Do leg spinners spin on wet pitches?
- Thread starter conor
- Start date
mas cambios
Active Member
Re: Do leg spinners spin on wet pitches?
Could be either. The state of the matting could be poor and it won't be helped by being wet. The ball needs to be able to grip, so if it's slippy due to rain it may not be able to do that.
Could be either. The state of the matting could be poor and it won't be helped by being wet. The ball needs to be able to grip, so if it's slippy due to rain it may not be able to do that.
Re: Do leg spinners spin on wet pitches?
This is an interesting point and one that should be taken into consideration when deciding whether to bring on the spinners.
The spinner's favoured habitat is a 'Bunsen'.
[Bunsen - after Bunsen Burner - slang for 'turner']
If you think of a Bunsen Burner wicket; you visualise a parched wicket. This is where the spinner's ball will turn.
Forget about wherever the spinner lays his hat... that's his home. Sorry, I promise to grow up one day
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However, you may find fun on a 'sticky wicket' too! Unfortunately, these are few and far between these days.
This is an interesting point and one that should be taken into consideration when deciding whether to bring on the spinners.
The spinner's favoured habitat is a 'Bunsen'.
[Bunsen - after Bunsen Burner - slang for 'turner']
If you think of a Bunsen Burner wicket; you visualise a parched wicket. This is where the spinner's ball will turn.
Forget about wherever the spinner lays his hat... that's his home. Sorry, I promise to grow up one day
.However, you may find fun on a 'sticky wicket' too! Unfortunately, these are few and far between these days.
Re: Do leg spinners spin on wet pitches?
if the ball is of match quality, and isnt brand new, and you land it on the seam, then it will turn on literally any cricket surface. bare concrete, old shiny net matting, old worn matting, brand new matting, wooden board, completely grassed over wicket, slightly green wicket, bare wicket, dry wicket, damp wicket, soaking wet wicket, dustbowl, etc
some surfaces aid spin more than others, i like really old net matting with a slight shine to it directly on top of concrete, in hot dry weather. the softer the surface the harder it is to get it doing anything. but if you land on the seam with good revs it will always turn.
ive bowled quite a few times on wet net surfaces, and at first i thought that it was impossible to get the ball turning, but you just have to be more consistent with the seam position. whereas if youve got a ball that isnt completely shiny, you can usually get it turning on a dry surface even if you land off-seam.
if youre using cheap balls, or balls with very shiny hard leather then its harder to find turn. i like Kookaburra Gold Crown balls because they scuff up nicely and make for really easy leg spin bowling.
if the ball is of match quality, and isnt brand new, and you land it on the seam, then it will turn on literally any cricket surface. bare concrete, old shiny net matting, old worn matting, brand new matting, wooden board, completely grassed over wicket, slightly green wicket, bare wicket, dry wicket, damp wicket, soaking wet wicket, dustbowl, etc
some surfaces aid spin more than others, i like really old net matting with a slight shine to it directly on top of concrete, in hot dry weather. the softer the surface the harder it is to get it doing anything. but if you land on the seam with good revs it will always turn.
ive bowled quite a few times on wet net surfaces, and at first i thought that it was impossible to get the ball turning, but you just have to be more consistent with the seam position. whereas if youve got a ball that isnt completely shiny, you can usually get it turning on a dry surface even if you land off-seam.
if youre using cheap balls, or balls with very shiny hard leather then its harder to find turn. i like Kookaburra Gold Crown balls because they scuff up nicely and make for really easy leg spin bowling.
macca
Active Member
Re: Do leg spinners spin on wet pitches?
How long did you try for? It helps to have someone down the keepers end seeing what is happening but it could be you were not landing on the seam enough and on that wicket it would probably skid through straight. They normally dont bounce as much on the wet mat but you should spin if you get it right.
It might help to experiment with how the seam is positioned as it leaves your hand so you are getting it to land , more often than not, on the seam.
conor;391212 said:
How long did you try for? It helps to have someone down the keepers end seeing what is happening but it could be you were not landing on the seam enough and on that wicket it would probably skid through straight. They normally dont bounce as much on the wet mat but you should spin if you get it right.
It might help to experiment with how the seam is positioned as it leaves your hand so you are getting it to land , more often than not, on the seam.
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
Re: Do leg spinners spin on wet pitches?
I'll add my pennythworth. My best bowling figures always have occured at the start of the season on damp wickets - and I mean soaking wet with mud types. As for mats and dampness I couldn't say.
I'll add my pennythworth. My best bowling figures always have occured at the start of the season on damp wickets - and I mean soaking wet with mud types. As for mats and dampness I couldn't say.
Re: Do leg spinners spin on wet pitches?
Now that I have changed regional competitions most games I now play on artificial pitches.
Where I used to play that was great, the pitches turned a long way for me and it was good fun.
Unfortunately now, though, this region uses a brand called 'Gabba Grass'. It is called that because here in Queensland they have developed their product based wholly around the Gabba pitch, trying to match it as best as possible. And we all know what the Gabba pitch is reknowned for, seam and pace - helps the pace bowlers a lot.
Plus with the humidity around here the balls swing like crazy. That coupled with the Gabba Grass pitches that have a shine to them and barely turn even if you throw the ball up and let it spin just it front of you, means that the best bowlers around here are pace bowlers as the turf wickets are always very green and skid on as well. They are the only export we could hope to have and when they go to different places to play the come off second best and we can only hope to have a high quality player come from here.
So pitches do make a hell of a difference.
Now that I have changed regional competitions most games I now play on artificial pitches.
Where I used to play that was great, the pitches turned a long way for me and it was good fun.
Unfortunately now, though, this region uses a brand called 'Gabba Grass'. It is called that because here in Queensland they have developed their product based wholly around the Gabba pitch, trying to match it as best as possible. And we all know what the Gabba pitch is reknowned for, seam and pace - helps the pace bowlers a lot.
Plus with the humidity around here the balls swing like crazy. That coupled with the Gabba Grass pitches that have a shine to them and barely turn even if you throw the ball up and let it spin just it front of you, means that the best bowlers around here are pace bowlers as the turf wickets are always very green and skid on as well. They are the only export we could hope to have and when they go to different places to play the come off second best and we can only hope to have a high quality player come from here.
So pitches do make a hell of a difference.
collingwood
New Member
Re: Do leg spinners spin on wet pitches?
I think the ball would be skidding and not gripping on the wet pitch, better to bowl straight and have them think the ball will turn, when it doesn't you get them LBW
conor;391212 said:
I think the ball would be skidding and not gripping on the wet pitch, better to bowl straight and have them think the ball will turn, when it doesn't you get them LBW
Re: Do leg spinners spin on wet pitches?
It's one of those gambles; depends on the batsman.
It is true that if you continually bowl straight, the batsman will get the measure of you but you can get away with it initially.
On a day like Dave describes, you would be suicidal to put the spinners on straight away, however, a little into the game when the wicket becomes a little sticky, you could cause chaos but it may be worth bowling straight initially to get the measure of the condition. The batsman will still expect it to spin and commit.
The point at where a wet wicket becomes sticky is a bit of a precarious science; dependent on many circumstances. You need to know when and how to use this window of opportunity to get the best out of the spinners.
It's one of those gambles; depends on the batsman.
It is true that if you continually bowl straight, the batsman will get the measure of you but you can get away with it initially.
On a day like Dave describes, you would be suicidal to put the spinners on straight away, however, a little into the game when the wicket becomes a little sticky, you could cause chaos but it may be worth bowling straight initially to get the measure of the condition. The batsman will still expect it to spin and commit.
The point at where a wet wicket becomes sticky is a bit of a precarious science; dependent on many circumstances. You need to know when and how to use this window of opportunity to get the best out of the spinners.
Re: Do leg spinners spin on wet pitches?
You surprised me a little Dave, I cannot remember the last time I went to a match where a breathable cover has not been used... I am talking years! This is why the sticky wicket is not found that often.
However, if a wicket was ever in this condition, the match was always cancelled. You must have extremely tolerant groundsmen in your league; playing on such conditions, churns up the wicket so much it probably would not repair to be a 'playable' surface for weeks if not months. To abuse a wicket in this way seems sacrilegious to me
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someblokecalleddave;391246 said:
You surprised me a little Dave, I cannot remember the last time I went to a match where a breathable cover has not been used... I am talking years! This is why the sticky wicket is not found that often.
However, if a wicket was ever in this condition, the match was always cancelled. You must have extremely tolerant groundsmen in your league; playing on such conditions, churns up the wicket so much it probably would not repair to be a 'playable' surface for weeks if not months. To abuse a wicket in this way seems sacrilegious to me
.
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
Re: Do leg spinners spin on wet pitches?
Ha! I've only ever been to a pitch once up around the Hainault area where there was any evidence of a pitch cover and that was when I'd gone to the wrong pitch!!!! I don't know any pitches around either Grays or Basildon that have covers of any description! All the pitches in both areas are council maintained pitches and any covers that could be put on them would be stolen or vandalised!!
Ha! I've only ever been to a pitch once up around the Hainault area where there was any evidence of a pitch cover and that was when I'd gone to the wrong pitch!!!! I don't know any pitches around either Grays or Basildon that have covers of any description! All the pitches in both areas are council maintained pitches and any covers that could be put on them would be stolen or vandalised!!