Third Man: Cricket's Specialist Deflection Stopper
Third man is a fine leg-side boundary position on the off side — positioned behind the wicketkeeper on the off side to prevent edges and glances from reaching the boundary. This article covers when third man is used, what types of deliveries make it necessary, and how captains balance boundary protection with infield placement.
Where Third Man Is and Why
Third man is positioned behind square on the off side, typically at fine third man (close to the boundary behind the wicketkeeper's right) or squarer (at backward point depth). The position intercepts balls that have deflected off the outside edge of a right-handed batsman's bat and travel toward the off-side boundary behind the wicketkeeper. Without third man, outside edges that beat the slip cordon (too fine for slip, too fast for backward point) would reach the boundary for 4. Third man's job: to stop these deflections before they reach the rope. The position is particularly important when the bowling plan involves significant outside-off movement (swing or seam away from the right-handed batsman) — more edges are produced from outswing than from inswing, making third man more valuable for outswing bowlers.
When to Use Third Man vs Other Positions
The decision to place a fielder at third man involves an opportunity cost: each fielder placed at third man is a fielder not placed elsewhere (the infield, at extra slip, or at fine leg on the leg side). Captains use third man when: the bowling plan generates outside edges (swing or cut away from the right-handed batsman makes off-side edges the primary scoring risk); the batsman is known to glide the ball fine on the off side as a scoring shot (some batsmen deliberately play the fine deflection to third man as a controlled scoring option — denying them this shot by placing third man removes the option); and the match situation requires tight boundary control (particularly in death overs when every run matters). Third man is removed from defensive situations when: the captain needs more slip catchers (preferring to take wickets over concede the occasional fine edge); when the match situation allows boundary risk in exchange for catching pressure; or when the batsman is not generating edges in that direction.
Third Man in Limited-Overs Cricket
Third man appears differently in limited-overs cricket than Tests: in Test cricket, third man is a relatively common position used by swing bowlers who need to protect against fine edges; in T20 cricket, the fielding restriction rules (maximum 5 fielders outside the circle) mean third man competes for a boundary slot against other boundary protection priorities (long-on, deep mid-wicket, deep square leg, long-off). In T20 death overs, third man becomes valuable when the bowling plan involves wide yorkers outside off stump — balls that the batsman reaches for and deflects fine on the off side are a frequent occurrence from wide yorkers, making third man a logical placement. Some T20 teams specifically use third man (rather than fine leg) as one of their 5 outside-circle fielders when bowling away-swing death overs.
Frequently asked questions
Can the wicketkeeper catch a ball going to third man?
Yes — if a ball deflects off the outside edge and carries toward the third man area before a fielder gets to it, the wicketkeeper can pursue the ball if it is a catchable chance. However, the wicketkeeper's primary duty is behind the stumps — leaving the stumps unprotected to chase a deflection toward third man creates a run-out exposure (the batsman can then run without the stumps being attended). In practice, the wicketkeeper pursues balls toward the third man area only if: the ball clearly has no fielder close enough to take the catch; the batsmen are clearly not running (making the run-out risk negligible); and the ball is still in a position to be caught rather than simply stopped. Wicketkeeper's pursuit of deflections toward third man is a judgment call that experienced keepers develop.
Is there a 'fourth man' position in cricket?
There is no official fourth man position, but the colloquial term 'fourth slip' is used for a fourth fielder placed in the slip cordon. 'Third man' itself is historically named because it was the third defensive position on the off side behind the stumps — after short slip (first man) and second slip (second man) — though this historical naming convention is no longer strictly used. The position names in cricket are partly historical (first slip/second slip/third slip) and partly positional descriptors (third man being named from the sequence of off-side backstop positions). There is no systematic 'fourth man' in the current Laws, though 'fourth slip' appears informally.
Why is third man sometimes called 'fine third man'?
'Fine third man' specifies that the fielder is positioned very close to the boundary behind the wicketkeeper on the off side — finer (more behind the wicket) than 'backward point' depth. The distinction matters because 'third man' as a general concept covers a wide arc from just behind square (backward point depth) to very fine (almost directly behind the wicketkeeper). A captain saying 'set a third man' may be directing the fielder to any position in that arc; 'fine third man' specifically means the finer, deeper position that is primarily designed to stop edges that pass the keeper at very fine angles. The 'fine' modifier reduces ambiguity about exactly where in the arc the fielder should position — particularly useful when the bowler is generating edges at specific angles.