The Leg Glance: Deflecting the Ball Fine on the Leg Side
The leg glance — one of cricket's most elegant shots — how it works technically (using the ball's own pace to deflect it toward fine leg using a rotating bat face), when it is used (full or good-length deliveries angled into the body), why it requires precise timing and a closed bat face, the difference between a glance and a sweep, why the leg glance is especially valued against inswing and left-arm pace bowlers, and the dismissal risks (mistime producing an LBW or top edge).
How the Glance Works
The leg glance uses the ball's own pace to deflect it toward fine leg — the batsman does not hit the ball, they redirect it. The bat face rotates (rolls) toward the on side at the moment of contact, presenting a slightly angled surface to the ball. As the ball contacts this rotating face, it glances off at a fine angle toward the leg-side boundary — a narrow angle behind the batsman's body line. The technique requires minimal bat speed of the batsman's own — the ball's pace and the bat face angle do the work. This is why the glance is often described as a 'touch' shot rather than a hit: the contact is brief, light, and precise rather than powerful.
When to Play It
The glance is played to deliveries angled into the batsman's body on the leg side — typically full-length or good-length deliveries from pace bowlers bowling toward leg stump or middle-and-leg. The delivery must be angled in sufficiently to make the glance the natural response; an outswinger cannot be glanced fine because it moves away from the body rather than toward it. Inswing deliveries and left-arm over-the-wicket deliveries (which angle naturally into a right-handed batsman's body) create the optimal glance opportunities — the ball is coming into the body, and the glance redirects it toward fine leg using minimal effort. The glance can also be played to medium-pace deliveries at the batsman's hip or rib-cage height — a half-volley too close to the body to drive.
Timing and Bat Face Control
The glance's risk lies in timing — mistiming the face rotation produces several poor outcomes. Too early a rotation: the ball hits the leading edge and flies straight up (a catch to leg slip or the wicket-keeper). Too late a rotation: the bat face stays too open and the ball crashes into the bat's front face, producing a chance to mid-wicket. Too open a bat face in either direction: the ball pops behind the batsman (a catch to fine leg who can run in) rather than glancing toward the boundary. The perfectly timed glance arrives at the bat at precisely the moment the face is at the correct angle — a feel-based skill developed through thousands of repetitions that produces the effortless-looking redirection elite batsmen achieve.
Frequently asked questions
Can the leg glance be played off the back foot?
Yes — the back-foot version of the leg glance is played to short-pitched deliveries that rise to the batsman's hip or chest. The batsman pulls back onto the back foot and uses the same face-rotation technique to deflect the ball toward fine leg. This is particularly useful against very short deliveries (not quite a bouncer, but rising above the normal playing height) that cannot be driven or swept — the back-foot glance redirects the ball's pace toward fine leg for runs from an otherwise awkward delivery. The technique is identical to the front-foot glance in its face rotation principle, but the body position (back foot based, weight behind the line) is different.
Is leg slip positioned specifically for the glance?
Yes — leg slip (a close fielder positioned behind the batsman on the leg side, between the wicket-keeper and fine leg) is specifically placed to catch the glance that goes too fine and too steeply. A glance that is slightly mistimed (contact too early, face too open) sends the ball to a height and angle directly toward the leg slip position. When a batting side is playing many glances against inswing bowling, the captain often places leg slip to catch this specific miss-hit variant. The presence of leg slip forces the batsman to time the glance more precisely — they cannot rely on a slightly mistimed glance going harmlessly to fine leg because the leg slip is waiting for exactly that ball.
Which batsmen are known for exceptional glancing ability?
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) was specifically celebrated for his leg glance — his ability to take the inswinger to fine leg with minimum apparent effort was considered one of Test cricket's most elegant shots. VVS Laxman (India) had an extraordinary wrist-based glance and flick repertoire that made him nearly impossible to bowl to on the leg side. Mark Taylor (Australia) and Michael Atherton (England) used the glance's fine-leg redirection as a survival tool against pace — redirecting balls angled into the body rather than playing risky shots. The glance's elegance is in part due to its economy of movement — the least physical effort producing the most runs.