The slip fielders in cricket are those that are placed beside the wicket-keeper towards the off-side. There are usually four such fielders – first slip, second slip, third slip, and fourth slip. There can be more slip fielders, but it is a rare sighting. There is usually only one slip fielder towards the leg-side called the leg slip. Another slip fielder that is positioned is the fly slip.
The fly slip is placed within the 30-yard circle, behind the batter behind third or fourth slip, and in front of the short third man. It is postulated that this position is named so as it is near the practice pitch that is adjacent to the main pitch. However, a more reliable theory is that a fielder at fly slip is in a better position to catch the ball, which is otherwise not possible for the slip cordon to catch.
The fly slip is positioned to cut down the runs that batters score through singles and doubles in the third man region. This is especially effective against tailenders who aim to score the bulk of their runs in this region.
The bowler usually aims to ball wider outside the off-stump at full-length to force the batter to hit the ball in the third man area. However, the success of a fly slip catching the ball increases if the ball is delivered at a slower pace. A mistimed upper cut or an aggressive shot catching the edge often sends the ball lofted to the fly slip region.
Fly slip is more often seen in limited overs cricket compared to test cricket. A wise captain would position the team’s taller fielder or the one with a better jump in this region.
