Wrist Spin Bowling (part Five)

Top Contributors
I reckon it's jumping up because of a combination of me bowling slow (I can't control it any faster yet) and a spongy net surface. I agree that it turning isn't much of a problem, potentially makes it more difficult to play.

I'll have to bowl it on a proper surface to see if it will skid properly.
 
10AnOver said:
I reckon it's jumping up because of a combination of me bowling slow (I can't control it any faster yet) and a spongy net surface. I agree that it turning isn't much of a problem, potentially makes it more difficult to play.

I'll have to bowl it on a proper surface to see if it will skid properly.
Click to expand...


Fair enough. It's amazing how difficult, speeding up a new delivery can be.
 
Sweet figures in tonight's t20. 2 overs 0 maidens (dying for another maiden) 9 runs 2 wickets. First a mis-timed drive from a leggie which was pleasing as my leg breaks weren't threatening enough last Sunday what with both wickets being from flippers. Second clean bowled a guy middle peg with my wrong un, felt a real sense of pride with that one as I've been working on the wrong un and wanted to take another wicket with it. I was happy to only concede 9 runs too and batted at number 8. Made 10 quick runs before skying one for the wicket keeper but we won a close game on our last wicket in the last over to chase their 125. On the downside I completely bottled out of a catch at long on as I was more concerned about protecting my spinning finger which I think is just one whack away from being injured again. I hate fielding at the moment. I've asked to field at fine leg for the league game this Saturday. Hopefully my second match for the 1st XI will go better than my first which was a dark day.

So I've hit my target of 15 wickets for the summer despite being injured for all of July and now want to get 20 before the season ends, but to be honest if I don't take another single wicket I will still consider it job done as I never though I'd get as many as I am. In a strange way I can't wait for the season to end as I want to practice my line and length, and practice my stock ball to death so that I can bowl it second nature and then think more carefully about using variations at the right time instead of just bowling flippers after every leggie which goes for 4 (a crude tactic but it's working for me).

45.2-1-243-15 S/R 18.333
 
Another great weekend of cricket played in some truly picturesque surroundings. Yesterday's 1st team match I didn't bowl or bat even though we were in the field for 48 overs having declared on 285 after 40 overs. I did not have a problem with this as it kept my precious figures intact, although it was a nice turning wicket with some interesting patches to aim at. We won it by a decent margin as they failed to reach our total within the 48 overs making 235-9. A fun away day despite my limited involvement. Other players are asking questions about the captain not bowling me but that's another story. I guess I'm just knocking on the door but it is still flattering to be the selected spinner.

Today was another good game for the second XI which we agonisingly lost on the final ball as they chased our 245. My figures were 6 overs 0 maidens 29 runs 2 wickets, both regulation catches at square leg and cover from leg breaks. Only bowled one wrong un as it just didn't feel right as I practiced the release between deliveries. Bowled a lot of flippers as it's very economical and I'm in love with it. None got through but it was mighty close on occasion. I say none got through, plenty got through but when they did they weren't in line and the straight ones found inside edges or were blocked, and they took the odd single. I must have bowled about 30-40 of them in matches now and only one has gone for 4.

51.2-1-272-17 S/R 18.12
 
Darth Spin said:
Another great weekend of cricket played in some truly picturesque surroundings. Yesterday's 1st team match I didn't bowl or bat even though we were in the field for 48 overs having declared on 285 after 40 overs. I did not have a problem with this as it kept my precious figures intact, although it was a nice turning wicket with some interesting patches to aim at. We won it by a decent margin as they failed to reach our total within the 48 overs making 235-9. A fun away day despite my limited involvement. Other players are asking questions about the captain not bowling me but that's another story. I guess I'm just knocking on the door but it is still flattering to be the selected spinner.

Today was another good game for the second XI which we agonisingly lost on the final ball as they chased our 245. My figures were 6 overs 0 maidens 29 runs 2 wickets, both regulation catches at square leg and cover from leg breaks. Only bowled one wrong un as it just didn't feel right as I practiced the release between deliveries. Bowled a lot of flippers as it's very economical and I'm in love with it. None got through but it was mighty close on occasion. I say none got through, plenty got through but when they did they weren't in line and the straight ones found inside edges or were blocked, and they took the odd single. I must have bowled about 30-40 of them in matches now and only one has gone for 4.

51.2-1-272-17 S/R 18.12
Click to expand...

Good figures there. I'm on 16 wickets in the league (target is 20 with 3 games left) and about 20 odd in T20s (will find out when the stats are published). I'm actually quite pleased with the way I've bowled, as we got promoted and have a lot of good batters in our league.

I had 9 overs, 3-38 on Saturday. Take out one poor over in the middle where the oppo opener decided to have a go that went for 15 and they would have looked a bit better. I very sensibly suggested to the skipper to take me off for a couple of overs after that and put the opening bowler back on for a blast - he got the guy in the next over and I came back on. I had a stumping off a topspinner, a catch at extra cover off the leading edge, and I bowled a bloke sweeping round his legs.
 
On another note, actually got to face a decent spinner on Saturday, as our league is chock full of dull medium pacers and spinners are a rarety.

This bloke was an offspinner with an action like Ajmal and really spun the ball hard with loads of topspin and dip and got plenty of turn. I faced maybe 30 balls off him and it was a great battle. He had a quicker straight ball but no doosra. I hit 4 fours and an ugly slogsweep for 6 off him.

Does anyone else enjoy facing good spinners?
 
I normally bat down at eleven, and playing spin is generally my strong suit as I'm pretty light on my feet, and have a decent eye. I batted against a decent off-spinner in the nets the other day, and felt pretty good to bat out a couple of overs against him without getting out. He wasn't spinning it that much, but bowling with nice flight from a good action.

EDIT: When I say batting against spin is my strong suit, I mean in a relative sense. I'm still mostly rubbish.
 
Had a cracking game last night - they needed 9 to win off the last over, I was bowling. Went 1-0-1-2-2 to leave them needing 2 to tie and 3 to win off the last ball. I felt that if he hit the ball, they would probably scramble two, so I had to really rip one and hope he missed it.

Perfectly pitched legbreak on middle and off, spun straight past the bat and into the keepers gloves. We win by 2 runs.

Funnily enough, I think the key was the wrong'un I bowled on the penultimate ball. He sliced it away for 2 to deep midwicket but I think it put enough doubt in his mind as to what the last ball was going to be and contributed to him missing it.
 
Great figures and form you're in there, SLA. My figures include matches from other teams I was playing at the start of the season, I will post my official stats from the website soon. Sounds like your bowling is more advanced and better than mine and you're generally playing at a higher standard, although I've been picked for the 1st team again for this Saturday. Will be interesting to see if I get a bowl this time.

To answer your question I love facing other spinners to see what kind of pace they bowl at, the flight they use, whether they have a particularly good variation or stock ball etc. I can play spin much better now that I know the theory behind bowling it and can look for visual clues to pick deliveries and watch out for seam presentation. I think I could be a decent batsman if I really put my mind to it but I prefer to practice spin at every opportunity. Just off to the nets...
 
Darth Spin said:
Great figures and form you're in there, SLA. My figures include matches from other teams I was playing at the start of the season, I will post my official stats from the website soon. Sounds like your bowling is more advanced and better than mine and you're generally playing at a higher standard, although I've been picked for the 1st team again for this Saturday. Will be interesting to see if I get a bowl this time.

To answer your question I love facing other spinners to see what kind of pace they bowl at, the flight they use, whether they have a particularly good variation or stock ball etc. I can play spin much better now that I know the theory behind bowling it and can look for visual clues to pick deliveries and watch out for seam presentation. I think I could be a decent batsman if I really put my mind to it but I prefer to practice spin at every opportunity. Just off to the nets...
Click to expand...


As we've got promoted, my bowling average has gone from 11.5 to 12.5 to 18 to 21 so far this year. My strike rate has stayed the same at around 18-20, its just the batsmen are more ruthless and the occasional short balls or full tosses now consistently go for 6 rather than a single out to the man on the boundary :-(
 
SLA said:
As we've got promoted, my bowling average has gone from 11.5 to 12.5 to 18 to 21 so far this year. My strike rate has stayed the same at around 18-20, its just the batsmen are more ruthless and the occasional short balls or full tosses now consistently go for 6 rather than a single out to the man on the boundary :-(
Click to expand...

That's a very handy strike rate and average for a captain to have. It's a cliche but I think decent leg spin is pretty much unplayable for the right hander. I have only been hit for 2 sixes this season, but plenty of fours.

Tonight was an unlucky game for me. With the bat bowled middle peg second ball, not good. I mostly suck at batting.

With the ball I was given a paltry two overs. Started with two wides and then found my line, and my length is now generally decent - I'm spinning it up well with no dodgy short stuff. I then had two easy catches put down in my second over, when right handers start taking me on they are giving lots of chances away through cover and mid wicket form my stock ball which is encouraging. Bowled a few flippers too and they were economical again. One wrong un which was well watched and blocked. I think i finished something like 2-0-13-0, haven't seen the score book yet. Looking forward to the weekend.
 
14 balls, 2-7 this weekend. Didn't have a longer bowl because we bowled them out!

Helped my stats though, 18 wickets (2 off my target) with economy back under 5 an over and average back under 20.

I've decided to change my tactics slightly, and instead of having a stock ball leggie + variations, I will now simply bowl 2 stock balls (leggie and offie) and mix them up 50:50, and not bother about changes in pace etc. It seems to work better.
 
SLA said:
14 balls, 2-7 this weekend. Didn't have a longer bowl because we bowled them out!

Helped my stats though, 18 wickets (2 off my target) with economy back under 5 an over and average back under 20.

I've decided to change my tactics slightly, and instead of having a stock ball leggie + variations, I will now simply bowl 2 stock balls (leggie and offie) and mix them up 50:50, and not bother about changes in pace etc. It seems to work better.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you're having a great season, mate.

I didn't bowl again for the 1st team on Satuday, although it was fair enough as we were 81 all out! I got away with a clear conscience with 4 not out. We had them in trouble at 40-5 but no more wickets fell so they cruised home. Sunday's game was cancelled as the other team couldn't get enough players.

Had a really good net session tonight, got my stock ball going well again, as good as it was before my injury maybe a tad better. The drift, bounce and dip all came back. And the turn I might add. Same for the wrong un, much better looking tonight. I will probably try a couple in tomorrow's t20.
 
Darth Spin said:
Sounds like you're having a great season, mate.

I didn't bowl again for the 1st team on Satuday, although it was fair enough as we were 81 all out! I got away with a clear conscience with 4 not out. We had them in trouble at 40-5 but no more wickets fell so they cruised home. Sunday's game was cancelled as the other team couldn't get enough players.

Had a really good net session tonight, got my stock ball going well again, as good as it was before my injury maybe a tad better. The drift, bounce and dip all came back. And the turn I might add. Same for the wrong un, much better looking tonight. I will probably try a couple in tomorrow's t20.
Click to expand...

Its been alright, certainly better than last season but not approaching the heights of 2011.

my stats have been
2010: 480 runs, 33 wickets
2011: 577 runs 57 wickets
2012: 497 runs, 31 wickets
2013: 642 runs, 36 wickets

Sadly none of this really compares to the seasons I had as a teenager when I would routinely hit 1000 runs a year. Just don't get the time to play enough cricket nowadays.
 
someblokecalleddave said:
Not been on here much recently - busy at work, but generally it's been going okay. Me and the older son Ben get a place in the 4th XI on a regular basis - I think we've missed two games including last weekend and that game was our first loss. Like to think that's because they missed having us in the team! Still despite the loss we're 2nd in the league with a game in hand over the leading team, so we're probably on par. I think this is the best the 4th XI had ever done in their history! My son Ben's bowling pretty well and enjoying adults league cricket far more than U15's, which is good news. My own bowling's settled down a bit and I've been a lot happier with it, last week changed my grip to a ridiculously loose grip and that seems to have a had benefits, will be trying it out tomorrow. I'm off now for a while now, so might get time to get all the scores together and figure out my figures!
Click to expand...


Any new updates Dave? I notice you haven't updated your blog in a while either. Hows the season going?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top