In the game of cricket, the wicket-keeper is a specialist position that is roughly analogous to the catcher in baseball.
The wicket-keeper is positioned almost directly behind the stumps. For a spin bowler the wicket-keeper stands within reach of the stumps, while for a fast bowler they may stand around 20 metres back, in order to have enough time to catch the ball. This is required as, unlike the catcher in baseball, the wicket-keeper is required to catch balls over a far wider area, including those balls that have deflected off the edge of the bat, pad or body.
The wicket-keeper is the only person on a cricket team who is permitted to wear gloves while fielding. Gloves are worn on both hands, and are required to catch balls that travel up to 160 km/h (100 mp/h).
Wicket-keeping is hot, dirty, uncomfortable and under-appreciated. Good wicket-keepers are rarely noticed, until they make a mistake.