Fielding Position in Cricket

Cricket Fielding Positions-Explanation: Simple guide

In cricket, there are several fielding positions where players strategically position themselves to defend against the batting team and attempt to take wickets. Here are some of the common fielding positions in cricket:

1-  Slip: Positioned behind the batsman on the off side, slips are usually numbered from the first slip (closest to the batsman) to the fourth slip (farthest). They are responsible for catching the edges of the ball hit by the batsman.


2-  Gully: Located on the offside, between the slips and point, the gully fielder is also responsible for catching edges.


3-  Point: Positioned on the offside, near the batsman's popping crease, the point fielder defends against shots played square of the wicket on the offside.


4-  Cover: Positioned on the offside, between point and mid-off, the cover fielder aims to stop drives and cut shots.


4-  Mid-off: Positioned straight in front of the non-striker's wicket, mid-off restricts the batsman's ability to hit straight shots.


5-  Mid-on: Positioned straight in front of the striker's wicket, mid-on restricts the batsman's ability to hit straight shots.


6-  Midwicket: Positioned on the leg side, between mid-on and square leg, the midwicket fielder defends against shots played on the leg side.


7-  Square leg: Positioned on the leg side, near the batsman's popping crease, the square leg defends against shots played square of the wicket on the leg side.


8-  Fine leg: Positioned on the leg side, behind the square leg, fine leg defends against shots played fine on the leg side.


9-  Long leg: Positioned on the leg side, deeper than the fine leg, the long leg defends against shots hit towards the boundary on the leg side.

10- Deep square leg: Positioned on the boundary on the leg side, deeper than the square leg, the deep square leg defends against big hits and boundaries.

11-  Long on: Positioned on the boundary straight down the ground, long on defends against big hits and boundaries.


12- Long off: Positioned on the boundary straight down the ground, long off defends against big hits and boundaries.


13- Third man: Positioned on the boundary on the offside, behind the square, the third man defends against edges, and shots played fine on the offside.


14-  Fine leg: Positioned on the boundary on the leg side, behind the square, fine leg defends against edges, and shots played fine on the leg side.


These fielding positions are just a selection of the many options available to captains when setting their field. The actual fielding arrangement may vary based on the batting style, bowling strategy, and the match situation.