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Pace

neville cardus

International Debutant
There's this guy who bowls on a Sunday for us. Just loops it, doesn't spin it or anything. Some weeks he'll get smashed for 30 odd off 4, other weeks he takes 2/3 wickets because batsmen are so desperate to smash it that they miss and get bowled or just play crazy shots.
His deliveries sound a lot like the childish legbreaks from which W.G. used to reap such rich rewards.
 

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
There's this guy who bowls on a Sunday for us. Just loops it, doesn't spin it or anything. Some weeks he'll get smashed for 30 odd off 4, other weeks he takes 2/3 wickets because batsmen are so desperate to smash it that they miss and get bowled or just play crazy shots.
It's what I reverted to bowling last summer before my season was ended by my lack of correct wicketkeeping technique.
 

PhoenixFire

International Coach
There's this guy who bowls on a Sunday for us. Just loops it, doesn't spin it or anything. Some weeks he'll get smashed for 30 odd off 4, other weeks he takes 2/3 wickets because batsmen are so desperate to smash it that they miss and get bowled or just play crazy shots.
They are the bowlers I get out to. It annoys me no end.
 

Matteh

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Got out to one myself this season. It spent ages in the air, i ended up massively over thinking it and got in a right mess.
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
Play 'em off the back foot. They're that slow that it gives you so much time. Unless it's a right half volley, stay on the back foot and it leaves you with eons of time to place where you want to hit the ball.
 

dontcloseyoureyes

BARNES OUT
Play 'em off the back foot. They're that slow that it gives you so much time. Unless it's a right half volley, stay on the back foot and it leaves you with eons of time to place where you want to hit the ball.
Haha, was just about to say that. No shame in being beaten to the punch by Big Mac.
 

iamdavid

International Debutant
There's this guy who bowls on a Sunday for us. Just loops it, doesn't spin it or anything. Some weeks he'll get smashed for 30 odd off 4, other weeks he takes 2/3 wickets because batsmen are so desperate to smash it that they miss and get bowled or just play crazy shots.
In the lower grades that sort of bowler generally seems to be far more succesful (with wicket-taking atleast) than a seamer of reasonable pace and quality.
Because the batsman try to go after them, arent good enough and make a mess of it.

Whereas if you bowl an excellent outswinger on off stump at 65mph the batsman simply isnt good enough to nick it...and on the rare occasion he is the slips arent good enough to catch it.
 

iamdavid

International Debutant
I've faced 140kph before. Surprisingly, I could see and follow the ball quite comfortably, but the reflexes were left behind somewhat.
Was this facing a bowling machine or a bowler ?

I've found against the bowling machine the ball always seems to be somewhat quicker than it is because you always pick it up later, there is no hand to watch and keep sight of the ball it just pops out of the hole and you dont properly pick it up until a couple of yards later than if it were a bowler.
Also where the bowlers arm is at release somewhat telegraphs the length of the ball and I reckon alot of batsman subconciously pick up on that, you dont get that with the bowling machine.

Have faced a bowling machine at 80-85mph and also a couple of seamers who are generally regarded to be around that pace and the bowling machine always feels way sharper to me.
 

neville cardus

International Debutant
Was this facing a bowling machine or a bowler ?
The former (and it seemed quite inconceivable at the time that anything other than a mechanised monster could launch 'em that quickly).

I've found against the bowling machine the ball always seems to be somewhat quicker than it is because you always pick it up later, there is no hand to watch and keep sight of the ball it just pops out of the hole and you dont properly pick it up until a couple of yards later than if it were a bowler.
There's an attractive thought; I might well have been facing up (intrepidly, of course) to the robotic equivalent of Shoaib.
 

Matteh

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
In the lower grades that sort of bowler generally seems to be far more succesful (with wicket-taking atleast) than a seamer of reasonable pace and quality.
Because the batsman try to go after them, arent good enough and make a mess of it.

Whereas if you bowl an excellent outswinger on off stump at 65mph the batsman simply isnt good enough to nick it...and on the rare occasion he is the slips arent good enough to catch it.
Hate it when that happens. Decided to bowl more wicket to wicket than the outside off line i was bowling before because of it. Purely to bring bowled/lbw back into play. Worked a treat against Liverpool Uni.
 

iamdavid

International Debutant
Hate it when that happens. Decided to bowl more wicket to wicket than the outside off line i was bowling before because of it. Purely to bring bowled/lbw back into play. Worked a treat against Liverpool Uni.
Yeah its funny how different sorts of bowling works in different grades, eg a half volley angling into middle and leg in first grade is absolute tripe and will be dispatched anyday of the week, however in 5th grade its a serious wicket-taking ball particularly if it swings a bit.
Generally the worse the batsman the straighter you bowl.
 

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
Its interesting. The 1st time I dropped down a level for money ie changed leagues (equiv of like from 1st grade to 2nd grade) I was advised to pitch it up and try and bowl them as they wouldnt be able to handle the pace.

Well that was possibly the worst advice I ever got regarding cricket. Trying to hit the stumps every ball instead of my normal length led to me leaking a lot of runs.

Simply they found it easier to play the full ball than the ball a bit shorter. Annoyed the hell out of me, but at the same time taught me some respect for guys I assumed were worse than they actually were.
 
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Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
Its interesting. The 1st time I dropped down a level for money ie changed leagues (equiv of like from 1st grade to 2nd grade) I was advised to pitch it up and try and bowl them as they wouldnt be able to handle the pace.

Well that was possibly the worst advice I ever got regarding cricket. Trying to hit the stumps every ball instead of my normal length led to me leaking a lot of runs.

Simply they found it easier to play the full ball than the ball a bit shorter. Annoyed the hell out of me, but at the same time taught me some respect for guys I assumed were worse than they actually were.
That is an interesting anecdote, may I ask how quick you are, approximately? Dean Headley plays in the same league (or did for the last three or four years, they got promoted this year) as my club's 1st XI (3rd division) and he only operates around 70mph but he pitches it full on a good length on off stump and averages around 8 with the ball because in that area, seam movement away will catch the edge and inwards will trap people LBW and batsmen are not good enough to get long strides or drive on the up. At lower levels, the key is to bowl full, but by no means bowl overpitched or half volleys as anyone can drive you then.
 

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
That is an interesting anecdote, may I ask how quick you are, approximately?
I wouldnt like to guess as that is what it would be, a guess. Fair to say though well over the 70 mph you mention.

I dont swing it around or seam it too much though
 
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Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
I wouldnt like to guess as that is what it would be, a guess. Fair to say though well over the 70 mph you mention.

I dont swing it around or seam it too much though
Interesting. If you do not swing it or seam it, may I recommend holding it cross seam so you can get uneven bounce.
 

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
Interesting. If you do not swing it or seam it, may I recommend holding it cross seam so you can get uneven bounce.
Holding it cross seam isnt a bad idea, apart from your teammates and captain want to kill you for scuffing the ball up and taking the shine away for the other bowlers.

Holding cross seam can get big away seam movement as well.
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
iamdavid said:
I've found against the bowling machine the ball always seems to be somewhat quicker than it is because you always pick it up later, there is no hand to watch and keep sight of the ball it just pops out of the hole and you dont properly pick it up until a couple of yards later than if it were a bowler.
Also where the bowlers arm is at release somewhat telegraphs the length of the ball and I reckon alot of batsman subconciously pick up on that, you dont get that with the bowling machine.
Completely agree with all of that.
 

bond21

Banned

Jason Fenwick, he plays for Beenleigh Logan, he is a local boy from my town, he basically blitzed A grade batsman in their prime when he was 17 or 18. He went to Brisbane at the start of this season so you might not know him.
 

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