Wrist Spin Bowling (part Five)

[someblokecalleddave]

Dr.Tran: I've been trying to correct my method of throwing and in fact in the very first session, I told all the members that I will not have any of them throw side-arm or without follow through. That said, throwing with the right technique is so counter-intuitive that I lapse into the bad habits sometimes in spite of being conscious most of the time (especially when there is a runout opportunity etc). Is there one definitive video you'd recommend which says the right things about throwing so that I can use it as an example?

PS: I realize my bowling can cause shoulder injury but I believe that I haven't bowled nearly enough to cause it ( Entire last season, I might have bowled an average 4 -5 overs each day, 3 days a week). That said, I'm working on a longer stride this season and although it is upsetting my rhythm quite a bit, I will keep at it.

The Paul Collingwood video on the BBC? Or here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjHis7G1MGA David Hinchcliffe recommends training and buidling up the strength over the start of the season. If I recall correctly he says to use different type/weights of ball and not look to throw maximum distances. Needless to say warm up before-hand and accompany the throwing with exercises that are going to help develop the right kind of muscles, including core strength. Again as Doctortran has said and Liz Ward also says, throwing and bowling are actions that put incredible amounts of stress on the body. I try and avoid it where possible and in situations where as a youngster I'd have been looking to prove my 'Alpha Male' status and throw the ball into the centre from the boundary, I throw it in under arm or better still throw to the nearest fielder! Exercises for it - again the experts on here will probably guide you, but I do the plank for core strength in different variations, rotational press ups, hand stands, and the stretchy bands across the shoulder, behind the head.

 

[Liz Ward]

I've been looking for somewhere to post this and couldn't find anywhere, so I'll run it by our community first before 'I go public' with it. It concerns youth cricket. I'm aware of a team of lads U13's that didn't do so well last season here (I think they lost every game) and as a result one of the better players left the team during the off-season. This team has now been bolstered by an influx of new lads from the age group below who are far superior players than 50% or more of the U13 boys that are still in the team from last year. How do clubs deal with this situation normally when all the lads want to play and more than 30 0r 40% of the players that are available each weekend are basically terrible players?

Dave, post it again in the 'General Coaching' forum... this is a really good question x

 

[Liz Ward]

The Paul Collingwood video on the BBC? Or here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjHis7G1MGA David Hinchcliffe recommends training and buidling up the strength over the start of the season...

I like this video very much Dave... have not seen it before.

However, although PC describes the 'technique' well, he does not go into the 'mechanics', which incidentally, he uses very well. Generally, most RC injuries in cricket occur during throwing not bowling.

In one sentence, do not use your shoulder (GH) joint to throw, use your back!!!

 

[someblokecalleddave]

I like this video very much Dave... have not seen it before.

However, although PC describes the 'technique' well, he does not go into the 'mechanics', which incidentally, he uses very well. Generally, most RC injuries in cricket occur during throwing not bowling.

In one sentence, do not use your shoulder (GH) joint to throw, use your back!!!

There's nothing else like it as far as I'm aware. Using your back is interesting - can you go into more detail?

 

[someblokecalleddave]

Me and my lads turns this coming weekend. I've signed up to their club this year and the season kicks off for us with a couple of inter-club matches. I've got a match this Saturday and there match will be Sunday. It'll be ineteresting to how my leg holds up and how well I do against this bunch, they've seen me in the nets and like the rest of us here I've done okay against them, but I'm not assuming that'll make a great deal of difference come the day on the wicket. The good news is that what with all this good weather, there are some decent cracks on the wickets, so they may help? Hopefully I'll get to field somewhere close in, I usually do well at point. Joe the little -un's bowling well at the moment and it'll be good if he can get his 'Round the back of the legs' delivery working first up and the older lad Ben who bowls seam up should do well as his bowling is very good at the moment. I reckon they'll get a couple each and I'll come away with nothing!

 

[shrek]

The Paul Collingwood video on the BBC? Or here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjHis7G1MGA David Hinchcliffe recommends training and buidling up the strength over the start of the season. If I recall correctly he says to use different type/weights of ball and not look to throw maximum distances. Needless to say warm up before-hand and accompany the throwing with exercises that are going to help develop the right kind of muscles, including core strength. Again as Doctortran has said and Liz Ward also says, throwing and bowling are actions that put incredible amounts of stress on the body. I try and avoid it where possible and in situations where as a youngster I'd have been looking to prove my 'Alpha Male' status and throw the ball into the centre from the boundary, I throw it in under arm or better still throw to the nearest fielder! Exercises for it - again the experts on here will probably guide you, but I do the plank for core strength in different variations, rotational press ups, hand stands, and the stretchy bands across the shoulder, behind the head.

Dave, the exercises bit is very helpful- but about collingwood video: I have seen it before (in fact I had sent it to my team mates last year). Unfortunately, it doesn't really explain on how "not to use shoulder".You can follow everything he says and still use only your arms and shoulder to throw (which is what I did last year)
In fact, the team thinktank was in a short meeting to finalize equipment orders when I showed them Liz's post about using back muscles. Each one of us tried it, but still we couldn't really figure it out. The closest I got to was that in the wind up phase(when the arm goes above the shoulder), I tried pinching my shoulders back - so that not just my arm, but also the upper part of my back (trapezius - rhombozoidal muscles) are contracted.
That is the part I want to understand. If there is a video showing just the back muscles during the action of a throw, it will be of great help.

 

[Liz Ward]

... I tried pinching my shoulders back - so that not just my arm, but also the upper part of my back (trapezius - rhombozoidal muscles) are contracted.

Ah! You need to disengage the upper back muscles from the action and recruit the lower muscles, serratus anterior and lower trapezius. It is not easily explained on general forum... I shall send you a PM.

 

[doctortran]

Dr.Tran: I've been trying to correct my method of throwing and in fact in the very first session, I told all the members that I will not have any of them throw side-arm or without follow through. That said, throwing with the right technique is so counter-intuitive that I lapse into the bad habits sometimes in spite of being conscious most of the time (especially when there is a runout opportunity etc). Is there one definitive video you'd recommend which says the right things about throwing so that I can use it as an example?

PS: I realize my bowling can cause shoulder injury but I believe that I haven't bowled nearly enough to cause it ( Entire last season, I might have bowled an average 4 -5 overs each day, 3 days a week). That said, I'm working on a longer stride this season and although it is upsetting my rhythm quite a bit, I will keep at it.

This is probably for the general coaching forum but for one time only....

Don't think I've seen one cricket video that describes throwing perfectly. I'll do my best to describe how you do it.

Throwing is generally the same as the perfect leg spinning motion except with some small variations for distance throwing. Of course you are just throwing with a different grip i.e. like a seam up. Bend the back leg then fully extend it. Don't collapse the leg. Your arm comes up and your elbow should be exactly level with your back shoulder. Any higher and any lower you are generating bad forces into the shoulder. As you take the step to weight change, as your front foot lands (or just touches) your elbow should be at the height of your back shoulder at which point your arm moves forward. Increase the pace of your front foot movement (weight shift) alongside arm speed to increase velocity on the ball. As it moves forward you try and get over your front foot and front knee.

Other tricks mentioned with the gather and shoulder, knee and toes all in one line apply even more so for direction. Ideas also discussed with rhythm and creating a difference in the angle of the shoulders to the hips also apply for extra velocity.

To throw longer all you need to do is angle your hips and shoulders upward. You produce roughly the same horizontal velocity but more vertical velocity so the time of flight is higher. Remember maximum distance is roughly at 45 degrees.

Throwing is basically practice of your leg spinning form without the wrist work. Throwing is perfect for working on the back leg movement and getting over the front knee. The problem is if you do it too much you might forget how to bowl!

 

[chippyben]

Well as of saturday we are moving from Sydney to my home town in the country, Batlow. Unfortunately we won't have internet where we are so it will only be the library computer every now and again for quite a while. So I'll be missing from the forum for a while and only posting occasionally. Although I do expect to be back regulary somewhere down the track, hopefully in just a few months but maybe longer.
I have some time off though which is good and I think Ive made a bit of a breakthrough with myshift in balance and timing and coordination so I get to put in a few hours into it over the next month. Hopefully I can post a video with the improved action down the track.
Anyway thanks to all on here for the help and just the general banter.
Back soon!!

 

[doctortran]

Well as of saturday we are moving from Sydney to my home town in the country, Batlow. Unfortunately we won't have internet where we are so it will only be the library computer every now and again for quite a while. So I'll be missing from the forum for a while and only posting occasionally. Although I do expect to be back regulary somewhere down the track, hopefully in just a few months but maybe longer.
I have some time off though which is good and I think Ive made a bit of a breakthrough with myshift in balance and timing and coordination so I get to put in a few hours into it over the next month. Hopefully I can post a video with the improved action down the track.
Anyway thanks to all on here for the help and just the general banter.
Back soon!!

hope to see you online soon

 

[someblokecalleddave]

Well as of saturday we are moving from Sydney to my home town in the country, Batlow. Unfortunately we won't have internet where we are so it will only be the library computer every now and again for quite a while. So I'll be missing from the forum for a while and only posting occasionally. Although I do expect to be back regulary somewhere down the track, hopefully in just a few months but maybe longer.
I have some time off though which is good and I think Ive made a bit of a breakthrough with myshift in balance and timing and coordination so I get to put in a few hours into it over the next month. Hopefully I can post a video with the improved action down the track.
Anyway thanks to all on here for the help and just the general banter.
Back soon!!

Good luck with the move, hope it goes well. If you're in the country, does that mean you'll have a bit of a paddock out the back or a decent sized yard? One that's 30 yards or more in length? Maybe you could flatten it out, plant some grass, run a hose on it now and then? You could be the new Clarrie Grimmett!!

 

[macca]

Well as of saturday we are moving from Sydney to my home town in the country, Batlow. Unfortunately we won't have internet where we are so it will only be the library computer every now and again for quite a while. So I'll be missing from the forum for a while and only posting occasionally. Although I do expect to be back regulary somewhere down the track, hopefully in just a few months but maybe longer.
I have some time off though which is good and I think Ive made a bit of a breakthrough with myshift in balance and timing and coordination so I get to put in a few hours into it over the next month. Hopefully I can post a video with the improved action down the track.
Anyway thanks to all on here for the help and just the general banter.
Back soon!!

Have a good trip.

 

[someblokecalleddave]

First match played today http://mpafirsteleven.blogspot.com/2011/04/first-match-of-season.html have a look for the report, details and pictures of the ground.

My sons did even better today in their match http://mpafirsteleven.blogspot.com/2011/05/boys-done-well.html

Joe; 3-1-3-0 Average of 1 an over
Ben 3-1-11-0 Average of 3.6

 

[Jim2109]

I had a pretty rubbish game yesterday. We were playing the Sunday 2nd XI of a club that plays ECB premier league cricket. Their facilities are amazing, they've got their own pub next to the main ground, and then a 2nd ground adjacent that still has a really nice "pavillion" and really good nets. The wickets are presumably professionally maintained by full time ground staff, and the entire ground was absolute rock hard. The wicket was fantastic, hard as nails and flat as a pancake, a perfect batting track. The outfield was rock hard and the grass had been cut super low, so the ball just flew to the boundary for 4's, you literally just had to get bat on ball most of the time to score runs. Also the boundaries were pretty small, one of the straight boundaries came in to go around some trees, and at its shortest point you could hit a 6 off a scooped defensive drive, it was ridiculous.

Anyway, having seen the ground and everything I was pretty excited. Weather was nice, but with a cool wind (pretty strong at times), we were bowling first which is always my preference because it guarantees 40 overs unless we bowl them all out. I bowled 5th which was alright as the ball was flying through for the seamers and you definitely wouldn't have said it was a spinners track. But things went sharply downhill from there.

My first gripe was that I got put on at the end with a big headwind that was blowing across from leg to off. It actually died down a bit when I was bowling, but I'd much rather have had the wind assisting drift. For some reason the captain has decided he sets my fields and I don't get a say anymore, it started last week and I don't really know why. I spent my entire spell asking for 2 field changes that I never got, and leaked more than half my runs to those positions. Basically he gives me a slip, short wide mid-off, and short wide mid-on. Then everyone else is on the rope, at deep backward point, deep extra cover, deep mid-off, deep mid-on, deep mid-wicket, and deep FORWARD square-leg (what the f***?!?!?!). It is the most impossible field to bowl to, and to be honest I'd rather not even bother playing if thats the field I'm getting every week. Next time I play I'm setting it myself or just not bowling because its ridiculous.

Anyway, the track was so flat and fast that the seamers were being played with caution early on by 2 pretty watchful batsmen, who were then starting to try and accelerate a bit. Anything hit out of the middle was pretty much a guaranteed 4, even if it went straight at a fielder the pitch was so fast that it was incredibly hard to stop anything. We picked up 1 wicket prior to my spell, and they had their number 1 (a huge fat bloke that played everything at the last minute) very well set and looking impossible to move (in more ways than one haha), and their number 3 who looked a little more attacking but was also very well set and didn't really play many rash shots. I had already recognised that both players liked to slog anything leg side, and both liked to cut anything wide off stump.

Our wicket keeper is an older chap, to be fair hes a pretty good keeper, but hes not as agile as I expect he once was and so anything leg side is usually either a lucky stop or gone. I specifically asked for a fine leg to cover anything wide down leg side (because whilst I would love to set my field for the "perfect" delivery every ball, the fact of the matter is that I am far from perfect, and its still early season!). I didn't get my wish, and first ball was well wide down leg, 5 wides. In the 4 overs I bowled, 15 runs went for leg side wide boundaries. And I STILL never got my fine leg!!!!!!!!! Whats more they scored 2 lots of 2 runs playing fine sweeps on full deliveries into that region.

I was landing most balls just outside leg stump and they were turning back big. When I tried to go the other way I was landing outside off stump and turning big. So my good balls basically would have been very hard to play if I had the field I wanted without taking big risks, because they were slogging anything outside leg (and missing anything on a good length), and slog cutting anything outside off, and again, missing everything on a good length and nearly edging every time. They literally didn't play a single straight bat shot off my bowling, essentially because nothing was bowled straight haha, but they just weren't those kind of player. They played nothing straight off the seamers either except forward defensives. But my captain had the only 2 close fielders straight, so anything even a foot too short or a foot too full would get hit wherever it went (they weren't placing shots carefully, they didn't need to) for the easiest single you've ever seen. The fat bloke was crap at running, and he could pretty much walk most of the singles. Anyone athletic would have milked me for 2's, the outfield was too fast for 3's, there were only about 3 of them in the entire match lol. It was a game of singles and 4's.

So I asked repeatedly for point to come short so I could stop them cutting me for singles, and I'd have liked a fine leg as well, that would have cut out 80% of their running opportunities. When the captain finally gave in he moved point in, then moved him straight back to 3/4 whilst I was running in, so I just gave up. The only wicket opportunities were clean bowled or caught deep. So I bowled a mixture of zooters, top spinners and flippers aimed at off stump (they ALL got through, but all wide of off stump), and short leg side half trackers hoping to get a catch in the deep.

Sure enough, in my 4th over I got the catch at deep mid wicket. Only for the youngster (who has now dropped me twice this year I think, to add to about 4 times last year) to spill it, and whats more spill it over the boundary for 4 runs just to add insult to injury. Add to this a mistake at deep FORWARD square leg which got spilled for a sloppy 4, and all those wides that wouldn't have been if I'd had my field, and I finished up 4-0-37-0. Take off the wides, the 2 fielding errors and assume the catch was held and that would have been 4-0-15-1. If I had the field I wanted they wouldn't have scored most of their singles and 2's either, and I reckon I'd have built pressure and got easy wickets, I beat the edge about 8 times. To then get taken off after just 4 overs annoyed me even more, considering its only a friendly, we always lose, so what difference would another 20 runs have been.

The 2 batsmen I was bowling at went on to get their 50's, but at that stage their run rate was very low considering the pitch we were playing on. They both went for it after that and both gave their wickets away, and the batsmen that followed were all fairly aggressive big hitters. And they ended up with 239 off their 40 overs, on a 300+ run pitch easy. So we should have won.

My 2nd great annoyance of the day came in the batting order. As happens every week, the kid that opens the bowling opened the batting. Despite having dropped a catch and been generally sloppy in the field, as he is every week. Another kid showed up late so we only had 10 men for a while, and then he walked straight on, bowled 7 overs, and batted number 4. The other kid that opened the bowling batted number 6. I was down to bat at number 8, again, on a wicket where it would have actually been fun to bat, and where we were unlikely to lose many wickets.

Sure enough, we got to about over 32 with only 1 wicket down. Then we had a mini collapse. We started so fast that we were well up with the rate, it died down in the middle overs, but our number 3 stayed in and smashed a brilliant 72 off of not very many balls. The first ball he faced went for 4 off a pushed forward defensive!! But he got out eventually, and we were left for the last few overs with kids and adults that can't play shots. I was waiting to go in and all I do is swing, and we needed about 8 runs off the last over when one guy went in who can't play any shots. It was a bit stupid really. We lost by 3 runs I think and I didn't get a bat. Disappointing result and just disappointing for me in general. The league season starts on Saturday and I don't rate my chances of getting a game if everyone makes themselves available. The usual dozen players that you don't see all winter for any ground work, indoor games, friendlies, nothing, always suddenly have free time in their apparently busy schedules once the league season starts, and they generally walk into the side even if they are crap and have no early season form whatsoever due to lack of practice. But thats village cricket culture for you!

 

[Spiderlounge]

Hey Jim, you're not the only one who had problems with the wind. I had a horrible weekend. I was brought on to bowl after about 20 overs and the wind that had been consistently blowing from off to leg all week changed to a tailwind and pushed my first few balls onto a full toss length. I ended up with figures of 1-0-0-18.

I can't bring myself to type any more about it, I wish the whole damn week had never happened. if you want to read the full story of the match have a look at http://pencilcricket.blogspot.com/2011/05/blown-to-smitherines.html

 

[Jim2109]

Keep plugging away Spider. I had a couple of indoor games where I went for 30+ off of 1 over and got taken straight out of the attack (once by my own choice). One of my overs yesterday went for loads as well. You just have to brush it off and focus on the next game. The important thing is being able to recognise the exact reasons why. Sometimes you will just be outclassed, sometimes you will just be inconsistent, as long as you identify the issues then at least you can work at it. Last season I couldn't do it so well, this year I know exactly where I went wrong in every possible way, and I am much more upbeat because of it.

Last season started for me about the same as this one has. Signs of promise, but a lack of wickets (2 in 3 games now), leaking runs, and just not really having a clear direction in matches. Last year I was pretty down about it, didn't get to play much, and then switched clubs. This year I am more philosophical and thus not so dejected about a few average performances. I have been more unlucky than anything really, as on another day I could have easily taken a bagful of wickets in both of last weekends performances, and yesterday I didn't bowl badly at all, I just had a field that was set completely wrong for my bowling. The batsmen had singles available so incredibly easily that they were just milking singles whilst waiting for the 1 bad ball an over to try and slog for 4. So it was 10 runs an over without any risk, and thats pretty much how it went in combination with my wides and no cover for them.

My biggest problem right now is consistency. Last year I was pretty dismissive of the notion that off stump lines were the best for wickets, and that the best tactic was to contain and build pressure. I was of the school of thought that you should pitch the ball wherever is required to hit the top of off stump (in my case outside of leg stump, but if it doesn't turn then you've got problems), and containment was for off spinners. I still think that, but ultimately that off stump line is a lot safer, and if you lack consistency then its definitely a much "easier" way to bowl. You get punished a lot less on the bad balls because they are in that corridor of uncertainty around off stump if they go straight/drop short/overpitch. And you'll beat (and find) the outside edge more regularly.

I either have to find a lot more consistency in the next week, or revert to slightly more negative tactics at the weekend though. If I end up with yesterdays figures in a league game then A) I doubt I'll get a bowl the next week, and B) I will be rather tired of this season going the exact same way as last season, even though I've improved hugely. All I really want is to absolutely dominate an innings and get a load of wickets and have just about every ball trouble the batsmen. I've done it before but never been rewarded, it really bugs me when other bowlers can rock up with their awful dibbly dobbly medium/slow actions and take a 5-for. At the same time though, the 3 opponents this year have been of similar quality to the league opponents I played last year, and much higher than our normal Sunday friendly standard. So come league cricket this weekend I shouldn't be out of my depth.

 

[someblokecalleddave]

Keep plugging away Spider. I had a couple of indoor games where I went for 30+ off of 1 over and got taken straight out of the attack (once by my own choice). One of my overs yesterday went for loads as well. You just have to brush it off and focus on the next game. The important thing is being able to recognise the exact reasons why. Sometimes you will just be outclassed, sometimes you will just be inconsistent, as long as you identify the issues then at least you can work at it. Last season I couldn't do it so well, this year I know exactly where I went wrong in every possible way, and I am much more upbeat because of it.

Last season started for me about the same as this one has. Signs of promise, but a lack of wickets (2 in 3 games now), leaking runs, and just not really having a clear direction in matches. Last year I was pretty down about it, didn't get to play much, and then switched clubs. This year I am more philosophical and thus not so dejected about a few average performances. I have been more unlucky than anything really, as on another day I could have easily taken a bagful of wickets in both of last weekends performances, and yesterday I didn't bowl badly at all, I just had a field that was set completely wrong for my bowling. The batsmen had singles available so incredibly easily that they were just milking singles whilst waiting for the 1 bad ball an over to try and slog for 4. So it was 10 runs an over without any risk, and thats pretty much how it went in combination with my wides and no cover for them.

My biggest problem right now is consistency. Last year I was pretty dismissive of the notion that off stump lines were the best for wickets, and that the best tactic was to contain and build pressure. I was of the school of thought that you should pitch the ball wherever is required to hit the top of off stump (in my case outside of leg stump, but if it doesn't turn then you've got problems), and containment was for off spinners. I still think that, but ultimately that off stump line is a lot safer, and if you lack consistency then its definitely a much "easier" way to bowl. You get punished a lot less on the bad balls because they are in that corridor of uncertainty around off stump if they go straight/drop short/overpitch. And you'll beat (and find) the outside edge more regularly.

I either have to find a lot more consistency in the next week, or revert to slightly more negative tactics at the weekend though. If I end up with yesterdays figures in a league game then A) I doubt I'll get a bowl the next week, and B) I will be rather tired of this season going the exact same way as last season, even though I've improved hugely. All I really want is to absolutely dominate an innings and get a load of wickets and have just about every ball trouble the batsmen. I've done it before but never been rewarded, it really bugs me when other bowlers can rock up with their awful dibbly dobbly medium/slow actions and take a 5-for. At the same time though, the 3 opponents this year have been of similar quality to the league opponents I played last year, and much higher than our normal Sunday friendly standard. So come league cricket this weekend I shouldn't be out of my depth.

I found that the thing is with the Off-Stump over the wicket approach, if you then bung up a wide and you're actually turning it, there's a chance that it's going come in a bit and cramp the batsman and threaten the stumps a little, whereas that same ball pitched wide of legside, if it comes out the hand wrong and picthes wide and goes straight on, you're going to be in the dog house with El Capitano. So till you get your wides down to 1 every 10 balls or so, I'd err towards bowling on the off-stump.

 

[Jim2109]

I'm not so worried about wides, if I had the field I wanted then they would have been 1 run each. I bowl probably 2 or 3 a spell now so its not too big an issue. Only 3 yesterday, but every single one went to the boundary! Only 1 or 2 I think in the game before that. Drag downs and full tosses are more of a problem for me than wides, my line isn't bad at present. And the drag downs and full tosses get wickets lol. My LBW last weekend pitched short, and the catch was a rank full toss.

The off stump line is just generally more threatening for any delivery that isn't perfection. Batsmens eyes light up at anything leg side, and even when it beats the bat you've got no chance of LBW, and clean bowled is hard when they step across the stumps and basically block them with their legs knowing they can't be out LBW. I was turning the ball big enough to demand a little respect yesterday, but club batsmen just don't care generally. They will still attack it, whereas a pro batsman might have been more watchful and reluctant to go after turning deliveries. Thats when you get them in more trouble unless they have very good technique, but if they want to attack everything then you either have to change the line, or go for catches (which are a pretty high success rate against mindless attacking batsmen). I went for the latter and got my catch, but the kid dropped it. It was straight down his throat as well, he didn't even have to move his feet. It was very much a tactical wicket, rather than the batsman simply hitting a bad ball. I was varying between that and trying to find an edge or a clean bowled with backspin outside off stump (I was aiming to hit off stump though and just kept missing).

 

[someblokecalleddave]

I reckon it's going to be quiet on here without Chippy Ben.

 

[GoldenArm]

I had a mixed weekends cricket as far as bowling goes, that wind was certainly something to contend with. During the saturday league game the skipper (who bowls off spin) instantly gave himself what was clearly the spinners end with the wind against him so i had to bowl with a strong tailwind and it made me bowl a whole heap of full tosses. i was struggling to find my rhythm anyway, as i've changed my action slightly to be more side on to extract extra bite, but somehow i managed to scrape 4-0-1-20 and got one of the set openers out which set us on course for a win, sadly it was a catch off a crappy full toss but a wickets a wicket! Sunday was more interesting, the wicket was absolutely perfect for spin, hard but tacky as hell. i had my first go at captaincy and won the toss and decided to bat to get that wicket as ripped up as possible for later. we had a thundering start from the top 3 and were 100-2, but this being a friendly the rest of the side weren't much cop and we ended up being 135 all out! But now onto the spin...Being captain i could choose my end, my field and my overs. it was bliss. It took me a while to find the right pace to bowl at, to start with i was giving it loads of flight and trying to get the wind to really accentuate the drift but this was just too slow off the track and was getting tonked, so i upped the gas and started really putting a bit more pace on the ball, this made a huge difference, i was suddenly spinning it much harder and the batsman had no time to react. i finished with 8-1-3-36, a bit expensive as i was still bowling a bit of dross but when it went right boy did it go right. it was ripping and bouncing across the batsman and the keeper, often ending up in the hands of the slips. my first wicket was with a nice little top spinner after a series of leg breaks which crashed into his pads and had the first victim trapped LBW, i tried this again later but dragged it short and got humped for 6. i then went four or five overs without a wicket and took myself off. I brought myself back on at the end for a few overs when they needed only 15 or so to win. This is when i bowled the maiden you see in the figures which put the pressure on them even though they had 9 overs left to get these meagre runs with 3 wickets to spare. the guy at the other end gave away something like 12-13 runs when i came into what would be my last over. Not a lot to play with in other words, i expected it to be over with a boundary from a big slog. First ball was a ripping leggy which he could do nothing about but it seemed to be really getting to him how much these balls were turning, i was getting frustrated because i wasn't getting anywhere near the stumps, undeterred i continued and bowled another leg break and another, this one he fended at for some reason and knocked up just in front of himself, i was so keen i pegged it and dove forward and somehow took the caught & bowled at full stretch. The next fella didn't look much cop with the bat at all so i aimed to give him the best leg break i could muster, i really concentrated hard...and bowled a head high full toss which was given as a no ball. damn. ************. shit. i walked straight back to the start of my run up, got tossed the ball, and this time i really did bowl the best leg break i could. pitched outside leg and hit the top of off. i felt great about the delivery but by this stage they only needed a single run to tie the scores. the next chap in was the opposing captain who had shoulders like a lumber jack and a bat that looked like he'd felled it freshly this morning. my plan was to bowl a straight up disguised seamer with a leg spin grip as quickly as i could, (its a ball i've bowled a fair bit with some success, i wrap my wrist around it and sometimes it breaks from the off quite viciously normally clean bowling the unlucky batsman who expects a normal leg break) and take him by surprise rather than let him slog me. it came out nicely but was down leg side and given as a wide to tie the scores. not very impressive from me, i felt like a right idiot, thank god it was only a friendly! i finished off my over without them scoring or my taking another wicket and the game was over as a 4 was hit from the first ball at the other end. So close to pulling off an unlikely victory, though i never really expected to win by that point. All in all though I was happy, i just need to achieve more consistency, really i could do with more practice, i'm only getting a bowl at thursday nets and matches on the weekends, but over practice knackers my callous, bit of a catch 22. the over limit in our league is 17 (!), so if i could really prove to my captain that i can be trusted to keep things tight i could be getting some serious overs in...