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[Woodyspin]

Arguably one of the most if not THE most difficult places to field. Especially if you're at a 2nd or 3rd slip as the change of direction of the edge can be misleading in many pays.

My question is where do you stand to cover as much ground without leaving big gaps?

General consensus when ive grown up is slips hold their arms out and if you can touch or nearly touch the next persons hands thats good enough. But is it?

Our keeper covers alot of ground and tend to cover most of 1st slip anyway. Which of course makes 1st slip redundent apart  his right hand (right handed batsman).

So naturally should 1st slip be as wide as the next wickets stump holes?

[Calzehbhoy]

Depends how staggered the cordon is. I personally prefer being a little closer than full arms out length for both, it's always seemed silly to me to have a gap that is just big enough to be inconvenient for both when you can move a little closer.

[Biggie Smalls]

My preference has always been to get slippers to stand wider apart but stagger in a less 'flat' , 'straighter' angle. That way 2nd is a bit in front of the keeper and 3rd is a distance in front of 2nd .
I always adhered to Ian Chappell's philosophy on slips cordens . He's worth listening to on the subject .

[Churchy1989]

Agree with the above. For a fast bowled 1st slip is just inside the edge of the strip, for a slower bowled just outside the edge of the strip. If the player is very wristy and has caned a few through point/cover we go wider, unlikely to be a tickle.

[HallamKeeper]

As a keeper I can cover pretty much anything first slip would take without moving to his right (for RHB) but only if the nick is from a defensive shot. A hard flash and I find it hard to cover much past my own right shoulder. This is mainly because the slow pitches we play on means I have to stand quite close.

I think at a lower level you need to weigh up whether you can react quick enough to a flashing drive if he is an aggressive player or are you standing close enough if it is just a fend that pops to slips.

You often see older members in slips which I sometimes think is a waste of time. Some old timers are very good slippers but a lot have lost their reactions a little and can't move their feet quick enough when required. If you actually think you have a good chance of catches in the slips you should have your best fielders (best at slip catching) there.

[mattw]

I would suggest giving the WK enough room to take catches, when I've been fairly close to the keeper at 1st slip - he tends to worry about coming across and taking catches towards the slips. Give the keeper enough room to take anything that's comfortable otherwise you'd be cramping him.

[roco]

For most of my career I've been at first slip at every level I've played

Every time I take my cue from the keeper for my left (for rh batsmen)

I ask him where he wants me as he knows how much ground he can cover which works when you trust your keeper, then I do the same for 2nd slip

[Coach]

Agree that slip fielding is one of the tougher jobs on a cricket field. Arguably more so in club cricket where the pitches are lower and slower meaning you are a lot closer than on first class pitches.

It's a very unique thing, the best advice would be to catch lots of balls, the more you practice the quicker you work out what you can and can't catch and who fits better in different spots.

The issue of a good thrower & a good nicker.. that's a problem for most!

[Kez]

Coach fully agree re thrower and nicker. A good option is bowling machine and a person armed with a katchet ramp!

[edge]

Saw Peter Moores with a new (to me, at least) take on slip catching practice yesterday in between innings - he did both throwing and nicking himself! Bat held out horizontally in left hand, throw ball straight onto it, vary angle, job done. Imagine it might be more difficult than it looks to get it reliable, but looked like a great easy way to do a warm-up for the slips.

[Manormanic]

Placement is fairly easy if you have a reliable keeper and only one slip.  It becomes more difficult when you have a less talented keeper - I remember playing with a guy who was a brilliant goalkeeper, and he would take catches that we coming to my right hand, but would then leave one that were slower and to my left, which drove me potty.  If you have multiple slips, your problem is around placement - first slip will get thin, flashing edges, so needs to stand deeper than the keeper, whereas second/third etc need to be much further up for drooping defensive edges. 

[Coach]

Coach fully agree re thrower and nicker. A good option is bowling machine and a person armed with a katchet ramp!

Agree with that, however the viewing / reaction to visual cues and feel of bowling machine vs cricket balls is very different. Better than nothing but not ideal if you can get a good thrower & nicker combo

[Kez]

Coach I fully agree re cues and the visuals but for actual volume of reasonable catches, compromises have to be made.