Cricket Glossary

A cricketer who contributes significantly with both bat and ball. True all-rounders are among the most valuable players in all formats.

Ben Stokes, Shakib Al Hasan, and Hardik Pandya are considered elite all-rounders in the modern game.

The Test series between England and Australia, first played in 1882. Named after a mock obituary saying English cricket had died and the ashes would be taken to Australia. The urn containing 'the Ashes' is held at Lord's regardless of the result.

Australia's 2021–22 Ashes win (4–0) in Australia followed England's 2019 Ashes draw (2–2) in England.

Total runs scored divided by the number of times dismissed. A measure of a batter's consistency. An average of 50+ in Test cricket is considered elite.

Don Bradman's career Test average of 99.94 is the highest of all time.

A delivery bowled at the batter's head on the full (without bouncing). It is illegal and dangerous. The bowler is warned; on a second offence they are removed from bowling.

A beamer at 90 mph is genuinely dangerous — it is one of cricket's most serious violations.

A short-pitched delivery that rises to shoulder or head height. Legal within limits (one or two per over per batter depending on format). Used to intimidate and unsettle batters.

Jofra Archer's bouncer at 96 mph is one of the most feared deliveries in modern cricket.

When the ball reaches or crosses the boundary rope. If it rolls along the ground: 4 runs. If it clears the rope on the full (without bouncing): 6 runs.

Hitting a six into the crowd at the MCG is one of cricket's most celebrated moments.

An off-break-like delivery bowled with the middle finger and thumb, like flicking a carrom disc. Invented by Australian off-spinner Ajantha Mendis. The spin can go either way.

R Ashwin's carrom ball has dismissed many top batters who struggle to pick its variation.

A catch taken by the wicketkeeper when the ball edges off the bat. The batter is out caught behind. Often requires a DRS review to determine if the ball hit the bat.

Scoring 100 or more runs in a single innings. One of cricket's most celebrated milestones for a batter.

Virat Kohli has scored 80 international centuries across all formats.

A left-arm wrist-spinner's equivalent of a leg break — the ball turns from off to leg for a right-handed batter. The name comes from Ellis Achong, a cricketer of Chinese descent from Trinidad.

Kuldeep Yadav is one of very few successful Chinaman bowlers at international level.

A mathematical formula to set revised targets in rain-interrupted limited-overs matches. Based on the runs remaining and wickets in hand — representing a team's 'resources.'

India beat England by 5 runs on the D/L method in the 2013 Champions Trophy final after rain interrupted play.

When play is suspended by an umpire — for instance, if a fielder throws the ball back and it hits the stumps accidentally, or a bowler slips. No runs or dismissals count from a dead ball.

In Test cricket, the batting captain can voluntarily end their team's innings before all wickets fall (declare). Used to give enough time to bowl out the opposition.

England declared at 500/8 on day 3, giving their bowlers two days to take 20 wickets.

Urdu for 'the other one.' An off-spinner's delivery that turns the opposite way — like a leg break bowled with an off-spinner's action. Invented by Saqlain Mushtaq.

Saqlain Mushtaq's doosra dismissed Sachin Tendulkar in the 1999 World Cup, a legendary moment.

A system allowing teams to challenge on-field umpire decisions. Includes ball-tracking (Hawk-Eye), edge detection (Snickometer / Ultra-Edge), and thermal imaging (Hot Spot) to determine LBWs and caught-behind appeals.

Teams have two DRS reviews per innings in Tests; one per innings in ODIs and T20Is. A review is retained if the decision is overturned.

When a batter is dismissed without scoring any runs. A golden duck means dismissed on the first ball faced.

A golden duck in a World Cup final is every opener's nightmare.

Average runs conceded per over. Key metric for limited-overs bowlers. Under 6.0 in ODIs and under 7.5 in T20Is is considered excellent.

Jasprit Bumrah's T20I economy of 6.2 is among the best for any quick bowler in the world.

Taking 5 or more wickets in a single innings. The bowling equivalent of a batting century — a major milestone.

Shane Warne took 708 Test wickets with 37 five-wicket hauls in his career.

In Test cricket, if a team's first-innings total falls 200+ runs behind (201+ in a 5-day match), the leading team can enforce a follow-on — making the trailing team bat again immediately.

India famously beat Australia in 2001 after following on, Laxman and Dravid adding 376 runs together.

In limited-overs cricket, the delivery following a no-ball (for overstepping) is a free hit. The batter cannot be dismissed except by a run-out. Any runs scored count normally.

A free hit with 6 needed off 2 balls can change the outcome of a T20 match.

A delivery that reaches the batter without bouncing. Waist-height and above full tosses are no-balls. A well-aimed full toss can be effective; a wayward one is easy to hit.

A slow full toss at the death in a T20 is often dispatched for six.

A leg-spinner's delivery that turns the opposite way — like an off-break bowled with a leg-break action. Also known as a 'wrong 'un.' Invented by B.J.T. Bosanquet around 1900.

Shane Warne's googly to bowl Andrew Strauss at Lord's in 2005 is one of cricket's great deliveries.

Scoring 50–99 runs in a single innings. A key milestone for a batter, often marking the difference between a passing contribution and a match-defining one.

A quickfire T20 fifty in 20 balls can win a close match.

Taking three wickets on three consecutive deliveries. One of cricket's rarest and most celebrated bowling achievements.

Lasith Malinga took four wickets in four balls in a 2007 World Cup match against South Africa.

Ball-tracking technology used in DRS to predict the ball's projected path after pitching. Used to determine whether the ball would have hit the stumps for LBW decisions. Accurate to within 5mm.

Hawk-Eye showing the ball umpire's call (clipping the stumps) is one of cricket's most debated moments.

Infrared imaging technology that detects heat from ball-on-bat friction. Used to determine edges and hits on the pad. Not 100% reliable — thin edges may not show.

Umpire's call edge decisions where Hot Spot shows nothing but Snickometer shows a spike are regularly debated.

The global governing body for cricket. Organises the ICC Men's and Women's Cricket World Cups, T20 World Cups, and the World Test Championship. Currently 108 member nations.

The ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP) sets the international schedule for the next 4 years.

The world's most-watched T20 franchise league, run by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). 10 city-based teams play 74 matches per season. Generates the largest player auction in cricket.

The 2024 IPL generated over $1.1 billion in revenue, making it the world's second most valuable sports league per match.

A batter is out LBW if the ball, pitching in line (or outside off stump if the batter doesn't play a shot), strikes the pads in line with the stumps and would have gone on to hit the wicket. One of cricket's most debated dismissals.

Kumar Dharmasena's LBW decision against New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup final sparked huge controversy.

A catch taken at slip or gully from the edge of the bat, usually off a fast bowler's delivery. Not to be confused with a maiden over.

Steve Smith's reflexes in the slip cordon have produced some of Test cricket's greatest catches.

An over in which no runs are scored off the bat. A wicket maiden is a maiden over in which a wicket is also taken.

Anil Kumble once bowled 105 consecutive overs in Test matches before conceding a run.

Dismissal where the bowler breaks the non-striker's stumps before delivering the ball, while the non-striker is backing up beyond the crease. Legal under ICC rules but historically considered unsporting. Now more widely accepted.

Ravichandran Ashwin Mankaded Jos Buttler in IPL 2019, triggering a major sportsmanship debate.

A lower-order batter sent in near the end of a day's play to protect a specialist batter from facing difficult conditions. They absorb any remaining deliveries and come back the next morning.

Mark Boucher famously made a Test century as a nightwatchman for South Africa.

An illegal delivery — most commonly when the bowler oversteps the popping crease (front foot no-ball). The batting team get one extra run; in limited-overs cricket the next ball is a free hit.

A no-ball in the last over of a T20 with 6 needed can completely change the match result.

A team's total run rate scored minus total run rate conceded across all tournament matches. Used as a tiebreaker when teams are equal on points. Formula: (Total runs scored ÷ Total overs faced) − (Total runs conceded ÷ Total overs bowled).

In IPL 2022, a NRR of +0.5 vs −0.3 was the difference between qualification and elimination.

50 overs per side. Matches last 7–8 hours. The format of the ICC Cricket World Cup. Balances batting, bowling, and match situation management over a full day.

The 2019 Cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand is the greatest ODI ever played.

The runs scored by the first two batters (openers) before the first wicket falls. A strong opening partnership sets the platform for the innings.

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan set several ODI opening partnership records for India.

A lower-order batter promoted up the batting order to attack the bowling aggressively — often used in limited-overs cricket when quick runs are needed.

Sanath Jayasuriya transformed ODI cricket as Sri Lanka's pinch-hitter opener in the 1990s.

Fielding restriction overs in limited-overs cricket. In ODIs: overs 1–10 (mandatory) and two 5-over blocks (batting team's choice). In T20Is: overs 1–6. During a powerplay, only 2 fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle.

Batters target the powerplay heavily in T20 cricket — scoring rates of 10+ RPO are common in the first 6 overs.

Pakistan's franchise T20 competition. Six city-based teams compete across ~34 matches. Major Pakistani and international players participate. Considered one of cricket's top T20 leagues.

The PSL final is played at Pakistan's largest stadiums — Lahore and Karachi — before massive sell-out crowds.

The run rate needed by the batting team to win from a given point in their innings. Calculated as: Runs needed ÷ Overs remaining.

A RRR of 18.5 from the last over with 111 runs needed means the match is essentially over.

A batter is out when the ball is fielded and used to break the stumps while the batter is out of their crease. One of the most exciting dismissals in limited-overs cricket.

Jonty Rhodes' diving run-out of Inzamam-ul-Haq at the 1992 World Cup is often called the greatest fielding moment ever.

A line of fielders positioned behind the batters (first slip, second slip, third slip etc.) to catch edges from the bat. More slips are used when the ball is swinging or seaming.

England sometimes set a 4-slip cordon in the first session of a Test match.

A microphone-based system that detects the spike in audio waveform caused by the ball hitting the bat edge. Used alongside Hot Spot to confirm caught-behind and LBW reviews.

Ultra Edge's precision has made stumpings and fine edges reviewable with much higher accuracy than in previous decades.

A short break (2.5 minutes) taken once per innings in T20 cricket between overs 6 and 9 and again between overs 13 and 16. Teams use it to regroup and reassess their strategy.

Captains use the Strategic Time Out to bring a spinner on or adjust the field for a dangerous batter.

The number of runs scored per 100 balls faced. Shows how quickly a batter scores. In T20 cricket, a strike rate above 140 is considered aggressive.

Jos Buttler's T20I strike rate of 148 makes him one of the most destructive openers in the game.

A dismissal where the wicketkeeper removes the bails while the batter is outside their crease and not attempting a run. The batter must have played or missed the ball.

MS Dhoni's lightning stumpings — often before batters realised they were out — are a hallmark of his greatness.

A tie-breaking method in limited-overs cricket. Each team faces one over with two wickets in hand. If the Super Over is also tied, in some competitions boundary countback is used.

England won the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup via a Super Over — and then boundary countback — against New Zealand.

The lateral movement of the ball through the air. In-swing moves into a right-handed batter; out-swing moves away. Achieved by angling the seam and maintaining different surface conditions on each side of the ball.

James Anderson's ability to swing the ball at 80 mph both ways is unique at the highest level.

An ultra-short format with 10 overs per side, lasting roughly 90 minutes. Played in the Abu Dhabi T10 League. Games are almost entirely decided by batting power.

T10 matches regularly feature total scores of 100+ and boundaries on almost every other delivery.

The shortest mainstream format: each team faces a maximum of 20 overs. Matches last 3–4 hours. Emphasises big hitting, clever variations, and athletic fielding.

The IPL, PSL, Big Bash and T20 Blast are the premier T20 domestic competitions.

The oldest and most demanding format. Played over up to 5 days, with each team batting twice. A player's Test career defines their legacy. The longest innings can last multiple sessions.

Australia vs England in The Ashes is Test cricket's oldest and most celebrated rivalry, dating to 1882.

A format invented by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2021. Each team faces 100 deliveries across 10- or 5-ball sets, bowled from alternating ends. Designed to attract new audiences.

The Hundred's Welsh Fire, Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles compete in a city-based franchise format.

A delivery bowled too far from the batter for them to play a normal cricket shot. One extra run is awarded and the ball is re-bowled. In T20I and T20 cricket, wides are called more strictly than in Test cricket.

Each wide in the death overs of a T20 can cost a team the match — every delivery counts.

A two-year cycle Test league organised by the ICC. Teams earn points based on wins, draws, and losses in bilateral Test series. The top two teams at the end of the cycle contest the WTC Final at a neutral venue.

India and Australia contested the 2023 WTC Final at The Oval, with Australia winning by 209 runs.

A delivery pitched at or just in front of the batter's feet, aimed at the base of the stumps. Very difficult to play. The most effective delivery at the death in T20 cricket.

Lasith Malinga's toe-crushing yorker at 90 mph is the most feared death-bowling weapon in T20 history.