The Gully Position: Taking Sharp Catches at Pace
The gully fielding position — where it stands on the cricket field relative to slip and point, what type of catches the gully fielder takes, the technical demands of catching at gully (fast edges at awkward angles), how gully fits into the overall slip cordon strategy, and which fielding attributes are most important for an elite gully fielder.
Where Gully Stands
Gully is a close catching position on the off side, positioned wider than slip but closer than point — typically at approximately 30-45 degrees from the stumps, 10-20 metres from the batsman. The position exists to catch thick outside edges or edges that travel wide and fast — the type of edge that passes behind point and in front of slip. A ball that edges finer than gully goes to slip; a ball that edges wider than gully goes to point or behind point. Gully covers the zone that might be described as the 'thick edge' zone — edges that result from balls outside off stump that the batsman gets a significant portion of bat on, deflecting the ball at pace but not precisely enough to go to slip.
The Gully Catch
Catches at gully are among cricket's most technically demanding. The ball arrives at high pace — edge speed from a batsman facing 140+ km/h bowling can reach 90-100 km/h — at an angle that can be awkward (low and to the side, requiring a diving catch to the right or left). Unlike slip catches, which arrive after the ball has decelerated slightly in flight, gully catches can arrive with the full pace of the edge. The reaction time from bat to gully is approximately 0.15-0.2 seconds — fast enough that a gully fielder must react entirely on instinct. Technique at gully: weight forward and balanced on the balls of the feet, hands in front of the body ready to react, soft hands to absorb pace. Stiff hands cause the ball to bounce out of the grasp on the hardest chances.
Gully in the Slip Cordon Strategy
In Test cricket with a new ball, a full slip cordon might include: first slip, second slip, third slip, gully — four catchers in the off-side catching zone. As the ball ages and edges become less frequent, slips and gully are progressively removed: first to go is typically the third slip (or second slip on flat pitches), followed by gully (which is expensive to maintain as a boundary-preventing position disappears), and finally the first slip for an extra run-saving fielder. The decision to keep or remove gully is influenced by: the bowler's line (balls bowled wide of off stump produce gully chances; balls bowled on the stumps produce more mid-on/mid-off chances), the batsman's tendency (a known late-cutter or thick-edge player justifies maintaining gully), and the match situation (protecting a small lead requires more boundary fielders than attacking).
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between gully, point, and backward point?
Gully, point, and backward point are all off-side positions that differ by angle and position relative to the stumps. Gully (sometimes called 'forward gully') is closest to the stumps — approximately 30-45 degrees from the batsman's off stump. Point stands at 90 degrees from the stumps (directly square of the wicket), at a distance that varies from short point (inside the inner circle) to deep point (near the boundary). Backward point stands behind the 90-degree line — slightly behind square of the wicket. Each position catches or stops different types of edge or cut shot: gully covers thick edges from forward-driving batsmen, point covers cut shots, backward point covers late cuts or edges that go behind point. All three can be present in the same field for an aggressive off-side strategy.
Why is gully not used in T20 cricket?
Gully is uncommon in T20 cricket because fielding restrictions make it tactically expensive. In T20, only 2 fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle in the powerplay, making close-in positions like gully (inside the circle) less costly in terms of counting toward the powerplay limit. However, the tactical cost is different: a gully position during the powerplay is an attacking catching position that sacrifices a boundary-rider or run-saving fielder in the outfield. In T20, batsmen attack aggressively regardless of the slip cordon, making catching positions less defensively effective than in Tests. After the powerplay, gully is sometimes used in T20 for specific batsmen or bowlers, but it is rare compared to the common mid-wicket, long-off, long-on boundary placements that prevent sixes.
What is 'gully cordon' and when is it set?
The gully cordon refers to the combination of slip + gully as a catching unit — typically: slip(s) positioned fine, gully positioned wide, with the whole off-side arc covered from fine slip to wide gully. The cordon is set when the captain expects significant edges from the batsman — typically: against a new batsman who hasn't played themselves in, against a batsman with known technical weaknesses outside off stump, when the ball is new and seaming or swinging, or when a specific bowler is bowling who generates outside edges frequently. A fully deployed gully cordon (2 slips + gully) represents an aggressive field betting on getting wickets in the next few overs, conceding some mid-off and extra-cover run-scoring opportunities in exchange for catching potential.