square leg

Or square-leg

noun

Cricket.

1. the position of a fielder on the left of the batsman and almost on the opposite side of the wicket.

2. the fielder occupying this position.

square leg

noun

1. a fielding position on the on side approximately at right angles to the batsman

2. a person who fields in this position

Word History and Origins

Origin of square leg¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

The ability to play all around the wicket was evident at The Oval as she got herself going by smoking a drive through the covers before effortlessly flicking the ball over square leg for six a few balls later.

From BBC

His three sixes – the first timed down the ground, the second heaved over square leg and the third, the biggest of the lot, slog-swept over mid-wicket – took his tally to 21 off Rashid in T20s.

From BBC

Experienced seamer Richard Gleeson was also crunched back over his head and into the stands at square leg – the latter a 96m pulled six.

From BBC

India started with boundary riders out at cover and square leg to restrict the flow of boundaries but they did not let the pressure tell, still able to pick the gaps off anything loose and rotate the strike calmly.

From BBC

Gill was finally out pulling Tongue to square leg but, with Brydon Carse struggling with an apparent foot injury and neither Stokes nor Woakes seen with the ball after their first spells, Shoaib Bashir was left to take the final two wickets – Deep caught on the long-on boundary and Prasidh Krishna stumped.

From BBC