Sport: Talikng Ball, deciphering sports term cross-culturally

Sport: Cricket;

Term: Silly mid-on (or mid-off)

The relatively arcane game of cricket is replete with terms - especially for the fielding positions - that amy undecipherable to the novice. Perhaps none more so than slly mid-on or mid-off


Mid-on & mid-off
These are mid-range positions that are positioned on both the on and off sides to stop straight drives downfield by the batsman.

Silly mid-on and silly mid-off
These positions are directly in line with mid-on and mid-off. But they’re much nearer the batsman.
the fielder is positioned so close to the batsman that he would be unable to take evasive action if the ball were to be hit very hard towards him, ie it is a potentially dangerous position to take up. This is why silly mid on is so referred