Close Catching in Cricket: Fielding at the Bat-Pad Position
Close catching positions — short leg, silly point, bat-pad — put fielders within metres of the batter to catch glances, fends and edges, requiring courage and excellent reflexes.
Close catching positions in cricket are fielding positions placed within a few metres of the batter — so close that the fielder must wear a helmet and protective equipment to avoid injury from a mis-hit or edge. The primary close catching positions are: short leg (on the leg side, level with the batter); silly point (on the off side, level with the batter); silly mid-on and silly mid-off (directly in front of the batter on leg and off sides); and bat-pad (positioned specifically for spin bowling, slightly behind the batting crease on the leg or off side). These positions exist to catch glances, bat-pad deflections and soft edges that do not travel far from the bat.
Short Leg: The Spin Bowler's Close Catcher
Short leg is positioned on the leg side, level with or slightly in front of the batter's batting position, a few metres away. It is primarily set for spin bowling on turning pitches — the position is designed to catch the ball when a batter plays defensively to a turning delivery and the ball clips the bat's inside edge and lobs off the pad toward the short leg fielder. On a pitch with significant turn, the spin bowler can create consistent short leg chances by landing the ball on the stumps or outside leg, forcing defensive shots that produce these bat-pad deflections.
Courage at Close Catching Positions
Close catching positions require exceptional personal courage. Standing at short leg with full protective gear — helmet with full-face grille, shin guards, chest guard, thigh pad — fielders face balls struck at full force from just a few metres away. The fielder has essentially zero reaction time against a full-blooded shot; they can only crouch low and protect their body. The value is in the catches from defensive shots — balls hit softly that the close fielder can reach before they hit the ground. The fielder's courage is tested repeatedly against an aggressive batter who may hit directly at them intentionally to unsettle them.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to place fielders very close to the batter in cricket?
Yes, close fielders are legal provided they do not interfere with the batter or wicketkeeper. The Laws permit fielders at any position on the field except in front of the wicket on the leg side (where restrictions apply on leg-side fielders during pace bowling). Close catchers must give the batter room to play their shots; a fielder who crowds the batter illegally or intimidates them through excessive close positioning can be warned or moved by the umpire.
Why do some batters hit toward close fielders intentionally?
Batters sometimes intentionally hit toward short leg or silly point fielders to intimidate them — making them flinch or move position. If a close fielder appears uncomfortable, batters will exploit this by forcing the captain to move them or accepting the runs that come from an open position. Aggressive batters also hit 'through' close fielders as part of normal stroke play — the fielder being in the way is a genuine deterrent to certain shots.
What is a bat-pad catch in cricket?
A bat-pad catch occurs when the ball strikes the bat first and then the pad (or pad then bat) and lobs into the air for a close fielder to catch. It is specifically the chance created when a batter plays a defensive shot to a turning delivery, the ball clips the edge and deflects off the pad, carrying to a fielder at bat-pad position. Bat-pad decisions are sometimes the most difficult for umpires to adjudicate — determining whether the ball struck bat before pad, or pad before bat, changes whether it is a valid catch.