I am a keen follower of Cricket and follow Cricket Matches Live irrespective of the timings of Telecast to such an extent it makes my children remark that ‘I should be of Age!’
Though I am familiar with the Cricketing Jargon I tend to get confused on the terms in Cricket.
Many people are shy of asking youngsters thinking that it is beneath their dignity!
I do not contribute to this view.
If some one knows a subject better I will learn, even if they are young enough to be children, in some cases even Grandchildren.
What counts to me is that I learn and one should admit wherever and whenever it is due, in this case I am amazed at the information the youngsters of the Day possess !
Despite this updating, at times I get confused about Bowling styles, especially when new commentators confuse you among Pace Bowling and Fast Bowling.
So, having posted an article on the Fielding positions in Cricket , with illustrations, I decide to post on Bowling to begin with.
Surprisingly the post had a good response, especially from the youngsters to such an extent that two Boys asked me for Tips!
I advised them to get a Coach or check the link I provided in the post.
I might post on Batting later
What started of as an exercise to get Sun on you, now, has become a full-time professional occupation.
There are two types of Bowling.
1.Pace Bowling where the velocity of the Ball is used and
2.Spin Bowling where the Bowler Spins the Ball.
“Pace bowlers are not fast bowlers;
Fast bowling refers to only a subset of pace bowling as seen in the following table.
Pace bowlers are classified according to the bowling speed at which they average in an over.
The following table gives a rough idea as to the categorization of these bowlers.
Classification of Pace Bowlers.
TYPE MPH KM/H
Fast 90+ 144.8+
Fast–Medium 80–89 128.74+
Medium–Fast 70–79 112.65+
Medium 60–69 96.56+
Medium–Slow 50–59 80.46+
Slow–Medium 40–49 64.37+
Slow 39 & below 62.7 & below
Swing bowlers make the ball curve in the air after pitching and one who can make the ball swing in air after it bounces on the pitch either towards or
away from the batsman he is called a seam bowler.
If the ball curves into the batsman it is known as an in-swing.
If it curves away from him, it is called an out-swing.
To make the ball curve, the bowler holds the ball as demonstrated.
- Swinging a cricket ball by using the correct grip.
Swing is caused by two factors:
- The raised seam of the cricket ball.
- Asymmetry in the ball caused by uneven wear of its surface.
If the seam is aligned to point slightly to one side or the other, the slipstream of air moving over the raised seam causes an aerofoil effect, pushing the ball to one side.
The flow of air over the two different sides of the ball causes differential pressure based on the surface qualities of the sides.
This causes the ball to curve through the air towards the rougher side. In combination, these two effects can produce considerable sideways movement of the ball through the air, known as swing.
Dippers are a kind of swing delivery.
A dipper curves into or away from the batsman before the ball pitches.
The Bowling i is the same as swing, but dippers are harder to hit as they almost pitch near the batsman toes.
A delivery pitched at the batsman’s toes is known as a yorker. Hence dippers are often known as in-swinging yorkers or out-swinging yorkers.
Seam Bowling.
Seam bowling is a type of pace bowling. Bowlers employing such a technique are known as seam bowlers or seamers.
The seam joining the pieces of leather is circumferential and the stitching is distinctly raised.
If the ball is bowled such that the seam hits the pitch when it bounces, this abnormality can cause the ball to deviate sideways in its path.
In order to achieve this effect, a seam bowler delivers the ball with the seam held upright, holding the ball with his thumb and middle & index finger.
As he releases the ball, the two fingers roll the ball backwards. This keeps the seam aligned vertically as it travels towards the batsman, making it possible for the ball to bounce on with the seam upright on the pitch.
The direction and degree of deviation from a straight path are dependent on the small-scale alignment of the seam and any irregularities in the pitch surface.
This means that deviation caused by seam is chaotic and unpredictable.
Often the deviation caused by seam is not large enough to cause a batsman significant problems with playing the ball.
Occasionally, however, the ball can deviate far enough to hit the edge of the cricket bat instead of the middle, producing a catch for nearby fielders. Skilled batsmen have good reflexes and are less troubled by seam bowling than less proficient ones.
Cutters.
Cutters are a type of delivery. Cutters are bowled by spinning the ball so that it breaks – it changes direction after pitching.
A leg-cutter is a delivery that moves from the batsman’s leg-side to the off-side after pitching (right to left on the TV screen).
An off-cutter moves the opposite direction. Cutters are bowled at a much faster pace than the spin that spinners bowl. As a result, the deviation is not as pronounced as true spin.
*Batsmen and Bowlers are assumed to be right handed in this post.
Citations.
Image :ESPN Sports Media Ltd.http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/258645.html
Related articles
- Cricket: Twenty20 bowling “101”-is it really that hard? (beyondrealisation.wordpress.com)
- The Fast Bowling (fastbowlers.wordpress.com)
