Wiktionary
n. (context cricket rare in the plural English) a designated substitute player; he may field but not bat or bowl
Usage examples of "twelfth man".
I am strongly of the opinion that the twelfth man was entirely without money at the time he met Angus, or I feel that he would have proved no exception to the rule.
Then ten dirty, half-starved men threw up their hands --the twelfth man managed to wiggle out of the back of a tent into some reeds by the river.
If I spent the eleventh shot without convincing these people, the twelfth man would kill me, sure.
By this time, Mary had introduced rue to all the disciples, including Marthias, the new twelfth man and I was feeling a little lefi out.
As the twelfth man slipped convulsively into death, Coeurl emerged abruptly from the sensuous joy of the kill to the sound of footsteps.