Nightwatchman

Did you know that there is a position known as nightwatchman that is available in tournaments that are either Test or First-class? As a matter of fact, this is a weak player who is just required to stand and defend the wicket fifteen to thirty minutes before the date of the game. On the other hand, there are instances in which these players need one hundred or more runs for their effectiveness. Learn more by reading our content.

Nightwatchman: General Information

First-class matches, also known as tests, are what the word “nightwatchman” alludes to. This kind of competition takes place within a few days, as you are aware. The order in which players who are able to use a bat take turns on the court is referred to as the batting order, and each batting team has its own list. Essentially, the batting order is composed of three groups, which are as follows:

• Top order (bats one to three);
• Middle order (bats four to eight);
• Tail enders (bats nine to eleven).

An individual who bats and enters the field at the conclusion of the game day is referred to as a nightwatchman. Most likely, he will be a member of the groups that are classified as middle order or tail enders. Now we will investigate the reasons for the need of a player such as a nightwatchman during matches.

At some point throughout the course of the game, the batting side may find themselves in a position where they have lost a wicket to a powerful batter. In order to prevent the next professional batter from being included in the game (who will earn more runs during daylight hours), the captain of the club will expose a player who is not as strong. Even though they are armed with a bat, this athlete is known as a nightwatchman.

The primary responsibility of a hitter like this is to simply complete the inning. In other words, they are not expected to take any chances or to play defense. A decrease in the likelihood of the team losing two or more experienced batters in a single day is achieved as a result.

In addition, what happens if the nightwatchman gets hit by a pitch before the conclusion of the inning? It goes without saying that there are no strategies that provide unadulterated benefits. Sacrificing anything is an essential in this situation. In this particular instance, this is the drawback of using such an approach.

However, in the case that the nightwatchman is removed from the game before the conclusion of the day, the team will still be required to send a player with greater expertise with the bat (in order to avoid the loss of wickets that are not absolutely essential). For this reason the nightwatchman is not usually used by team leaders. As an example, during a certain period of time, Steve Waugh, an Englishman who was the captain of the England national team, flatly refused to use such strategies.

Nightwatchman: Positive Examples

The presence of a nightwatchman on the field does not necessarily imply that the team would be arranged in such a way that their only purpose is to maintain the wicket. A batter is obligated to score runs whenever they have the chance to do so. Throughout the whole cricket’s history, matches like this have been documented whenever a nightwatchman has been able to score one hundred or more runs (described as a century).

Unfortunately, we cannot give exact information about the number of batsmen who have played as a nightwatchman and have taken 100 or more runs. But, with confidence, we will write about five such players:

1. Pakistani cricketer Nasim-ul-Ghani. In 1962, he became the first nightwatchman to score 101 runs in a test match against England (it was also the first century of a Pakistani in England);
2. The player from Australia is Tony Mann. In 1977, in a match against India, he took 105 runs;
3. Syed Kirmani is an Indian wicket-keeper. He became famous in 1979 in a game against Australia (101 runs);
4. South African Mark Boucher. Twice, in 1999, Mark appeared as a nightwatchman for a match against the Zimbabwe and England national teams. In one case, he took 125 runs, in the second 108;
5. And the last player from Australia is Jason Gillespie. The cricketer made his first double century (201 runs) in 2006 in a match against the Bangladesh national team. To date, Jason is the only nightwatchman who has been able to score that many runs in Test matches. By the way, he did it on his birthday.

To a great disappointment, there were also nightwatchmen who stopped a step away from the coveted century. For example, in 1999, Englishman Alex Tudor, in a match against New Zealand, was knocked out on the 99th run. Harold Larwood (also an Englishman) found himself in a similar situation. At the final of The Ashes 1932-1933, Harold was able to score 98 runs.