cricketthefinalhistory

Cricket History
By Tony Ledenko

What was the origin of the On and Off side of the cricket field?
The use of the word ‘on’ and ‘off’ originates between the ‘off side’ and ‘near side’ of a horse or carriage, the off side being the opposite side which a driver walks or the rider mounts. Some of the early cricket writers actually referred to the near side when describing the leg side however this term did not last.

Slips

The origin of the slips is hinted at in an early description of the long stop, who ‘is required to cover many slips from the bat’. Early cricket writers identify two slip positions in the game. The first was called a short-slip, which was equivalent to the modern-day 1^st or 2^nd Slip position. The other position was called a long-slip, which was equivalent to the modern-day Short 3^rd Man or Fly-slip position. By the turn of the present century an attacking field would usually have two slips (in the modern sense) which were called ‘1^st Slip’ and ‘cover-slip’ or ‘extra-slip’.

Gully

The name apparently derives from the more general meaning of gully, and suggests a narrow channel or ‘gorge’ between point and the slips. Gully is a fairly recent term for the position formerly called short 3^rd Man or backward point. It became a position in its own right following the development of off-theory attack towards the end of the 19^th century.

Point

The origin of this term stems from early cricket when the position was called ‘point of the bat’. This indicates that the fielder stood very near to the end of the striker’s bat (hence the even older name for this position was ‘bat’s end’). The fieldsman would field no more than three and a half yards from the batsman.

Cover

The origin was that the fielder in this position was referred to as ‘The Man who covers the Point and Middle Wicket’.

Mid - On and Mid - Off

The terms are actually a contraction of the earlier position ‘middle wicket off’ and ‘middle wicket on’. The manuals and illustrations of the early 19^th century all show middle wicket as one of the standard fielding positions of the game at that time. Middle wicket was an offside fielding position between extra cover and the bowler. However, an equivalent leg-side position was also occasionally used, so the two ‘middle wicket’ positions as middle wicket off (Mid-Off) and middle wicket on (Mid-On).

Mid-Wicket

This term although an ancient cricket term only received its current meaning in the 1930’s. Prior to that time mid-wicket or ‘middle wicket’ was simply another name for mid-off. The position currently called mid-wicket in earlier times would have been called forward square leg or perhaps extra mid-on.

Third Man

The term third man originally denoted a position that was beginning to be used more often (with the spread of overarm bowling and the development of off-theory attack) to supplement the more established close offside fielding positions of point and short-slip. The new fieldsman was thus the third man up.

Back