Glossary of Cricket Terms - U

U

Umpire

one of the two (or three) enforcers of the laws and adjudicators of play.

Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS, or simply Decision Review System or DRS)

a system which allows the fielding captain or the batsmen to request the third umpire to review the standing umpires' previous decision using technological aids, in the hope of having a dismissal awarded (in the case of the fielding captain) or overturned (in the case of the batsman).

Underarm

the action of bowling with the arm swinging from behind the body in a downswing arc and then releasing the ball on the up swing without bending the elbow. This type of bowling is now illegal in formal cricket, but commonly played in informal types of cricket. Compare with overarm.

Under-spin (also back-spin)

backward rotation on the ball, causing it to decrease speed immediately after pitching.

Unorthodox

1. a shot played not in the accepted "textbook" manner, often with a degree of improvisation.

2. a left arm spin bowler who spins the ball with his wrist. This imparts spin in the same direction as a right-handed off spin bowler. See: Left-arm unorthodox spin.

Unplayable delivery

a ball that is impossible for the batsman to deal with; used to imply that the batsman was out more through the skill of the bowler than through his own error.

Upper Cut

A typical shot played against a short ball or bouncer. Here the batsmen makes a cut above his head and the ball usually goes to the third-man area.

Uppish

A shot that gains a risky amount of height, opening up the possibility of the batsman being caught.