Left-arm bowling tips

[Not Out]

I am a left-arm medium-fast bowler and i usually bowl at 1st change. I just wanna know if anyone has any tips for bowling left-arm ( i bowl over the wicket) or any variations i could bowl because all i have is my normal ball and a semi-leg cutter. I have trouble bowling the correct line for a bouncer as well. Any ideas/tips?

[Uppercut]

Well it's a lot like bowling right-arm medium-fast, except you do it with your left arm.

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Become right handed.

[CricketSchool]

Originally Posted by Uppercut

Well it's a lot like bowling right-arm medium-fast, except you do it with your left arm.

[jathu]

Make sure you use your wrists whilst bowling to get extra pace and you should always bowl across to the right hander.

[ozone]

Originally Posted by jathu

Make sure you use your wrists whilst bowling to get extra pace and you should always bowl across to the right hander.

I don't really understand this. I think what you're saying is that a left arm bowler should always try and bowl over the wicket angling the ball across the right hander which, as a batsman, is exactly what you want a left armer to be doing. Unless there is swing (which I am assuming there isn't as the original point was a 'normal ball'), the bowler is completely taking out the lbw.

IMO, a left arm seamer should be trying to mix it up if he is unable to bowl a delivery that swings much. That means trying coming around the wicket, or delivering from different points on the crease. Not doing it every other delivery, but certainly throwing it in for an over or two in a 4-6 over spell.

As far as actual variation deliveries goes, its pretty much the same as a right arm bowler, although an inswinger is arguably the most useful tool. However, an easy variation to bring in is the off-cutter slower ball, its amazing how decieving running your fingers down the ball can make a delivery.

[luckyeddie]

As someone who played cricket for 30+ years as a left arm seam bowler at a not-very-high-level-at-all, the best advice I can possibly give to any young bowler just coming into the game is forget about having too many variations until you can consistently pitch the ball on or around the leg stump (your natural angle to the right hander will be 'pitch leg, hit off'.

I used to practice for hours on my own with half a dozen cricket balls and one stump in the nets in order to get used to varying my length - I used to place a handkerchief on the ground and concentrate on hitting it. Being able to effectively change your length gives you the ability to 'work' a batsman around the crease.

The only real variation I used apart from length and swapping the shine over (I swung the ball a lot when the conditions were in my favour) was a slower ball, and this I delivered with exactly the same action but with my first two fingers very wide apart on either side of the seam. Try it - it makes a dramatic difference to the delivery speed, especially if you don't 'snap' your wrist forward.

[rory2812]

I'm a left hand opening bowler and i find, in the first spell, it's better to bowl seam up and not to worry about the way the ball swings, just line and length. But when i come back on I use cutters which work really well. The most lethal ball in my arsenal, I think, is a ball that angles across the right hander and cuts back in. You can make it cut back in by holding the ball with your third finger just next to the left side of the seam and your index finger as far down as you can go on the right hand side, but make sure you can comfortably hold the ball.

I think the angle left handers have is really important and should be used as much as possible.

[Manee]

Originally Posted by Not Out

I am a left-arm medium-fast bowler and i usually bowl at 1st change. I just wanna know if anyone has any tips for bowling left-arm ( i bowl over the wicket) or any variations i could bowl because all i have is my normal ball and a semi-leg cutter. I have trouble bowling the correct line for a bouncer as well. Any ideas/tips?

Bowling at first change, you are not too likely to get much swing. Therefore, I'd advise concentrating hard on an off stump line, where the ball is leaving the batsmen but it is too near to leave. This is the line which I have favoured over the past few years and it has brought some success with the old ball. The key with left arm bowling is to not worry about speed, as a relaxed approach, keeping the ball quite full with a probing line can prove much more effective. As the ball starts to get extremely old, I find that a good tactic is to look to get near to the stumps and look to get the ball hitting the top of middle stump with a cross seam grip. With the angle, batsmen are unwilling or unable to work you to the leg side and if you keep the length full enough, they will struggle to pull the ball too.

As for variations, it would be helpful to know which kind of left arm bowler that you are. The majority of left arm bowlers bowl with a lowish arm, like Mitchell Johnson, and therefore would favour an off cutter slower ball as more natural. However, some bowl with an extremely high arm and push the ball with the fingers to get it across the right hander - these bowlers prefer the leg break slower ball. With this, do not worry too much about decieving the batsman with the release, but rather executing it correctly, as the turn and drop will be enough to trouble a batsman, if you land it correctly. Of course, if you bowl with a low arm, this slower ball will be impossible to bowl, but since you say you bowl a semi-leg cutter, you may have the right positioning to pull it off.

[varson]

i want to knoe how to ready my run up im a left fast bowler

[jazman84]

As a left armer you really only need your stock ball and leg cutter IMO. Your natural angle should be enough to trouble most batsmen. Use the crease as much as you can and don't be afraid of going around the wicket. Being 1st change, the ball will assist you in getting the ball to swing into the right handers. This is where you should go around the wicket IMO because you want to get the ball swinging late and just enough to hit the pads, the stumps of even the inside edge onto the stumps. The seam should still be prominent, so from around the wicket as close to the stumps as you can, pitch it up on middle and off with a slightly angled seam, about 60 degrees away from the batsman. This will draw in the drive, however the angled seam may get the ball to dart off the pitch and get the outside edge. As far as short balls go, around the wicket is good here too because as long as you don't spray it too wildly you should be safe from the hook and with shallow 3rd man you can dare them to try a lofted cut.
As 1st change the seam may not make a loud 'siffing' noise when you do the cutter. My brother bowls an awesome left arm leg cutter from around the stumps. He'll bowl some safe inswingers to the right hander, not looking for a wicket but not giving away runs. Then he'll bowl the cutter which is the wicket ball. The inswingers will close their stance up then the off cutter will draw the bat away from the body which can get the edge or a forced lofted drive.

For bowling over the stumps to a right hander, while he isn't the best bowler to use as a coaching example, check out Midge Johnson's angle. When he is on song he is releasing the ball almost directly on top of the stumps. This allows the ball to still go across a right hand bastman, but the line holds up enough to entice a drive. What you need to watch is giving away your angle too early, because they will start cutting and square driving with little risk. The idea is to have them worried about their stumps, pads and fielders with the same ball. This is the advantage of a leftie. As a left armer, as soon as the batsman is only worried about the field you are going to get runs scored against you due to the angle and no threat to the stumps or the pads.

There are big differences IMO between a left hand batsman facing a right arm bowler and a right hand batsman facing a left arm bowler. While they are more or less mirror images, the majority of right hand batsman will have very little experience in facing left-armers, yet left arm batsman have spent their whole lives dealing with the right arm bowlers. Use this to your advantage.

And last but not least, work on following through and getting your head up early. With your natural angle and swing into the right handers there will always be the opportunity to get a leading edge for a c&b.

TLDR. As a leftie, get the batsman worried about his pads, stumps and fielders. Once his stumps and pads are safe, you will probably start going for runs.

[shankares]

Hi I am left arm opening bowler and with my natural action I can swing a lot in the air into the batsman (only inswingers) however I am not able to swing or even cut the ball away from the batsman. Can someone suggest what I am doing wrong

[Russell]

Originally Posted by shankares

Hi I am left arm opening bowler and with my natural action I can swing a lot in the air into the batsman (only inswingers) however I am not able to swing or even cut the ball away from the batsman. Can someone suggest what I am doing wrong

Have you tried starting your run-up two or three paces to the right assuming you are bowling over the wicket and almost aim between 1st and 2nd slip. I hardly ever get any to swing away aside the very odd ball but if you keep that line the pitch and your current inswing will do the rest.

[Rhyno]

Thanks heaps mate i tried what u have said and its working a treat, im getting it to pitch on the same line everytime and im moving the ball both ways.

[Outswinger@Pace]

Originally Posted by Rhyno

Thanks heaps mate i tried what u have said and its working a treat, im getting it to pitch on the same line everytime and im moving the ball both ways.

Brilliant! There's nothing, and I repeat nothing, I love seeing in cricket more than that.