WHAT DOES IT – REALLY – MEAN?
A HELPFUL GUIDE TO SOME CRICKETING TERMS….
A pair – see No 3
Bail - money paid out as a result of having too much ale!
Bouncers – often observed near the boundary edge, preferably accompanied by a very fine leg!
Boundary marker – a deposit left by a wild animal on the outfield – usually placed where gully makes a sliding stop!
Box – a container for balls.
Bucknored – a long wait coupled with annoying smile given by an umpire just before you are adjudged LBW after hitting the ball.
Captain – guy who thinks he’s in charge but gets no credit for winning but all the blame when losing.
Extra Cover – ladies tights worn under cricket gear on the opening day of the season – also applies to thermal vests and fur lined jock straps!
Fine Leg – usually observed in the third row of the stand, by a boundary fielder, usually comes in pairs (see also ‘bouncers’ and ‘leg glance’.
Flat track – a rarity on British railways.
Footloose – a small heap of debris placed behind the stumps.
Fourskin – the graze on the knee after diving trying to prevent a boundary, applies to any fielding action in indoor cricket.
Half Volley – 50% of a volley
Jockstrap – a device used by a Scotsman to hold up his kilt, it must be reliable for obvious reasons.
Kicking - method of obtaining leg byes by kicking the ball when you cannot play it.
Late Cut – crops harvested by the very rural Yapham cricketers after the finish of the cricket season.
LBW – Let The Blighters Wait – the philosophy of the Pakistan skippers when setting his field or making a bowling change. Is probably also Rudi Koertson’s walk of death finger signal!
Leg Break – a crack on the shin whilst fielding at silly mid on.
Leg Glance – a quick crafty look by a boundary fielder done without his captain’s knowledge.
Long Handle – a players name that is far too long for the space in the scorebook – usually a Sri Lankan.
Maiden – the recipient of the leg glance, usually the possessor of bouncers or a fine leg or much preferably both!
Nassered – to be ‘given out’ in rather doubtful circumstances.
No Ball – i) a phrase coined by a A U Knock who played 19th century Egyptian cricket.
ii) The feeling after a batsman has been struck above the pads by a very quick delivery.
iii) the situation when “tosser” has forgotten to bring the box of balls.
Scorer – a very happy player who has gained reward as a result of his persistent
Leg glances.
Spirit of Cricket – a double malt whisky drunk after the match.
Third Man – the bloke used by umpires to assist when they haven’t a clue what happened!
Tosser – at least every team has one!
Wide Ball – a call by a Club umpire in order to allow his side an extra ball.
Yorker – an extremely well written cricket Newsletter (Y&DSCL)
From Nompere 35.