(a) n. the delivery of a ball which does not touch the ground in its flight between the wickets; (b) adv. (of a delivery) so as to reach the…

a delivery pitched well short of a full length, spec. a slow-moving one which is easy for the batter to hit; similarly in Fives.

One who or that which turns about, turns from side to side, rotates, etc. Cricket. A delivery in which the ball twists or ‘breaks’; a break; trans…

Cricket. Each of the two pieces of wood laid across the tops of the three stumps which form the wicket. Also attributive, as bail ball = bailer, n.2

A ball so bowled as to hit the bails.

Cricket. = grub, n. 5.

a ball that is bowled or pitched at a deceptively low speed, in order to disrupt the batter’s timing.

Cricket. A delivery judged to have been bowled too wide for the batter to hit from where he or she stands to receive the ball and from a normal guard…

= grounder, n. 3c.

Cricket. (See quot. 1897.)

A ball that is bowled at low speed, with the intention of taking a batter by surprise. Cf. slow ball n. at slow, adj. compounds 2.

one who or that which twiddles; in quot. 1904, a twirling delivery of the ball at Cricket, a ‘twister’.

Cricket. A ball which keeps low after pitching.

Cricket. A slow underhand ball.

Cricket. A ball bowled so as to roll along the ground; a daisy-cutter.

Cricket. = sneak, n. 3.

Cricket. A slowly bowled ball. Also: a slow bowler.

Cricket. A fast, short-pitched ball that rises sharply; = bouncer, n. 6. Cf. bump, v.1 8a.

In Cricket, a ball that is difficult to play. ? Obsolete.

Cricket and Baseball. A ball so bowled or batted as to skim along the surface of the ground.

Cricket. A ball that rises sharply from the pitch when bowled. Cf. pop, v.1 3d.

(See quot. 1888.)

Transferred senses. Cricket. = shooter, n. 8. Obsolete.

Cricket. A cunningly bowled ball, spec. one bowled with the intention of deceiving the batter into making a mistake. Cf. head bowler n. at head, n.1…

Cricket. A delivery in which the bowler has applied spin to the ball in order to produce a curving trajectory. Obsolete. rare.

An underhand ball; underhand bowling.

Cricket, etc. A ball that travels with a low trajectory.

Cricket. A ball bowled along the ground.

Cricket. A ball bowled along the ground; a fast ball delivered underarm. Obsolete.

A ball delivered underarm, along the ground; = ramrod, n. 3.

a round-arm delivery; (also) a round-arm bowler.

Sport. colloquial. Cf. daisy-cutter, n. 2. Cricket. A ball bowled underarm along the ground, esp. at a brisk pace.

the pitch of a short ball (short ball n.).

A ball which pitches on or breaks from the leg side.

Cricket. A slow underarm ball with a high looping trajectory. Now rare. Cf. lob, n.5 1.

Cricket. A slow delivery bowled in such a way that, on pitching, it changes direction and spins towards the leg side; a change of a ball's direction…

in cricket, tennis, etc.: a slow ball bowled or hit so that it travels in a high curve.

An act of enticing, an enticement; spec. a stroke at croquet, or ‘ball’ (bowled) at cricket (see quots. 1843 1901, etc.), which tempts or entices the…

Cricket. A delivery of a bowled ball resulting in a swift deviation, upon touching the ground, from the direction of travel. Also as a modifier…

Cricket. = leg break, n. Now rare.

A cricket-ball that rises more than usual in rebounding from the pitch.

A cricket-ball bowled with a spin.

Cricket. A ball that calls for defensive play on the part of the batter.

A ball which breaks from the off, though bowled with apparent leg-break action.

Cricket. A very fast ball; also, one that deviates with unexpected speed after pitching. colloquial.

Cricket (colloquial). (a) A donkey-drop (see donkey, n. compounds 2); (b) a very easy catch (cf. dolly, adj. b).

a ball which pitches short of a length (see length, n. 10).

Cricket. spec. = googly, n.

= googly, n. Also attributive, as bosie ball, bosie bowler, bosie bowling.

A ball that bounces high; spec. in Cricket, one that rises sharply off the pitch.

Cricket. A ball pitched short that flies up sharply; a ‘bouncer’.

Cricket. A ball that appears to hang or ‘perch’ in the air; spec. = dolly, n.1 3b; (also more generally) any easy chance to get a batter out…

a bowler who bowls with finger spin (finger spin n. (a)).

A ball bowled with a swerve or swing from the off to leg in its flight; also, the bowler of such a ball.

Cricket. A ball which swings (swing, v.1 11d) away from the batter towards the off side. Also occasionally: a bowler who makes the ball move in this…

Cricket. A ball that swings in the air on delivery; an inswinger or outswinger.

A bowler who bowls off-spin. Also: a ball bowled with this spin.

a ball which swings (swing, v.1 11d) away from the batter towards the off side; (also occasionally) a bowler who makes the ball move in this way; =…

Cricket. A ball bowled by a left-arm wrist-spinner which spins into a right-handed batter (i.e. the mirror image of a right-arm bowler’s leg break)…

A ball bowled so that its rotation over the top is in the same direction as the ball's flight (cf. overspin, n.).

Cricket. colloquial. A ball bowled with spin.

Sport. A bowled ball that rises sharply on pitching.

a seam-bowling delivery in which the ball deviates from the leg side towards the off side after pitching; cf. cutter, n.1 5b(b).

Cricket. A seam bowler; also, a delivery by a seam bowler.

A leg-break delivery.

Cricket. Designating the side of the field towards which the batter's feet are pointed when standing to face a delivery; (also) designating a…

Cricket. A ball which remains low on pitching; a shooter.

Cricket colloquial. (See quot. 1967.)

Something which lifts or is used for lifting. Cricket. A ball, usually one from a fast bowler, that rises sharply after striking the pitch.

Cricket. (a) A batter who ‘cuts’ the ball (see cut, v. 31a) or who is adept at making this stroke. (b) A ball that turns sharply after pitching (see…

in Cricket (see quot. 1961).

Cricket. A ball delivered early in a spell, while the bowler is ‘loosening up’ before settling into a regular rhythm.

A ball which breaks from the leg (to a right-handed batter), though bowled with an apparent off-break action in order to deceive the batter; this…