Long hop
Encyclopedia
A long hop is a type of inadvertent delivery in the sport
of cricket
. It describes a short delivery which is not especially fast, which is thus easy for the batsman to hit because he has plenty of time to observe the speed and direction of the ball after the bounce and choose his shot accordingly. In contrast, a fast short delivery which bounces high (to the batsman's chest or higher) is termed a bouncer
and is often bowled deliberately because it is difficult to safely hit, due to the height at which it reaches the batsman.
A fast ball which pitches short but (due to the vagaries of the wicket surface) does not bounce high is very difficult to defend against, for the batsman will usually expect the ball to bounce high in this situation; this can often lead to the batsman being out bowled or lbw when they leave a ball which appeared to be rising over the stumps but stayed low. Such deliveries are not called long hops, due to the difficulty they cause the batsman.
The term 'long hop', like the term 'Full toss
', has passed into slang as a description of an argument or insult which is easily refuted or responded to.
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. It describes a short delivery which is not especially fast, which is thus easy for the batsman to hit because he has plenty of time to observe the speed and direction of the ball after the bounce and choose his shot accordingly. In contrast, a fast short delivery which bounces high (to the batsman's chest or higher) is termed a bouncer
Bouncer (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a bouncer is a type of delivery, usually bowled by a fast bowler. It is pitched short so that it bounces on the pitch well short of the batsman and rears up to chest or head height as it reaches the batsman.Bouncers are used tactically to drive the batsman back on to his...
and is often bowled deliberately because it is difficult to safely hit, due to the height at which it reaches the batsman.
A fast ball which pitches short but (due to the vagaries of the wicket surface) does not bounce high is very difficult to defend against, for the batsman will usually expect the ball to bounce high in this situation; this can often lead to the batsman being out bowled or lbw when they leave a ball which appeared to be rising over the stumps but stayed low. Such deliveries are not called long hops, due to the difficulty they cause the batsman.
The term 'long hop', like the term 'Full toss
Full toss
A full toss is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It describes any delivery that reaches the batsman without bouncing on the pitch first....
', has passed into slang as a description of an argument or insult which is easily refuted or responded to.
- BouncerBouncer (cricket)In the sport of cricket, a bouncer is a type of delivery, usually bowled by a fast bowler. It is pitched short so that it bounces on the pitch well short of the batsman and rears up to chest or head height as it reaches the batsman.Bouncers are used tactically to drive the batsman back on to his...
- Full tossFull tossA full toss is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It describes any delivery that reaches the batsman without bouncing on the pitch first....