Cricket. To defend, protect, or cover (the wicket). (Cf. guard, n. 3b.)

slang. To lay hold of, take or get possession of, appropriate, master. spec. in Cricket, of a batter: (a) to get the better of (the bowler); (b) to…

transitive. Cricket. To hit (a ball or balls) very hard, esp. for a sustained period of time; to punish (the bowling) (cf. punish, v. 3d). Obsolete.

slang. transitive. Sport. To hit (a ball) hard; to deliver (bowling, a volley, etc.) with force.

to farm the strike (also bowling) (Cricket): (of a batter) to retain the strike in order to limit the number of balls a weaker batting partner has…