Wednesday, 12 February, 2003, 12:29 GMT
Do you find yourself on a sticky wicket when it comes to cricketing slang?
Teach yourself cricket speak
Wonder no more, with Part II of our step-by-step guide to all the jargon.
The amount of turn a spinner is able to extract from a particular wicket. And once Murali gets his teeth into you, it is definitely a case of once bitten, twice shy.
A protective covering for the legs of the batsmen and wicketkeeper. If a cricketer ever suggests "Your pad or mine", check what he's after before uttering your reply.
When an over is bowled and no runs are scored from it. Rumoured to take its name from a beautiful woman, who completely bowled over a young cricketer.
The perfect lbw. When the ball hits a batsman on the leg directly in front of the stumps. One might also describe it as a peach of a delivery, although a pair is a different thing altogether.
A deceptive delivery from a left-arm spinner, which fools the batsman into thinking it will spin from off to leg and does the opposite. May cause him to cry: "Well I'm a Dutchman!" Possibly.
Defensive batting stroke expertly demonstrated by Geoff Boycott, whose repetitive blocking tactics often sent fielders to sleep, enabling him to cut loose.
A bowling delivery that reaches the batsman without bouncing - usually despatched for four. Unlike the beamer, which just takes your head off on its way through.
A delivery that keeps low after leaving the bowler's hand. So called because it inches along the ground - and then turns into a butterfly. OK, we made that last bit up.
An inferior bowler, one who bowls like a clown throwing a pie. Not to be confused with the likes of Merv Hughes and Mike Gatting, who were, of course, famed pie-eaters.
Any fielding position where you are extremely close to the batsman and in danger of being injured. When the captain orders you to silly mid-off, you know he's got a new favourite.
A period of play during a match - eg morning, afternoon, evening sessions. If, however, you are a spectator, you will only experience one period - the all-day session.
Usually refers to the last four batsmen in the order, who are invariably all bowlers. If they play above themselves, the tail is said to wag. Woof woof!