In my experience, the leg side short positions are underused in club cricket.

Even at Test level a short leg is often left out, or when they are in place they are the first close catcher to be removed. Lower down the system, my team tends to play on soft, green and with a low bounce. You can see why many captains decide it's not worth putting a player 'under the lid'.

Yet there are many more tactical advantages to having a close fielder on the leg side than the classic job: catching the ball that has been fended off the gloves.

So whatever you bowl, it's worth considering the tactical advantages of the following positions:

This is the rarest position at club level. It can be dangerous to field there if the bowler drops short: Especially if you are not in the shin, groin and head armour. At school/youth level in the UK the position is banned by the ECB close catching regulations.

Never the less, it's an effective position to most types of bowling. The important factor is the pressure it puts on the batter. The short leg is able to stop the ball being tucked onto the leg side for easy singles. The closer the short leg gets the more the batsman feels closed in and may play a loose shot.

Another psychological edge the position gives you is this: doubt. Batters who see a short leg in may be fooled into assuming the bowler is getting extra bounce (or turn for spinners). They might play for conditions that don't exist, leading to errors.

Traditionally it's the seamer with extra bounce and the off spinner who have had a short leg in place. However, other bowlers can use the position too. Swing bowlers who stray onto the leg side trying to move the ball away can see runs saved. Left arm and leg spinners are able to pick up dismissals from balls that pitch in any rough.

Forward square leg/silly mid on

While it's usually better to have short leg square, there are times that pushing them in front of the batsman is effective.

Players who push at the ball with firm hands tend to lob it up in front of square. Also, if the wicket is very slow you can find that silly mid on will take more catches and be in the batsman's eye line as a distraction.

Backward short leg/leg gulley/leg slip

All three close catchers behind square have an important role, especially with less accurate club bowlers. A ball on the legs can often be hit in the air behind square. Traditionally the resting bowler at fine leg fields this ball for an easy single. Why not have them in close instead?

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