Leg side

The side of the cricket field that corresponds to the non-dominant (opposite) hand of the batter is referred to as the leg side (on side).

Leg Side in Cricket: Meaning

In this case, it should be understood that from the side of the right-handed batter facing the bowler, the leg side is the left side of the field (to the right of the bowler), while the left-handed batsman has the leg side on the right hand (to the left of the bowler).

An imaginary line that runs along the long axis of a cricket field is designed to split the field into two half, according to the notion. In the traditional batting stance, the person who is striking the ball stands with their body in a position that allows them to strike the bowler in a sideways manner. On the basis of this, the half of the field that lies behind the batter is referred to as the leg side. Off side refers to the portion of the field that is directly in front of him.

Leg Side in Cricket: Players’ Position

Thus, the determination of the side is the exclusive prerogative of the batsman. If he is facing the bowler, then leg side:

• on the left side for a right-handed batsman;
• on the right side for a left-handed batsman.

Fielders tend to provide less protection to the leg side of the field than they do to the on side. A side that is inconvenient for batting decreases the likelihood that players in the cover, mid on, and long on positions will be able to catch the ball after it has been hit. On the other hand, such an arrangement does not rule out the possibility of errors being made by a batter who is capable of sending the ball even for himself.

Both the leg side and the on side are words that are used nowadays to refer to the full half of the field. However, they can be used separately for each half of the field – it’s all about the reference point. When the ball is played in front of the wicket, it is often referred to as being played on the side. On the other hand, when the ball is played behind the wicket, it is regarded to be played on the leg side.

In addition, the names of field positions often include the extra concepts “leg” and “on” partially reflecting them. Therefore, for instance, the fine leg position, which is on the leg side, corresponds to the direction of the strike (stand) of a right-handed batter, despite the fact that it is placed behind the wicket. It is interesting to note that the movement of the batter from his typical posture towards the bowler is also regarded to be a leg side movement.

You can find parallels regarding the leg side in cricket and baseball. Since the leg side characterizes the area of the field “behind the batsman”, it corresponds to the left half of the baseball arena, taking into account third base.