Inswinger as a stock ball?

[OverratedSanity]

Was just wondering if there've been many bowlers who primarily bowl inswing with the new ball. It's obvious that to top-order batsmen, the outswinger is generally the most effective and most consistent way to take wickets. The inswinger works better as a surprise delivery rather than it being the norm as good batsmen just flick the ball away off the pads because the margin of error is really small.

Shane Bond bowled great insingers but I'm not sure if he bowled it as a regular delivery rather than the surprise wicket-taker. And I'm only talking about conventional swing here, so Waqar doesn't count... he bowled those inswinging toe crushers with the old ball reversing.

 

[harsh.ag]

The early Imran could be an example, I think. The thing is, he, like most bowlers, soon found out that it is much more productive to have the out-swinger as the stock ball. So it will be difficult to find such examples.

I never saw much of Malinga's test career. He may have been one such bowler.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Yeah Imran was known for his inswingers, but was it conventional? I was under the impression he did it with the old ball, like Waqar.

Anderson's got one of the best inswingers I've seen, again though, it was his changeup.

 

[Migara]

Inswingers are useful when it ia done at high pace. Outswinger to be effective needs lesser paces.

 

[harsh.ag]

Yeah Imran was known for his inswingers, but was it conventional? I was under the impression he did it with the old ball, like Waqar.

Early Imran was different. Lot of inswingers.

 

[smash84]

Yep. Actually Imran's natural delivery was the in swinger. Even later on in his career he used it fairly often. He learned the out swinger from dk lillee iirc.

 

[zaremba]

Allan Donald?

 

[hendrix]

Chris Martin
Ishant Sharma
Shane Bond

 

[Immenso]

Although I've never seen him, I'd assume Mike Procter, as he bowled off his wrong foot.

Lance Cairns definitely, also off his wrong foot, although predominantly first change.

Chris Martin a good call. Huge inswinger piddly outswinger. But even he changed for the middle part of his career to stock ball = outswinger or seamer, even though it was his 'lesser' delivery.
He got good success early in his career until the inswinger as a stock ball got too predictable?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Allan Donald?

Ooh,yes. Bowled plenty of booming inswingers. Another reason why he was awesome to watch. The spectacel of bowlers like him and Bond is amazing... swinging it in viciously at high pace and seeing the stumps fly. Wish we'd see more of these kind of bowlers, really

Martin a good shout too... didnt have a good outswinger for a long time.

 

[zaremba]

Of course, virtually all outswing bowlers would bowl the same way to left handers - meaning that the outswinger becomes an inswinger.

Now, without wishing to appear too much of a fanboy, Jimmy Anderson's skill as a swing bowler is such that he bowls outswingers as his stock ball to both right- and left-handers. That's really something - I can't remember ever seeing anyone else do it. Couple that with his ability to reverse the ball both ways and he's pretty much unique. I don't pretend he's the complete article but hats off to him all the same.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

As good as a bowler Anderson is I think he's a perfect example of why most bowlers don't bother trying to move it both ways in the air - you're far, far better off becoming a master at swinging it one way like Steyn than trying to do both.

 

[Immenso]

Of course, virtually all outswing bowlers would bowl the same way to left handers - meaning that the outswinger becomes an inswinger.

Now, without wishing to appear too much of a fanboy, Jimmy Anderson's skill as a swing bowler is such that he bowls outswingers as his stock ball to both right- and left-handers. That's really something - I can't remember ever seeing anyone else do it. Couple that with his ability to reverse the ball both ways and he's pretty much unique. I don't pretend he's the complete article but hats off to him all the same.

Simon Doull, similar approach to Anderson.

 

[hendrix]

As good as a bowler Anderson is I think he's a perfect example of why most bowlers don't bother trying to move it both ways in the air - you're far, far better off becoming a master at swinging it one way like Steyn than trying to do both.

I think Anderson's method works for Anderson - particularly when England lack a left arm seamer with the ability to take the ball away from left handed batsmen.

Steyn, for example, has a notable weakness against left handed batsmen.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I think Anderson's method works for Anderson - particularly when England lack a left arm seamer with the ability to take the ball away from left handed batsmen.

Steyn, for example, has a notable weakness against left handed batsmen.

I wouldn't really call it a weakness. It's more that he's so godlike against RHers that it makes it look bad in comparison

 

[hendrix]

It's a definite weakness Imo. He often loses shape when forced to change the angle. I haven't dug up the numbers but i suspect there's a significant difference in averages.

 

[Jono]

As good as a bowler Anderson is I think he's a perfect example of why most bowlers don't bother trying to move it both ways in the air - you're far, far better off becoming a master at swinging it one way like Steyn than trying to do both.

Hmmm, not sure I agree but its an interesting point. I think if Steyn could swing the ball both ways like Anderson he would tbh. He's just in general a better bowler. Don't think he's a better bowler because he concentrates on his outswinger more than Jimmy.

 

[Spark]

It's a definite weakness Imo. He often loses shape when forced to change the angle. I haven't dug up the numbers but i suspect there's a significant difference in averages.

Yeah he averages 30-something against them IIRC.

Surprised no one's mentioned Kula here, really obvious pick for me.

 

[Jono]

Yeah good call.

Martin was the first to come to mind for me.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

It's a definite weakness Imo. He often loses shape when forced to change the angle. I haven't dug up the numbers but i suspect there's a significant difference in averages.

The Numbers Game: Dale Steyn v James Anderson | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

According to this, he averages 27 against lefties since the start of 2010. I really do not call that a weakness, it's just not his strength.

I'm sure Steyn would love to swing it both ways if he could hypothetically do it with no adverse affect on rhythm or accuracy. I'm arguing that in the vast majority of cases, bowlers sacrifice quite a bit at the top level by using both deliveries due to the change of action affecting rhythm. Freaks like Wasim and Marshall aside, almost no top level bowlers seem to bother.