Cricket and Me

Bowling Styles:
Fast bowling (also pace bowling) is one of the two main approaches to
bowling in the sport of cricket, the other being spin bowling.
Practitioners are usually known as fast or pace bowlers, quick’s, or
pacemen. They also often referred to as swing or seam bowlers to
reflect their preferred fast bowling technique.
The aim of fast bowling is to achieve both speed and to induce the hard
cricket ball to bounce off the pitch in an unpredictable fashion (by the
use of seam orientation) or move sideways through the air (swing),
factors that make it difficult for the batsman to address the flight of the
ball accurately. A typical fast delivery has a speed in the range of 137–
153 km/h (85–95 mph).
Grip
The first thing a fast bowler needs to do is to grip the ball correctly. The
basic fast bowling grip to achieve maximum speed is to hold the ball
with the seam upright and to place the index and middle fingers close
together at the top of the seam with the thumb gripping the ball at the
bottom of the seam. The image to the right shows the correct grip. The
first two fingers and the thumb should hold the ball forward of the rest
of the hand, and the other two fingers should be tucked into the palm.
The ball is held quite loosely so that it leaves the hand easily. Other
grips are possible, and result in different balls – see swing and seam
bowling below. The bowler usually holds their other hand over the
hand gripping the ball until the latest possible moment so that the
batsman cannot see what type of ball is being bowled.
Action

Brett Lee bowling against South Africa at the WACA in 2005

At the end of the run-up the bowler will bring his lead foot down on the
pitch with the knee as straight as possible. This aids in generating speed
but can be dangerous due to the pressure placed on the joint by this
action. Knee injuries are not uncommon amongst fast bowlers: for
example, the English pace bowler David Lawrence was sidelined for
many months after splitting his kneecap in two. The pressure on the
leading foot is such that some fast bowlers cut the front off their shoes to
stop their toes from being injured as they are repeatedly pressed against
the inside of the shoe. The bowler will then bring their bowling arm up
over their head and release the ball at the height appropriate to where
they want the ball to pitch. Again, the arm must be straight although this
is a stipulation of the laws of cricket rather than an aid to speed. Bending
the elbow and "chucking" the ball would make it too easy for the bowler
to aim accurately at the batsman's wicket and get them out.

Mitchell Johnson bowling. Note the "sling shot" action.

Fast bowlers tend to have an action that leaves them either side-on or
chest-on at the end of the run up. A chest-on bowler has chest and hips
aligned towards the batsman at the instant of back foot contact, while a
side-on bowler has chest and hips aligned at ninety degrees to the
batsman at the instant of back foot contact. West Indian bowler Malcolm
Marshall was a classic example of a chest-on bowler, while Australian
pace bowler Dennis Lillee used a side-on technique to great effect.

While a bowler's action does not affect their bowling speed, it can limit
the style of balls that they can bowl. Although this is not a hard and fast
rule, side-on bowlers generally bowl outswingers, and chest-on bowlers
generally bowl inswingers.

A variant on the fast bowler's action is the sling (sometimes referred to

as the slingshot or javelin), where the bowler begins his delivery with his
or her arm fully extended behind their back. The slinging action
generates extra speed, but sacrifices control. The most famous exponent
of the slinging action was Jeff Thomson, who bowled at extraordinary
pace off a short run up. Other international examples include Fidel
Edwards, Shaun Tait, Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson.
Spin bowling is a bowling technique in cricket and the bowler is
referred to as a spinner.
The main aim of spin bowling is to bowl the cricket ball with rapid
rotation so that when it bounces on the pitch it will deviate from its
normal straight path, thus making it difficult for the batsman to hit the
ball cleanly.[1] The speed the ball travels is not critical, and is
significantly slower than that for fast bowling. A typical spin delivery
has a speed in the range 70–90 km/h (45–55 mph). However, in 2010
Shahid Afridi of Pakistan bowled the fastest spin delivery of 134 km/h
in a T20 match against New Zealand.
Spin bowling is divided into four different categories, depending on the
particular physical technique used. There is virtually no overlap
between the two basic biomechanical techniques of wrist spin and
finger spin.[3]
Off break – Right-handed with finger spin technique. (e.g. Muttiah
Muralitharan, Ravichandran Ashwin)
Left-arm orthodox spin – Left-handed with finger spin technique. (e.g.
Daniel Vettori, Shakib Al Hasan)
Leg break – Right-handed with wrist spin technique. (e.g. Shane Warne)
Left-arm unorthodox spin – Left-handed with wrist spin technique. (e.g.
Brad Hogg)

Depending on technique, a spin bowler uses either predominant wrist

or finger motion to impart spin to the ball around a horizontal axis that
is at an oblique angle to the length of the pitch. This sort of spin means
it is also possible for the Magnus effect to cause the ball to deviate
sideways through the air, before it bounces. Such deviation is called
drift.[4] The combination of drift and spin can make the ball's trajectory
complex, with a change of direction at the bounce.

This variety of trajectories achievable by a spin bowler can bewilder

inexperienced or poor batsmen.
Spin bowlers are generally given the task of bowling with an old, worn
cricket ball. A new cricket ball better suits the techniques of fast
bowling than spin bowling, while a worn one grips the pitch better and
achieves greater spin.[1] Spin bowlers are also more effective later in a
game, as the pitch dries up and begins to crack and crumble. This again
provides more purchase for the spinning ball and produces greater
deviation.
 Types of Spin Bowling

Leg Spin Bowling:

Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket. A leg
spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action, causing the
ball to spin from right to left in the cricket pitch, at the point of
delivery. When the ball bounces, the spin causes the ball to
deviate sharply from right to left, that is, away from the leg side
of a right-handed batsman. The same kind of trajectory, which
spins from right to left on pitching, when performed by a left-
arm bowler is known as left-arm orthodox spin bowling.

As with all spinners, leg spinners bowl the ball far slower (70–
90 km/h or 45–55 mph) than fast bowlers. The fastest leg
spinners will sometimes top 100 km/h (60 mph). Leg spinners
typically use variations of flight by sometimes looping the ball in
the air, allowing any cross-breeze and the aerodynamic effects
of the spinning ball to cause the ball to dip and drift before
bouncing and spinning (usually called "turning") sharply. While
very difficult to bowl accurately, good leg spin is considered one
of the most threatening types of bowling to bat against, since
the flight and sharp turn make the ball's movement extremely
hard to read and the turn away from the batsman (assuming he
or she is right-handed) is more dangerous than the turn into
the batsman generated by an off spinner.
Off Spin Bowling:
Off spin is a type of Finger spin bowling in the sport of cricket. A
bowler who uses this technique is called an off spinner. Off spinners are
right-handed spin bowlers who use their fingers to spin the ball from a
right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side (that is, towards the right-
handed batsman, or away from a left-handed batsman). This contrasts
with leg spin, in which the ball spins from leg to off and which is
bowled with a very different action.[1]

A left-handed bowler who bowls with the same action as an off spinner
is known as a left-arm orthodox spinner. While the orthodox spinner has
the same action as an off-spinner, the ball itself spins in the opposite
direction (akin to a right arm leg spinner).[2]
Off spin is generally considered less difficult to play than leg spin, as off
breaks typically spin less than leg breaks, and do not generally possess
the same loopy, potentially deceptive flight. In addition, off spinners
tend to have a smaller repertoire of deliveries to choose from. However,
the off spinner often bowls faster and more accurately than a leg spinner,
and can therefore deceive the batsman with changes in the pace of the
ball. Another common weapon of the off spinner is the arm ball, which
does not spin but goes straight on "with the arm".[3] More skilled
offspinners also have the topspinner.[4] Aside from these variations in
spin, varying the speed, length and flight of the ball are also important
for the off spinner.

Although rare now, in the past there were bowlers who used the off-
break action who deliberately did not impart any considerable spin on
the ball but relied on line and length (or even speed variations) to
frustrate batsmen. They endeavoured to pitch the ball in an area that the
batsman was unable to play a scoring shot, even making last moment
adjustments to "follow" a batsman should they move within the crease to
negate the bowlers tactics. Whilst this is primarily a defensive style,
wickets were achieved by forcing a batsman to make a rash stroke or
even bowling at the stumps instead of the retreating batsman. Another
wicket taking method was to impart more spin on the ball than usual,
and surprise the batsman. An exponent of this style of bowling was
"Flat" Jack Simmons who played for Lancashire in the 1970s and 1980s.
With the advent of limited overs cricket promoting more adventurous
batting styles and the use of ever heavier bats this style of bowling has
declined, although some off-spinners will still use this tactic when the
pitch is offering very little or no turn. It is a tactic often used by Kane
Williamson when he bowls occasionally in limited overs format because
his bowling style tends to be flatter and faster.

Batting Techniques
Orthodox technique and strokeplay[edit]

Names of orthodox cricket shots and the directions in which they are hit
for a right-handed batsman. The batsman is standing at the centre point
facing south. The positions are mirrored for left-handers.

Over time a standard batting technique has been developed which is

used by most batsmen. Technique refers to the batsman's stance before
the ball is bowled as well as the movement of the hands, feet, head and
body in the execution of a cricket stroke. Good technique is
characterised by quickly getting into the correct position to play the shot,
especially getting one's head and body in line with the ball, one's feet
placed next to where the ball would bounce and then swinging the bat at
the ball to make contact at the precise moment required for the particular
stroke being played.

The movement of the batsman for a particular delivery depends on the

shot being attempted. Front-foot shots are played with the weight on the
front foot (left foot for a right-hander) and are usually played when the
ball is pitched up to the batsman, while back-foot shots are played
putting the weight onto the back foot, usually to bowling that is pitched
short. Shots may also be described as vertical bat shots, in which the bat
is swung vertically at the ball (e.g. when playing a drive or leg glance),
or horizontal or cross-bat shots, in which the bat is swung horizontally at
the ball (e.g. when playing the pull or cut shot).
While a batsman is not limited in where or how he may hit the ball, the
development of good technique has gone hand in hand with the
development of standard or orthodox cricket shots played to specific
types of deliveries. These "textbook" shots are standard material found
in many coaching manuals.

The advent of limited overs cricket, with its emphasis on rapid run-
scoring, has led to increasing use of unorthodox shots to hit the ball into
gaps where there are no fielders. Unorthodox shots are typically—but
not always— more high-risk than orthodox shots due to some aspects of
good batting technique being abandoned.

Bill Woodfull's stance.

Stance[edit]

The stance is the position in which a batsman stands to have the ball
bowled to him. An ideal stance is "comfortable, relaxed and balanced",
[citation needed]
with the feet 40 centimetres (16 in) apart, parallel and astride
the crease. Additionally, the front shoulder should be pointing down the
wicket, the head facing the bowler, the weight equally balanced and the
bat near the back toe.[2] As the ball is about to be released, the batsman
will lift his bat up behind up in anticipation of playing a stroke, and will
shift his weight onto the balls of his feet. By doing this he is ready to
move swiftly into position to address the ball once he sees its path out of
the bowler's hand.
Although this textbook, side-on stance is the most common, a few
international batsmen, such as Shivnarine Chanderpaul, use an "open" or
"square on" stance.

Backlift[edit]

Backlift is the term used to describe how a batsman lifts his bat in
preparation for hitting the ball.[3]

While the bat should be raised as vertically as possible, coaching

manuals often suggest that correct technique is for the bat to be slightly
angled from the perpendicular; a common instruction is to point the face
of the bat in the direction of first or second slip.[3]

Some players (notably, in recent times, Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag)[4]

have employed an exaggerated backlift. Others, who have employed the
more unorthodox open stance, such as Peter Willey, had a more
abbreviated backlift.

Forward and back[edit]

Depending upon the path of the ball, the batsman will either move
forward or back in his attempt to intercept it. A forward movement is
designated a front foot shot, whereas a backwards movement is
designated a back foot shot. A front foot shot is typically used to
address a ball arriving at between ankle and thigh height. The batsman
will step forward towards the ball, bending his front knee to bring his bat
down to the anticipated height of the ball. By moving forwards, the
batsman is also able to intercept the ball immediately after it has pitched,
thus nullifying any potentially dangerous lateral movement. A back foot
shot is typically used to address a ball arriving at between thigh and head
height. The batsman will step back and, if necessary, stand on his tip
toes to raise his bat to the height of the ball. By stepping back towards
the wicket, he also receives the advantage of having an extra small
amount of time to react to any unexpected lateral movement or variation
in bounce.
Leave[edit]

The leave. Note the batsman's head focussed on where the ball had
bounced. The bat and hands are held well out of the way of the ball.

The leave is sometimes considered a cricket shot, even though the

batsman physically does not play at or interfere with the ball as it passes
him. The leave is likely to be used by batsmen during the first few balls
they receive, to give themselves time to judge the conditions of the pitch
and the bowling before attempting to play a shot. Leaving a delivery is a
matter of judgement and technique. The batsman still has to watch the
ball closely to ensure that it will not hit him or the wicket; he also has to
ensure that his bat and hands are kept out of the path of the ball so that it
cannot make accidental contact and possibly lead to him being out
caught. Batsmen only leave the ball when they are certain that it will not
hit the stumps.

Vertical bat strokes[edit]

Vertical bat or straight-bat shots can be played off either the front foot or
the back foot depending upon the anticipated height of the ball at the
moment it reaches the batsman. The characteristic position of the bat is a
vertical alignment at point of contact. Vertical bat shots are typically
played with the batsman's head directly above the point of contact so
that he is able to accurately judge the line of the ball. At this point the
bat can either be stationary and facing straight back down the wicket –
known as a block or defensive shot; angled to one side – known as a
glance or deflection; or travelling forwards towards the bowler – known
as a drive.
Defensive shot[edit]

Having taken a long stride, a batsman blocks the ball with a forward
defensive shot.

A block stroke is usually a purely defensive stroke designed to stop the

ball from hitting the wicket or the batsman's body. This shot has no
strength behind it and is usually played with a light or "soft" bottom-
hand grip and merely stops the ball moving towards the wicket. A block
played on the front foot is known as a forward defensive, while that
played on the back foot is known as a backward defensive. The
application of these strokes may be used to score runs, by manipulating
the block to move the ball into vacant portions of the infield, in which
case a block becomes a "push". Pushing the ball is one of the more
common ways batsmen manipulate the strike.

Leaving and blocking are employed much more often in first-class

cricket (including Test matches), as there is no requirement to score runs
as quickly as possible, thus allowing the batsman to choose which
deliveries to play.

Glance[edit]
Ranjitsinhji playing a leg glance, 1897.

A leg glance is a delicate straight-batted shot played at a ball aimed

slightly on the leg side, using the bat to flick the ball as it passes the
batsman, and requiring some wrist work as well, deflecting towards the
square leg or fine leg area. The stroke involves deflecting the bat-face
towards the leg side at the last moment, head and body moving inside
the line of the ball. This shot is played "off the toes, shins or hip". It is
played off the front foot if the ball is pitched up at the toes or shin of the
batsman, or off the back foot if the ball bounces at waist/hip height to
the batsman. Although the opposite term off glance is not employed
within cricket, the concept of angling the bat face towards the offside to
deflect the ball away from the wicket for the purpose of scoring runs
through the off side is a commonly used technique. This would
commonly be described instead as "running (or steering) the ball down
to third man".

Drive[edit]
A batsman plays a cover drive off the front foot. Notice the stance of
the batsman and position of his hands, legs, body and head.

A drive is a straight-batted shot, played by swinging the bat in a vertical

arc through the line of the ball, hitting the ball in front of the batsman
along the ground. It is one of the most common shots in a batsman's
armoury and often the first shot taught to junior cricketers. Depending
on the direction the ball travels, a drive can be a cover drive (struck
towards the cover fielding position), an off drive (towards mid-off),
straight drive (straight past the bowler), on drive (between stumps and
mid-on) or square drive (towards point). A drive can also be played
towards midwicket, although the phrase "midwicket drive" is not in
common usage. Drives can be played both off the front and the back
foot, but back-foot drives are harder to force through the line of the ball.
Although most drives are deliberately struck along the ground to reduce
the risk of being dismissed caught, a batsman may decide to play a
lofted drive to hit the ball over the infielders and potentially even over
the boundary for six.

Flick[edit]

Virat Kohli playing the flick shot in 2015.

A flick shot is a straight-batted shot played on the leg side by flicking a

full-length delivery using the wrists. It is often also called the clip off
the legs. The shot is playing with the bat coming through straight as for
the on drive, but the bat face is angled towards the leg side. It can be
played both off the front foot or the back foot, either off the toes or from
the hips. The shot is played between the mid on and square leg region.
Typically played along the ground, the flick can also be played by
lofting the ball over the infield.

Horizontal bat shots[edit]

The second class of cricket stroke comprises the horizontal bat shots,
also known as cross bat shots: the cut, the square drive, the pull, the
hook and the sweep. Typically horizontal bat shots have a greater
probability of failing to make contact with the ball than vertical bat
shots, and therefore are restricted to deliveries that are not threatening to
hit the stumps, either by dint of being too wide or too short. The bat is
swung in a horizontal arc, with the batsman's head typically not being
perfectly in line with the ball at point of contact.

Cut[edit]

A batsman plays a cut off the back foot. Note the balance and weight of
the batsman is on his back (right) leg.

A cut is a cross-batted shot played at a short-pitched ball, placing it wide

on the off side. The batsman makes contact with the ball as it draws
alongside or passes him and therefore requires virtually no effort on his
part as he uses the bowler's pace to divert the ball. A square cut is a
shot hit into the off side at near to 90 degrees from the wicket (towards
point). A late cut is played as or after the ball passes the batsman's body
and is hit towards third man. The cut shot is typically played off the back
foot, but is also sometimes played off the front foot against slower
bowling. The cut should be played with the face of the bat rolling over
the ball to face the ground thus pushing the ball downwards. A mistimed
cut with an open-faced bat (with the face of the bat facing the bowler)
will generally lead to the ball rising in the air, giving a chance for the
batsman to be caught.

Square drive[edit]

Although confusingly named a drive, the square drive is actually a

horizontal bat shot, with identical arm mechanics to that of the square
cut. The difference between the cut and the square drive is the height of
the ball at contact: the cut is played to a ball bouncing waist high or
above with the batsman standing tall, whereas the square drive is played
to a wide ball of shin height with the batsman bending his knees and
crouching low to make contact.

Pull and hook[edit]

Ricky Ponting playing a pull shot.

A pull is a cross-batted shot played to a ball bouncing around waist

height by swinging the bat in a horizontal arc in front of the body,
pulling it around to the leg side towards mid-wicket or square leg. The
term hook shot is used when the shot is played against a ball bouncing at
or above chest high to the batsman, the batsman thus "hooking" the ball
around behind square leg, either along the ground or in the air. Pull and
hook shots can be played off front or back foot, with back foot being
more typical.
Sweep[edit]

A left-handed batsman plays a sweep shot.

A sweep is a cross-batted front foot shot played to a low bouncing ball,

usually from a slow bowler, by kneeling on one knee, bringing the head
down in line with the ball and swinging the bat around in a horizontal
arc near the pitch as the ball arrives, sweeping it around to the leg side,
typically towards square leg or fine leg. A paddle sweep shot is a sweep
shot in which the ball is deflected towards fine leg with a stationary or
near-stationary bat extended horizontally towards the bowler, whereas
the hard sweep shot is played towards square leg with the bat swung
firmly in a horizontal arc. Typically the sweep shot will be played to a
legside delivery, but it is also possible for a batsman to sweep the ball to
the legside from outside off stump. Attempting to sweep a full straight
delivery on the stumps is generally not recommended because of the risk
of elbow