Cricket Vocabulary Quiz
12 multiple-choice questions on cricket English vocabulary: batting, bowling, wicket, innings, boundary, over, crease, LBW, duck, century, googly and maiden. A2–B2 level.
This quiz focuses on how the target vocabulary for Cricket is actually used in context at A2–B2 level, rather than testing bare definitions. Correct answers you will need to identify include terms such as Hitting the ball with the bat, Bowling, three stumps topped by two bails, a team's turn to bat and Six runs, each embedded in a full example sentence so you have to judge meaning from context, not just recognise an isolated word.
Working through all 12 questions and checking the explanations in the FAQ below is a quick way to spot any terms you are still unsure of. Revisiting the quiz again after a day or two, rather than only once, is one of the most reliable ways to move new vocabulary from passive recognition into words you can use confidently yourself in speaking and writing.
Cricket Vocabulary — FAQ
What does 'batting' mean in cricket?
Batting in cricket means hitting the ball with the bat. The batsman (or batter) stands at the crease and tries to score runs by striking the ball delivered by the bowler. Good batting requires strong technique, footwork, timing and the ability to read the bowler's delivery.
What is an 'innings' in cricket?
An innings in cricket is a team's turn to bat. In Test cricket each team has two innings; in limited-overs formats such as One Day Internationals (ODIs) or T20s, each team typically has one innings in which they face a set number of overs. The team that scores more runs across their innings wins the match.
What does 'LBW' mean in cricket?
LBW stands for leg before wicket. A batsman is given out LBW when the ball strikes their leg or body in front of the stumps and the umpire judges the ball would have gone on to hit the wicket. Players can challenge the on-field umpire's decision using the Decision Review System (DRS) in international matches.
What is the difference between a boundary 4 and a boundary 6?
When a batsman hits the ball and it rolls or bounces along the ground and crosses the boundary rope, four runs are awarded. If the batsman hits the ball over the boundary without it touching the ground — a six — six runs are awarded. Sixes are the most spectacular scoring shots in cricket and are celebrated by the crowd.
What is a 'googly' and why is it so hard to play?
A googly is a deceptive spin delivery bowled by a leg-spin bowler that turns in the opposite direction to a standard leg-break. The bowler disguises the change in wrist position, making it very difficult for the batsman to pick which way the ball will turn off the pitch. Famous bowlers of the googly include Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Rashid Khan.
What is a 'duck' in cricket and where does the term come from?
A duck means a batsman is dismissed without scoring any runs. The term comes from the resemblance of the number zero (0) to a duck's egg. A 'golden duck' occurs when a batsman is out on the very first ball they face; a 'diamond duck' means they were run out without facing any deliveries at all.
How many deliveries are in an over?
An over consists of six legal deliveries bowled by the same bowler from one end of the pitch. Wide balls and no-balls are not counted as one of the six legal deliveries, so an over may contain more than six balls in total if extras are bowled. After each over a different bowler delivers from the opposite end.
What is a 'century' in cricket?
A century is when a single batsman scores 100 or more runs in one innings. It is one of the most celebrated individual achievements in cricket. Sachin Tendulkar holds the world record for the most international centuries, with 100 hundreds across all formats of international cricket.
What is the crease and why does it matter?
The crease is a line painted on the pitch that marks the batsman's safe zone. There are several creases — the popping crease, the bowling crease and the return crease. The batsman must have their bat or body grounded behind the popping crease to avoid being dismissed stumped by the wicketkeeper or run out by a fielder.
What does a 'maiden over' tell us about a bowler?
A maiden over — an over in which no runs are scored off the bat — shows that a bowler is accurate and economical. A high proportion of maiden overs puts pressure on the batting side by denying them runs, forcing them to take risks. In Test cricket especially, maiden overs are a valued statistic alongside wickets taken and economy rate.