Wrist Spin Bowling (part Five)
- Thread starter Richard the Third
- Start date
Great result Macca and great performance from Jimmy, shows what faith the coach has if he wants a leggie to bowl at the death and only going at 3 an over is pretty impressive. From half way round the world it does seem that he can create a build up of pressure and whilst he may not always see the results in 'his' wickets column it looks like something the coach has seen and is happy with, having some good fielders around who are able to capitalise also helps. Did Jimmy feel he had been 'tested' a bit more? What was his reaction to conceding a boundary - did the ninja pro kick in with a dot ball next up?
Another good result Macca, there is definatley a lot of results that come from good bowling (run outs) that go unrewarded and are only picked up by the keen observer of the game. Getting to bowl the last over is a sign he is well respected and also a great opportunity to get wickets.
4/21 today. Four for twenty bloody 1!!!!!! Wow Im over the moon.
We won by 9 wickets chasing 145.
They were 0/50 odd in the 19th over and having no trouble at all with our opening bowlers and second stringers although scoring slowly and I got an over before drinks. Well I have worked out the best way to get over nerves and self doubt. That is just take a wicket with your first ball. I bowled a beauty, pitched on middle stump on a good length which had him coming forward to defend, turned, took the edge and was snapped up by my indian mate at first slip. An absolute dream come true and a perfect leg spinners wicket and removed their best batsman.
After that I was still a bit nervous bowling but nowhere near the same amount as normal and able to think a lot clearer in what I was doing. Plus I was turning the ball a long way.
I bowled my full allocation of 8 overs straight through after that. Only 1 bloke had a lower runs conceded per over than me on both sides.(although he didn't take any wickets)
The second over I beat the bat and the keeper missed the biggest stumping chance. The keeper took it cleanly and went to stump him but completely missed the stumps!! It wasnt until my 5th over that the next wicket came although I beat the bat numerous times and 2-3 skied shots fell safe. The next one was a mishit to mid off who took it comfortably. My third wicket was similar to my first although the edge was a bit thicker to a 2-3rd slip. My 4th wicket was a skied sweep that just went behind the keeper but luckily the slip fielder was quick enough to get around the back and take it.
Tony I took your advice and just thought about bowling the best I could and accepting what happened from there and it seemed to work. Although getting the wicket first ball was a big help.
I got the top 3 batsman out and wasnt hit for a boundery! I got away with quite a few rubbish balls but I think that was because they were quite wary of me, playing safely and not putting them away. So Im not getting too carried away but enjoying the moment.
Funny thing was I just had a feeling my bowling might go well today, especially after watching the batsman have no trouble at all four 4 very similar medium pacers.
I'll have to have a bit of a more in depth think about my field placings this week.
My spinning career is off to a flier!!!!
We won by 9 wickets chasing 145.
They were 0/50 odd in the 19th over and having no trouble at all with our opening bowlers and second stringers although scoring slowly and I got an over before drinks. Well I have worked out the best way to get over nerves and self doubt. That is just take a wicket with your first ball. I bowled a beauty, pitched on middle stump on a good length which had him coming forward to defend, turned, took the edge and was snapped up by my indian mate at first slip. An absolute dream come true and a perfect leg spinners wicket and removed their best batsman.
After that I was still a bit nervous bowling but nowhere near the same amount as normal and able to think a lot clearer in what I was doing. Plus I was turning the ball a long way.
I bowled my full allocation of 8 overs straight through after that. Only 1 bloke had a lower runs conceded per over than me on both sides.(although he didn't take any wickets)
The second over I beat the bat and the keeper missed the biggest stumping chance. The keeper took it cleanly and went to stump him but completely missed the stumps!! It wasnt until my 5th over that the next wicket came although I beat the bat numerous times and 2-3 skied shots fell safe. The next one was a mishit to mid off who took it comfortably. My third wicket was similar to my first although the edge was a bit thicker to a 2-3rd slip. My 4th wicket was a skied sweep that just went behind the keeper but luckily the slip fielder was quick enough to get around the back and take it.
Tony I took your advice and just thought about bowling the best I could and accepting what happened from there and it seemed to work. Although getting the wicket first ball was a big help.
I got the top 3 batsman out and wasnt hit for a boundery! I got away with quite a few rubbish balls but I think that was because they were quite wary of me, playing safely and not putting them away. So Im not getting too carried away but enjoying the moment.
Funny thing was I just had a feeling my bowling might go well today, especially after watching the batsman have no trouble at all four 4 very similar medium pacers.
I'll have to have a bit of a more in depth think about my field placings this week.
My spinning career is off to a flier!!!!
Great stuff Ben and I wont even chastise you for looking for your figures! As you say a first baller is always going to help you to relax, but as I said, let the batsmen worry about you rather than the other way round. If you can try to remember the feeling today both before and during your spell, as its pretty clear you were in control, you can then draw on that in the future when you think the tide is turning and the batsmen (as they will from time to time) start to get the upper hand. Well done again, cracking weekend for the BigCricket leg spin fraternity and a bright spot for Dave and myself looking forward to fireworks in the cold and rain of the south-east of England in November
macca
Active Member
Strewth!!! and it should have been 5/21.
Great to see youse have a win. That "feeling" you had that you might go well is a good sign. Also it comes from experience because, as you say, the pace bowlers were getting nowhere and all of a sudden the spinner comes on and the game changes.
You must be giving it a fair old rip.
macca
Active Member
I'll ask him if he felt more tested today. Our star batsman absolutely destroyed the opposition off spinner today. He was using the same stiff sea breeze jimmy was using for his drift to launch 3 6,s and a few 4,s. Actually the offie was bowling from the wrong end. If Jimmy came under that sort of barrage he might feel more tested. That could happen some time soon because he is way overdue for some punishment.
macca
Active Member
I was checking my sons bowling card yesterday and it was pressure that got the wicket. 11 dot balls and then a stumping. The batsmen were being urged by their coach and parents and team mates to get stuck into jimmys legbreaks, they had wickets in hand and these were the final overs of a 30/30. He went out with a plan to give the ball a real rip yesterday even if he lost some accuracy in the process. Did not bowl one overly short or anything like a long hop yesterday.
I mean they must have looked like lollipops from the side lines, but a keen eye could detect the drop from topspin on his delivery. His own, unique in this comp, parabolic flight that turns a full toss into a good length. He is so hard to score against. I know from playing him myself. He gives you very little room, except for the odd wide one outside off where he "tests the edge of the table" to see if he can grab a wicket out there but he bowls on the stumps on a good length and varying spin and pace. If i try and attack him he gets me out within a few balls usually.
The safest way to play him is off the back foot, and watch for his shorter faster staight one. The smaller kids go best against him. But lately everyone is coming forward to drive him, like they cant help themselves. Probably they see the ball go high up out of the hand. This lefthanded rep player was playing him beautifully yesterday, coming out to drive him for an easy single every ball but he ran himself out in the first over. The player he got out stumped is no mug though because he topscored last week against the top of the table team, but had no clue against legspin.
I mean they must have looked like lollipops from the side lines, but a keen eye could detect the drop from topspin on his delivery. His own, unique in this comp, parabolic flight that turns a full toss into a good length. He is so hard to score against. I know from playing him myself. He gives you very little room, except for the odd wide one outside off where he "tests the edge of the table" to see if he can grab a wicket out there but he bowls on the stumps on a good length and varying spin and pace. If i try and attack him he gets me out within a few balls usually.
The safest way to play him is off the back foot, and watch for his shorter faster staight one. The smaller kids go best against him. But lately everyone is coming forward to drive him, like they cant help themselves. Probably they see the ball go high up out of the hand. This lefthanded rep player was playing him beautifully yesterday, coming out to drive him for an easy single every ball but he ran himself out in the first over. The player he got out stumped is no mug though because he topscored last week against the top of the table team, but had no clue against legspin.
macca
Active Member
One of the opposition parents came up to me and asked me about what training we do for accuracy.
So i told him my secret. Put a ten dollar note under a coke can on a good length, tell your charge it is theirs if they hit it x amount of times, or once at the outset, get a book and find some shade and listen for the can to rattle. When it starts to cost you too much you are half way there,
So i told him my secret. Put a ten dollar note under a coke can on a good length, tell your charge it is theirs if they hit it x amount of times, or once at the outset, get a book and find some shade and listen for the can to rattle. When it starts to cost you too much you are half way there,
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
Good stuff Ben, that's brilliant and what a way to start the season off. What was the overall figures for all 8 overs - surely not just 21 - 0 - 8 - 4?
macca
Active Member
I just have been checking the batting averages for the comp and the leading batsman ( more correctly "batter" because there are some really good girl batters in the comp, mostly young womens rep players) at the moment was my sons first scalp in the first round! This is where posting all this crap comes in handy 'cause i can go back now and remind myself of the circumstances.
Now i have time to go over the top 10 or 20 bats in this comp and work out how many jimmy has had out over the last 6 years but i recognise a few names as his victims as well as the current highest scorer (72no) whom he got out 2 years ago and i posted it here way back then. They clash again next week perhaps, i will tell the coach what happened the last time my young bloke bowled to this slugger. I might find that old post and paste it here later.
As you can tell i am pretty hyped up about my sons bowling right now, a lot of not so much hard work as consistent work is really paying off again early in the season.
Now i have time to go over the top 10 or 20 bats in this comp and work out how many jimmy has had out over the last 6 years but i recognise a few names as his victims as well as the current highest scorer (72no) whom he got out 2 years ago and i posted it here way back then. They clash again next week perhaps, i will tell the coach what happened the last time my young bloke bowled to this slugger. I might find that old post and paste it here later.
As you can tell i am pretty hyped up about my sons bowling right now, a lot of not so much hard work as consistent work is really paying off again early in the season.
macca
Active Member
Well I sort of need to start covering my tracks a little after checking the top 10 -30 bats in comp averages. This is a full on comp with promotion to turf and all the trimmings of first grade for the minor premiers(usually) and surely someone might study the stats that show every players online career stats.
But in case you somehow might doubt it i will show someblokecalledave the averages and the links to show my son has taken the wickets of batsman 1 , batsman 4 ( and highest scorer this year) , batsman 6 , batsman 7 in the averages. In fact he has dismissed all the batsman in the top 10 he has bowled to except for 2 of them! Then another 3 at least in the top 30 that i can trace back. Some kids he hasn't bowled to at all.
That has left me a little bit gobsmacked. I mean i have been rabbiting on here for years about my sons bowling not really saying he is anything out of the box and his fielding and batting are a bit below 1 st grade perhaps, but his bowling is definately up to this 2nd div stuff. And there is no difference between these top div2 teams and div1. Its just they make div1 only 6 teams, longer games and 1 promotion/relegation a year. If a team can get in div1 and stay there they get far more cricket and better grounds, longer games etc, etc.
But in case you somehow might doubt it i will show someblokecalledave the averages and the links to show my son has taken the wickets of batsman 1 , batsman 4 ( and highest scorer this year) , batsman 6 , batsman 7 in the averages. In fact he has dismissed all the batsman in the top 10 he has bowled to except for 2 of them! Then another 3 at least in the top 30 that i can trace back. Some kids he hasn't bowled to at all.
That has left me a little bit gobsmacked. I mean i have been rabbiting on here for years about my sons bowling not really saying he is anything out of the box and his fielding and batting are a bit below 1 st grade perhaps, but his bowling is definately up to this 2nd div stuff. And there is no difference between these top div2 teams and div1. Its just they make div1 only 6 teams, longer games and 1 promotion/relegation a year. If a team can get in div1 and stay there they get far more cricket and better grounds, longer games etc, etc.
macca
Active Member
Had a pretty average net tonight. Young bloke kept overpitching. Probably he was a bit tired and was too slow tonight. Better off pulling the plug after 3 overs then flogging a dead horse.
I dont believe in too many overs practise at this stage of the season anyway. Especially for kids. We do around 12-18 overs spread over 3 afternoons between games at the moment. Then he has a long session at training once a week.
I dont believe in too many overs practise at this stage of the season anyway. Especially for kids. We do around 12-18 overs spread over 3 afternoons between games at the moment. Then he has a long session at training once a week.
macca
Active Member
Think he sorted the overpitching out himself today. It was a bit frustrating at first because he took up where he left off last night...too full.
His length doesn't normally go that haywire and rarely strays beyond a half volley so why he was all of a sudden too full had me puzzled. But anyway he eventually settled back on a good length.
Turns out he reckons he just wasn't focused on when to release and needed to hold on to the ball a bit longer. After a couple of balls and some cursing allround he got back to normal but the chances of him overpitching this weekend are still pretty high. I can almost rule out a long hop or anything near it on saturday but I know that once again he will probably be bowling to a couple of the best young bats in town so anything could happen if serves up too much full stuff.
The margin for error in this comp is pretty tight for a slow bowler. You cant over or under pitch without going for runs. Like on saturday jimmy bowls his first full toss of the season and it goes for his first boundary.
Jimmy got asked to play in the 20/20 twilight comp on wed night so he might give that a go if he wants to. wouldn't worry me if he declined but it might be fun if he decides to go for it. Only got 24 hours to decide and accept.
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
Yeah go for it, as it sounds like an opportunity to have a bowl and try things out without the pressure of his proper games, it'll be good as the bats will all be swinging like Monkeys surely?
Call me a devil's advocate, but I feel it is better if you wait for a while before inducting him into the 20/20. While it provides a good opportunity to bowl more against aggressive batsmen, it can also be a double-edged sword. Especially for a leggie, who should be allowed the leeway of bowling one bad ball an over, if the batsmen are aggressive from the get go, he might end up going for a few runs. At the start of the season, it might not be such a good idea if that will lower his confidence.
Once he is ultra-comfortable with his own bowling, it might make sense to have him bowl in such tournaments.
macca
Active Member
I agree with what you say and he most probably wont play
The thing about one bad ball an over is i reckon he is down to 1 bad ball every 11 deliveries in matches , roughly, and he is already ulta-comfortable in his bowling.
What you say about confidence is so true. It is not worth the risk to play in a meaningless 20/20 comp and risk losing his mojo for the far more important grade club comp where they play for a chance in 1st grade next year.
macca
Active Member
Really good session tonight. Jimmy is landing and spinning just about as good as he possibly could.
Big game saturday though, I would not be surprised if he goes for some runs. Last time he played these guys he went really well and got both their two top bats out for not much. That was 2 years ago. Both those kids are in the top 10 averages for batting in the comp right now and i wouldn't mind if our pace guys got them this time and jimmy can go for the tail. If he gets a bowl.
Big game saturday though, I would not be surprised if he goes for some runs. Last time he played these guys he went really well and got both their two top bats out for not much. That was 2 years ago. Both those kids are in the top 10 averages for batting in the comp right now and i wouldn't mind if our pace guys got them this time and jimmy can go for the tail. If he gets a bowl.
someblokecalleddave
Well-Known Member
Macca a true afficianado of the Art of Wrist Spin - to the point where he almost gives up on his country of birth! I think I'm with you Macca, I'd want to see Tahir take wickets against England, not sure how I'd feel if he went through them like Some of the bowlers on boths sides today, I'd want to see him fight for his wickets and for England to block all day.