Meaning of nervous nineties | Babel Free

Definitions

The set of individual scores between 90 and 99, when a batsman may play badly due to feeling pressure to convert the score into a century.

plural, plural-only

Examples

“I have never found anything particularly significant in the term nervous nineties for I firmly believe that a batsman should treat every ball on its merits, be his score 9 or 90.”

“Watson nearly fell again in the nervous nineties when Bresnan took an overhead catch at long off when the all-rounder was on 90 but the fieldsman tumbled over the rope and a six was declared.”

CEFR level