Swing Bowling a Connoisseurs Delight

Joys of Swing Bowling:
In Swing bowling the ball deviates as the ball moves in the air either towards (in swinger) or away (out swinger) from the batsman. Key factor that invokes the swing is the release of the ball in mid air to take a parabolic action rather than dig it in short. Holding the seam position upright is essential to generate swing. Further effort should be to bowl from as close to the stumps with a high arm action and head steady and level. Richard Hadlee's action was found to be closest to perfect bowling action. Anyone taking up swing bowling seriously would do a lot good to review his action in great detail. Do not trade speed for good length at early age as without speed it is not possible to generate decent enough swing and almost no reverse. Further the acceleration in the run up should be gradual. Windy conditions aids swing bowlers. If the wind is blowing east to west it is better to get the best out swing bowler with his out-swing following the wind direction and making it more difficult for the batsmen to negotiate. Deviation in swing bowling is induced by the bowlers whereas in seam bowling the deviation is random and not induced by the bowler.

Outswing Bowling: Seam position is held near the traditional slip with the shiny side inside (right) and rough side outside (left). Aerodynamics bring to action laminar air flow on the shiny side and turbulent air flow on the rough side as the turbulent air flow is later than the laminar flow the ball moves in the direction of the turbulent or rough side making the ball move away for the right hander.

Bowlers use this delivery to generate false shots - Edge to the wicket keeper or slip region early in the innings by pitching the delivery on or around the off stump and generating enough swing, inducing errors in the batsman's mind - The region around the off stump is also termed as corridor of uncertainty by many players. Key Exponent: Past: Andy Roberts, Kapil Dev, Dennis Lillee, Richard Hadlee, Glenn Mcgrath, Botham, Curtly Ambrose, Allan Donald. Present: Shaun Pollock, BretLee, James Anderson, Jacques Kallis.

In-Swing Bowling: Seam position is held near the leg slip region with the shiny side out (left) and the rough side inside (right). The flow in this case is turbulent on the right side and movement towards the right hander after pitching. An in swinger becomes potent when it is bowled as an in swinging Yorker.
Bowlers use this delivery to great advantage against left handers as the ball would move away for a left hander and induce edges.
Also when there is variable bounce, bowling an in swinger to a right hander would get wickets when the ball keeps low and the batsmen in unable to get his bat in time and gets bowled or trapped in front. Otherwise with normal bounce it is far easier to play an in swinger for a new batsman than an outswinger. Key Exponent: Past: Imran Khan, Courtney Walsh, Whispering Death (Michael Holding), Wasim Akram. Present: Shoaib Akhtar, Lasith Malinga, Irfan Pathan, Mathew Hoggard, Makhaya Ntin .

Start your balling now!!

When bowling in cricket there are many possible cricket tips or hints that can help improve your bowling.

In bowling, a combination of natural ability, good technique and practice is the recipe for good bowling, whether it is fast, slow or spin.

Here are some tips that will help your bowling and when implemented correctly your bowling speed:

The basic grip to hold the ball is to keep the seam vertical and to hold the ball with your index finger and middle finger either side of the seam with the side of your thumb resting on the seam underneath the ball.

In your approach/run in, try to stay:
Smooth,
Balanced,
Economical,
Rhythmical,
Consistent and stay relaxed and try not to tense up.

During your approach and action, your head position is very important. Make sure that as you approach the wicket you are running at a steady, consistent speed, and increase strides. Aim to keep your head as steady and level as possible, looking towards your target.

Pull your front arm down and through the target area, making sure you complete the delivery with a full follow through.

Try to keep everything in the same direction, towards your target, keep your hips and shoulders parallel/in-line, and follow through the delivery in the direction where you intend the ball to go.

Also as a bowler it is very important to stay in great shape, as you'll enjoy the game more and perform better in the latter stages if you have good stamina. So incorporating some light weight sessions in to your training is important.

Also aim to try and run 3 times a week to keep your cardiovascular system in top condition and to improve your stamina. South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, is well know for running 10Km every morning, even on match days!

But make sure you consult your coach/doctor/gym instructor before starting any sessions.

How to Bowl Faster and Straighter????

Here is some useful information you can start using right away:

Hang onto the cricket ball as long as possible. By doing this you create a large arm pull, which maximises the 'catapult' effect. The last thing you do when you bowl is let the ball go.
    Try not to get your arm overly high. If you imagine a 12-hour clock, as viewed from the batsman's end, the bowling arm can be any hour before 12 but not a minute past. For every minute you go past 12 o'clock you are affectively leaning across to bowl and this reduces both your speed and accuracy. If you have a very high action, you are likely to only bowl inswing. If you find this is the case, try to lower your arm to around 11 o'clock.
    A front on bowler tends to have more ground speed than a sideways bowler. This is because a front on bowler doesn't have to jump so high as they do not need to turn their back foot sideways.  If you do need to jump at the crease, we are looking for long jump rather than high jump. Simply ensure that you do not lean back when your back foot lands either.  This makes it harder to transfer your weight from back foot to front foot.
    Imagine you are bowling in a railway track. This will help you run-up straight, keep your weight moving in a straight line in your action and follow-through straight. If it doesn’t go at the batsman, then change it!
    Your non-bowling arm is far more important than your bowling arm. Use it properly by driving it out and down so it passes your side. When you do this properly, it will accelerate your bowling shoulder and help increase speed.
    Keep your elbows and arms pumping in as you run up and load up into your action. Nothing throws your momentum and straight lines off like unnecessary side-to-side movements. Keeping your action ‘tight’ helps you to control the release of the ball.
    Make sure you fully rotate your shoulders on completion of action. If you have a name on your back imagine you are going to show it to the batsman when you finish. This will help you think about how much of a shoulder turn you’re aiming for.
    Try to drive your chest through the crease just before you let the ball go. The sensation is that of being pulled forward by the batsman with a big rope attached to your chest. This gets you ‘as far in front of the ball’ as possible and increases arm pull and speed of the arm.
    At the point of delivery, your hips and nose will be facing the batsman. If your bowling hip is ‘lazy’ it will lag behind thus dropping your speed. If your nose isn’t facing the batsman, your head is probably falling away. The hips are the powerhouse of your body. Get them in the right position.
    Try not to throw your non-bowling arm too high as it gets you off balance and affects your timing. Remember, you’re trying to go forwards, not up and down.
    Your bowling arm starts to bowl from the downswing, which is close to your bowling side hip. Getting your bowling hand into this position quickly from your load-up helps you improve your speed and timing.

Cricket Bowling Tips and Hints for beginners

When bowling in cricket there are many possible cricket tips or hints that can help improve your bowling.In bowling, a combination of natural ability, good technique and practice is the recipe for good bowling, whether it is fast, slow or spin.
Here are some tips that will help your bowling and when implemented correctly your bowling speed:
The basic grip to hold the ball is to keep the seam vertical and to hold the ball with your index finger and middle finger either side of the seam with the side of your thumb resting on the seam underneath the ball.In your approach/run in, try to stay Smooth, Balanced, Economical, Rhythmical and Consistent and stay relaxed and try not to tense up.
During your approach and action, your head position is very important. Make sure that as you approach the wicket you are running at a steady, consistent speed, and increase strides. Aim to keep your head as steady and level as possible, looking towards your target.
Pull your front arm down and through the target area, making sure you complete the delivery with a full follow through.Try to keep everything in the same direction, towards your target, keep your hips and shoulders parallel/in-line, and follow through the delivery in the direction where you intend the ball to go.Also as a bowler it is very important to stay in great shape, as you'll enjoy the game more and perform better in the latter stages if you have good stamina. So incorporating some light weight sessions in to your training is important.
Also aim to try and run 3 times a week to keep your cardiovascular system in top condition and to improve your stamina. South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, is well know for running 10Km every morning, even on match days!

How to play Cricket??????

Warm Up Activities & Stretching Exercises

Warm up properly, and reduce the risk of sports injury!

The warm up activities are a crucial part of any exercise regime or sport training the importance of a structured warm up routine should not be under estimated when it comes to the prevention of sports injury. 

The Warm Up
An effective warm up has a number of very important key element. These elements , or parts, should all be working together to minimize the likelihood of sports injury from physical activity.

warming up prior to any physical activity does a number of beneficial things, but primarily its main purpose is to prepare the body and mind for more strenuous activity does a number of the way it achieves this by helping to increase the  body's core temperature, while also increase the body's muscle temperature.  By helping increasing muscle temperature you're helping to make the muscle loose, supple and pliable.