WHAT IS ATTACKING FIELDING? HOW TO SET AN ATTACKING FIELD?

The captain of a cricket team has a huge responsibility to fulfill. It is the captain who decides that who should bowl a particular over, what type of bowl should be bowled, and where the fielders should be placed.

The Captain after analyzing different factors like the nature of the pitch, players in the final XI, opposition team, the boundary length, format of the game, etc form a strategy and according to that particular strategy he will set the field.

Captains have mainly three choices regarding field setting. First, to set an attacking fielding. Second, to set a defensive fielding, or to set a neutral fielding(combination of both attacking and defensive fielding). In this article, we are going to discuss about attacking field settings.

WHAT IS ATTACKING FIELDING?

Attacking fielding is a fielding style used by captains to get some early wickets by inducing batsmen to play wrong shots by making them frustrated by bowling continuously at a particular area and placing fielders in the infield and close infield to take catches. In attacking fielding at least 2 fielders will be placed in the close infield.

HOW TO SET AN ATTACKING FIELD? 

FOR FAST BOWLING: when a pace bowler is bowling, 3 or 4 slips are placed, a gully is placed and a shot leg and final leg fielder is also placed. This is the most commonly seen field positions in an attacking fielding , when a pace bowler is bowling. But every captain has his own plans and strategy and he may /may not place fielders in these positions.

FOR SPIN BOWLING: when a spin bowler is bowling 2 or 3 close slips, a short leg fielder, and 1 or 2 silly points are placed. It also varies with the style of spin bowling.

WHEN TO SET AN ATTACKING FIELD

1) when the opposition is under pressure or underperforming:

You should set an attacking field when the batting team is underperforming or under pressure. The batting team will be under pressure when they need to chase a huge total and they have already lost 2 or 3 early wickets. So, you must understand such situations and increase their pressure by attacking them through bowling and fielding. 

2)BOWLING PITCH:

When you find that the pitch is more favorable to bowlers, you should set an attacking field and use that opportunity wisely.

When the pitch is moist and has some grass on it, then it is favorable to fast bowlers. During such conditions, you should set an attacking field and make bowlers continuously bowl at the right areas.

When the pitch is dry and cracked it is favorable to spin bowlers. when the grass on the pitch is visible and has some moisture on it then you should attack using swing bowlers.

3)When a batsman is opening his or his team's innings:

When a batsman is opening his or his team's innings you should set an attacking field because those batsmen will be less familiar with the conditions of the pitch and balls. So, there is a chance that he will play a wrong shot and may give a chance for a catch.

4)Returning to the game after a break:

When you are returning to the game after a break or it is a new day ( in a test match) you should set an attacking field because it will take some time for the batsman to find his rhythm and within that time you should try to get their wicket.

5) when the ball is new:

When the ball is new fast bowlers can produce more swing and bounce this will make batting difficult and batsmen will commit mistakes. so an attacking field should be set to take catches.

6)When the ball is old but well maintained:

During such situations, one side of the ball will be shiny (If you have maintained the one side of the ball only), and swing bowlers will be able to produce reverse swing this is a great weapon and you should set an attacking field to make use of this opportunity.

7)Buser(s) is in good form:

When a bowler is in good form, he will be a headache for the batsman then also you can set an attacking field.

8)When the opposition is batting for a draw:

If the opposition team needs to chase a huge total and there is no enough time to chase down such huge scores batsmen try to defend the balls. So if the batsman is defending the bowls then it will be very difficult to get a wicket so you should set an attacking field and try to take wickets by catching even the slightly lofted shots played by the batsman which was a result of the small mistakes of the batsman while defending

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