Fielders in the outfield may, and typically do, move in towards the striker or the striker's wicket. Anything else than a little movement off-line or away from the striker, on the other hand, should be regarded noteworthy. Fielding positions are important because they determine how many fields a fielder has to cover.
Generally, there are three ways for a fielder to retreat:
1 Towards the wicket - this is the most natural thing for a fielder to do and it gives him more room to work with. The only time when moving away from the stiker would be useful is if he is hit hard and is likely to go out of control.
2 Across the line - fielders can also move across the line to their left and right. They do this to get closer to potential run-outs or to avoid hitting the ball straight to another player.
3 Off-line - finally, fielders can stand off-line. This means that they are not covering any ground but still have enough space to do so. Usually, this is used by fielders who want to stay close to the bat but not get involved in any possible collisions.
All in all, fielders need to stay in their positions while playing cricket.
On balls hit to different portions of the outfield, the left fielder should shift as follows: Support a possible throw from right field to second base. Assist the center fielder. Ball hit down the right field line/into the right center gap: Keep an eye on the action. May have to run some sprints toward third base if the ball is caught there. Center fielder likely will try to throw you out at first. Balls hit into the left center gap: Stay where you are until you're sure which way the ball will bounce. If it's toward you, tag up before running all the way across the field. If it bounces away, wait for another chance to make a play.
If the left fielder makes a bad choice and ends up with his back to the field, a coach should tell him where to go. For example, if the left fielder chooses to run toward right center instead of straight ahead, the coach should tell him to turn around and head back toward left field. It's best not to shout instructions from the stands, but if you are in the vicinity and the mistake is obvious, by all means let them know.
The main thing is that everyone knows their role and performs it properly. If the left fielder makes a good decision and runs toward something interesting, then he's doing his job.
Field placement restrictions No fielder is permitted to stand on or with any part of his body above the pitch (the central strip of the playing area between the wickets). Other than the wicket-keeper, no more than two fielders may be present in the quadrant of the field behind square leg. They can be of different teams or the same team but not both. If a player is dismissed while a fielder is within this zone, the umpire has the option of requiring the player to run between the wickets before he can be awarded a second dismissal.
The only exception to this rule is if a player is attempting to steal a march and there is no one else on the field. In that case, a third man can come into the field during such an escape.
Cricket is a team sport played between two sides who take it in turn to face each other across a pitched area called the "field". Each side consists of nine players plus a captain who is responsible for leading the team from inside the batting order during innings. The captain may have several roles including that of bowler or catcher. While most captains are involved in all aspects of the game, some specialise in one aspect of the sport such as bowling or batting.
On balls not hit straight at him in the outfield, the right fielder should do the following: Assisting in center field. Return to second base. Make an attempt to catch the ball. Adjust and back up the play if the center fielder arrives before. He does not need to be perfect in his execution of these duties. They are guidelines to help him make a good decision about what action to take.
If the ball is hit directly at him, he should try to get to it first. If he can't get to it, then he should throw it as hard as he can in the direction from which it was hit. The important thing is for him to get the ball into the hands of someone who can tag out the runner trying to advance on a base hit.
If the right fielder makes a bad decision and allows a run to score or a stolen base to succeed, this is called an error. Errors happen, so don't worry too much about making them. But if you do make one, your team will most likely win anyway because they'll have another chance to put men on base later in the game when you can't use your roster spot on him. So even if you make an error, it's not really such a big deal.
A fielder's choice is a play in which an infielder attempts to make a play on a ground ball at a base other than first base. Whether the attempted play is successful or not, the play is scored as a fielder's choice, hence not all fielders' choices result in an out...
Typically, if the batter hits into a double play situation, no matter what type (errorless or errorous), then the fielder who made the initial stop is awarded with a free pass. But if for example, the second baseman makes the stop on a double play while his partner is still running toward first base, then the first baseman would be able to legally tag him/herself before the second baseman gets there and start a new action. This allows the first baseman to receive credit for a fielder's choice even though he didn't physically make the catch.
In addition, if the batter strikes out looking, then the fielder who made the initial stop becomes eligible at any time before the next pitch during any subsequent plate appearance by the same team. So in this case, the award goes to the first baseman since he was the original recipient of the batted ball.
However, if the runner from first tries to advance on a hit-by-pitch and is tagged out, then no award will be given because no play has been made on the ball.
To make a catch, a fielder may reach (but not walk) over a fence, railing, rope, or other out-of-play demarcation. When reaching into out-of-play zone, however, no interference can be charged if a spectator obstructs the fielder's opportunity to make the catch. If so, report the incident immediately after the game.
In addition, when making a catch, the fielder must leave the playing field to end the inning. Unless there is some reason for leaving the field before this time, such as to check on a baserunner or pick off a runner at first base, the player must return to the field in time for the next batter to take his position at home plate.
If a spectator tries to stop a fielder from making a catch, the umpire should be notified right away. If it appears that the spectator was being disruptive, then the ump should call him or her out and issue a warning. Otherwise, if there is no suspicion of wrongdoing, let the play continue. If the ball is still in the air when the next batter takes the plate, give him or her time to get set before calling him or her out.
As long as there is no physical obstruction preventing a fielder from making a catch, we know that he or she can do so. But what happens if there is? That depends on how quickly the fielder reacts to the situation.
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