Hardest bowling action to get used to...

[Francis]

Barry Richards made a terrific point the other day about Brett Lee. He said that while Lee was fast, it's easy to intercept his rhythm, in that you can anticipate when he'll release the ball and that makes it easier to prepare yourself. He then talked about Jeff Thompson. Some people said about Thommo that it looked like he was bowling from between his legs when he'd spread eagle. In short, it was hard to anticipate his release. The same has been said of Wasim Akram, who was opposite to Thommo in that while Tommy would spread eagle, Wasim looked to have a compact quick-arm action.

It's something I, should I ever reconsider bowling pace, would think about because if batsmen can pick your rhytym and timing no matter how fast you are... thus leading me to my question - who had the best bowling action in terms of batsmen not getting used to it in cricket.

I think I'll go with Wasim.

 

[Armadillo]

I think they mentioned this about Wasim on ESPN Legends of Cricket. I would imagine that Shoaib's slowie is quite difficult to pick up as the English said they thought it would be a beamer. Recently I heard someone saying that RP Singh was very difficult to read just before delivering.

 

[luckyeddie]

Thommo, Graham Dilley and bowlers of that ilk who use a slinging, catapult action must be very difficult to get used to - the ball just 'appears'

 

[Goughy]

Its a good point. There is actual pace and perceived pace.

Being able to follow the ball from the run up, through the action and into the release makes the perceived pace less than a bowler who 'hides' the ball in their action even if the actual pace is the same.

With Thommo you could see the ball, then it disappered and suddenly its coming at you. Lightning actual pace with an action that added perceived pace. Not easy to handle.

 

[Goughy]

This kind of fits in with a sports science article I was reading recently.

It interestingly said that athletes (inc cricketers) do not have faster reflexes than what would be expected if taking a cross section of the population.

Their skill is not in their reflexes but in their ability to anticipate, recognise and read situations much faster, naturally and instinctively.

Bowlers who hide the ball make that anticipation more difficult and give themselves an advantage by partially taking away an important skill of the batsman.

 

[silentstriker]

Armadlillo,

What is that user pic of yours? And do you have a bigger version? Is it me or are all 11 men in the slips?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Armadlillo,

What is that user pic of yours? And do you have a bigger version? Is it me or are all 11 men in the slips?

It is a 10 man slip cordon, yes. Australia vs Zimbabwe in an ODI in 1999.

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/graphics/slips.jpg

 

[open365]

As a batsman, the hardest slower balls to play are from people who move their arms a lot in delivery because you follow their arms which are moving really fast but then the ball comes out really slow.

 

[greg]

Anyone who chucks it.

 

[Richard]

Barry Richards made a terrific point the other day about Brett Lee. He said that while Lee was fast, it's easy to intercept his rhythm, in that you can anticipate when he'll release the ball and that makes it easier to prepare yourself. He then talked about Jeff Thompson. Some people said about Thommo that it looked like he was bowling from between his legs when he'd spread eagle. In short, it was hard to anticipate his release. The same has been said of Wasim Akram, who was opposite to Thommo in that while Tommy would spread eagle, Wasim looked to have a compact quick-arm action.

It's something I, should I ever reconsider bowling pace, would think about because if batsmen can pick your rhytym and timing no matter how fast you are... thus leading me to my question - who had the best bowling action in terms of batsmen not getting used to it in cricket.

I think I'll go with Wasim.

People who compared the awkwardness of Holding and Walsh commented that at least Holding had the decency to employ the perfect classical action which enabled an early sight of the ball.
There have been some difficult ones but Walsh is up there.

 

[Richard]

I would imagine that Shoaib's slowie is quite difficult to pick up as the English said they thought it would be a beamer.

Well... sometimes they were Beamers.
That specific type of slower-ball is something that takes one hell of a lot of learning - as far as I know the first person to perfect it was Franklyn Stephenson. Chris Cairns bowled it well, too - indeed he learned it from Stephenson. What was even more confusing is that Cairns also bowled a conventional slower-ball. Courtney Walsh used it once, too - just once as far as I know.
Still - a difficult slower-ball is only one part of bowling.

 

[Richard]

Its a good point. There is actual pace and perceived pace.

Being able to follow the ball from the run up, through the action and into the release makes the perceived pace less than a bowler who 'hides' the ball in their action even if the actual pace is the same.

With Thommo you could see the ball, then it disappered and suddenly its coming at you. Lightning actual pace with an action that added perceived pace. Not easy to handle.

Surely "perceived pace" would be best described as a combination of ease of sighting and amount of speed not lost off the pitch?

 

[Richard]

Anyone who chucks it.

Not really - no-one has had much problem with Johan Botha.
Nor did anyone have much problem with Ruchira Perera at Lord's in 2002.

 

[Richard]

Armadlillo,

What is that user pic of yours? And do you have a bigger version? Is it me or are all 11 men in the slips?

It's this game here, Damien Fleming bowling to David Mutendera.

32.5 Fleming to Mutendera, no run, five slips and three gullies !!!!!!

From the left, the fielders are Dale, Bevan, Symonds, S Waugh, Ponting, Martyn, Moody, M Waugh, Warne, Gilchrist.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Accuracy has undoubtedly been a merit of Fidel Edwards' game on the current tour of New Zealand, but that has come due to the confidence he has steadily gained over the course of it. The confidence is undoubtedly due to the inability of the New Zealanders to pick up his delivery at the start of the tour. They admitted it themselves. That's why he's been smacking them on the helmet and actually bowling with impressive consistency.

 

[Richard]

Round-armers like Malinga and Edwards are always going to be tricky.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Courtney Walsh used it once, too - just once as far as I know.
Still - a difficult slower-ball is only one part of bowling.

Was that the Thorpe dismissal?

 

[Richard]

What else?
Why - have you ever seen him bowl that particular slower-ball elsewhere? I certainly never did. He did, for his last year or so, bowl a very good slower-ball that got Thorpe out once more in that 2000 series.
But that was the only time I ever saw him bowl the Stephenson slower-ball.

 

[Autobahn]

Didn't Merv Hughes get Chris Broad with one?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Well he was a master of the slower ball at the end of his career. I remember he dismissed a South African batsman (Kallis perhaps?...can't remember) to another outstanding slower ball in his last series.

That tour of England was undoubtedly (in my mind) the finest series bowling performance in Courtney Walsh's career (of what I've seen). Everything considered, I've probably seen about 70-75% of Walsh's Tests. It was a wonderful way to bow out of England.