Third Man: The Boundary Fielder for the Edge and the Cut
The third man fielding position — its location on the boundary between point and fine leg, the specific shots it covers (the cut, the thick outside edge, the glance), when a captain moves third man from the boundary to a saving position, the difference between fine third man and square third man, and why third man is one of the most consistently occupied boundary positions in international cricket.
Position and Coverage
Third man is a boundary fielding position behind the wicket on the off-side, placed roughly 40-60 metres from the batsman at a 135-170 degree angle behind the batsman (between backward point and fine leg, but on the off-side of the wicket). The position covers two primary types of shots: (1) the cut shot — a horizontal bat shot played to a short, wide delivery outside off-stump that travels fast along the ground or in the air toward the third man boundary; and (2) the outside edge off the pace bowling — when a delivery moving away from the bat produces a thin edge, the ball travels at pace toward third man (often faster than the batsman intended to play it). Third man is one of the most important boundary positions in pace-bowling conditions because the outside edge to third man is one of the most common four-scoring events in any format.
Fine vs Square Third Man
Third man's exact position varies significantly depending on the bowling angle and the batsman's tendency to edge or cut. Fine third man (very close to the off-side fine leg position, almost directly behind the wicket) covers the thin edge that goes straight behind the bat — a ball that barely touches the outside edge and flies back behind the stumps. Square third man (closer to backward point, at a wider angle) covers the more deliberate edge or cut shot that travels at a wider angle. Captains position third man based on where the current batsman tends to score — if a batsman edges regularly to the fine third man region (thin edges off in-swing bowlers), fine third man is occupied; if they cut to the wider third man region, a squarer position is used. The same fielder often cannot cover both positions simultaneously.
Saving vs Boundary Third Man
In the first 10-15 overs of an innings (powerplay in limited-overs cricket, or the opening spell in Tests), third man may be brought in from the boundary to a saving position (30-35 metres) to prevent easy singles — batsmen who edge the ball fine take a comfortable single to a deep third man, but must work harder for a single against a saving fielder. This trade-off is the captain's calculation: keeping third man at the boundary prevents fours from thick edges and deliberate cuts, but allows singles from thin edges. In death overs of T20 cricket, a deep third man is almost always used because preventing a boundary four from an outside edge is more valuable than saving a single.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the position called 'third man'?
The name 'third man' is one of cricket's oldest position names and its etymology is disputed. One theory: in early cricket, two of the standard fielding positions were 'point' and 'slip' behind the wicket on the off-side; the 'third man' was the third fielder placed in that region, behind point and slip. Another theory: the position developed from coverage of the 'third slip' area when only two slips were used — the 'third man' covers where a third slip would stand if deployed. Whatever its origin, the term has been in use for centuries and is among the most distinctive position names in sports — cricketers in non-English speaking countries often learn the English position name because there is no universally adopted translation.
Can third man take stumpings or run-outs?
Third man cannot be involved in stumpings (which are exclusively the keeper's dismissal, with the keeper breaking the wicket). However, third man can effect or assist run-outs — if a batsman takes a sharp single to third man and the fielder returns the ball accurately to the keeper, a run-out at the keeper's end is possible. Third man's throwing angle to the stumps is challenging (the throw is directly over the top of the stumps from behind the line of play), so accurate run-out throws from third man are technically demanding. The batsman attempting a single to third man and being run out is relatively common in limited-overs cricket — third man's depth creates a deceptive sense of how quickly the fielder can retrieve and return the ball.
Is there a position equivalent to third man on the leg side?
Fine leg is the leg-side equivalent of fine third man — it sits behind the wicket on the on-side at a comparable angle to fine third man on the off-side. The position covers leg glances, flicks off the pads, and the reverse equivalent of the outside edge (a ball on the leg-side that the batsman glances fine). Most international cricket fields have both fine leg and third man occupied, covering the fine boundary on both sides. Square leg (more square on the on-side) is the on-side equivalent of backward point rather than third man. The full circle of fine boundary positions runs from fine third man to fine leg with deep positions covering the full arc behind the batting crease.