Term Hindi: कन्या
The Cricket Term: MAIDEN
In the sport of cricket, there are numerous terms and lingo that a fan or player must understand to truly follow the nuances of the game. One such term is “Maiden”. A Maiden in cricket terminology refers to an over during which no runs have been scored by the batsman. To clarify, it is not considered a maiden if runs are scored from extras (like wides or no-balls), unless they are all run by the batting side.
Types of Maidens
- Maiden Over: This is the most common type, simply known as a ‘maiden’. It occurs when a bowler delivers six consecutive balls (an over) without any being hit for runs by the batsman. No-runs batted however does not negate penalties from wide balls or no-ball throws.
- Wicket Maiden: This type happens when a wicket-taking delivery is included in the six deliveries that comprise a maiden over. It requires tactical bowling, precision and a bit of luck.
- Double Wicket Maiden: As you may assume from its name, this means two wickets were taken in one maiden over.
The Significance of Maidens
Maidens reveal more than just an array of unproductive scoring; they indicate impressive skill on behalf of the bowler. Consistently scoring maidens put enormous pressure on the batsman and create opportunities to dismiss them. So successful bowlers strive to achieve as many maidens as possible because it shows their ability to contain and control runs.
If the ball is too easy to hit, then runs will be compiled at speed; with every boundary scored raising cheers for the hitting team while the bowlers bear the brunt of strategic failure. Therefore, a maiden means more to the bowling side than just zero runs scored; it signifies victory over that particular round of competition.
Score Card Indication
On a cricket score card, you will always find an “M” column alongside other figures such as overs (“O”), runs (“R”) and wickets (“W”). This M stands for Maidens. It is here where you’ll see the number of maiden overs bowled by a player throughout a game. Hence, when interpreting any scorecard in cricket, understanding what ‘Maiden’ represents gives great insight into how tightly or efficiently certain bowlers have performed during their game.
Maidens Vs Wickets
In terms of overall prestige within a game, taking wickets is seen to be of higher merit than bowling maidens. That said, should two players take an equal amount of wickets then their performance may be judged on how many maiden overs they achieved. Maiden overs are significant but they don’t contribute directly to the fall of wickets which ultimately decide victors in cricket matches.
