How difficult is it for Test level cricketrs to obtain consistency in bowling?

[Bees]

How difficult is it for Test level cricketers to obtain consistency in bowling?

I ask because, looking purely at the South Africans, Steyn and Morkel are really hot and cold all the time.

Over time, do you think they can obtain a greater level of consistency? What factors affect this?

 

[pup11]

Of course its not as easy as it looks, to bowl with consistency one needs patience and skill, you can just run in and expect to pitch everything where you want, if it was that easy eveybody would have done it, things like rhythm also play a huge part in ensuring that a fast bowler bowls with consistency.
Both Morkel and Steyn are young, and sometimes when they don't get wickets they try all sorts of stuff resulting in them being all over the shop, that's where patience comes into play, its all about being patient enough to maintain a a good line and length and to do it over and over again until you don't induce the batsman into making an error, and that's what good consistent bowling is all about.

 

[susudear]

Am afraid Morne is becoming another Harmison.

 

[Richard]

I ask because, looking purely at the South Africans, Steyn and Morkel are really hot and cold all the time.

Over time, do you think they can obtain a greater level of consistency? What factors affect this?

Steyn's consistency actually isn't too bad, he's just expensive most of the time because he bowls a very full length on a very low trajectory, meaning that his margin-for-error is tiny. Morne Morkel has a much larger margin-for-error but is hopelessly wayward and always has been.

His (Steyn's) wicket-taking will of course always rely on the ball swinging. However, he recently managed to swing the ball, lots, at The MCG, which I've not seen anyone else do for many years, so he should be juuuuuuust fine there.

It's incredibly difficult to attain consistency if it's not natural to you. That doesn't mean no-one can do it but if you try you've a much larger chance of failure than of success. Morne Morkel's prospects wait to be seen but he has plenty to do.

 

[susudear]

Morne and Ishant

Ian Chappell, whose views I respect, was comparing Ishant Sharma and Morne Morkel and said they have basically the same attributes, height, pace and seam movement. But Morne lacks one thing what Ishant has : Control. Ability to bowl the right length and line is paramount for a bowler of his pace.