How to prepare a ball for the swing bowlers

Top Contributors
Spiderlounge

Spiderlounge

Member
How to prepare a ball for the swing bowlers

Hello all, I'm not on this part of the forum much as I'm a spinner, but we've got one or two excellent swing bowlers in our club and I wanted some tips on how I can help them in preparing the ball so that it swings. I've asked one of our swing bowlers to give me a few tips on how to get the shiny to rough contrast, but I'm obviously avid to get as much information as I can, such as:

How many overs/until what point in the ball's deterioration should you wait before deciding which side to shine?

What bad habits should spinners avoid so that they don't hamper the ball's ability to swing?

How exactly do you shine the ball?
 
Re: How to prepare a ball for the swing bowlers

I always try to decide on a side to shine from the first over, although keeping an eye on both sides just in case the other one is looking a better bet. Generally, I choose the side with the least 'lettering' as I'd rather work the leather.

It also depends on how mach laquer is on the ball - some balls are quite thickly coated and take time to 'crack' others are thinner and shine after a few overs.

As for shining the ball, I normally wet a finger and then apply that to the rough areas of the shiny side and rub it on trousers/shirt. You get a feel for a ball and generally know when to apply moisture and when to simply shine it.

Try to keep the ball of the ground, especially if wet. Sometimes it's an idea to have a dedicated 'shiner', fielding at mid off/on.
 
Re: How to prepare a ball for the swing bowlers

I usually wait for couple of overs before choosing a side to shine, and also it helps to sine the seam as well.
 
Re: How to prepare a ball for the swing bowlers

We have a dedicated shiner on our team and is definitely the way to go, that way they can treat the ball as if it is their piece of art.

I often find myself in that position fielding in the slips for a large portion of my time, the keeper just chucks it off to me to shine. Also being next to the keeper you can ask them what the balls is doing in the air to see what exactly is happening.

I wait for the first big shot before deciding what side to shine. Our grounds and pitches are fairly hard on the balls and they get pretty roughed up, even by the end of 40 overs. Normally the first shot sees the ball driven hard into the ground, often the pitch, as our bowlers like to pitch a lot right up there to get the edges, enticing the drive. This means the first shot normally leaves a bit of a scuff on the ball, and which ever side doesn't get scuffed first I start shining. After a couple more shots that might change as the shiny side might take a battering, but by the end of the second over I have it all sorted and shine from therein.

The cotton style clothes you can get are best for shining I have found. The new polyester style clothing don't seem to do that much.

I do as Mas does, just the one wet finger, or wipe it across my brow. Don't get it too wet or it starts to soak it up like a sponge and you will be bowling a ball of soap with no seam.

Up and down motions also seem best.
 
Re: How to prepare a ball for the swing bowlers

As Boris said, initially we'll use the seam as a rudder to make it swing then after a few hits we have a look, work on it to hell and then if it takes a smack on the wall change to the other side, i prefer using moisture of brow rather then licking fingers because i don't like getting it wet at all, i prefer really going at with my hand in my shirt and rubbing the cotton shirt on the ball with force from my hand not stopping until the shiny side feels warm. It helps aswell to not be throwing the balls around like a load of idiots when getting it back to the bowler, thats the one thing i really moan at as captain is when i spend more time then i should getting the ball into a condition worth using and obviously how i'd want to be using it for some reject to throw it in on the bounce everytime when returning it to the bowler. Even sometimes early on its worth in the field getting it into the gloves on full rather then the one bounce, unless you can control which side of the ball hits the ground but i doubt many club cricketers can do that, just to save the shiny side.
A good one i've started doing recently more for my 2nd spell is if i've had a good shine on the ball all game and its getting really obvious which is shiny and rough il use the palm of my hand and hold it on the rough side and with as much friction as possible rub it over the rough side, it takes more of laquer of which i've found help 2nd spell when it may not be doing as much and i swear it somehow affects the balls weight balance, perhaps skin and crap off the hand goes into the ball and gets the rough side heavier and makes it slower then the shiny side but it does move alot more,,,
and lastly make sure your bowlers spinners and seamers are hitting the seam, as a bowler i hate being decent enough to bowl with a straight seam and gettin the ball to hit the seam everytime and not making it land on sides of the ball, so not scuffing them up, to know i'm sharing the new ball with a lad who just trys bowl rapid and doesnt actually have a clue what he's doing with it and you get the ball next over and it looks like a dogs been at it... but that may be a personal grumble.
 
Re: How to prepare a ball for the swing bowlers

I shine the ball for myself a lot, as I have had great success with the arm ball (I'm an offie) and the ball has to be very well shined and you have to get a lot of rotation on the ball (which is hard) to get any slight swing at that slow speed, so very good shining I often call for.

I'd just like to say it's lot always the pace bowlers that like the shine! :)
 
Re: How to prepare a ball for the swing bowlers

talking of shining ...
YouTube - Shannon Noll - Shine
used for the ashes highlights here :)

anyway back to topic

I am generally the only person on my team that will even attempt to shine it. The rest can't be arsed and often i get told to hurry up :(
Anyway, I prefer to go for the up and down the leg for the main side of the ball, then go in a more circular motion against my chest for the edges nnearer the seam. Only apply saliva once or twice an over though!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top