Military medium

Origin of: Military medium

Military medium

This expression is used to describe the rather innocuous pace of a medium bowler in the game of cricket. As far as is known, it was not heard or cited before the 1970s, but this has yet to be substantiated. There are two theories about its origin. The first is that military means regular i.e. the bowler bowls at a regular medium pace without variation, implying military precision, with regards to speed of bowling. The second is that it may derive from the pace at which infantry march. The standard military marching stride is said to be thirty inches. Marching at the double is said to be a thirty-six-inch stride. Thus, a military medium bowler would bowl at the standard, slower pace of infantry rather than at the faster pace.