While the standard fielding locations like slips, gully, and mid-off have their uses, cricket fans have witnessed some odd and creative field placements throughout the years. From strange close-in fielders to outfield positions, cricket has seen a fascinating range of unusual fielding settings that have astounded the viewers. This is what we will look at in our list of the top 10 most unusual fielding ever set.
1. Nine Slips
Using slips is common in cricket, like using four slips and a gully, but Greg Chappel tried to use something different, when he put 9 fielders in the slip to put pressure during the 4th test match between Australia and New Zealand when they put this field to put pressure on the last batter while Dennis Lille was bowling and it worked for them as they got the wicket of it.
2. Straight Mid-off
Keeping mid-off is common, but keeping it straight worked for CSK and M.S.Dhoni: it was the 2010 IPL final between MI and CSK, when MI needed just 33 runs from 12 balls with Pollard on the crease that’s when Dhoni masterplan worked, he put a fielder straight of mid-off to get Pollard out, and it worked for them, and CSK won the match and the IPL.
3. Seven Fielders On The Leg Side
Putting fielders all around the field is a specific fielding position, but this time, it was different from others; it was during the fourth test match between Australia and England in 1979 when Australia needed 205 runs to win the game, and that’s when England's captain decided to make his field placement a bit different with putting seven fielders on the leg side and putting two in the offside in silly point and mid-off, and this worked for them as they own the match by 94 runs.
4. Short Cover Point
The short cover point was used by the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly during the 2006 India tour of Pakistan, it happened during the fourth ODI when the Pakistan batter was playing well. There was no stopping him, and that’s when Ganguly decided to put a shot cover point as he knew the weakness of Kamran Akmal and took advantage of it and got the wicket of it.
5. Umbrella Field Placement
Umbrella Field Placement was used by New Zealand against England in 2013 and Australia against India in 2008 in a T20i game. Australia used it against the Indian tailender to put pressure on them, and it worked as Australia won the match. This field is when all the fielders surround the batter with fielders to put pressure and create a shape like an umbrella.
6. Without A Wicketkeeper
Without A Wicketkeeper will sound like weird field placement, but it has been used many times in the past by the captain as it provides an extra fielder for their side to the field; this was first used by Worcestershire’s captain when he asked his captain to remove his keeping gloves, this raised many questions, but this worked for the team as they won the match by 14 runs.
7. Yorkshire Wall
Yorkshire wall was used by the name itself, Yorkshire; this was a placement like keeping four fielders not more than 15 yards away from the batter; this doesn’t allow them to score runs in the straight as they form a wall which constricts them from using straight drive and cover drive, this has worked many times for the team.
8. Leg Slip
Leg Slip was used by M.S.Dhoni in the third test between India and Australia in Melbourne in 2014; he used this many times to get the batter; he did it when the spinners Harbhajan Singh and R. Ashwin; he asked his bowlers to bowl through the leg side for them to play through the fine leg area. This worked for him many times and for the team.
9. Third Man Backward
Third Man Backward is a combination of the traditional third man and backward point positions, where a fielder is placed behind the batsman on the offside, but closer to the boundary than the regular backward point. This has been used by the captains many times to prevent the batter from scoring in the offside during the death overs when the batters are more aggressive.
10. Cow Coner
Cow corner is positioned far out on the leg side, towards the boundary, to capture heavy blows from aggressive batters attempting to clear the boundary on the leg side. The phrase "Cow Corner" refers to the field region where cows would typically graze on village cricket pitches where the ball is frequently struck. Another light-hearted name for it is "Cattle Point."
