Fireworks explode during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 opening event 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