20:
145:
to send out an inferior batter to attempt to survive the worst conditions a batter can face and their technique can fail them. If the nightwatchman gets out before the end of the day the batting team may need to send out a more capable batter to prevent the loss of further wickets, costing the team a
64:
of public safety and law enforcement. In doing so they protect more capable batters from being out cheaply in what may be a period of tiredness or poor light at the end of the day and again the following morning when the early-morning conditions may favour the bowlers who will be refreshed from their
181:
It is very rare but not unknown for a team to use nightwatchmen when an innings begins late in the day. Teams will trust in the ability of the specialist opening batsman to do their usual job of handling the new ball regardless of how difficult that might be. Australian
Captain and opening batter
201:
who normally batted 10th or 11th opened as a nightwatchman for
England in a 2019 Test match against Ireland, surviving a single over at the evening then top-scoring for the innings with 92 runs the following day with Ireland collapsing in the last innings to be all out 38 chasing 182.
218:
and hoping to exchange the inevitable loss of wickets for the time it would take for the wicket to start playing better. Although not necessarily done late in the day, the reversed order effectively turned the promoted part of the order into nightwatchmen for the upper half.
77:
The role of nightwatchman is generally given to players who emphasise defensive technique over quick run-scoring, most often a bowler who would normally bat in the 8th or 9th position. There have been occasions when nightwatchmen have made a big score and six have made
173:. The tactic failed miserably as Khan was bowled all ends up on his second ball faced. Salman then had to come out to bat anyway, and he only lasted two more balls before Hazlewood found an easily caught edge, finishing the over with a three wicket maiden.
109:
Even if the nightwatchman does survive until the end of the day, the beginning of the next day's play will see refreshed bowlers with better light facing a less capable batter. As a result, not all captains use the tactic.
122:). The defensive technique inherent to the role may also lead to their play being too slow for the conditions, the nightwatchman being too good to get out, but not good enough to score at the desired rate of their team.
192:
opened the 2nd innings as a nightwatchman in the 1st Test between Sri Lanka and
Pakistan in 2009 having batted at 9 in the first innings. Herath took the final 6 balls of the day with usual opening batter
86:. The nightwatchman's goal tactically is to play conservatively on the night to get through the evening and then play a more even style to score runs and turn over the strike to their batting partner.
556:
got the total to the point where a boundary was needed for the win with Tudor being on 95 runs, needing a six to reach his century. Tudor then hit the winning runs with a four, leaving him on 99*.
424:
154:
with half an hour to play. Lyon only lasted 4 overs, forcing Haddin to the crease to face a handful of overs and being dismissed on what became the final ball of the day.
503:
39:
462:
197:
at the other end. The next morning
Warnapura was out caught on the second ball of the day while Herath scored 15 off 60 balls before an LBW dismissal to Younis Khan.
57:
who comes in to bat higher up the order than usual near the end of the day's play. The nightwatchman's job is to maintain most of the strike until the close of play.
567:, Larwood made 98 as a nightwatchman, the highest innings made in the role up to that time as well as the highest Test score Larwood would make in his career.
345:
386:
519:
were genuine nightwatchmen – however, in the matches in question they both came in at No. 6, at the end of the day, ahead of more recognised batsmen, and
129:, a middle to lower order batter who is promoted up the order in limited-overs games, or in first-class games where their team is looking for a quick
564:
307:
65:
night rest. The theory is that losing two top-order batters in quick succession would be worse than losing one top-order batter and a
637:
90:
would place himself in the role on several occasions while he was the New
Zealand captain. Wicket-keepers may also take on the role,
146:
wicket while negating any benefit from using the nightwatchman. In 2014 against India, the
Australian side protected wicket-keeper
669:
231:
opening the batting and being dismissed for 0 runs each. It was the only time either opened the batting in their Test career.
436:
398:
186:
has remarked that most batters will accept a nightwatchman when asked, but as an opener he had never been offered one.
538:
485:
31:
474:
368:
319:
406:
281:
490:
444:
35:
738:
224:
587:
60:
The name comes due to the goal of remaining in overnight after the end of the day, a play on words on the
357:
327:
210:
In the days before covered wickets it was common for teams to protect the upper part of the order from a
733:
130:
61:
542:
449:
336:
614:
215:
183:
686:
158:
126:
314:
228:
530:
289:
8:
687:"Records – Test Matches – Batting Records – Most runs in an innings by a nightwatchman"
546:
411:
240:
645:
549:
340:
243:
194:
79:
373:
54:
717:
711:
469:
170:
23:
118:
England have instead favoured the lower order batsman to play aggressively (the
560:
512:
276:
189:
166:
87:
727:
649:
553:
211:
26:
holds the record for the highest Test score from a nightwatchman, scoring 201
516:
457:
431:
393:
352:
247:
162:
119:
114:
abandoned the tactic during his captaincy of
Australia. Furthermore, under
83:
19:
133:, in the pursuit of quick runs without too much concern for their wicket.
332:
220:
151:
147:
111:
99:
526:
498:
494:
198:
115:
95:
91:
638:"Release the Nighthawk! England's novel approach to the nightwatchman"
223:
once scored 270 not out as the #7 batsman after such a reversal, with
294:
103:
66:
720:– Statistical analysis aiming to debunk the concept of nightwatchman
520:
419:
169:
with two overs left. This was done to protect genuine all-rounder
534:
480:
363:
302:
142:
46:
27:
533:) was close to making a century as a nightwatchman; he made 99
453:
415:
377:
298:
381:
157:
In 2024 the
Pakistan team in a match against Australia sent
712:
141:
The tactic has potential drawbacks. It is inherently a
714:– A review on the effectiveness of using nightwatchmen
234:
125:The nightwatchman is not to be confused with the
725:
670:"Nightwatchmen (2) – Opening and Wicket-keepers"
246:by nightwatchmen (as of 2019), as recognised by
545:, and was stranded one run short of his maiden
515:(who later opened in a Test) and wicketkeeper
523:considers them to have been nightwatchmen.
582:
580:
136:
72:
106:have scored half-centuries in the role.
18:
635:
612:
577:
176:
726:
681:
679:
205:
40:Australia's 2005-06 tour of Bangladesh
511:There has been debate about whether
676:
13:
613:English, Peter (17 October 2004).
14:
750:
705:
235:Test centuries by nightwatchmen
662:
629:
606:
1:
718:The Myth of the Nightwatchman
615:"A nightwatchman to remember"
570:
491:Chittagong Divisional Stadium
36:Chittagong Divisional Stadium
636:Ashdown, John (2023-02-17).
7:
588:"What is a night-watchman?"
563:. In the final Test of the
10:
755:
38:during the second test of
161:as a nightwatchman after
450:Sahara Stadium Kingsmead
137:Nightwatchmen failures
73:Tactical consideration
42:
229:Chuck Fleetwood-Smith
22:
239:There have been six
177:Opener nightwatchmen
739:Cricket terminology
206:Reversing the order
672:. 3 November 2014.
412:Harare Sports Club
43:
734:Batting (cricket)
509:
508:
425:1999 One-off Test
341:Western Australia
214:by reversing the
195:Malinda Warnapura
165:was dismissed by
53:is a lower-order
746:
699:
698:
696:
694:
683:
674:
673:
666:
660:
659:
657:
656:
633:
627:
626:
624:
622:
610:
604:
603:
601:
599:
594:. 25 August 2005
584:
504:2006 Second Test
374:Wankhede Stadium
346:1977 Second Test
308:1962 Second Test
253:
252:
45:In the sport of
754:
753:
749:
748:
747:
745:
744:
743:
724:
723:
708:
703:
702:
692:
690:
689:. ESPN Cricinfo
685:
684:
677:
668:
667:
663:
654:
652:
634:
630:
620:
618:
617:. ESPN Cricinfo
611:
607:
597:
595:
586:
585:
578:
573:
559:Also close was
470:Jason Gillespie
463:1999 Third Test
387:1979 Sixth Test
237:
208:
179:
171:Salman Ali Agha
150:by sending out
139:
75:
24:Jason Gillespie
17:
12:
11:
5:
752:
742:
741:
736:
722:
721:
715:
707:
706:External links
704:
701:
700:
675:
661:
628:
605:
575:
574:
572:
569:
561:Harold Larwood
513:Nasim-ul-Ghani
507:
506:
501:
488:
483:
477:
472:
466:
465:
460:
447:
442:
439:
434:
428:
427:
422:
409:
404:
401:
396:
390:
389:
384:
371:
366:
360:
355:
349:
348:
343:
330:
325:
322:
317:
311:
310:
305:
292:
287:
284:
279:
277:Nasim-ul-Ghani
273:
272:
269:
266:
263:
260:
257:
236:
233:
207:
204:
190:Rangana Herath
178:
175:
167:Josh Hazlewood
138:
135:
88:Daniel Vettori
74:
71:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
751:
740:
737:
735:
732:
731:
729:
719:
716:
713:
710:
709:
688:
682:
680:
671:
665:
651:
647:
643:
639:
632:
616:
609:
593:
589:
583:
581:
576:
568:
566:
565:1932–33 Ashes
562:
557:
555:
554:Graham Thorpe
551:
548:
544:
540:
536:
532:
528:
524:
522:
518:
514:
505:
502:
500:
496:
492:
489:
487:
484:
482:
478:
476:
473:
471:
468:
467:
464:
461:
459:
455:
451:
448:
446:
443:
440:
438:
435:
433:
430:
429:
426:
423:
421:
417:
413:
410:
408:
405:
402:
400:
397:
395:
392:
391:
388:
385:
383:
379:
375:
372:
370:
367:
365:
361:
359:
356:
354:
351:
350:
347:
344:
342:
338:
334:
331:
329:
326:
323:
321:
318:
316:
313:
312:
309:
306:
304:
300:
296:
293:
291:
288:
285:
283:
280:
278:
275:
274:
270:
267:
264:
261:
258:
255:
254:
251:
249:
245:
242:
232:
230:
226:
225:Bill O'Reilly
222:
217:
216:batting order
213:
212:sticky wicket
203:
200:
196:
191:
187:
185:
174:
172:
168:
164:
160:
155:
153:
149:
144:
134:
132:
128:
123:
121:
117:
113:
107:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
70:
68:
63:
58:
56:
52:
51:nightwatchman
48:
41:
37:
33:
29:
25:
21:
691:. Retrieved
664:
653:. Retrieved
642:The Guardian
641:
631:
619:. Retrieved
608:
596:. Retrieved
591:
558:
525:
510:
458:South Africa
437:South Africa
432:Mark Boucher
399:South Africa
394:Mark Boucher
353:Syed Kirmani
248:ESPNcricinfo
238:
209:
188:
180:
163:Saud Shakeel
156:
140:
127:pinch hitter
124:
108:
84:test matches
76:
59:
50:
44:
16:Cricket role
693:19 December
541:in 1999 at
539:New Zealand
333:WACA Ground
221:Don Bradman
184:Mark Taylor
152:Nathan Lyon
148:Brad Haddin
131:declaration
112:Steve Waugh
100:Ben Barnett
728:Categories
655:2023-07-20
571:References
531:of England
527:Alex Tudor
499:Bangladesh
495:Chittagong
486:Bangladesh
199:Jack Leach
159:Sajid Khan
116:Ben Stokes
96:Wasim Bari
92:Alan Knott
32:Bangladesh
650:0261-3077
592:BBC Sport
543:Edgbaston
475:Australia
369:Australia
320:Australia
315:Tony Mann
244:centuries
120:nighthawk
104:Ian Healy
80:centuries
67:tailender
621:12 April
537:against
521:Cricinfo
420:Zimbabwe
407:Zimbabwe
282:Pakistan
62:watchmen
30:against
598:27 July
550:century
535:not out
517:Boucher
445:England
303:England
290:England
268:Ground
265:Versus
256:Player
143:paradox
47:cricket
34:at the
648:
454:Durban
416:Harare
378:Mumbai
299:London
295:Lord's
262:Score
55:batter
552:when
382:India
358:India
337:Perth
328:India
271:Year
259:Team
695:2016
646:ISSN
623:2012
600:2020
547:test
441:108
403:125
324:105
286:101
241:test
227:and
102:and
49:, a
479:201
362:101
82:in
730::
678:^
644:.
640:.
590:.
579:^
497:,
493:,
456:,
452:,
418:,
414:,
380:,
376:,
339:,
335:,
301:,
297:,
250::
98:,
94:,
69:.
697:.
658:.
625:.
602:.
529:(
481:*
364:*
28:*
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
