Death rattle

This is a very hard term for any cricketer to hear. “Heard the death rattle” – is what is said about a player who is eliminated from the game after the ball lands in his wicket after being hit by an opponent. Often, players may not see the moment the ball hits the wicket, but they almost always hear a familiar sound clearly.

Death rattle: the basic meaning

Typically a sound like this can be heard when the wicket is completely destroyed (sometimes even broken) after the bowler throws the ball towards the batsman and the opponent cannot deflect the shot. If no one can hedge the batsman, he will be removed from the field. Frequent deletions of a batsman from the game indicate his low skill. When a player in this position is eliminated, he can no longer help the team gain runs and points.

The batsman needs to concentrate on throwing the bowler to avoid the death rattle. The kicker needs to understand with what force the opponent will send the ball, whether he is going to use rotation. Leading batsmen can see a lot by watching the movement of the opponent’s wrist. As in any position, a batsman needs to be mentally strong. He must understand that if his teammates did not hit the blow, he could correct the situation.

A bowler and a good pitcher can make the death rattle if he can throw the ball down the wicket with decent strength and speed. Once this happens, the batsman must leave the pitch.