Done for both fairness and the safety of the batsmen. Often shortened simply to light. See also offer the light. Baggy green
A cricket cap of myrtle green colour, which has been worn by Australian Test cricketers since around 1900. The cap is a symbol of Australian cricket, and the term is strongly associated with national cricketing pride. Bail
One of the two small pieces of wood that lie on top of the stumps to form the wicket. Ball
1. The spherical object which the bowler propels towards the batsman, who may attempt to hit it with the bat. Constructed of leather stiched around a cork core. A red ball is used in timed matches (or a pink ball for day/night cricket), whilst a white ball is used in limited overs cricket. 2. A single delivery. Each over contains six (legal) balls. Ball tampering
Illegally modifying the condition of the ball, usually by a fielder to facilitate swing bowling. Ball tampering is a form of cheating, so accusations are often controversial. Ball tracking
A computer vision system that determines the location of the ball, tracks its motion, and predicts its future trajectory. Used by the third umpire in the decision review system to assess LBW appeals, and by coaches or commentators to analyse player performances. Common brands include Hawk-Eye and Eagle-Eye, which are sometimes used as genericised trademarks for the concept. Bang (it) in
To bowl a delivery on a shorter length with additional speed and force. The bowler is said to be "bending their back" when banging it in.
The level of organisation varies: sometimes games are part of an official league, sometimes only friendly matches. The standard of play is below that of club cricket and often includes beginners to the sport. W
Waft
A loose non-committal shot, usually played to a ball pitched short of length and well wide of the off stump. Wag
when the tail (the lower order of the batting line-up) scores more runs than it is expected to, it is said to have wagged (as an extension of the animal tail metaphor)

Wagon wheel
1.   a graphic which divides the field into six sectors (looking like the spoked wheel of a wagon), indicating how many runs a batsman has scored with shots into each sector. 2.   see spider graph

Wait
a call by a batsman which defers the decision for a few seconds, before being followed by a call of yes or no. Used when it is unclear whether a fielder will reach the ball before it passes them. The batting partner should not begin a run, but remain ready to do so (including backing up) until the follow-up call. Walk
of a batsman, to walk off the pitch, knowing or believing that they are out, rather than waiting for an umpire to give them out (the umpire is required to intervene if they were not about to give an out decision). Generally considered to be sportsmanlike behaviour, but rarer in international cricket than domestic cricket.