The 7 Pivotal Fielding Positions In Backyard Cricket

Backyard cricket is the staple of households around Australia throughout summer.

Fielding in backyard cricket is pretty much exactly like fielding in Test cricket: except you've got a cold beer in your hand, you're in thongs, and you're more interested in jumping in the swimming pool than getting the bloke out. So, not actually anything like fielding in Test cricket.

What's the secret to it? It's all about where you position yourself.

Here are the six most important places you'll find in the backyard cricket arena. 

Next To The Esky

The smart man’s choice. The bloke fielding here has no interest in batting or bowling — or even cricket really — but he has unfettered access to where the booze is while you’re sweating away.

BBQ Mid Off

This bloke is guaranteed to have a handlebar moustache and a novelty apron. He’s manning the snags with one hand and has a tinny in the other so he’s not doing much fielding per se, but if the ball rolls towards him he’ll kick it back in your general direction. And so-called "mid off" as the only way he'll catch the batsman is if the ball bounces off the middle of his BBQ.

The Kid With The Camera

This guy is normally a gangly kid in his teens hoping for something funny to happen so he can get on Channel 10’s BBL coverage. Generally gets fed up when no one will choreograph a catch while falling into the paddle pool and starts nicking cans from the esky and drinking them as far as he can get from his parents.

Deep Backward In The Neighbour’s Yard

There’s always one bloke who takes the long handle to the 9-year-old who just got his first Gray-Nicolls for Christmas. Unless you have a watertight over the fence is six and out rule, he’ll keep planting the young fella over there until you have to set up a fielder.

Mid Woof

There's always a dog in backyard cricket. Even at houses where they don't have a dog. Where do they come from, the dogs? Who knows. But they're there. More likely to catch the ball than you, too. Maybe because they're not on their twelfth tinny.

Extremely Short Leg

The loose cousin who brought a 30 block of Hahn Ice cans will inevitably plant himself as close as possible to you while you’re batting and unleash a stream of the most vicious sledging heard since Matty Hayden’s test career ended. Be prepared to have your mother’s honour impugned, despite the fact she’s his dad’s sister.

The Windows At Cow Corner

Probably the most important position in backyard cricket, so you put your best fielder here. The windows are sacrosanct and an important diplomatic landmark — mum can put up with balls getting lost, stubbies being broken and even the odd trampled flower but if you break one window then the whole thing is lost