Fielding (cricket)
Fielding also involves trying to prevent the ball from making a boundary where four "runs" are awarded for reaching the perimeter and six for crossing it without touching the grass.
That is, players are put there with the main aim being to catch out the batter rather than to stop or slow down the scoring of runs.
Fast bowlers will continue running to exit the pitch and only change direction for balls dropped in front of the wicket.
Additionally, commentators or spectators discussing the details of field placement will often use the terms for descriptive phrases such as "gully is a bit wider than normal" (meaning he/she is more to the side than normal) or "mid off is standing too deep, he/she should come in shorter" (meaning he/she is too far away and should be positioned closer to the batter).
For a pace bowler, an attacking field will usually include multiple slips (termed a cordon) and a gully; these are common positions for catching mishit shots.
For a spin bowler, attacking positions include one or two slips, short leg or silly point.
Many elements govern the decisions on field placements, including: the tactical situation in the match; which bowler is bowling; how long the batter has been in; the wear on the ball; the state of the wicket; the light and weather conditions; or the time remaining until the next interval in play.
Although there are only two fielders on the leg side, they should get relatively little work as long as the bowlers maintain a line outside off stump.
This type of field leaves large gaps in front of the wicket, and is used to entice the batters to attack there, with the hope that they make a misjudgment and edge the ball to the catchers waiting behind them.
The reverse tactic can be used, by fast and slow bowlers alike, by placing seven or eight fielders on the off side and bowling far outside off stump.
Some grounds have purpose-built temporary storage for the helmet, shin pads etc., in the form of a cavity beneath the field, accessed through a hatch about 1 m (3 ft) across flush with the grass.
[8] As cricket balls are hard and can travel at high speeds off the bat, protective equipment is recommended to prevent injury.
Close catchers require the ability to be able to take quick reaction catches with a high degree of consistency.
The ball will often be hit at them extremely hard, and they require excellent athleticism as well as courage in stopping it from passing them.
Finally, infielders are the main source of run outs in a game of cricket, and their ability to get to the ball quickly, throw it straight and hard and make a direct hit on the stumps is an important skill.
An example of this was in the 2005 Ashes series with England using Gary Pratt, a 24 year old batter who was already past the peak of his batting career in first class cricket.
Pratt fielded a quick single from Damien Martyn then threw down the stumps to dismiss Australian Captain Ricky Ponting.
In the early 2000's the role of Wicket-keeper-batter was introduced with the success of the heavy hitting Adam Gilchrist, elevating the expectations on the batting side of a wicket-keeper while retaining high level fielding ability.
Wisden describes how the record was set around 1882, by one Robert Percival at Durham Sands Racecourse, at 140 yards and two feet (128.7 m).
[citation needed] There are unconfirmed reports that Jānis Lūsis, the non-cricketer Soviet javelin thrower, who won the Olympic gold medal in 1968, once threw a ball 150 yards.
According to cricket broadcaster Henry Blofeld, "Dressing rooms were once populated by the team and the twelfth man, one physiotherapist at most, perhaps a selector and the occasional visitor.
