Do you think bowling or batting is the harder skill to learn?

[karan_fromthestands]

Not at a semi-decent level of cricket. Maybe in very low grades playing on synthetic wickets

 

[TheJediBrah]

haha fair

 

[cnerd123]

FWIW I've actually coached and watched a lot of first-timers play cricket, from U11s to adults, and the majority will bowl seam up as their first skill. They find that much easier than imparting any sort of spin on the ball, and usually at slow-medium speeds they get quite a bit of h00p as well which excites them.

Spin is very much either a natural skill (ie - some players just naturally release the ball like a spinner) or a choice that kids pick after watching it on TV.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Absolutely, for a child that has never played cricket before seam up bowling will be simpler. I was specifically talking about already minimally experienced cricketers:

For someone who already can play cricket at the barest minimum of levels, the easiest skill by far to become proficient at at a decent level (like basic club 1st grade) is finger spin.

The difference between these medium pacers you see like Kohli is they have been bowling that their whole life and just never got that good. You don't see a 25-30 year old decent-level cricket suddenly take up seam bowling and have success at it, almost never happens. But it happens far too often with finger spin. Seen it too much in my time and genuinely annoys me that some hack that's never bowled spin before in his life can just decide to give it a crack and be serviceable at it with very little training and effort.

 

[Line and Length]

Contrary to some of the opinions expressed regarding finger spin, I was far more adept at bowling pace. I could move the ball off the seam and keep a tight line. I tried bowling spin in the nets (and once in a game) with very ordinary results.

 

[cnerd123]

Yea TJB's frustrations seem to stem from his own inherent lack of pace bowling talent, mired with a self loathing based on the fact that he has a natural aptitude for finger spin.

FWIW I find pace/seam/swing bowling easier too. Bowling genuine pace is hard and not everyone can do it, but not everyone can impart a lot of spin on the ball with accuracy either. But basically any human being can get the ball to seam or swing, really takes nothing special.

 

[honestbharani]

Wicketkeeping is actually really easy to teach/pick up

Its a bullying position in our local games. The best player/captain gets to keep wickets and others get a chance only when they bowl or CBF'd to keep sometimes. But what I realized quickly was how specialized the position is as you get into more serious levels. Fortunately, I started as a keeper as I was the youngest and smallest in the team initially and where we played in our neighborhood, keeping was the easiest position as there was a wall behind you which stops the ball anyways.

 

[cnerd123]

Its a bullying position in our local games. The best player/captain gets to keep wickets and others get a chance only when they bowl or CBF'd to keep sometimes. But what I realized quickly was how specialized the position is as you get into more serious levels. Fortunately, I started as a keeper as I was the youngest and smallest in the team initially and where we played in our neighborhood, keeping was the easiest position as there was a wall behind you which stops the ball anyways.

Yea it's a pretty easy position to start with, I've seen clubs give that role to the fattest/laziest/least athletic kid in the squad because they'd be a liability elsewhere lol.

Keeping at the higher levels isn't that much more specialized than slip cordon/boundary fielding IMO. It's just a lot more demanding physically. You really need someone who is fit and up for the task. But the actual skills of moving and catching the ball aren't that hard to master. Like, it's not that much harder than becoming an excellent close in catcher, or becoming a good boundary fielder. The only real difference is the keeper has to field maybe 10 times as many balls as any other fielder over the course of the game.

 

[honestbharani]

I think finger spin is an easier secondary skill to try for someone who is already good at something else. Especially for batsmen as it takes less out of you physically to bowl a semi decent over. Seam up is definitely more natural if you can actually bowl and want to bowl. Of course, being good at finger spin is as hard as being good at any other discipline in cricket and should not be something you discount just because it is an easier secondary skill for most players who play at a decent level.

 

[Line and Length]

The higher standard levels of cricket expect all 11 players to bat but only 5 or so are required to bowl. Over the years my batting improved but I was always regarded as a front-line bowler.

 

[Daemon]

I think this is a myth. Bowling tidy seam-ups in the middle overs is even easier. But part-timers generally don't want to spend a lot of physical energy on their bowling, so they try bowling dirty darts instead.

This means it’s easier doesn’t it..

 

[Daemon]

I think finger spin is an easier secondary skill to try for someone who is already good at something else. Especially for batsmen as it takes less out of you physically to bowl a semi decent over. Seam up is definitely more natural if you can actually bowl and want to bowl. Of course, being good at finger spin is as hard as being good at any other discipline in cricket and should not be something you discount just because it is an easier secondary skill for most players who play at a decent level.

Yeah being good at finger spin is as hard as anything else.

But if the criteria is not looking like a complete fool then finger spin is the preferred choice for most imo, except very low levels where seam up may come more naturally.

 

[cnerd123]

Yeah being good at finger spin is as hard as anything else.

But if the criteria is not looking like a complete fool then finger spin is the preferred choice for most imo, except very low levels where seam up may come more naturally.

I play with guys who can't wrap their heads around bowling an offbreak without chucking it. They actually prefer to bowl seam up or legbreaks if they're going to bowl in the nets/social game.

But yea if you're competent enough to be able to bowl anything to reasonable effect, then naturally you'll lean into the offies as a part-time bowler. Seam up is physically demanding and quite hittable in most conditions, and legbreaks require a lot of practice to have control over.

 

[Jarquis]

Comparing wicket keeping to boundary riding? Yeesh

 

[Daemon]

I play with guys who can't wrap their heads around bowling an offbreak without chucking it. They actually prefer to bowl seam up or legbreaks if they're going to bowl in the nets/social game.

except very low levels where seam up may come more naturally.

.

 

[honestbharani]

This means it’s easier doesn’t it..

Easier for someone who is already playing the game and is more of a specialist in another skill. For a complete newbie who is asked to bowl, seam-up will always be the first thing.

 

[morgieb]

Admittedly I'm pretty n00bish when it comes to cricket, but I always found batting a far more straightforward natural action than bowling.

 

[cnerd123]

.

I don't play at that low a level okay Recently took the wicket of a HK U16 / future HK U19 player!

Comparing wicket keeping to boundary riding? Yeesh

It's ridiculously hard to pull off those step-out-step-in boundary catches. The ones where you time the jump to intercept a six and manage to keep the ball in play/relay it to a partner. Plus there's quite a bit of skill involved with judging high catches, covering large amounts of space, throwing hard and on target, and just generally chasing and keeping the ball inside the ropes. Maybe it's not as skillful as keeping wicket, but it is a specialist position that not all players can do well.

 

[Jarquis]

I thought we were talking about learning though?

 

[TheJediBrah]

Yeah being good at finger spin is as hard as anything else.

But if the criteria is not looking like a complete fool then finger spin is the preferred choice for most imo, except very low levels where seam up may come more naturally.

I think this is the contentious point. Not trying to be a dick (it just comes naturally) but I think a few expressing these opinions here have more experience at "lower" levels which is great and not any less relevant. As we have both said and re-iterated already, it is different at different levels.