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Fielding in cricket is crucial for a team’s success. It involves players stopping runs, catching the ball, and fielding their positions effectively. Good fielding can turn matches around. Fielders must have quick reflexes, agility, and accurate throwing skills. They need to anticipate where the ball will go and position themselves accordingly.
Fielders are stationed all around the field, with specific roles like slips, gully, point, covers, mid-off, mid-on, mid-wicket, square leg, and fine leg. A dropped catch or a missed run-out can change the course of a game. Fielding drills and practices are thus integral parts of a cricket team’s training regimen. Each team has a fielding coach as well.
List of Cricket Fielding Positions
In cricket, a team comprises 11 players, including one bowler and one wicket-keeper, leaving nine other fielding positions. The arrangement of fielders is a strategic choice made by the team captain. Typically, the captain, sometimes in consultation with the bowler and team members, decides where each fielder will be positioned. Fielders can be relocated at any time except when the bowler is delivering the ball to the batsman.
Check out the various cricket fielding position names and their positions on the field.
Slips
Positioned behind the batsman on either side, slips are for catching edges off the bat. They are usually placed close to the wicketkeeper to maximize catching opportunities for edges that fly off the bat and is one of the most important cricket fielding positions.
Gully
Another important fielding positions in cricket is called the gully. A fielder is positioned wider than slips, and the fielders are placed to catch edges that don’t go directly behind. They cover a wider range than slips and are often used for catching harder-hit shots.
Point
Located behind square on the off side, point fielders cover the area between covers and gully, stopping hard-hit shots. They are positioned to stop shots that are played square of the wicket on the off side.
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Cover
Positioned on the off side between point and mid-off, cover fielders cover the area for drives and cut shots. They are usually placed a bit deeper to field balls hit with power and is an important cricket position names.
Mid-off
Placed halfway between the bowler and the batsman, mid-off fielders stop straight shots hit along the ground. They are positioned to cut off runs and prevent boundaries.
Mid-on
Similar to mid-off but on the leg side, fielders here stop straight shots hit along the ground. They are crucial for stopping runs on the leg side and providing support to the bowler.
Mid-Wicket
Positioned between mid-on and square leg, mid-wicket fielders cover the area on the leg side for shots played in that direction. They are placed to stop runs and take catches off shots played towards mid-wicket.
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Square Leg
Positioned behind square on the leg side, square leg fielders cover the area between mid-wicket and fine leg. They are positioned to field balls hit square of the wicket on the leg side.
Fine Leg
Positioned behind square on the leg side, fine leg fielders stop deflections off the bat on the leg side. They are placed to prevent boundaries and field balls that are glanced off the bat.
Long Leg
Placed on the boundary behind square leg, long leg fielders stop shots played on the leg side and retrieve the ball quickly to prevent runs. They are positioned deep to prevent boundaries and are often used in limited-overs cricket to protect the boundary.
Deep Point/Cover/Mid-Wicket
Fielders positioned on the boundary in respective areas to stop boundaries and retrieve the ball quickly. They are placed deep to prevent boundaries and are crucial in saving runs in the outfield.
Third Man
Positioned behind the batsman on the off side, third man fielders are for catching edges or stopping deflections behind the wicketkeeper. They are positioned to catch edges that fly behind the wicketkeeper or deflect off the bat.
Long On/Long Off
Positioned on the boundary straight down the ground from the batsman, these fielders stop lofted shots and aim to prevent boundaries. They are placed deep to stop big hits down the ground.
Deep Square Leg
Positioned on the boundary behind square leg, these fielders stop big hits on the leg side. They are crucial for preventing boundaries on the leg side and are often used in limited-overs cricket to protect the boundary.
Backward Point
Placed behind square on the off side, backward point fielders cover the area behind point and gully. They are positioned to field balls hit behind square on the off side and provide support to the slip cordon.
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Protective Gear in Cricket
Fielders have specific regulations regarding protective gear. Except for the wicket-keeper, fielders are generally not allowed to wear gloves or external leg guards. However, they can wear shin protectors, groin protectors (‘boxes’), and chest protectors underneath their clothing with umpire consent.
Fielders are permitted to wear a helmet and face guard, especially in close positions like silly point or silly mid-wicket. If the ball touches a fielder’s headgear when not worn, five penalty runs are awarded to the batting side. This rule was established in the 19th century to prevent unfair practices.
Ways in Which a Fielder Can Dismiss a Batsman
Caught: A fielder catches the ball hit by the batsman before it touches the ground, resulting in the batsman being dismissed.
Bowled: The bowler hits the stumps with the ball, either directly or after it deflects off the batsman’s body or bat, resulting in the batsman being out.
Run-out: A fielder throws the ball to hit the stumps while the batsmen are attempting to run between the wickets, and the batsman fails to reach the crease.
Stumped: The wicket-keeper collects the ball and removes the bails while the batsman is out of their crease and not attempting a run.
LBW: The ball strikes the batsman’s leg before hitting the bat, and the umpire judges that the ball would have hit the stumps if the leg obstruction wasn’t there.
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FAQs about Cricket Fielding Positions
Q) Who is the best fielder in cricket?
A) Some of the best fielders in cricket are Jonty Rhodes, Herschelle Gibbs, Ab de Villiers, Ricky Ponting and Paul Collingwood among others.
Q) Who is the best fielder in the IPL?
A) From among the currently active players in the IPL, the likes of Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja are among the best fielders.
Q) What skills are important for effective fielding in cricket?
A) Effective fielding in cricket requires quick reflexes, agility, accurate throwing skills, and the ability to anticipate where the ball will go.
Q) How crucial is fielding in cricket?
A) Fielding is crucial for a team’s success in cricket as it can turn matches around. A dropped catch or a missed run-out can change the course of a game.
Q) Who decides the fielding positions in cricket?
A) The team captain, sometimes in consultation with the bowler and team members, decides where each fielder will be positioned.
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