Bowling action -- is there a rule about this?

[Blenkinsop]

I bowl right arm medium pace from very close to the stumps. Bowling over the wicket I deliver the ball from above the stumps. If I drop my arm at all, the delivery point can actually be outside leg stump. A batsman yesterday complained bitterly about this and seemed to think it wasn't legal.

Is there anything in the rules that says the bowler can't deliver from the 'wrong' side of the stumps?

 

[Starfighter]

I bowl right arm medium pace from very close to the stumps. Bowling over the wicket I deliver the ball from above the stumps. If I drop my arm at all, the delivery point can actually be outside leg stump. A batsman yesterday complained bitterly about this and seemed to think it wasn't legal.

Is there anything in the rules that says the bowler can't deliver from the 'wrong' side of the stumps?

No. It's perfectly legal and the batsman is being a whiny little you-know-what. They just need to deal with it.

Just make sure you're not putting your front foot on/across an imaginary line between the middle stumps. That's a no ball. Not sure when the rule came in (around the 2000 update I think) but it would have had an interesting affect on Tony Greig's bowling has it been the case then.

 

[Blenkinsop]

Thanks, didn't know about that front foot rule. Maybe that's what the batter was complaining about (he wasn't being very articulate), but I don't think I get the foot that far across.

 

[Migara]

Malinga played 16 years with that kind of action. So no, you are perfectly legal. Only thing is not to obstruct the view of the umpire, as he will not be able to give LBWs and edges out, because he cannot see them.

 

[Blenkinsop]

Only thing is not to obstruct the view of the umpire, as he will not be able to give LBWs and edges out, because he cannot see them.

In club cricket they usually find a reason to give them not out anyway tbf.

 

[Blenkinsop]

Just looked up the front foot rule that @Starfighter mentioned. It's a legal delivery as long as some part of the front foot is on the 'correct' side of the imaginary line running down the middle of the pitch. I think it'd be almost impossible to for a seam bowler to break that rule.

 

[Victor Ian]

Though it would probably ruin your action, could you run in at an angle so you step over that middle line and deliver from the other side? Ie. When you state you are bowling over the wicket, is that from which side you enter, or exit?