Playing swing bowling

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shaazthegreat

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Playing swing bowling

Does anyone have good tips on playing quality swing bowling? I read a quote by Gillespie in an Inside Cric Aus magazine, "Batting is more about putting the good balls out". Now I can get along fine with swing, but at a high pace when the ball is swinging late, you can't be sure when to leave the ball. At the last moment it might swing out or in, and you have so little time to play. With a new ball, it's very hard to find out the shinier side. When my coach bowls to me, even the grip is just normal grip, but he swings it a lot. Any ideas?
I guess reading the ball better would be the solution, but how?
 
Re: Playing swing bowling

I also have a problem with outswing bowling. I guess it's pretty rudimentary, but I always find myself stepping to the line of the ball as I first pick it up (ie the line before it swings) then miss it. I guess all I can do is practice, which would be my (not particularly useful) advice to you as well shaaz :p
 
Re: Playing swing bowling

If you can watch the seam, if the seam is standing upright and pointing one way, it will usually swing that way unless it's reverse swing, but watching the seam isn't always easy. If you know a bowler is swinging it, then go at the ball hard so if you do get an edge it will go over the top of the slips.
 
Re: Playing swing bowling

depending on whether the keeper is standing up or not! i'd counteract it by coming out of my crease to eliminate the swing and get to the pitch of the ball!

other than that hope its not an overcast day with plenty of sun!
 
Re: Playing swing bowling

Cover the line of the ball. If you do that you will minimise the amount of swing. Try to take a full step forward, and make sure your foot is at the pitch of the ball.
There are a few things you could other than that.
-Stand out of your crease
-Take on off stump guard, may help you work out when to leave the ball
-Try to play of the back foot as much as possible. That way you will be able to see how much and where the ball is swinging
 
Re: Playing swing bowling

I'm not a batsman, but those who play my swing best are those who either can wait until the ball is under their nose or those who look to play a shot regardless of the swing and swing through the line whilst getting forward.
 
Re: Playing swing bowling

I've been told that Sir Don BRadman in his book mentions that if he plays a perfect straight drive, the ball would go on the on-side rather than straight. He says this helped him to counter outswing because even if the ball hit the outswide edge, it would not carry to the slips. I have seen this in many other players : Sachin, Lara, Ponting etc. IF you watch this video: [ame="http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=rSjK_l5PqfA"]YouTube - Donald Bradman's Great Innings[/ame]
from 6:48 to 6:55 of the video, there is a bradman off-drive in slow motion. It also shows his weird grip.

What do you think about this?
 
Re: Playing swing bowling

From the way he played it, it looks as though you'd need a great eye not to get a leading edge to cover a lot of the time.
 
Re: Playing swing bowling

I would recommend either batting out of your crease, play the ball very late or you could try and play with very soft hands if it's outswing bowling, this would mean that any edges are likely to go down.

However if its inswing bowling what i would reccomend is a big early stride and back yourself to adjust if its full on leg. This should help negate LBW
 
Re: Playing swing bowling

And watch where the arm comes over and where the bowler is in relation to the stumps. If he is closer to the stumps and his arm is coming over near his ear (veritcal-ish) it is probably inswing (I think), and further away from the stumps and arm more diagonal will probably be outswing (I think). But those things might be hard to pick up.
 
Re: Playing swing bowling

Yeah guess that'll be hard to pick up! But however with lots of practice, I think my subconscious will learn to pick it up! :D
 
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