The Cricket World Cup is in full swing, but not everyone is as familiar with the sport as they might like. For those who don’t know a wicket from a grubber, here’s a handy guide to all the weird words of cricket.
Arm ball
What it sounds like: when the ball is thrown using the arms, rather than kicked with the legs
What it really means: when the ball is thrown so that it doesn’t spin and stays straight
Batsman
What it sounds like: do you mean Batman?
What it really means: the guy who hits the ball with the bat
Bat-pad
What it sounds like: Batman’s cool apartment in the city
What it really means: a fielding position close to the batsman to catch balls
Beamer
What it sounds like: Isn’t that slang for a BMW?
What it really means: A ball that doesn’t bounce and is thrown at the batsman’s head-height
Blob
What it sounds like: an amorphous mass
What it really means: a score of zero
Bouncer
What it sounds like: the tough guys who provide security outside night clubs
What it really means: a ball which bounces and passes the batsman at chest or head height
Bowler
What it sounds like: a person who goes bowling at a bowling alley
What it really means: the guy who throws or pitches the ball
We test our junior reporters on what they think cricket terms mean
Boundary
What it sounds like: the lines marking the outside of an area
What it really means: a batsman scoring a four or a six
Bunny
What it sounds like: an adorable animal with long ears that hops around
What it really means: a member of the team who can’t bat, so is used as a bowler or wicketkeeper
Bye
What it sounds like: what you say when you’re leaving
What it really means: a run scored when the batsman doesn’t touch the ball at all
Century
What it sounds like: 100 years
What it really means: 100 runs by a single batsman in one inning
Closing the face
What it sounds like: stop talking, or shut up
What it really means: turning the face of the bat inwards and hitting the ball with the skinny side
Cross bat
What it sounds like: an angry rodent with wings
What it really means: when the batsman holds the bat horizontally to hit the ball
Dead ball
What it sounds like: the ball was once alive, and now it is not. We should have a funeral
What it really means: a ball from which no runs can be scored or wickets taken
Dibbly-dobbly bowlers
What it sounds like: …huh?
What it really means: bowlers who are medium-pace and are effective for choking the runs
Dolly
What it sounds like: what a little girl calls her toy doll
What it really means: an easy catch
Duck
What it sounds like: there was an enormous inflatable yellow one in Victoria Harbour awhile ago
What it really means: A score of zero
Economy rate
What it sounds like: statistics related to the stock market and trade
What it really means: the average number of runs a bowler concedes per over
Gardening
What it sounds like: growing vegetables
What it really means: when the batsman repairs indentations in the pitch with his bat
Googly
What it sounds like: what your elderly relative calls the popular internet search engine
What it really means: a type of pitch variation which is meant to confuse the batsman
Grubber
What it sounds like: someone who hasn’t showered in a week or so
What it really means: a ball that hardly bounces
Jaffa
What it sounds like: that was the villain in Aladdin, right?
What it really means: a delivery too good for the batsman to handle
Leading edge
What it sounds like: something good, like you’ve got a one-up on something
What it really means: when the batsman mis-hits the ball
Leg before wicket
What it sounds like: the start of some kind of proverb: Leg before wicket, you’re in the… thicket?
What it really means: a complex rule of cricket which says you cannot be out if the ball is pitched outside the line of leg stump and hits you
Leg bye
What it sounds like: what you say before you go into surgery for your amputation
What it really means: when the ball hits off the pad and the batsmen run
Leg cutter
What it sounds like: the guy who performs your amputation
What it really means: a ball which cuts and moves away from the batsman towards the offside
Lollipop
What it sounds like: candy!
What it really means: a really easy ball to hit
Maiden
What it sounds like: the girl in a fairytale
What it really means: An over where no runs are scored on the bowler
Nightwatchman
What it sounds like: The security guard at your building who covers the night shift and you always find sleeping at the desk by the lifts
What it really means: A non-batsman promoted up the order
Nurdle
What it sounds like: an affectionate name for your dorky younger cousin
What it really means: the batsman nudging the ball around and into gaps
Pudding
What it sounds like: a delicious, creamy dessert. Chocolate is best
What it really means: a slow pitch difficult to score quickly on
Shoulder arms
What it sounds like: aren’t those just regular arms?
What it really means: when the batsman lifts the bat high above his shoulder instead of risk being dismissed from a ball
Sledging
What it sounds like: sliding down a snowy hill
What it really means: verbally bashing the batsman to try and distract him
Wicket
What it sounds like: a very British way of saying someone is very evil or naughty
What it really means: the stumps at the centre of the game