Nelson -- The number 111. The connection to Admiral Lord Nelson is tenuous and mostly unexplained, but the number that bears his name, and multiples of that number, are held to have mystical properties in English cricket. There are those -- Test umpire David Shepherd prominent among them -- who will not keep both feet on the ground while 111 is on the scoreboard, although quite what they are trying to prevent is not clear either.

Nets -- A pitch enclosed at the sides, back and top with netting is called a net and used for practice.

New ball -- In most levels of cricket, each innings begins with a new ball. In the first class game, once the fielding side has bowled 80 overs with one ball, the captain may call for a new one, so that his pace bowlers have the advantage of a sharp seam and a shiny cover. The tactic can backfire, however, especially if the batsmen are well set, since the harder ball comes faster off the bat.

Nightwatchman -- In a first-class match, a tail-ender sent in when a wicket falls near the end of a day's play. The theory is that a batsman is most vulnerable at the start of his innings and early in the day, so this tactic is intended to protect a specialist batsman from one of these dangerous times.

No! -- The call from one batsman to the other indicating that he should not run. See Calling.

No-ball -- A delivery from a bowler that the umpire considers to be unfair is a "no-ball". The bowler has an extra delivery at the end of the over to replace it. A batsman can score runs in the normal way off a no-ball and he can be dismissed, but not if he is bowled, caught, stumped or lbw.

Non-striker -- The batsman at the bowler's end, not facing the bowling. See also Striker.

Not out --
(a) Umpire's call in denying an appeal.
(b) Entry in the scorebook against a batsman not dismissed at the end of his team's innings, either because of a declaration, or because all ten of his teammates are out.