Sledgers Handbook

"Sledging is the art of verbally intimidating a batsman so that he loses his concentration and gets himself out. It is also known as the art of initiating mental disintegration. The fielding side may use a variety of tactics to do this, including: the witty welcome, where the fielders try to upset the incoming batsman immediately; the chirp, where a fielder, usually the wicketkeeper, tries to engage the batsman in a battle of wits to divert his attention from the game; the behind the back shout, where any one of the fielders may loudly suggest a new tactic to remove the batsman; the unexpected question, which may be so shocking and have nothing at all to do with cricket that the batsman loses concentration; the observation, which usually relates to the batsman's technique; the aggressive rant, where the bowler deliberately appears to get wound up; the sarcastic dig, where the bowler taunts the batsman; and the send off, where, having got out, the batsman is sent on his way with a volley of abuse ringing in his ears. The word itself appears to derive from the observation that New South Wales cricketer Grahame Corling was as subtle as a sledgehammer having offended his host at a party. This book tells you all about it! "