Face 1. n. the front surface of a cricket bat.
2. v.i. to be the striking batsman.
3. v.i. to be the striking batsman in the act of waiting for the bowler to bowl.
4. v.t. to be the striking batsman and have the ball approach after the bowler has released it. The batsman faced the ball and played it defensively.
Fall 1. v.i. (of a wicket(2)) to occur. The next wicket fell at 200 runs.
Fall Of Wicket 1. n. the side's total score at the time a particular batsman gets out; abbreviated FOW. The fifth fall of wicket was 300 runs.
Farm 1. v.i. (of a batsman) to inspect and tap the pitch lightly with the bat in order to smooth out small rough patches and irregularities; synonym of garden.
Farm The Strike 1. v. (of a batsman) to deliberately score runs or decline to take runs in order to ensure that one batsman (usually the more skilled) faces more balls as the striker than the other batsman.
Farming 1. v.i. present participle of farm.
2. n. the act (of a batsman) of inspecting and tapping the pitch lightly with the bat in order to smooth out small rough patches and irregularities; synonym of gardening.
Fast Bowler 1. n. a bowler specialising in bowling the ball fast, as opposed to a spin bowler.
Fast Leg Theory 1. n. name used by the English touring side to Australia in 1932-33 to describe the Bodyline tactic employed by them in that series. cf. leg theory.
Feather Bed 1. n. colloquial term for a pitch that is soft and flat, with a slow pace and predictable bounce, making batting easy.
Ferret 1. n. colloquial term for an extremely poor batsman, usually selected for a team solely on bowling ability, so named because he "comes in after the rabbits". cf. rabbit.
Field 1. n. the area of grass on which a cricket match is played, consisting of the entire
area within the boundary; a cricket ground.
2. n. collectively, the fielders of a cricket side.
3. n. the fielding positions currently occupied by the fielders of a cricket side.
4. v.i. (of a side) to take the role of bowling to the batsmen of the opposition side and attempt to get them out and prevent them scoring runs in their innings.
5. v.i. (of a player) to act as a fielder.
6. v.t. to gather the ball as a fielder.
Field Restriction Circle 1. n. an oval drawn on the field consisting of two semi-circles of radius 27.34m (30 yards) centred on the wickets, joined by parallel lines running parallel to the pitch, used to enforce field restrictions in a one-day match.
Field Restrictions 1. n. rules governing the placement of fielders at certain times during the innings of a one-day match.
Fielder 1. n. one of the players assigned to gather the ball after the batsman has hit it, either to catch the batsman out or to prevent him scoring runs.
Fifth Slip 1. n. the slip fielding position four-removed from the wicket-keeper, just to the off side of fourth slip. cf. first slip, second slip, third slip, fourth slip.
Fifty 1. n. fifty runs scored by a single batsman in one innings; synonym for half century.
2. n. fifty runs scored by two batsmen together in a partnership.
3. adj. describing an innings or partnership in which fifty runs have been scored. There was a fifty partnership for the third wicket.
Figures 1. n. bowling figures.
Fine 1. adj. describing a location on the field on or near the line running through the length of the pitch through both wickets, or nearer to this line than another location being compared to, usually behind the striker. cf. straight.
2. adj. describing a direction close to this line from the striker's position.
Fine Leg 1. n. fielding position on the leg side, behind square and near the boundary, a position designed to prevent runs from leg glances.
2. n. a fielder fielding in the fine leg position.
Finger Spin 1. n. a style of bowling in which the bowler spins the ball by running the first two fingers of his bowling hand down the side of the ball as he releases it; off spin for a right-handed bowler, left arm orthodox spin for a left-handed bowler. cf. wrist spin.
Finger Spinner 1. n. a bowler who specialises in finger spin. cf. wrist spinner.
First Class 1. adj. of a first class match.
First Class Match 1. adj. a game of cricket of three to five days duration, with two innings per side, played under a specified set of conditions and officially recognised by an official governing body of cricket.
First Innings 1. n. the first innings of the first side to bat in a match; the first of the possibly four innings played by either side in a two-inninngs per side match. cf. second innings, third innings, fourth innings.
2. n. the first innings played by either side in a match, considered separately.
3. n. the first innings played by both sides in a match, considered together.
4. n. the innings of the first side to bat in a one-innings per side match.
First New Ball 1. n. the new cricket ball used at the beginning of an innings. cf. second new ball and third new ball.
First Slip 1. n. the slip fielding position closest to the wicket-keeper. cf. second slip, third slip, fourth slip, fifth slip.
Fish 1. v.i. (of a batsman) to attempt to hit a ball outside off stump with the bat and miss it. He's gone fishing after that ball.
Five 1. n. five runs scored as penalty runs.
2. n. five runs scored off a single ball, either by a single run plus an overthrow reaching the boundary or by running five runs between the wickets.
Five-For 1. n. the feat of a bowler taking five wickets in one innings. cf. ten-for.
Flight 1. n. the movement of a spinning ball through the air, encompassing speed, trajectory, and drift.
2. v.t. (of a bowler) to deliver a ball with notable flight. He flighted that ball well.
Flipper 1. n. a type of ball bowled by a leg spin bowler, which spins backwards, making it skid off the pitch and move quickly and low after bouncing, without deviating sideways. cf. top-spinner.
Follow On 1. n. the act of (a captain) forcing the other side to bat their second innings immediately after their first innings if they fail to score at least a certain number of runs less than the other team's first innings total (200 in a Test match, 150 in a three or four day match).
2. v.i. (of a side) to bat their second innings immediately after their first innings, because of the follow on(1) being enforced by the opposing captain.
Follow Through 1. n. the act of a bowler continuing his run for a few steps after bowling the ball, usually turning away from the pitch to avoid running on the danger area.
2. v.i. (of a bowler) to run a few steps after bowling the ball.
Footwork 1. n. the movement of the batsman's feet as he prepares to hit or evade the ball.
Forward 1. adj. on the fraction of the field in front of the batsman's popping crease, from the batsman's perspective.
2. adj. further in the direction in front of the batsman's popping crease than something else being compared to.
Four 1. n. four runs scored by hitting the ball to the boundary.
2. n. the act of hitting the ball to the boundary.
3. n. four runs scored off a single ball, either by a boundary or by running four runs between the wickets.
Fourth Innings 1. n. the second innings of the second side to bat in a match if the second side did not follow on, or the second innings of the first side to bat if the second side did follow on; the fourth and last of the possibly four innings played by either side. cf. first innings, second innings, third innings.
Fourth Slip 1. n. the slip fielding position three-removed from the wicket-keeper, just to the off side of third slip. cf. first slip, second slip, third slip, fifth slip.
FOW 1. n. abbreviation for fall of wicket.
French Cut 1. n. a batsman's shot usually played accidentally when attempting to drive or block the ball, in which the ball deflects off the inside edge of the bat and travels fine down the leg side behind the batsman.
2. v.i. to play a French cut.
3. v.t. to hit the ball with a French cut.
Front Foot 1. n. the batsman's foot farthest from his wicket, his non-dominant foot. cf. back foot.
Front Foot Defensive 1. n. a type of batsman's shot played on the front foot by holding the bat vertically in the path of the ball, without swinging the bat, so that the ball loses momentum and drops quickly to the pitch, designed to defend the batsman's wicket and pads from being hit by the ball; a block.
Front Foot Shot 1. n. a shot played by the batsman with his weight mainly on his front foot.
Full 1. adv. (of a ball's bounce) to bounce on the pitch relatively close to the batsman, so that the ball bounces low as it passes the batsman; synonym of up; opposite of short. The bowler pitched the ball full.
2. adj. describing a ball that bounced full(1). The ball was full.
Full Toss 1. n. a ball that does not bounce on the pitch before reaching the batsman.