Second Slip: Reading Edges and Covering the Cordon Gap
Second slip is positioned to catch edges that beat first slip — covering the gap between first slip and gully. This article explains second slip's positional requirements, how the cordon communicates to cover overlapping catches, and what separates a reliable second slipper from an unreliable one.
Position and Purpose
Second slip stands approximately 1-2 metres to the side of first slip — further from the wicketkeeper's gloves and covering edges that carry wider and faster than first slip's catching zone. The second slip position exists because a caught edge from an off-side delivery doesn't always fly directly toward first slip: the angle of deviation from the bat's face, the pace of the delivery, and the thickness of the edge all affect whether the ball carries to first slip (thicker edge, slightly squarer) or second slip (thinner edge, harder carry, wider angle). Second slip covers the edges that beat first slip's lateral reach — typically the thinner, faster edges from pace deliveries and the wider-carrying edges from swing bowling that moves the ball away from the batsman.
Coordination Within the Cordon
First slip, second slip, and gully form the off-side catching cordon — they must work as a coordinated unit rather than three independent catchers: communication before each delivery (explicit agreements on 'your ball' or 'mine' situations — a ball between first and second slip is called loudly to prevent two fielders diving for the same chance and neither catching it); positional adjustment based on the bowler's line (a bowler attacking off stump rather than middle-stump produces different edge trajectories — the second slip adjusts slightly squarer; a bowler attacking middle stump produces more edges directly to first slip, so second slip adjusts toward gully to cover the wider carry); and diving coordination (cordon fielders are trained to dive 'into' the gap — diving slightly toward the fielder next to them to cover the gap rather than away from them, which would leave a hole).
Technical Requirements for Second Slip
Second slip requires: excellent lateral reaction (edges to second slip are typically faster and harder-carrying than first-slip catches — the ball has travelled further from the bat, but the velocity is maintained due to thin-edge contact); a crouching, alert stance before each delivery (slightly lower than the gully position — the low stance allows rapid lateral diving without the weight-shift time that an upright stance requires); 'soft hands' technique (second slip catches typically arrive fast — gripping tightly on contact causes the ball to rebound; soft hands, where the hands give slightly on contact, absorb the ball's pace and prevent rebounding); and positioning that accounts for the keeper's standing position (when the keeper stands back, second slip is typically 1-2 metres further back than when the keeper stands up — the ball carries further at pace than off spin).
Frequently asked questions
Should second slip be positioned differently for pace vs. spin bowling?
Yes — second slip's position changes significantly between pace and spin overs: for pace bowling (where edges carry fast and far), second slip stands 2-4 metres back from the wicketkeeper's gloves, lateral to first slip, at a depth that accounts for the pace of the delivery; for spin bowling (where edges carry more slowly and deflect at wider angles), second slip typically moves closer and slightly squarer — edges off spin typically don't carry as far as pace edges, but the angle of deviation is wider from the spinning ball's contact with the bat. Some teams remove second slip entirely for spin bowling, replacing the position with a silly point or short mid-wicket to apply close-catching pressure from different angles (the spin-bowling edge to second slip is less common than the bat-pad chance to short leg).
What is the hardest type of chance for a second slipper to take?
The hardest second-slip catches are: the low, hard chance arriving at ankle height (the fielder must dive laterally and forward simultaneously, reaching the ball before it hits the ground — requires excellent dive technique and very fast reaction); the high, wide chance diving away from the body (the fielder must dive toward gully while catching a ball at chest or shoulder height — the body's natural dive mechanics work against the hand's catching position); and the sharp, deflection off the keeper's gloves (if the keeper partially touches a thick edge, it deflects at an unpredictable angle toward second slip with reduced speed — the unpredictable trajectory is harder to track than a direct edge). Coaching second slip for these specific chance types uses targeted drills with throw-down machines positioned to fire balls at the specific difficult angles.
How many slips should a team post against different types of bowling?
The number of slips depends on bowling type and match situation: against new-ball pace bowling in Test cricket (first 20 overs with a seaming pitch), 3-4 slips is common — the high edge probability from swing and seam justifies maximum catching coverage; against spin bowling, 1-2 slips is more common — most spin edges go to first slip, and additional slips are replaced by bat-pad catchers at short leg and silly point; in limited-overs cricket (overs 10+), teams rarely post more than 1 slip because the field restrictions mean the one-slip is often the only close catcher — ring-field requirements take priority over slip coverage. The slip cordon size is the captain's statement about their bowling attack's edge-creation probability — more slips mean more confidence in producing edges from the specific match conditions.