[f. FIELD sb. + MAN.] a. Cricket. One of the side which is in the field; a fielder. b. (See quot. 1823.)
1823. ‘Jon Bee,’ Slang, 206. Fieldsmen (turf),—those who make it a rule to give odds against the favorite, or any particular horse; they are considered very knowing.
1824. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. I. (1863), 176. George and John Simmons, one capital, the other, so, so—an uncertain hitter, but a good fieldsman.
1850. ‘Bat,’ Crick. Man., 40. The positions of the Fieldsmen are arranged according to efficiency.
1881. Daily News, 9 July, 2. A possible catch to a more plucky fieldsman.
