Typically, investors loan money to the club for a fixed period in return for guaranteed free (or reduced price) match tickets during that period. Decision review system (DRS)
see Umpire Decision Review System. Declaration
the act of a captain voluntarily bringing their sides innings to a close, in the belief that their score is now great enough to prevent defeat. Occurs almost exclusively in timed forms of cricket where a draw is a possible result (such as first-class cricket), in order that the side declaring have enough time to bowl the opposition out and therefore win. Declaration bowling
deliberately poor bowling (specifically Full tosses and Long hops) from the fielding team with the intention of allowing the batsmen to score runs quickly and thus encourage the opposing captain to declare, thereby giving both teams a reasonable chance of winning in a timed match which would otherwise have been inevitably drawn. Non-specialist bowlers will often be used in this context, largely to preserve dignity (and the bowling averages) of the specialist bowlers. This may occasionally be seen in domestic first-class cricket, where the points systems used often show little penalty between a draw and a loss; but it would very seldom be seen in Test cricket where the consequence of a loss in the context of a series is greater. Cf. Cafeteria bowling. Deep
(of a fielding position) further away from the batsman and closer to the boundary.
Dead bat
A defensive shot with the bat held in a loose grip and/or angled towards the ground. If the ball strikes the bat it loses momentum and falls quickly to the ground. Used to reduce the chance of being caught off an edge. Dead rubber
A match played in a series after one side has gained an unassailable lead, e.g. has already won 3 matches in a 5-match series, or in a tournament if both teams have already qualified (or failed to qualify) for the subsequent rounds. The term is used disparagingly to imply that the match is of lesser importance, but some regard the concept as outdated. Death bowler
A bowler who specialises in delivering the death overs at the end of a limited overs match. Because batsmen usually play very aggressively in this period, a death bowler must be particularly skilled at variations which are difficult to score from and/or unexpected by the batsman, such as yorkers and slower balls. Death overs
(or slog overs)
The final few overs of an innings in a limited overs match. Because only runs matter in determining the result, a batting side with wickets in hand will bat very aggressively in this period, seeking to hit every delivery for a boundary, even if it risks a dismissal. Typically the batting strike rate is highest in this period, and the bowlers economy is poorest. Death rattle
The sound of the ball breaking the wicket when a batsman is out bowled. Debenture
a certificate of loan agreement, used by some professional clubs to raise funding.