Field settings for a set batter
To bowl to a set batter, take away their favourite scoring areas and cut off singles, because a batter who has been in for a while no longer gives chances to a ring of catchers.
A set batter has seen the pace, found the gaps and settled into a rhythm. Close catchers rarely work now, and the field that got them started will not get them out. Change the angle, restrict their best shots and make them play against the field.
Why change the field for a set batter?
The batter has already worked out where the gaps are. A field that was safe for a new batter now leaks singles and fours. Changing the field breaks that rhythm, and the batter has to think again, which is when mistakes happen.
How do you find their favourite scoring zone?
Watch where the runs have come from. Ask the fielders, the keeper and the bowler, who have all seen the shots. Put a fielder in that zone, and the next-best one just behind it. The three outside fielders in the diagram go on the straight, leg-side and cover boundaries, but you should move them to wherever the runs have been.
Should you take the slips out?
Usually yes, unless the ball is still new or swinging. A set batter plays the ball later and with more control, so the edge is less likely. Move the slip to the ring or boundary and bring in the catchers again when a new batter arrives. See the new batter field.
What bowling changes go with the field?
- Change the angle by going around the wicket or changing the line on the crease.
- Change the pace with a slower ball or a change of bowler.
- Bowl to the packed side so the batter has to hit into the field.
- Give the batter a ball they have not yet scored from, and put a fielder where it goes.
When is it worth attacking a set batter?
When the ball is new, when the pitch has helped the bowlers, or when a good spell has them on the back foot. In those cases a slip and a short-leg or silly point can still work, because the batter is not fully in control.
Frequently asked questions
Should you attack or defend against a set batter?
Usually defend and restrict. Remove their easy scoring areas and make them take a risk, rather than relying on catchers.
How often should you change the field for a set batter?
Whenever the batter finds a new scoring zone or after a boundary, not only at the end of the over.
Sources
Put your players on the field, save a plan for each situation, and send it to the team as a link. No sign-up.
Open Cricket Field MapRelated guides
Fielding restrictions differ between competitions and age groups. Check your own playing conditions.