A Guide to Cricket Field Positions & What They Do

Unlike baseball, the fielding positions during a cricket match can change, and different placements are used throughout the game. While it might be a little confusing keeping track of all the positions at first, they’re easy to learn and remember once you know the terms. Keep reading, and we’ll cover all the core cricket positions near the batter, in the infield, and in the outfield, along with their main duties on the field.

Cricket Fielding Positions Chart

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A chart depicting the various positions for fielders on a cricket field.

There are 11 players on the fielding team during a cricket match. The wicketkeeper and bowler are mandatory, but the other cricket fielding positions vary for each batter. Common positions include slips, gully, point, cover, mid-wicket, and fine leg. Position names describe the distance and angle to the batter.

Section 1 of 7:

Mandatory Cricket Field Positions

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Wicketkeeper The wicketkeeper is one of the most important players in the game. They stand behind the 3 vertical stumps behind the batter and catch any missed balls during bowls. They stay near the wickets so they’re able to prevent runs and tag the stumps to get players out.^{[1]
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- Wicketkeepers stand closer to the stumps during slow bowls and further back for faster bowls.
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Bowler The bowler stands at the opposite end of the pitch and throws the ball toward the batter. Bowlers use a variety of techniques to change the speed and direction of the ball to prevent the batter from scoring runs. Bowlers also try to hit the wickets in order to get the batter out.^{[2]
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- Bowlers usually bowl 6 times in a row, called an over, before switching sides of the pitch.

Section 2 of 7:

Cricket Positions Near the Batter

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Slips Slips are players lined up behind the batter in the direction they’re facing, and it’s their role to catch any balls that slip past the wicketkeeper. There are usually multiple slips lined up diagonally so they have better chances of catching stray bowls or balls clipped by the batter.^{[3]
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- Sometimes, fielding teams position a leg slip behind the other side of the batter to catch stray balls.
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Gully The gully stands a little further out from the pitch, but they’re usually on the same diagonal line as the slips. The gully acts defensively to catch balls during faster bowls because the batter is more likely to edge the ball and get a bad hit in the gully’s direction.^{[4]
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- Some fielders may also play a leg gully on the opposite side of the batter.
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Silly Mid The silly mid in cricket stands really close to the batter near the middle of the pitch. Silly mids have quick reflexes to catch balls that the batter hits straight forward or accidentally edges with their bat.
- Silly mids can either be on the “on” side closer to the batter’s legs, or on the “off” side closer to the bat.
The silly point nearly stands right next to the batter in the direction they’re facing. The silly point is a defensive position used during slower bowls to prevent the batter from lunging toward the ball.^{[5]
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The short leg stands in-line with the batter’s crease on the opposite side as the silly point. If the ball pops up off the bat or the ground pad, the short leg is there to catch the ball or tag the stumps.

Section 3 of 7:

Cricket Infield Positions

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The mid-wicket stands on the outer edge of the infield, about 45-60 degrees from the batter on the pitch. The mid-wicket is most responsible for fielding shorter hits from the batter to prevent them from earning runs.^{[6]
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Mid The mid field positions stand on the end of the infield across from the batter. They’re ready to catch straight line drives from the batter to get them out and recover the ball quickly to prevent the batter from scoring runs.^{[7]
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- Mid-off players stand on the side that the batter is facing, and mid-on players stand on the other side.
- Team captains usually play mid positions because they can easily communicate with the bowler.
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Point Point players stand in line with the batter in the direction of the off-side near the outer edge of the infield. The point is a defensive position that tries to catch the ball after a forceful hit played off the batter’s back foot.^{[8]
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- A backward point stands a little bit further back behind the wicket.
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Cover The cover stands by the edge of the infield on the opposite side of the mid-wicket about halfway down the pitch. The cover is one of the main defensive positions, and they try to catch or stop the ball after the batter hits it off their front or back foot.^{[9]
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- Some cricket teams use an extra cover positioned between the normal fielder and the mid-off.
- During slower bowls, a short extra cover may be brought closer to the wickets.
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Square Leg The square leg stands by the edge of the field so they’re even with the batter on the opposite side they’re facing. Square legs try to catch balls that are nicked off the bat, and they usually need to have a fast reaction time to catch a batter out and prevent runs from being scored.^{[10]
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- The square leg usually stands next to the second umpire on the field.

Section 4 of 7:

Cricket Outfield Positions

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The third man stands in the deep outfield behind the slips and batter. The third man tries to catch and field any balls that make it past the slips. While the origin of the term “third man” is up for debate, many people believe it got its name because the third slip would move deeper outfield.^{[11]
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The fine leg is positioned about 45 degrees behind the batter on the leg side, opposite the third man. The fine leg handles any balls that the batter deflects behind them with a glance shot, and they mainly try to prevent the batter from scoring runs.^{[12]
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The straight hit is located along the outfield’s boundary behind the bowler. When the batter makes powerful line drives or pops the ball back in the bowler’s direction, the straight hit is there to catch the ball and prevent runs.
The long-on and long-off players stand at the opposite end of the field as the batter on either side of the straight hit. These players also keep an eye out for powerful straight shots from the batter so they can prevent runs.^{[13]
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The long stop stands near the outer boundary behind the wickets and batter. While the position isn’t used very much anymore, the long stop is there to catch any balls that get past the wicketkeeper to prevent the batter from scoring runs.^{[14]
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Section 5 of 7:

Cricket Field Position Glossary

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A “silly” position is anyone who’s located really close to the batter. As you get closer to the batter, the position is considered “sillier.”^{[15]
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A “short” position is located just within the infield. While they aren’t as close to the batter as a silly position, they’re still able to react quickly to catch and field the ball.
Deep positions are usually located in the outfield near the outer boundary. Deep fielders try to catch powerful hits to get batters out and prevent them from scoring runs.
Players in the backward section of the field are located behind the batter, and usually include the wicketkeeper, slips, third man, and fine leg.
Forward positions are anyone standing in front of the batter. Forward players may put pressure on the batter or play defensively to prevent runs.
The “on” side of the field is whichever side is closest to the batter’s legs. For a right-handed batter, the on side is to their left and to the right for a left-handed batter.
The “off” side of the field is the side closest to the batter’s bat. For a right-handed batter, the off side is to their right. For a left-handed player, the off side is to their left.^{[16]
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Players in a square position are directly lined up along the sides of the batter. As players move further back behind the batter, the position becomes “longer.”
Players in a fine position stand in a line directly behind the wickets. Fine players are usually there to field bowls that the wicketkeeper misses.
Wide players stand behind the wickets, but are more out to the sides. The position becomes “wider” the further they move away from the center.

Section 6 of 7:

How are cricket field positions chosen?

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The team captain chooses the field positions strategically for each batter. While the wicketkeeper and bowler are always required on the fielding team, the other positions may switch with every bowl. The fielding team’s captain considers the current batter’s strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies and positions the other players for the most advantageous play.
- Example: A captain may put a player at short leg if a batter has been hitting the pop-ups close to the pad.

Section 7 of 7:

Cricket Rules at a Glance

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The bowling team tries to hit the ball and score runs. The batter stands on one end of the pitch, and a runner stands on the opposite end. When the ball gets bowled, the batter attempts to hit the ball. After a hit, the batter and the runner may attempt to earn 1 or more runs by running to the opposite side of the pitch.^{[17]
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- If the batter hits the ball past the boundary line, they automatically get 4 runs.
- If the batter hits the ball over the boundary line without it bouncing, then they score 6 runs.
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The fielding team tries to get the batters out. Cricket coach Zendon Verster says, “When you are fielding, you will have a keeper, a bowler, and 9 fielders, which constitutes your 11 players.”^{[18]
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Expert Source

Zendon Verster
Cricket Coach, CoachCricXI

Expert Interview} After a bowl, the fielding team can get the batter out by catching the ball before it hits the ground, hitting one of the wickets with the ball, or tagging the stumps when the runner is out of position.
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Whichever team has the most runs at the end of the game wins. The length of a cricket match varies depending on the type of game being played. Typically, standard cricket matches last 2 innings, and each runner has a chance every inning. Other shorter games are limited to a certain number of overs. The team that scored the most runs over the course of the game wins!