A night watchman is a lower-order batsman
who comes to the crease instead of a higher-order batsman should a wicket fall
close to the end of a day’s play during a three, four or five day cricket
match.
It is common practice for a batting side to
bat in approximate order of quality in terms of the players’ ability to score
runs. The opening batsmen tend to be specialists who are good at fending off
the bowling side’s opening fast bowlers, while the batsmen at positions three
to six are expected to score the bulk of the runs. At the end of the list come
the side’s bowlers who are not in the team because of their batting skills and
are not expected to make large individual scores. Night watchmen tend to come
from their ranks.
However, despite their relatively greater
skill as run scorers, the fact remains that every specialist batsman is
vulnerable at the start of his innings. A new batsman, once he has arrived at
the crease and taken his guard, has to adjust to a number of factors, such as
the condition of the light, the state and pace of the pitch, and how the
bowlers are performing in terms of their pace and how they are moving or
spinning the ball (depending on the type of bowler they are). It pays to be
careful before beginning the task of scoring runs, because it is all too easy
to be caught unawares before a batsman has got his timing right; the process of
getting used to the conditions is called “playing oneself in”. However, should
the bowler produce a really good delivery that does something unexpected before
the batsman knows what to expect, the result could be disastrous from the
batsman’s point of view.
A look at the scorecard for virtually any cricket
match will show that it is not uncommon for at least one top batsman to make a
low score, having been dismissed during the “playing in” period. In the
circumstance mentioned above, when a wicket falls late in the day, a new
batsman will have to go through two such periods, one during the last few overs
before the close and, should he survive, another at the start of the following
day. Given the added risk of dismissal at such times, it would be preferable,
from the team’s point of view, for a run scorer to be protected from having to
make two starts to his innings.
Hence there is a need for night watchmen.
If a lower-order batsman is thought to be capable of protecting his wicket for
the last few overs of the day, it is worth promoting him up the order even if
he falls cheaply when play resumes the following day. The batsman who would
have appeared the previous day can then start his innings at a reasonable hour
of the day, only have to play himself in once, and have every chance of making
a decent score. The night watchman’s wicket is therefore a sacrifice worth
making.
It sometimes happens that the night
watchman only has to face a small number of deliveries, or even none at all.
This is possible if the other batsman on the field, who is presumably one of
the better batsmen in the side, is able to “farm” the bowling by scoring a
single run at the end of every over and therefore being the recipient of the
bowling at the start of the next one. The night watchman’s job is therefore to
back up his playing partner by running up the pitch when required and not
getting himself (or the other batsman) run out!
The choice of who acts as night watchman is
an important one. His main function is to defend, so he must be able to do
that, and not every lower-batsman can do so reliably. However, if there is a
player in the team who is almost impossible to get out if they are minded to
stay put, then they are quite likely to get the job. A good defender will be
very watchful and quick to react if the unexpected happens. He will have a
natural awareness of which balls are safe to leave and which must be met with a
dead bat. He will not be tempted to make rash strokes at balls that seem to
offer scoring opportunities.
However, should he succeed in his role and
still be batting when the next day’s play begins, the night watchman’s job is
to put up or shut up, or, in other words, either to score some quick runs or
get out and make way for the batsman who was being protected on the previous
day. The worst thing that a night watchman can do is continue to defend and
thus block up an end that could be occupied by someone who is a lot better at
making scoring shots. It does sometimes happen that a night watchman makes a
decent score, but this is usually when he gets lucky and hits some shots that
beat the fielders before making the mistake that costs him his wicket. The more
usual outcome is that the player gets bowled or offers a catch soon after he
starts batting in a way that does not match his talents.
Sometimes the tactic of using a night
watchman goes wrong and the lower-order batsman does not survive until the end
of the day’s play. The captain of the batting side then has the problem of
deciding who should take his place; should it be the original batsman or a
second night watchman? The circumstances of the match will probably decide the
issue, but it is a tricky one to make. That said, cricket is a game that is all
about balancing risks and opportunities, and it is impossible to get such
decisions right every time.
At least the concept of the night watchman
gives a cricketing side an extra option when a particular situation presents
itself. Whether the taking of that option proves to be wise or otherwise is
often decided by the cricketing gods who seem to have a huge influence on this
fascinating sport.
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