Cricket jargon pet hates

[chrisps]

Cricket has a rich and distinctive language. But some cricket terms don't do the job. I dislike reverse swing (it's not the reverse of anything, certainly not of new ball swing), pinch-hitter (inaccurate use of an import from baseball), nicked off (ugly, ugly, ugly).

Which terms would you like to see the back of? What would you replace them with?

 

[Bonnie Prince C]

Leg-bye is wrong. As it doesn't have to hit the leg.

I don't mind nicked off because I would say it is just a shorter version of nicked off the edge.

 

[Stumpcam]

I'm with you on pinch-hitting and nicked-off, but I can't agree with your definition of reverse swing.

Normal swing is when the polished, shiny side of the ball travels faster through the air making the ball swing in the air towards that shiny side. Reverse swing describes the opposite of this effect when the ball swings towards the rough side of the ball - the reverse of what you would expect.

What else would you call it? Rough swing?

 

[zaremba]

Calling fielders "fieldsmen" while calling batsmen "batters" (c) Mark Nicholas

"Sixer" (c) Mark Nicholas

"old fashioned back cut" (c) Mark Nicholas

"boundary four" (c) David Lloyd

there are many more, but that will do for now

 

[Stumpcam]

Leg-bye is wrong. As it doesn't have to hit the leg.

That's strictly true but it does have to have hit the batsman somewhere other than his bat or glove, or it is a wide or simply a bye or if no stroke was attempted it can be a dead ball.

Again, what else would you call it? It is nearly always scored from the ball being leg side and coming off the pad.

 

[howardj]

Batsmen being called batters

Mickey Arthur and Michael Clarke leading the charge in this area

 

[TNT]

When the bowler throws the ball calling it a doosra.

After a batsman has not been given out looking at fifteen replays to finally decide that there was the faintest of edges and then calling it a howler.

 

[TNT]

That's strictly true but it does have to have hit the batsman somewhere other than his bat or glove, or it is a wide or simply a bye or if no stroke was attempted it can be a dead ball.

Again, what else would you call it? It is nearly always scored from the ball being leg side and coming off the pad.

Do they really need to distinguish between byes and leg byes, I know byes are supposedly a black mark for a keeper but a keeper can leak runs in other ways that are not recorded anyway.

 

[Prince EWS]

That's strictly true but it does have to have hit the batsman somewhere other than his bat or glove, or it is a wide or simply a bye or if no stroke was attempted it can be a dead ball.

Again, what else would you call it? It is nearly always scored from the ball being leg side and coming off the pad.

Body byes?

 

[hazsa19]

Leg-bye is wrong. As it doesn't have to hit the leg.

I don't mind nicked off because I would say it is just a shorter version of nicked off the edge.

The same would apply to lbw?


It's probably not entirely specific to Cricket, but a few commentators refer to individual players as if there's more than one... "the pietersens, the trotts, the ricky pontings etc". Does my head in.

"Soft hands" annoys me a bit. Half the time i'm sure it's just an edge

 

[Son Of Coco]

Calling fielders "fieldsmen" while calling batsmen "batters" (c) Mark Nicholas

"Sixer" (c) Mark Nicholas

"old fashioned back cut" (c) Mark Nicholas

"boundary four" (c) David Lloyd

there are many more, but that will do for now

"pull-stroke" and "cut-stroke" are Mark's too aren't they?

Add "nurdled" - I think that was Jim Maxwell.

 

[Dan]

The same would apply to lbw?

IHSOTBOGPHOPBW?

It Hit Something Other than Bat or Glove, Possibly Helmet or Pad Before Wicket?

 

[doesitmatter]

it's not exactly a term but the annoying thing is watching wicket and runs reversed for eg 10/5 or 5/10..why don't all use one way..may be DRS for BCCI ..DL Method never understood the s.h.i.t

 

[Jager]

AWTA, I always thought you were supposed to mention the wickets taken first, e.g 9/21. It frustrates me when it's the other way around.

 

[Red]

I like Mark Nicholas, but "sixer" annoys me. He also says "MAXIMUM" for a six. Seems like a contrived way of making 20/20 more "exciting for the people".

Slater and Nicholas commenting on a 20/20 are the worst, "the buzz here is ELECTRIC", "SIXER...MAXIMUM".

 

[BoyBrumby]

Do they really need to distinguish between byes and leg byes, I know byes are supposedly a black mark for a keeper but a keeper can leak runs in other ways that are not recorded anyway.

The batsman must be (in the umpire's opinion) either playing a shot or taking evasive action for leg byes to be awarded; for byes he doesn't. Would be a bit harsh on the keeper if a ball loops down to third man off the helmet after a batsman ducks into one.

One that irks me is our Australian cousins saying the ball is "going Irish" when it starts to reverse. Borderline racist IMHO.

Also, when one thinks about it, off-breaks turn from off to leg and leg-breaks spin from the on-side to the off*. Wouldn't it make more sense to name them after the way they turn rather than where they pitch?

*For the purposes of this rant I'm assuming cack-handers don't exist.

 

[Debris]

The batsman must be (in the umpire's opinion) either playing a shot or taking evasive action for leg byes to be awarded; for byes he doesn't. Would be a bit harsh on the keeper if a ball loops down to third man off the helmet after a batsman ducks into one.

One that irks me is our Australian cousins saying the ball is "going Irish" when it starts to reverse. Borderline racist IMHO.

Also, when one thinks about it, off-breaks turn from off to leg and leg-breaks spin from the on-side to the off*. Wouldn't it make more sense to name them after the way they turn rather than where they pitch?

*For the purposes of this rant I'm assuming cack-handers don't exist.

Yeah, a bit like calling a side "crims". Disgusting.

 

[Burgey]

Leg byes should be done away with IMO. If you can't hit the ball you don't get a run for it. Think the game has moved on.

 

[uvelocity]

One that irks me is our Australian cousins saying the ball is "going Irish" when it starts to reverse. Borderline racist IMHO.

left arm chinaman?

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Leg byes should be done away with IMO. If you can't hit the ball you don't get a run for it. Think the game has moved on.

I agree in theory, but it'd be a pain in the arse to judge.