Glossary of Cricket Terms


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Tail 1. n. the last four or five batsman in the batting order, usually consisting of the specalist bowlers, and whose batting ability is progressively weaker; the bottom order.

Tailender 1. n. one of the last four or five batsman in the batting order, usually consisting of the specalist bowlers, and whose batting ability is progressively weaker; a poor batsman who bats low in the batting order.

Take 1. v.i. (of a fielder) to catch a ball, particularly for a wicket-keeper to catch a delivery that the batsman has missed, or a return throw from the field(2), or for any fielder to catch a ball after the batsman has hit it.
3. v.t. to catch the ball.
4. n. a catch of the ball, particularly by a wicket-keeper.

Take A Wicket 1. v. to get a batsman out.

Take Block 1. v. to take guard.

Take Guard 1. v. for a new batsman to find a point on the popping crease in front of his wicket and mark it so that he knows where the wicket is behind him.

Target 1. n. the number of runs the side batting last needs to score in the final innings of a match to win.

Tea 1. n. the 20-minute break between the second and third sessions of play during a first-class cricket match.

Ten-For 1. n. the feat of a bowler taking ten wickets in a match, possibly over two innings. cf. five-for.

Test 1. n. a Test match.
2. adj. of a Test match or Test matches. His Test batting average is 99.94.

Test Match 1. n. a five-day first class match between sides representing one of the official Test nations. Note: "Test" is always capitalised.

Test Nation 1. n. one of the officially recognised nations who play Test cricket; currently one of England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh.

Third Innings 1. n. the second innings of the first side to bat in a match if the second side is not following on, or the second innings of the second side to bat if the second side is following on; the third of the possibly four innings played by either side. cf. first innings, second innings, fourth innings.

Third Man 1. n. fielding position on the off side, behind square and near the boundary, a position designed to prevent runs from edges that beat the slip and gully fielders.
2. n. a fielder fielding in the third man position.

Third New Ball 1. n. the new cricket ball used after a specified number of overs to replace the second new ball. cf. first new ball and second new ball.

Third Slip 1. n. the slip fielding position two-removed from the wicket-keeper, just to the off side of second slip. cf. first slip, second slip, fourth slip, fifth slip.

Third Umpire 1. n. a match official who sits off the field and uses TV replays to make decisions on behalf of the on-field umpires when they require assistance with certain close decisions.

Three 1. n. three runs scored off a single ball, by running between the wickets; synonym of triple.

Throw 1. v.i. (of a bowler) to violate the rule prohibiting the straightening of the bowling arm during a delivery. That bowler throws.
2. v.t. to throw the ball.

Tie 1. n. the result of a cricket match in which both sides complete all their innings and they have both scored the same number of runs.
2. v.i. for one side's total number of runs to equal that of the other side.

Timed Out 1. adj. describing the method of getting out in which an incoming batsman takes longer than two minutes to appear on the field.
2. n. a wicket that fell by the method of timed out.

Toe 1. n. the tip of a cricket bat away from the handle.

Ton 1. n. a hundred runs scored by a single batsman in one innings; synonym for hundred.

Top Edge 1. n. the edge of a cricket bat on the top as the bat is held horizontally.
2. n. a deflection of the cricket ball off the top edge of the striker's bat, usually travelling high into the air and potentially for a catch. cf. inside edge, outside edge, bottom edge
3. v.t. to hit the ball with the top edge of the bat.

Top Hand 1. n. a batsman's non-dominant hand, so called because it is farther up the handle of the bat in a standard batting grip.

Top Order 1. n. the batsmen who normally bat in roughly positions 1-4 in the batting order.
2. adj. describing a batsman who normally bats in the top order.

Toppie 1. n. a top-spinner.

Top-Spinner 1. n. a type of ball bowled by a leg spin bowler, which spins forwards so that it bounces higher and slows down when it hits the pitch. cf. flipper.

Toss 1. n. the coin toss that occurs at the beginning of a cricket match to determine which side will bat first.

Tour 1. n. a trip to another nation taken by a Test or first class side, on which they play several matches against local sides, and for Test sides usually including a Test and/or one-day international series or tournament.

Tour Match 1. n. a cricket match played between a touring side and a local side.

Touring Side 1. n. the visiting side on a tour.

Touring Squad 1. n. a group of more than eleven cricket players selected to go on a tour as a pool from which to choose the eleven players and a twelfth man in particular matches.

Tournament 1. n. an organised competition between more than two cricket sides, playing either one-day cricket or non-Test first class cricket.

Track 1. n. colloquial term for the pitch(1).

Triple 1. n. three runs scored off a single ball, by running between the wickets; synonym of three.

Triple Century 1. n. three hundred runs scored by a single batsman in one innings; synonym for triple hundred. cf. century.
2. n. three hundred runs scored by two batsmen together in a partnership.
3. adj. describing an innings or partnership in which three hundred runs have been scored. There was a double century partnership for the third wicket.

Triple Hundred 1. n. three hundred runs scored by a single batsman in one innings.
2. n. three hundred runs scored by two batsmen together in a partnership.
3. adj. describing an innings or partnership in which three hundred runs have been scored. There was a double hundred partnership for the third wicket.

Triple Ton 1. n. three hundred runs scored by a single batsman in one innings; synonym for triple hundred. cf. ton.

Turn 1. n. sideways movement of the ball in its trajectory towards the batsman, caused when the ball bounces on the pitch, by the rotation of the ball; spin(2). That ball had some turn on it.
2. v.t. to get the ball to move sideways when it bounces on the pitch by giving the ball; spin(3). The bowler turned the ball away from the batsman.
3. v.i. (of the ball) to move sideways on bouncing because of turn(1); spin(4). The ball turned a long way.

Turner 1. n. a pitch which has dried out and begun deteriorating, usually after a few days of play, and which is conducive to irregular and unpredictable spin(2), making it difficult to bat against spin bowling. cf. minefield.

Tweak 1. n. spin(1) of the ball. The bowler gave the ball a good tweak.
2. v.t. to get the ball spinning when bowling it. The bowler tweaked the ball strongly.

Twelfth Man 1. n. the first designated substitute player for a cricket side, who will field if another player is injured.

Two 1. n. two runs scored off a single ball, by running between the wickets; synonym of double.


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