Tampering
scratching, scuffing, or otherwise unnaturally altering the cricket ball outside of its normal wear and tear. When this is done, it is usually by the fielding team, to give their bowler an edge so that the ball might spin or seam more effectively. This is an illegal act in the game. Tape ball
An ersatz cricket ball produced by wrapping a tennis ball in electrical tape. Common in informal games on the Indian subcontinent. Target
The score that the team batting last has to score to beat their opponents. This is one run more than what the team batting first managed; or, in limited overs cricket, an adjusted value determined by a rain rule. Tea
the second of the two intervals during a full days play is known as the tea interval, due to its timing at about tea-time. In matches lasting only an afternoon, the tea interval is usually taken between innings. Teesra
A back spin delivery by a finger spin bowler. Ten-wicket match
A two-innings match in which a bowler takes ten or more wickets in total. Test cricket (also Test match)
The highest level of the sport. Consists of timed matches that last up to five days, with two innings per side. Played between senior international teams which have been granted Test status. Textbook shot
A shot played by the batsmen with perfect orthodox technique, exactly as shown in textbooks on batting.
Drift
the slight lateral curved-path movement that a spinner extracts while the ball is in flight. Considered very good bowling as it increases the difficulty for a batsman to correctly judge the precise movement and path of the ball . Drinks
an agreed short break in play, generally taken in the middle of a session, when refreshments are brought out to the players and umpires by the twelfth men of each side. Drinks breaks do not always need to take place, but they are usual in test matches, particularly in hot countries. Drinks waiter
a jocular term for the twelfth man, referring to his job of bringing out drinks. Drive
a shot played with a straight bat on the front foot, aiming anywhere between point on the off side and mid-wicket on the leg side. The drive is the most common shot for scoring runs, and often considered the most aesthetically pleasing. Several sub-types are recognised depending on direction, including the square drive, cover drive, off drive, straight drive and on drive. Drop
1.  the accidental "dropping" of a ball that was initially caught by a fielder, thus denying the dismissal of the batsman; when such an event occurs, the batsman is said to have been "dropped". 2.  the number of dismissals which occur in a teams innings before a given batsman goes in to bat; a batsman batting at first drop is batting at number three in the batting order, going in after one wicket has fallen.