Fielding (cricket) facts for kids

In cricket, it's a team sport where two teams take turns batting and fielding. When one team is batting, the other team has all its players on the field. These players are called fielders. Their main job is to stop the batting team from scoring runs. They also try to get the batting team's players out.

Fielding in Cricket

Fielding is a super important part of cricket. It's how a team tries to control the game when they are not batting. Every player on the fielding team has a role, working together to limit the other team's score and get them out.

What is a Fielder?

A fielder is any player on the team that is not batting. There are 11 players in a cricket team. When one team is batting, the other 11 players are on the field. One of these fielders is the bowler, who bowls the ball. Another is the wicketkeeper, who stands behind the stumps. The other nine players are spread out across the field.

Fielders try to get batters out in different ways. One common way is by hitting the wicket with the ball. This happens when a batter is not safely inside their batsman's ground near the wicket. Fielders also catch the ball after it's hit by the bat, before it bounces. This is a very exciting way to get a batter out!

Where Do Fielders Stand?

Fielding positions for a right-handed batter

Fielders can stand almost anywhere on the cricket field. Their positions are chosen carefully by the team's captain. The best place for a fielder depends on many things. It depends on who is batting and how they usually hit the ball. It also depends on who is bowling and what kind of ball they are bowling.

Many fielding positions have special names. These names often tell you how far away the fielder is from the batter. They also tell you the angle they are standing at compared to the batter. For example, some fielders stand very close to the batter, while others are far away near the boundary ropes.

Common Fielding Roles

While there are many different fielding positions, some are very common and important:

• Wicketkeeper: This player wears special gloves and pads. They stand right behind the stumps at the batter's end. Their main job is to catch balls that the batter misses. They also help get batters out by stumping or running them out.
• Bowler: After bowling the ball, the bowler becomes a fielder. They usually stand in a position that helps them stop runs or take catches.
• Slips: These fielders stand close to the wicketkeeper, usually behind the batter. They are there to catch balls that take a thin edge off the bat.
• Point: This position is usually square (at a 90-degree angle) to the batter on the off-side (the side the batter faces).
• Cover: This fielder stands a bit wider than point, covering a larger area.
• Mid-off and Mid-on: These fielders stand closer to the bowler, on either side of the pitch.
• Fine Leg and Square Leg: These fielders are on the leg-side (the side behind the batter). Fine leg is closer to the wicketkeeper, and square leg is more square to the batter.
• Third Man: This fielder stands far away, usually behind the wicketkeeper on the off-side boundary.
• Long-on and Long-off: These fielders stand near the boundary ropes, straight down the ground from the batter.

Fielders need to be quick, agile, and have good catching skills. They also need to be able to throw the ball accurately back to the wickets. Great fielding can save many runs and help a team win matches!

Images for kids

• 

  Some historic fielding position names, from the 1893 publication The reliable book of outdoor games.

• 

  Example of two close fielders: a short leg and a silly point stand close to the batters on either side of the pitch. They are both wearing protective equipment (helmets and leg pads). The wicket keeper is 'standing up' to the stumps, and the square leg umpire is also visible.

• 

  Marcus Trescothick fields at slip during a Twenty20 match.

• 

  Mark Turner executes a sliding stop at Taunton during a Twenty20 match.

• 

  A silly point (far) and a short leg (near) fielding for Nottinghamshire. Both are wearing helmets. The wicket-keeper's shin pads are on the outside of his trousers, but the fielders must fit their guards underneath their clothing.

• 

  Jonty Rhodes, who typically fielded at backward point, has been fielding coach for South Africa, Mumbai Indians and Kenya