Your Guide to Cricket Slang Terms

Cricket slang is its own unique language but you don't need to be a linguistics expert to understand the key phrases. Our guide will help you understand your mates at the Ashes or the local nets.

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Another name for a bat can also be called a stick or willow. Some of the oldest bats in the sport can be dated back to 1729.

This is when a player is hit in the helmet by a Bouncer, typically on the badge or front of the helmet. Brett Lee certainly sent a number of badgers in his time.

A full toss down the pitch that reaches the batsmen at head height. Usually bowled by accident they are sometimes used as scare tactics.

This is the area between where the batsmen take guard and their toes, the prime target area for a Yorker.

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This dirty tactic involves bowling directly at the batsman’s body with a heavy contingent of leg-side fielders. The ploy forces the batsman into being caught out or hurting themselves.

This short-pitched ball is delivered at pace, usually aiming to reach the batsman at chest or above head height.

A batsman that is frequently dismissed by the same bowler, becoming their ‘Bunny’ or ‘Rabbit’.

"Knock his caaaastle over mate" - local wicketkeeper. Castle is another word for stumps.

This term means to open and bat through an entire inning without being dismissed, this is a very rare feat.

These are the red marks left on a bat from a red cricket ball. They say the riper the cherries, the more respect you’ll receive in the pavilion…

These are a series of Bouncers (or Bumpers) bowled to intimidate the batsman. Mitchell Johnson threw down plenty facing the English here:

This is a section of grass between deep mid-wicket and wide long-on where fielders are rarely placed because the ball never makes it there. Meaning cows could happily graze in the area without disturbance.

This ball rolls or bounces more than twice down the pitch.

Quite possibly the most embarrassing forms of dismissal, this is when a batsman is dismissed without facing a single ball (most likely run out). The blame is usually shifted to the other batsman after deciding on a dodgy single.

Easily the most simple of catches. Watch Mike Gatting embarrass himself with this one:

To take a bowler downtown is to smash their delivery straight back over their head for six.

Developed by Clarrie Grimmett and mastered by Shane Warne, the Flipper is a leg-spin delivery with under-spin which causes the ball to bounce lower than expected. This delivery usually finds the stumps or results in an LBW.

A highly skilled batsman.

The opposite of a gun, usually relies on sheer luck to put runs on the board.

The number 11 batsman, never makes a huge difference but once in a while, they’ll pull off something spectacular.

Left-handed person, e.g. bowler, batsman, fielder.

Cricket's greatest sledge

An LBW appeal which appears to most, to be clearly out.

A low order or incompetent batsman can also be known as a Ferret. Sri Lankan Roshan Jurangpathy finished his two-test career with an average of 0.25.

The ball.

A delivery that bounces so close to the nose of the batsman, they can smell the ball.

The team's captain. Steve Waugh will go down as Australia’s most successful Test Captain. His 57 captained matches returned 41 wins, nine losses, and seven draws, giving him a win ratio of 71.92%.

A hard, sometimes reckless shot aiming to find the boundary in the air. Common in T20 Cricket, David Warner perfected it:

To "go the tonk" is similar to "slogging", batting aggressively in the hope of hitting fours and sixes.

A fast-paced ball pitched close to the Blockhole, used to change up the deliveries, find the stumps or force an LBW.

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