Wrist Spin Bowling (part Five)

[someblokecalleddave]

Your season finished now? We finished yesterday. Overjoyed we won the league, gutted the season is over.

One more game - at home, but it's in jeopardy as one of the 1st team is getting married and 50% of the club are at the wedding. People are saying that we're unlikely to get 3 of the 4 teams out and we may only field 2 teams! So it sounds as though I may play in the 2nd XI along with my sons and some other bit part players from the 4th XI. I can't see that we'll stay in this league and we'll drop back down to where we were last year. I wont be surprised if the 4th XI doesn't exist next year unless the club finds another handful of players and doesn't lose any in the meantime, but GSCE's beckon for a lot of the kids like my son next year as well as girlfriends and other interests.

Will the new league mean a far better standard of cricket? It has for us and it's meant that we've been massacred a lot of the time, but the 4th's in comparison to last years 4ths is also a far weaker set up anyway - I mean I'm the bloody captain, that's how bad it's been!!!!

 

[someblokecalleddave]

Okay but i bowled to right handers too

Okay but i bowled to right handers too

I'm not the best to answer this really and besides it's dependent on so many variables. One of the key things is your accuracy combined with the amount you spin the ball. I mostly aim to bowl at the off - stump in order to force them to play the ball and I'm looking for edges that go to the keeper, slips or gully, if they fancy their chances I have mid on and mid off half way quite straight, tempting them to go over the top. I have a father and son combo there - Tony and Liam Harms, both genetically pre-disposed to catching the ball, I think I've only seen them put a ball down once! I bowl a leg break and one with a lot more over-spin that dips, I just vary these for the most part.

I wish I could say that nothing goes down the leg-side, but it does, if that was the case I'd leave that wide open.

One of my on-field tacticians has a tactic whereby he's able to recognise that a player has a weakness in their batting technique and he moves all the fielders out of that space to try and get them to play that shot. That works well as they invariably get it wrong. I haven't got those kind of skills and knowledge.

 

[SLA]

One more game - at home, but it's in jeopardy as one of the 1st team is getting married and 50% of the club are at the wedding. People are saying that we're unlikely to get 3 of the 4 teams out and we may only field 2 teams! So it sounds as though I may play in the 2nd XI along with my sons and some other bit part players from the 4th XI. I can't see that we'll stay in this league and we'll drop back down to where we were last year. I wont be surprised if the 4th XI doesn't exist next year unless the club finds another handful of players and doesn't lose any in the meantime, but GSCE's beckon for a lot of the kids like my son next year as well as girlfriends and other interests.

Will the new league mean a far better standard of cricket? It has for us and it's meant that we've been massacred a lot of the time, but the 4th's in comparison to last years 4ths is also a far weaker set up anyway - I mean I'm the bloody captain, that's how bad it's been!!!!

We're a bit of a yo-yo team at the minute, have gone div 3 -> div 2 -> div 1 -> div 2 and now back up to div 1 next year. However we think we're going to stay up this year as the team is stronger than it was last time we went up.

Div 1 is a higher standard as you would expect, most teams have 4 decent batsman, 4 decent bowlers, and very few weak links in the field. In div 2 its more like 3 bats, 3 bowlers, and at least a couple of weak fielders.


Can't believe there is no match now until April :-/

 

[someblokecalleddave]

We're a bit of a yo-yo team at the minute, have gone div 3 -> div 2 -> div 1 -> div 2 and now back up to div 1 next year. However we think we're going to stay up this year as the team is stronger than it was last time we went up.

Div 1 is a higher standard as you would expect, most teams have 4 decent batsman, 4 decent bowlers, and very few weak links in the field. In div 2 its more like 3 bats, 3 bowlers, and at least a couple of weak fielders.


Can't believe there is no match now until April :-/

I think my old team Grays had friendly matches right up till the end of Sept, not sure if our Sunday games go beyond the leagues final matches. I'll have to have a look. I'd play indoor cricket if I could over the winter but I'm never asked (Not good enough for the level they play). If I could get some blokes together I'd form my own "Kerry Packer" team!

 

[Cleanprophet]

So i needed some advice accord ing to what and how should i set a field, how van i use thèse 4 deliveries, and what to do on non spinning pitches ?

That's a tough one. A lot depends on the batter and the pitch too. That tactic of going a little wide on the crease and putting some legspinners outside offstump is a good tactic. Get them playing outside offstump and look for an edge. I find that giving it a bit more spin and not pushing it through so quickly is a good way to go with that line. Then, of course, you can bowl from right in at the stumps and bowl the quicker one on offstump or even just outside offstump.

Non-spinning pitches require you to bowl a very tight line. That line should be tight on offstump. Nothing should be on legstump and probably even on middle. A legspinner should get some turn on all pitches, even if it is a very small amount. Bowling the ball just outside offstump will be testing line for the batter. No matter what the batter thinks about the pitch or the bowler, that line will be an awakward line for the batter.

 

[SLA]

Remember, on non-spinning pitches you can still get drift and dip and bounce as long as you keep spinning the ball hard. Turn is only one weapons in the spinner's arsenal.

I would just start off with trying to establish some pressure on the batsman with a series of accurate stock deliveries that tie him down and give him nothing to work with. Then, when he tries to manufacture shots to break your stranglehold, respond with the appropriate variation.

Patience is a virtue. As to the question of which variation to use, use the one he has left himself vulnerable to.

 

[shahidpak]

Thanks for the fielders i think i will follow the ball and try to get a good field at the endand btw does some leg spinner on this forum really bowl at 55 mph to 65 mph?

 

[shahidpak]

I was watching the England India odi and i saw the partime off spinner Suresh raina bowling, he was bowling at a décent pace 55 to 59 mph he was getting good revs and good turn he bowled a good like and length, so why is he a part time spinner and not so successful when jadeja does the samedi thing as raina and jadeja IS successful (gets wickets) ?

 

[SLA]

So, to start a new conversation, how did everyone do this year?

Battingwise, I scored 685 runs at 57 in the league and 205 runs at 40 in the T20. Add in exactly 100 runs in friendlies and I almost made it to 1000 runs (990). The last time I got to 1000 runs was like 2001.

Bowlingwise, I got 21 wickets at 13 (econ 3.15) in the league and 20 wickets at 10 (econ 4.4) in the T20. 41 wickets is my best bowling return since 2011 when I got 57, so i'm pretty pleased with that.

Also had plenty of enjoyable memorable moments, a ton, a handful of 50s, a 5-fer and a couple of 4fers, and 3 saves.*



*a save is a term I borrowed from baseball when you bowl the last over with the oppo needing <10 runs to win and you don't let them get it.

 

[shahidpak]

So, to start a new conversation, how did everyone do this year?

Battingwise, I scored 685 runs at 57 in the league and 205 runs at 40 in the T20. Add in exactly 100 runs in friendlies and I almost made it to 1000 runs (990). The last time I got to 1000 runs was like 2001.

Bowlingwise, I got 21 wickets at 13 (econ 3.15) in the league and 20 wickets at 10 (econ 4.4) in the T20. 41 wickets is my best bowling return since 2011 when I got 57, so i'm pretty pleased with that.

Also had plenty of enjoyable memorable moments, a ton, a handful of 50s, a 5-fer and a couple of 4fers, and 3 saves.*



*a save is a term I borrowed from baseball when you bowl the last over with the oppo needing <10 runs to win and you don't let them get it.

I still have 3 matches left in the season

 

[Darth Spin]

How's everyone doing? I picked up 10-1-35-2 yesterday, which I was quite pleased with as I considered myself 5th or 6th choice bowler and wasn't really expecting a bowl.

Hello people. It is I, Darth Spin.

Well I pretty much had a season to forget. I really struggled for rhythm and couldn't even get it together in the nets. This was back in July I think, it's all a bit of a blur. Anyway I started a new job and then straight away had to move house as my landlord wanted his flat back. At this point life was getting a bit rubbish and I stopped enjoying my cricket. The only time I could house hunt was at weekends so I gave up cricket for the rest of the season, my head not being in the right place and bowling all over the shop. Darth Spin? Jedi Scum, more like. All a bit depressing.

I think I played a couple more games after the last time I posted on here. I finished my second season with 36-2-227-7. Overall I'm on 72-3-472-20, with S/R 21.6, Avg 23.6, Econ 6.55. A bit of a regression from my first season as a leggie and I can only put it down to changing my run up, although at the start of the season my run up was fine. I think I also had a touch of the googly syndrome as the wrong uns were fine but the leggie went haywire by mid July. I knew I was in trouble when in one particular match the only time anyone said "nice ball, Darth" was after a wrong un. I was changing my run up mid over, shortening it, lengthening it, probably marking it out wrong, letting batsmen get to me - you name it. I was thinking "outside the circle" and not enjoying it at all, even at the nets. I just felt exhausted.

So I stopped bowling altogether as I needed a total break from cricket. I kept doing hand to hand practice and messing around with a tennis ball off the wall in my lounge so that I didn't lose it completely. I stopped practicing the wrong un release and only did sidespin/topspin hand to hand drills. Then this week I finally found a spot to practice in my new surroundings and just happened to bump into the captain of the local club in the process, so I'll have some nets next Tuesday. I was relieved that as soon as I started bowling I could bowl my stock ball on a decent line and length and turn it from leg to off. Hallelujah! Still the odd loose/uncoordinated delivery but it was ever thus. And yeah, I then started bowling the odd wrong un. Watchagonnado?

 

[Cleanprophet]

I would just start off with trying to establish some pressure on the batsman with a series of accurate stock deliveries that tie him down and give him nothing to work with. Then, when he tries to manufacture shots to break your stranglehold, respond with the appropriate variation.

At club level, you probably only need to bowl 3 or 4 good balls that are not so easy to hit and the batter will get a bit nervous about how he is going to cope/score runs.

I was watching the England India odi and i saw the partime off spinner Suresh raina bowling, he was bowling at a décent pace 55 to 59 mph he was getting good revs and good turn he bowled a good like and length, so why is he a part time spinner and not so successful when jadeja does the samedi thing as raina and jadeja IS successful (gets wickets) ?

Raina just bowls more poor balls than Jadeja. That's pretty much what seperates good bowlers from very good bowlers.

Thanks for the fielders i think i will follow the ball and try to get a good field at the endand btw does some leg spinner on this forum really bowl at 55 mph to 65 mph?

I tend to bowl about 50mph and up to 55mph. But I do bowl some sliders around 60mph.

 

[Cleanprophet]

So I stopped bowling altogether as I needed a total break from cricket. I was relieved that as soon as I started bowling I could bowl my stock ball on a decent line and length and turn it from leg to off. Hallelujah! Still the odd loose/uncoordinated delivery but it was ever thus. And yeah, I then started bowling the odd wrong un. Watchagonnado?

A good break from cricket really helps. I missed a month back in March and when I came back I was bowling topspinners when I was trying to bowl legspinners. Not sure why, but a break can change these things.

 

[Cleanprophet]

So, to start a new conversation, how did everyone do this year?

I've still got 3 games left (Sunday's game was a wash out). I don't even know the stats for my bowling. I suspect I'm around 20 wickets. Not got any runs this season, which is a disappointment. I feel like my bowling is at a much higher standard now than it was a couple of months ago. Just a shame there's only 3 games left. I'd like to get 10 wickets from those last 3 games and maybe get a score with the bat.

 

[SLA]

I've still got 3 games left (Sunday's game was a wash out). I don't even know the stats for my bowling. I suspect I'm around 20 wickets. Not got any runs this season, which is a disappointment. I feel like my bowling is at a much higher standard now than it was a couple of months ago. Just a shame there's only 3 games left. I'd like to get 10 wickets from those last 3 games and maybe get a score with the bat.

Its always the way, I play my best cricket in the last 3 games just when the season is finishing, and then wish I'd done that all year long and that the season was going on for another few months.

I think a lot of the problem is the switch from indoor nets to outdoor pitches. It takes a month to get used to all the differences.

Plus every year I find it really hard to get a rhythm running up on soft spongy May ground where my spikes get stuck in the grass. By July it is much harder. Weird huh.

 

[Cleanprophet]

Its always the way, I play my best cricket in the last 3 games just when the season is finishing, and then wish I'd done that all year long and that the season was going on for another few months.

I think a lot of the problem is the switch from indoor nets to outdoor pitches. It takes a month to get used to all the differences.

Plus every year I find it really hard to get a rhythm running up on soft spongy May ground where my spikes get stuck in the grass. By July it is much harder. Weird huh.

The beauty of my run up is that it isn't really a run up, but a bit of an amble. So I don't have any problems in that area at all, thankfully.

I do usually feel better with my bowling by the end of the season, but this season I feel I'm a lot better. That is mainly because I just feel the technical side of things is better. In other words, I think I am actually a better bowler rather than just having found a bit of form. I've developed that slider and it has made a big difference. I always had it (it probably pre-dates my actual legspinner). I just didn't work on really pushing it through quicker and flatter. Now that I am bowling that, it gives me more of a chance to get on top of the batter. Once you are dominating the batter, you are able to bowl the stock legspinner with much more effect. The slider, effectively, has become a bit of an enforcer for me. I just wish I had worked on it in pre-season rather than waiting until well into the season.

 

[SLA]

The beauty of my run up is that it isn't really a run up, but a bit of an amble. So I don't have any problems in that area at all, thankfully.

I do usually feel better with my bowling by the end of the season, but this season I feel I'm a lot better. That is mainly because I just feel the technical side of things is better. In other words, I think I am actually a better bowler rather than just having found a bit of form. I've developed that slider and it has made a big difference. I always had it (it probably pre-dates my actual legspinner). I just didn't work on really pushing it through quicker and flatter. Now that I am bowling that, it gives me more of a chance to get on top of the batter. Once you are dominating the batter, you are able to bowl the stock legspinner with much more effect. The slider, effectively, has become a bit of an enforcer for me. I just wish I had worked on it in pre-season rather than waiting until well into the season.

Do you mix up slider and stock leg break 50:50? Does it change to lefthanders?

 

[Darth Spin]

I've got a game this Saturday.

I missed this place. I tried to catch up on this thread last night and read it all from when I last posted, but I got bored half way through as all of you can type for England.

 

[boogiespinner]

Had a net practice today. Googlies went into side netting. some reasonable leg breaks but not really feeling great, many going straight ahead. I did have a nice spell where I gave a good bat real problems though.

I think that I am releasing the ball with the arm too far through the action and as a result I think I still have the problem of not quite landing it on the seam. Perhaps this explains why my half-trackers have always turned nicely.

Flippers are definitely possible. Tried a few, not mastered at all but it's nice to worry about the seam angle at all with them, I'm sure they default to coming out as backspin.

 

[boogiespinner]

One of the other guys remembered my comedy googly from the previous game and I think had inspired him to practise bowling them! I felt like saying don't bother!