Why Do Bowlers Yell "Catch It"?

As a boy I was intrigued by the intense silence that often punctuates a cricket game: the deep intake of breath by the bowler, batsmen, fielders and spectators, as all wait expectantly to witness the result of the bowler’s delivery.

Many aspects of the game have improved since I was a boy. The standard of fielding, field placing and media coverage have all risen. However, the continual mindless asinine verbal barrage from the players is now more akin to football than cricket.

When I played cricket as a school boy it was sometimes necessary for the bowler to yell “catch it”, as long-on would invariably be sitting cross legged making daisy chains in the outfield. However, the absence of daisies at first class grounds makes such a shout meaningless. It could be argued it is a psychological ploy by the bowler to unsettle the batsmen; but when the ball soars into the stands for six the bowler has deceived nobody and has only succeeded in making a fool of himself.

I will give the last word to Richie Benaud. In the recent Ashes series he made the following wonderful comment: “there are shouts of catch it … but it would take a Joel Garner standing on the shoulders of Joel Garner to catch that one!”