Definition

Noun: 1. An immediate second innings: In the sport of cricket, a 'follow-on' is a situation where the team that batted second in the first innings is forced to bat again immediately because they scored a significantly lower number of runs than the opposing team. This rule allows the team that batted first to enforce the 'follow-on' if they lead by a prescribed margin (e.g., 200 runs in a five-day Test match).

Usage

The term is used almost exclusively in the context of cricket to describe a specific rule and the resulting game state. * The captain decided to enforce the follow-on, hoping to win the match in three days. * After being bowled out for 150, the team faced a follow-on, trailing by 250 runs.

Advanced Usage

• To enforce the follow-on: This is the action taken by the captain of the team that batted first. It is a strategic decision.
  • The opposing team's large first-innings total gave them the option to enforce the follow-on.
• To avoid the follow-on: This is the goal of the team batting second. They must score enough runs to pass the prescribed deficit margin.
  • The batsmen fought hard to avoid the follow-on and save the match.

Variants and Related Words

• Follow-on effect (noun - ): A subsequent effect or consequence. This is a separate, more general compound term and not the specific cricket term 'follow-on'.
  • The economic crisis had a significant follow-on effect on employment.

Synonyms

• Second innings (enforced): This is a descriptive synonym for the specific situation.

Different Meanings

The term 'follow-on' as defined here is a specific noun for cricket. It is distinct from the verb phrase 'to follow on', which means to continue or to come after something in sequence. * Verb phrase example: The detailed instructions follow on from the general guidelines.

Noun

1. an immediate second innings forced on a cricket team scoring a prescribed number of runs fewer than its opponents in the first innings