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[mo_town]

We had a funny (atleast I thought it was funny) incident which also made me curious.

Playing a friendly on Sunday, one of the bowlers in the opposition, a spinner, was letting out a loud grunt at the point of delivery release. Very similar to what we see Tennis players do when hitting the ball. The batsman raised an objection that this was distracting him. The umpire (one of our team players of course) gave the bowler a warning that if he grunts again, he would be no-balled. The bowler tried controlling it but in the next over he bowled, he against let out a loud grunt and the umpire gave it as a no-ball which obviously lead to a mini argument on the field. the captains had to intervene to make the players understand that its just a friendly. We in the pavilion discussed it and there was a mutual agreement that there is no such rule against a bowler making noises at the point of the delivery.

Does anyone know of any rules around it?

[northernboy1987]

I've heard it from a lot of "fast" bowlers before during a real effort ball but never from a spinner! Surely the batsman is being a bit precious, just hit the ball man!

[smilley792]

Our medium pacer grunts on both his effort ball, and his slower ball. The later usually louder!


Me I don't care, I'm concentrating on the red thing, not noises or other things. In fact I barely notice the side screen behind is wrong!

[Mr_Orange]

I've heard it from a lot of "fast" bowlers before during a real effort ball but never from a spinner! Surely the batsman is being a bit precious, just hit the ball man!

Our medium pacer grunts on both his effort ball, and his slower ball. The later usually louder!

Me I don't care, I'm concentrating on the red thing, not noises or other things. In fact I barely notice the side screen behind is wrong!

I've let out a grunt bowling a slower ball a few times as a bluff. Not sure whether it's in the spirit of the game or not but I've never had any complaints. Normally just a load of laughs from the keeper and slips followed by a few sarcastic "good wheels" as medium pacer is more than generous for me.

[WalkingWicket37]

Warnie used to be a grunter!

And didn't Shoab Aktar used to give it a big grunt when he bowled a slower ball, trying to fool a batsman into thinking it was an effort ball?

There's no rule against it, and calling a no ball for grunting is a bit of a joke...
Does he ask spectators to stop talking, and birds to stop chirping as the bowler runs in too??

[Northern monkey]

Personally think bowlers that grunt are tools!
Why would you grunt? Your that crap a bowler you have to try and fool/ distract a batter?
I've heard it all now

[edge]

Seems to be getting more common these days! In fairness, if the batsman is distracted by it then it could easily be interpreted as a no ball - similar to Graeme Smith getting Finn no balled because he claimed knocking the bails off was distracting him.

[edge]

Just looked up the law - if the batsman is distracted by any noise before or during the delivery it should be given as a dead ball.

https://www.lords.org/mcc/laws-of-cricket/laws/law-23-dead-ball/