BP Daily Podcast

This might be a bit long but...

The speed at which a bowler bowls will certainly have a bearing on positioning. You'll see on that graphic, for instance, that next to Point is Backward Point in brackets. Typically, for a fast bowler (at international level, the top fast bowlers will deliver the ball at about 90-95 mph) the fielder will be positioned at backward point because the ball is more likely to come off the bat at that angle. The same principle applies to the fielders positioned on the boundary on either side (Deep Point and Deep Cover on the off side, Deep Square Leg and Deep Mid-Wicket on the leg side). When it's a spinner (typically about 55-65 mph) bowling, those fielders square of the wicket will often come a bit forward of square.

As far as differing between different close-in positions is concerned, silly mid-off and silly mid-on tend to be a little further from the bat but still quite straight. Typically if the bowler's fast, you'll only really see a short leg in close.

Handedness doesn't come into it so much, but there are specialists at each position. Obviously the wicket-keeper is the most specialised, and he'll stay in that position all game. The slips - the ones who stand next to the wicket-keeper - and the gulley fielder(s) - who stand(s) next to the slips - will have very safe hands. Guys who field at point or cover tend to be the most agile and athletic - think of that as the equivalent of short-stop, I guess. It's usually the same players who field in close too - obviously quick reactions are the key here. The less-capable fielders tend to get stashed on the boundary or at mid-on or mid-off, less demanding positions.

Spray charts and similar graphics are used a lot, and widely incorporated into broadcasts too. The quality of cricket broadcasts in the UK - on TV and radio - is very high. Teams will develop plans for certain batsmen who often get out in similar fashion. They might have difficulty fending off the short ball, for instance, in which case the fielding team might position a man at short leg as well as men in the slips and the gulley. Or they might have trouble resisting the temptation to chase a wide delivery, in which case they're likely to bring the slips into play.

The other main variable is the conditions. If the ball is swinging (moving in the air) a lot, there's a good chance of the batsman edging it to the slips or to gulley. In this instance, the fielding captain might leave an inviting gap in the Cover area to entice the batsman to hit the ball in that area, a risky shot when the ball is swinging away. If the pitch is turning significantly, you'll likely see more men fielding round the bat.