Corridor of uncertainty

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The corridor of uncertainty is a phrase originating from the sport of cricket. It describes an area where a cricket ball can pitch during a delivery: a narrow line on and just outside a batsman's off stump. The name is derived from the opinion that this is the area in which a batsman struggles most to determine whether to play forward or back, or whether to leave the delivery.

The coinage of the phrase is commonly credited to former Yorkshire and England batsman, now commentator, Geoffrey Boycott whilst commentating on England's 1990 tour of the West Indies ^[1]. Other claimants include Australia's ABC Local Radio cricket commentator and former swing bowler Bob Massie, who in broadcasts has credited the origin of the phrase to former Western Australia and South Australia captain John Inverarity under whom he played^{[citation needed]}.

The phrase has also been used in other sports commentary. In football Andy Gray first started to use it^{[citation needed]} and now it is commonly used to describe a cross or pass which is delivered into the area in front of the goalkeeper and behind the last line of defence. The "uncertainty" in this case comes from the decision which both the last defender and the goalkeeper must make: whether to defend the ball, or leave it to the other player.

"Corridor of uncertainty" is also the name, or part of the name, of several online cricket forums and at least two fanzine-type cricket publications.