particular bowler.
8. Ball Tampering
Illegally altering the condition of the ball to affect its movement.
9. Bat-Pad
A fielding position close to the batsman, designed to catch balls that hit the bat and pad.
10. Bouncer
A fast, short-pitched delivery that bounces high near the batsman's chest or head.
11. Boundary
The edge of the playing field. Hitting the ball past this scores four runs if it touches the ground first, or six runs if it doesn't.
12. Backfoot Drive
A batting shot played using the back foot to push the ball through the off-side.
13. Ball Tracking
A technology used to predict the path of a ball after it is bowled, often used in DRS.
14. Batting Collapse
When multiple batsmen get out quickly, leaving the team in a weak position.
15. Batting Order
The sequence in which batsmen come out to bat.
16. Belly Catch
A catch taken against the body, usually close to the ground.
17. Bottom Hand
The dominant hand on the bat, providing power in shots.
18. Bunsen
A slang term for a spin-friendly pitch, derived from "Bunsen Burner" (Cockney rhyming slang for "Turner"), indicating that the surface offers significant turn for spinners.
19. Cameo
A short but quick-scoring innings that boosts the team’s total.
20. Captain’s Knock
A crucial innings played by the team captain in pressure situations.
21. Choke
When a team fails to win despite being in a strong position.
22. Cutter
A slower delivery by a fast bowler that moves off the pitch.
23. Century
When a batsman scores 100 runs in a single innings.
24. Chinaman
A left-arm unorthodox spin bowler's delivery that spins into a right-handed batsman.
25. Crease
Lines on the pitch marking the batsman's and bowler's areas.
26. Carrom Ball
A spin bowling delivery where the ball is flicked between the thumb and a finger to impart spin, popularized by Ajantha Mendis.
27. Cherry
A colloquial term for the cricket ball, especially when it's new and shiny.
28. Corridor of Uncertainty
The area just outside the batsman's off stump, where it's unclear whether to play or leave the ball.
29. Cow Corner
A fielding position on the leg side, roughly between deep mid-wicket and long-on.
30. Death Overs
The final overs in a limited-overs match, where batsmen often play aggressively to maximize runs.
31. Diamond Duck
When a batsman is dismissed without facing a delivery, usually run out.
32. Dibbly-Dobbly
Medium-pace bowlers who bowl gentle, unthreatening deliveries.
33. Doosra
An off-spin bowler's delivery that spins the opposite way to a conventional off-break.
34. Duck
When a batsman gets out without scoring any runs.
35. Economy Rate
The average number of runs a bowler concedes per over.
36. Follow-On
When the team batting second is forced to bat again immediately because they scored significantly fewer runs than the first team.
37. Free Hit
After a no-ball (overstepping), the next delivery allows the batsman to attempt a shot without the risk of being out by most means.
38. Full Toss
A delivery that reaches the batsman without bouncing.
39. Featherbed
A pitch that offers little assistance to bowlers, making batting easy.
40. Ferret
A term for a tail-end batsman who is not skilled at batting.
41. Golden Duck
When a batsman is dismissed on the very first ball they face.
42. Green Top
A pitch with a significant covering of grass, aiding seam bowlers.
43. Googly
A deceptive delivery by a leg-spin bowler that spins the opposite way to a normal leg break.
44. Half-Century
When a batsman scores 50 runs in a single innings.
45. Hat-Trick
When a bowler takes three wickets with three consecutive deliveries.
46. Hoick
A crude, cross-batted shot, usually hit to the leg side.
47. Innings
A team's or a batsman's turn to bat.
48. Jaffa
A delivery that is exceptionally good, often unplayable.
49. Knuckleball
A slower variation of a fast delivery, where the ball is held with knuckles to deceive the batsman.
50. King Pair
When a batsman is dismissed for a golden duck in both innings of a match.
51. LBW (Leg Before Wicket)
A way of getting out where the batsman's leg blocks a ball that would have hit the stumps.
52. Maiden Over
An over in which the bowler concedes no runs.
53. Mankad
Running out the non-striker by the bowler before delivering the ball if the non-striker leaves the crease early.
54. Nelson
A superstition that a team's score of 111 (or multiples) is unlucky.
55. Nurdle
Gently nudging the ball into gaps, often for singles.
56. Nightwatchman
A lower-order batsman sent in to bat near the end of the day's play to protect better batsmen.
57. No-Ball
An illegal delivery, usually because the bowler overstepped the crease.
58. Off Side
The half of the field in front of the batsman as they face the bowler.
59. On Side (Leg Side)
The half of the field behind the batsman as they face the bowler.
60. Over
A set of six legal deliveries bowled by one bowler.
61. Over the Wicket
When a bowler delivers from the side of the stumps that corresponds to their bowling arm.
62. Powerplay
A period in limited-overs cricket with fielding restrictions to encourage aggressive batting.
63. Pull Shot
A batting shot hitting a short-pitched ball to the leg side.
64. Pace Attack
A team’s group of fast bowlers.
65. Pinch Hitter
A batsman sent in earlier than usual to score quick runs.
66. Plumb LBW
When a batsman is clearly out leg before wicket with no doubt.
67. Paddle Sweep
A delicate shot where the batsman uses the pace of the ball to deflect it fine on the leg side.
68. Pie Chucker
A bowler who delivers poorly directed or easy-to-hit balls.
69. Plumb
When a batsman is clearly out, especially in the context of LBW decisions.
70. Reverse Sweep
A shot where the batsman switches hands and hits the ball in the opposite direction.
71. Quota
The maximum number of overs a bowler is allowed to bowl in limited-overs cricket.
72. Run Chase
The batting team's attempt to reach a target score set by the opposition.
73. Run Out
When a fielder hits the stumps with the ball while the batsmen are running between wickets, and they haven't reached the crease.
74. Rabbit
A batsman who is particularly poor or susceptible to getting out.
75. Reverse Swing
A late swing of the ball in the opposite direction to conventional swing, usually occurring with an older ball.
76. Rib Tickler
A bouncer that strikes or threatens to strike the batsman in the chest or rib area.
77. Seam
The stitched part of the cricket ball. Bowlers use it to make the ball move unpredictably.
78. Sledging
Verbal taunting or banter between players to distract or unsettle opponents.
79. Slip
Fielding positions behind the batsman on the off side, ready to catch edged balls.
80. Spin Bowling
Bowling technique where the ball is spun to deviate upon bouncing.
81. Stumped
When the wicketkeeper puts down the stumps while the batsman is out of their crease and not attempting a run.
82. Sweep Shot
A batting shot where the batsman kneels and swings the bat horizontally to hit a low ball, usually against spinners.
83. Sawn Off
A batsman being given out incorrectly due to a poor umpiring decision.
84. Slog
A powerful, often reckless, shot aimed at hitting the ball hard, usually in the air.
85. Sticky Wicket
A pitch that has become soft and damp, making batting difficult.
86. T20 (Twenty20)
A fast-paced cricket format where each team plays a single innings of 20 overs.
87. Tail-Ender
Lower-order batsmen, usually bowlers, not known for their batting skills.
88. Test Match
The longest cricket format, played over five days with each team having two innings.
89. Third Umpire
An off-field official who uses video technology to assist with close decisions.
90. Ton
Another term for a century; when a batsman scores 100 runs.
91. Top Edge
When the ball hits the upper edge of the bat, often leading to a catch.
92. Twelfth Man
The reserve player who substitutes on the field but doesn't bat or bowl.
93. Umpire
An official who enforces the rules, makes decisions, and ensures fair play on the field.
94. Wicket
The set of three stumps and two bails. Also refers to the dismissal of a batsman.
95. Wicketkeeper
The player who stands behind the stumps to catch the ball if the batsman misses.
96. Wide Ball
A delivery bowled too far from the batsman, making it hard to hit. It results in an extra run for the batting team.
97. Wagon Wheel
A graphical representation showing the directions in which a batsman has scored runs.
98. Walking
When a batsman chooses to leave the field upon believing they're out, without waiting for the umpire's decision.
99. Wrong'un
Another term for a googly; a leg-spinner's delivery that spins the opposite way.
100. Yorker
A delivery bowled to land at the batsman's feet, making it hard to play.
101. Zooter
A delivery by a leg-spin bowler that doesn't spin, often surprising the batsman.
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