Field settings for a yorker bowler
A yorker bowler needs a field that protects the straight boundary and the leg side, because a well-bowled yorker is hit straight, scooped over fine leg or squeezed out to the leg side.
A yorker is a full ball aimed at the base of the stumps or the batter’s toes. It is hard to hit for four, so batters try to hit it straight, to the leg side or over the keeper. The field below is for a right-hand batter in the last overs, with four fielders outside the circle. That is legal in both men’s and women’s T20 and ODI matches after the powerplay (men may add a fifth, women may not).
Where should the boundary fielders stand for a yorker bowler?
- Long off and long on protect the straight boundary, where a yorker that is slightly too full gets driven.
- Deep midwicket covers the swing over the leg side when the yorker drifts toward the pads.
- Deep fine leg covers the scoop and the ramp, shots played behind the batter off a full ball.
- Deep cover stops the ball squeezed out through the off side when the yorker is wide.
Which inner-ring fielders matter most?
Keep one fielder at point or extra cover and one at mid-on to stop singles, and one at square leg for the leg-side push. The aim is to make the batter hit a boundary to score. If a single is easy to take, a yorker bowler loses the pressure that makes the ball effective.
Should the keeper stand up or back?
Back, in most cases. A yorker is hit past the bowler or scooped over the keeper, and a keeper standing back can run backward for the scoop and still collect a ball that goes through. Standing up only makes sense if the bowler is slow enough that a batter might step out.
What if the bowler misses the yorker?
A missed yorker usually becomes a full toss or a half-volley, and both go straight or toward the leg side. This is why the diagram has no slips and a heavy straight and leg-side boundary. If your bowler tends to miss to one side, move the second-nearest boundary fielder to that side before the over starts.
How many fielders can be outside the circle?
In an ICC men’s T20 international no more than five may be outside the 30-yard circle from the seventh over, and the same limit applies in men’s ODIs from the 41st over. In women’s T20 and ODI matches the limit is four outside a 25-yard circle after the powerplay. No more than five fielders may be on the leg side, and no more than two behind the popping crease on the leg side. See T20 fielding restrictions and ODI fielding restrictions.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the wicket keeper stand for a yorker bowler?
Usually back from the stumps, so they can cover the scoop over the keeper and any ball that beats the bat.
Should a yorker bowler have a slip?
Rarely. A yorker is played with the full face of the bat or missed, so edges carrying to slip are uncommon. Spend that fielder on the boundary instead.
Sources
- ICC Men’s T20I Match, Clause 28: The Fielder
- ICC Men’s ODI Match, Clause 28: The Fielder
- MCC Laws of Cricket, Law 28: The Fielder (Lord’s)
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Fielding restrictions differ between competitions and age groups. Check your own playing conditions.