Waft

A loose, non-committal shot is usually played to a short-length ball pitched well wide of the off stump.

Wag

When the tail (the bottom of the batting order) scores more runs than expected, it is said to have wagged (an extension of the animal tail metaphor).

Wagon wheel

1. a graphic that divides the field into six sectors (like the spokes of a wagon wheel) and shows how many runs a batter has scored with shots into each sector.
2. See the spider graph

Wait

a batter’s call that defers the decision for a few seconds before being followed by a yes or no decision. When it is unclear whether a fielder will reach the ball before it passes them, this term is used. The batting partner should not start a run, but should be prepared to do so (including backing up) until the next call.

Walk

a batter walking off the field knowing or believing they have been called out, rather than waiting for an umpire to call them out (the umpire is required to intervene if they were not about to call an out). Generally regarded as sportsmanlike behavior, but more common in international cricket than in domestic cricket.

Walking in

Fielders will usually “walk in” a few paces just before the bowler bowls in order to be alert if the ball is hit in their direction, unless they are fielding close in.

Walking wicket

a very poor batter, particularly tail-end batters, who is usually a specialist bowler.[95]

Wash out

a cricket match, or a specific day of a cricket match, that is called off with no or very little play due to rain.

Wearing wicket

On a turf pitch, which typically has dry/dead grass on top, the soil can become loosened as a result of players stepping on it during play, and rough, abrasive patches can form. This means that as the pitch wears or becomes worn, balls that land in these rough areas will grip the surface more tightly and turn more dramatically, making spin bowling more useful. Uneven bounce can also result. 

A worn white ball

White ball

A ball introduced in the twentieth century to facilitate day/night matches by making it easier to see under floodlights. It is built similarly to the red ball, but the surface is bleached white rather than dyed. All professional limited overs matches use white balls, and the players wear brightly colored team uniforms. White balls wear out faster than red balls, becoming unusable after about 30 overs (a 50-over innings uses two white balls, usually one from each end). The white ball also provides more swing than the red ball, but for fewer overs.

Whites

Players wear predominantly white or cream-colored clothing during matches with a red ball. UsuaLong trousers, a short- or long-sleeved polo shirt, and an optional knitted jumper or sleeveless sweater. Professional limited overs matches with a white ball use colored uniforms known as pyjamas instead. 

Diagram of a wicket composed of stumps and bails – ball shown for scale

Wicket

1. a set of stumps and bails;
2. the pitch; or
3. the dismissal of a batter. This definition is used in a variety of phrases, including “throwing away one’s wicket,” which means to get out too easily, and “valuing/putting a price on one’s wicket,” which is largely the opposite.

Wicket-keeper

The fielding side player who stands directly behind the batting end wicket. A position of specialization that is used throughout the game. Under Law 40, the wicket-keeper is the only player on the fielding side who is permitted to wear gloves and external leg guards.

Wicket-keeper-batter

a wicketkeeper who is also a very good batter, capable of opening the batting or scoring well in the top order.

Wicket maiden

a maiden over in which the bowler also dismisses a batter. A double wicket maiden if two wickets are taken, and so on.

Wicket-to-wicket (or stump-to-stump)

a fictitious line that connects the two wickets; also, a style of straight, unvarying bowling.

Wickets in hand

The number of wickets remaining in the innings for the batting side. For example, a team which has lost four of its ten wickets is said to ‘have six wickets in hand’.

Wide

a delivery that goes illegally wide of the wicket, giving the batting side an extra run. A wide does not count as one of the six valid deliveries required in each over; instead, an additional ball must be bowled for each wide.

Wisden

Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, or simply Wisden, colloquially known as the (Yellow) Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom since 1864. An Australian edition was released in 1998, and an Indian edition was released in 2012.

Women’s cricket

Cricket is played between teams made up entirely of women. It was first recorded in 1745 and was administered independently of men’s cricket until 2005. There are almost no exceptions to the rules.

Worm

a plot of either the cumulative runs scored, or the progressive run rate achieved by a team (the y-axis) against the over number (x-axis) in limited-overs cricket.

Wrist spin

a form of spin bowling in which the ball is made to rotate by the position and/or movement of the bowler’s wrist (contrast with finger spin). For a right-handed bowler this produces leg spin, whereas the same technique by a left-handed bowler produces left arm unorthodox spin.

Wrong foot

The delivery is said to be bowled off the wrong foot when the bowling foot is the front foot. This type of bowler is said to bowl with the wrong foot.

Wrong footed

when the batter is initially moving either back or forward to a delivery and then has to suddenly change which foot they use (back or front), they are said to have been wrong-footed. Usually applies to spin bowling.

Wrong ‘un

Another term for a googly, which is most common in Australia.