What is fast bowling mostly about?

[Kirkut]

I exactly remember Jimmy Anderson clocking 93 mph in an ODI game against New Zealand with a very economical run up, and it wasn't a speed gun glitch because he was averaging 89 mph in that 10 over spell. This was probably New Zealand's tour of England in 2008.

Post diabetes Wasim Akram could still average at 85 mph in ODIs despite of bowling with a spinner's run up.

Whereas when I watched Sreesanth bowling in 2011 UK test tour, he was sprinting with a quite long run up but was stuck in 81-82 mph range.

So, is bowling quick more about raw strength or is it about how efficiently you can channelize your run up energy to the cricket ball?

 

[trundler]

It's about not being a vegetarian.

 

[Kirkut]

It's about not being a vegetarian.

Sreesanth is definitely not a veggie though.

 

[Starfighter]

Oh boy what a complex question. The short answer is it's about both and it varies individually between bowlers and the mechanics of their actions.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

It's mostly about delivering the ball. That's all.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

The PEDs and how to hide them properly.

 

[h_hurricane]

Its all about taking wickets nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Cow Corner]

Same as any other athletic sport. Starts with the right genetics -> fast twitch fibres, body dimensions (height/width), flexibility of your joints, strength through legs/back/shoulders/chest etc.

You then use technique to make sure that there is minimal kinetic loss and that all the power in your body is efficiently transmitted through the ball with minimal wastage (ie momentum through the ball/body not falling to one side/wrist behind the ball) etc etc etc.

 

[h_hurricane]

Same as any other athletic sport. Starts with the right genetics -> fast twitch fibres, body dimensions (height/width), flexibility of your joints, strength through legs/back/shoulders/chest etc.

You then use technique to make sure that there is minimal kinetic loss and that all the power in your body is efficiently transmitted through the ball with minimal wastage (ie momentum through the ball/body not falling to one side/wrist behind the ball) etc etc etc.

I would say Allan Donald was the perfect prototype for what you described.

 

[NotMcKenzie]

Bowling fast...



Now with that tautology out of the way, I once ran across somebody's thesis online about analysing bowling using some pathways or chains or something like that I don't understand, and which I don't remember what it was called now, but they concluded on the basis of their analysis that there is no optimal bowling action.

 

[h_hurricane]

I exactly remember Jimmy Anderson clocking 93 mph in an ODI game against New Zealand with a very economical run up, and it wasn't a speed gun glitch because he was averaging 89 mph in that 10 over spell. This was probably New Zealand's tour of England in 2008.

Post diabetes Wasim Akram could still average at 85 mph in ODIs despite of bowling with a spinner's run up.

Whereas when I watched Sreesanth bowling in 2011 UK test tour, he was sprinting with a quite long run up but was stuck in 81-82 mph range.

So, is bowling quick more about raw strength or is it about how efficiently you can channelize your run up energy to the cricket ball?

Quite possibly, most of Sreesanth's deliveries would have been short pitched loopy ones. Wasim and Jimmy would have bowled full length balls I reckon. Anderson was quite sharp a decade back.

 

[cnerd123]

At what point are considered a 'pace' bowler?

I'm not talking about M/MF/FM/F classifications. I'm thinking more about what it takes to actually describe yourself as a pacer/seamer/fast bowler.

Like, if I jog in of three steps and bowl seam up at 50mph, am I quick bowler? What if I really steamed in but hit the same speeds? What if I just jogged in off three steps and clocked 75?

 

[Kirkut]

At what point are considered a 'pace' bowler?

I'm not talking about M/MF/FM/F classifications. I'm thinking more about what it takes to actually describe yourself as a pacer/seamer/fast bowler.

Like, if I jog in of three steps and bowl seam up at 50mph, am I quick bowler? What if I really steamed in but hit the same speeds? What if I just jogged in off three steps and clocked 75?

Any speeds above 80 mph should officially classify you as a fast bowler.

 

[Kirkut]

Same as any other athletic sport. Starts with the right genetics -> fast twitch fibres, body dimensions (height/width), flexibility of your joints, strength through legs/back/shoulders/chest etc.

You then use technique to make sure that there is minimal kinetic loss and that all the power in your body is efficiently transmitted through the ball with minimal wastage (ie momentum through the ball/body not falling to one side/wrist behind the ball) etc etc etc.

Yes, this.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

At what point are considered a 'pace' bowler?

I'm not talking about M/MF/FM/F classifications. I'm thinking more about what it takes to actually describe yourself as a pacer/seamer/fast bowler.

Like, if I jog in of three steps and bowl seam up at 50mph, am I quick bowler? What if I really steamed in but hit the same speeds? What if I just jogged in off three steps and clocked 75?

Speeds: <45 mph --Lollypop bowler...

Pace is subjective.

 

[Red]

Long limbs, a slinging/whippy action or a really fast arm movement are what generates the serious heat.

 

[Kirkut]

Oh boy what a complex question. The short answer is it's about both and it varies individually between bowlers and the mechanics of their actions.

I believe it's more about how rhythmic your bowling action is, whether that action comes to you naturally or not? Chris Tremlett and Andre Nel were pretty strong but both had hard time touching 85 mph, it's because their bowling actions did not have fluid like flow. Most believe that Irfan Pathan lost pace because he changed his natural chest on action and tried to be more side on to avoid injuries.

 

[TheJediBrah]

In my experience it has very little to do with muscle building, and brute strength. I've seen many more cases of bowlers actually getting slower and struggling to bowl with as much pace after gaining upper-body muscle. Unless they're starting out as exceptionally thin and weak of course, in which case gaining muscle will obviously help.

 

[NZTailender]

it's clearly about the chix, duh

 

[Flem274*]

im in two minds on what you need to have/do to get quick. adam milne was a very skinny and not notably tall (6 footish, th to comment?) 17 year old bowling 150kph in that old champions league thing and in some random t20s against pakistan, but then im pretty sure it has been said by aussies that ryan harris hit the gym pretty hard to go from medium pace to genuine pace.

so idk