The Secret Language of Cricket Quiz

Answer: Jaffa

No one is quite sure where the term "Jaffa" comes from. Even the BBC Website ran a quest to find its origins a few years back, and no definitive answer was agreed upon. The most favoured explanation is that "Jaffa" is related to the Hebrew word for "Beauty", though no one has been able to pin down the Hebrew speaking player or spectator who first applied the term to an unplayable, "beauty" of a ball.

My huge thanks to Player Gentlegiant17, who has offered the following, more comprehensive background to the Hebrew origins of the word. He writes; "The Hebrew word for "beautiful (female)" is "yafa" (pronounced "ya-fa"), and "beauty" is "yofi" ("yo-fi") which is in the vicinity of "Jaffa" but not exactly. There is no Hebrew word "Jaffa" as such, "ya-fo", the adjacent city to Tel Aviv, called "Jaffa" in English and the most common citing of it which you are probabaly already aware of is with relation to the exported oranges ("Jaffa oranges"). The Jaffa orange (called here "shamouti") was cultivated here since the 19th century, and considered a high-quality species (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaffa_orange). Could it be that the origin of the cricket term relates to the orange brand?"

Answer: He is a left arm bowler

An orthodox left arm spinner will turn the ball from right to left. However, if a left arm bowler turns the ball in the opposite direction (ie. from left to right), it is described as "bowling a chinaman". It's highly likely that the term derived from the bowling of the former West Indian left arm spinner EE Achong, who was of Chinese lineage.

Answer: Bowled six balls without conceding a run

The rather prosaic explanation given for this particular cricket saying is that six balls, or an over, that concedes no runs is an "unblemished" over. Hence the use of the term "maiden".

Answer: A side will bat twice in a row in a two innings game

Cricket's Law 13 states the following; "1. Lead on first innings
(a) In a two innings match of 5 days or more, the side which bats first and leads by at least 200 runs shall have the option of requiring the other side to follow their innings." This option reduces depending on the amount of days set aside for the game, with the margin of lead reducing accordingly.

Answer: Taken a haul of 5 wickets in an innings

It is not known if this phrase was used prior to the emergence of Michelle Pfeiffer as an internationally renowned actress or not. To the best of my knowledge, she has no particular interest in cricket, but her surname does lend itself beautifully to a cricketing achievement.

Answer: Protective headware, usually a helmet

Helmets only became commonplace in cricket in the 1970s, though some attempts at fashioning "home made" protective headgear using padded caps. Even towels wrapped around the head had been made in earlier times. Helmets are now generally used by batsman throughout the world, and they are compulsory for players under the age of 18 in many parts of the world.

They are usually made of strengthened plastic, with a metal grill to cover the face.

Answer: One of the batsmen hasn't completed a run properly

Quite simply, if the batsman whilst running fails to ground his bat or any part of his body behind the front crease, he is deemed to have not completed a run properly, and the umpire will shout "one short" to the scorers. He will also make a signal by touching his shoulder with his hand to signify that a "short run" has taken place.

Answer: The number 111

Nelson certainly only ended up with one arm, after losing the right arm in the Battle of Santa Cruz. He probably only had the sight of one eye, after suffering damage to the other one at the siege of Calvi, but there is no evidence whatsoever of him losing a leg. Why "111" has become unlucky Nelson's one arm, one eye, one leg, nobody is quite sure.

It's possible that the superstition comes instead from the idea of three wickets standing with the bails removed, thus looking like the figure 111. Nelson's name somehow got included in the mix by accident. An exhaustive survey by "The Cricketer" magazine in the 1990s suggested that the number 111 was actually no more unlucky than any other number in cricket (apart from 0 - the most common score that a batsman gets dismissed for by far), so here is one cricketing superstition which has an extremely confusing explanation, based on very little factual evidence whatsoever.

Answer: A lower order batsman promoted towards the end of the day

The night watchman is a lower order batsman, usually one considered to have a decent defensive technique sent in near the end of the day's play to protect higher order batsmen from facing the closing deliveries of the day. It is a tactic used very much depending on specific circumstances, and the personnel available to the captain of the batting side.

Answer: The last three positions in the batting order

Quite simply, a cricket team has 11 players, so "Nine, Ten and Jack" can refer to the last three players in the batting order. However, the term "Jack" has broader connotations. Many believe it refers to a "Jackrabbit", so the person batting 11th in the order, usually the worst batsman on the team, is referred to as "Jack", or "Jackrabbit" or simply, as a bit of a "rabbit" when it comes to batting.