Danger Area 1. n. the central rectangle of the pitch, on which bowlers may not run in their follow through as it may damage the pitch and make batting difficult; synonym for protected area.
Dead 1. adj. the state (of the ball) in which play is not occurring, such that batsmen may not score runs or get out.
Dead Ball 1. n. the ball when it is dead.
2. n. the indication or arm signal an umpire gives on certain occasions when the ball becomes dead.
Dead Bat 1. n. the cricket bat being held with very little tension in the grip, so that it gives when the ball hits it, and the ball loses momentum and drops almost straight down on to the pitch.
2. v.i. to play with a dead bat(1).
3. v.t. to hit the ball with a dead bat(1).
Deck 1. n. colloquial term for the pitch(1).
Declaration 1. n. the act of declaring an innings closed.
Declare 1. v.i. (for the captain) to announce the batting side's innings completed, before ten batsmen are dismissed.
2. v.t. to declare (an innings) closed.
Deep 1. adj. describing a location on the field or a fielding position close to the boundary, or closer to the boundary than a position being compared to. cf. short.
Deep Cover 1. n. fielding position on the off side, about 30 degrees forward of square and near the boundary, a position designed to prevent runs from cover drives.
2. n. a fielder fielding in the deep cover position.
Deep Midwicket 1. n. fielding position on the leg side, about 30 degrees forward of square and near the boundary, a position designed to prevent runs from pull shots or catch lofted pulls.
2. n. a fielder fielding in the deep midwicket position.
Deep Point 1. n. fielding position on the off side, square of the striker's wicket and near the boundary, a position designed to prevent runs from square drives or cut shots.
2. n. a fielder fielding in the deep point position.
Deep Square Leg 1. n. fielding position on the leg side, square of the striker's wicket and near the boundary, a position designed to prevent runs from pull or sweep shots or catch lofted pulls or hooks.
2. n. a fielder fielding in the deep square leg position.
Defend 1. v.i. to set a field or bowl in a manner designed to save runs.
2. v.i. to bat cautiously, in order to make it as difficult as possible for the bowling side to get the batsman out.
3. v.t. to defend one's wicket from being hit by the ball.
Defensive 1. adj. describing a bowling or fielding tactic designed to prevent runs being scored.
2. adj. describing a batting tactic designed to prevent getting out.
Defensive Field 1. n. a field set with fielders in places designed to prevent runs, possibly at the expense of having catchers in place to take wickets.
Did Not Bat 1. n. the state of a batsman who did not bat in an innings played by his side, abbreviated DNB.
Dismiss 1. v.t. to get (a batsman) out.
Dismissal 1. n. the event of a batsman getting out; synonym of wicket(2). The next dismissal occurred at 200 runs.
Dolly 1. n. a ball hit by the batsman in such a way that it lobs gently to a fielder for a simple catch.
2. v.t. to hit a dolly. The batsman dollied that ball right to the fielder at mid off.
Doosra 1. n. a type of ball bowled by an off spin bowler, which spins from leg to off to a right-handed batsman, unlike a normal off break.
Dot Ball 1. n. a ball from which no runs are scored, so named because scorers record such balls in a scorebook using a dot.
Double 1. n. two runs scored off a single ball, by running between the wickets; synonym of two.
Double Century 1. n. two hundred runs scored by a single batsman in one innings; synonym for double hundred. cf. century.
2. n. two hundred runs scored by two batsmen together in a partnership.
3. adj. describing an innings or partnership in which two hundred runs have been scored. There was a double century partnership for the third wicket.
Double Hundred 1. n. two hundred runs scored by a single batsman in one innings.
2. n. two hundred runs scored by two batsmen together in a partnership.
3. adj. describing an innings or partnership in which two hundred runs have been scored. There was a double hundred partnership for the third wicket.
Double Ton 1. n. two hundred runs scored by a single batsman in one innings; synonym for double hundred. cf. ton.
DNB 1. n. abbreviation for did not bat.
Draw 1. n. the result of a two-innings match in which one or both sides did not complete all their innings before the allotted amount of time for play elapsed. cf. no result.
2. v.i. to finish (a match) drawn with the other side.
3. v.t. to finish (a match) drawn with the other side.
Draw Stumps 1. v. to declare the day's play in a match over, and leave the field.
Drift 1. n. sideways movement of the ball through the air on its flight towards the batsman when bowled by a spin bowler, may be caused by differential airflow around the spinning ball and/or the wind.
2 v.t. to achieve some drift with the ball. The bowler drifted the ball in to the batsman.
Drinks 1. n. a brief break in play to allow the players to have drinks.
Drive 1. n. a type of batsman's shot played by swinging the bat down in a vertical arc, through the line of the ball, hitting the ball along the ground, usually in the arc between cover and midwicket. cf. cover drive, square drive, off drive, on drive
2. v.i. to play a drive shot.
3. v.t. to hit the ball with a drive.
Duck 1. n. a batsman's score of zero runs, after getting out. The batsman got out for a duck. cf. golden duck.
Duckworth/Lewis Method 1. n. a mathematical algorithm for generating revised target scores for the side batting second in a rain-affected one-day match, named after the devisers.