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[KarlPennington]

Background: When I first started bowling after a 15 year hiatus from cricket I used to bag the ball in usually back of a length, throwing in the odd half-tracker that would get punished, I'd get the odd batsman chasing a wide-one, the odd mis-timed pull, the occassional bowled which took me more by suprise than the batsman.

I was forever getting told to take it easy and bowl line and length, full and straight (not like I wasn't trying) anyway wanting to improve I practiced like an obsessive.

Fast forward to now, my line and length is much more consistent, my run up more controlled, my pace more rythmic. I've even developed nice 'shape' with my away swing. However and it's a big however, my economy rate has sky rocketed and my wicket count has fallen. If I'm bowling at a batsman who is more concerned with keeping his wicket than scoring runs I look great as ball after ball swings past the outside edge or there is a late decision to leave but literally as soon as somebody decides to take me on I get destroyed back over my head usually for 4 or 6.

It's almost like I bowl the perfect line and length and at the perfect pace for the batsman to take aim back over my head. I watch bowlers bowl dibbly dobblies bowl pies all afternoon and keep things tight and take wickets.

It's almost like I'm not quick enough to trouble any batsmen, I'm not slow enough to make them indecisive I'm just a batsmans dream. I dont know what to change and I'm in serious danger of becoming a mediocre batsman only. Help.

[TangoWhiskey]

Sounds like you're going too full. Pull your length back a bit again. Floaty half volleys are a batsman's dream. Ignore anyone in a game telling you full and straight, 90% of the time they're are just saying something for the sake of it.

[Batbuddy99]

To be honest you doing a lot like me!
I think I've tried most things, back of a length but then on a slow pitch that just sits up, mixing it up but then I get wayward and bowl bad balls!
The only thing I can really think of now is just to put more pace on😥

[mvclayton]

I struggled pre a shoulder injury I am still trying to sort out with virtually the same thing.

Just a couple of suggestions,

Pull your length back a fraction but try bowling cross seam I've found it creates bounce or skids on noticeably and it puts off batsmen (like me) who just try and smash it back straight as there's nothing worse than toeing one up in the air after not catching it right.

Try bowling round the wicket, especially if you can swing it away. Again using the seem to angle it back in can really throw off guys who just plant a front foot.

Hope it helps.

[KarlPennington]

Too full could well be the problem and I agree that mixing it up kind of puts you out of your rythmn and the bad balls creep in. Across the seam is an interesting one, it allows me to bowl a slighty faster, slighty flatter, slighty heavier ball and you do sometimes get varied bounce and the odd one that jags back... But... it's not very skillfull is it? On saying that, maybe it's a case that when bowling away swing when I get the line right it harmlessly passes batsman and stumps and when I get it wrong it says hit me.... hard and far.

[northernboy1987]

try bowling cross seam

I love this tactic, I went through some seam bowling problems years ago and I found that bowling cross seam not only works as a tactic alone (variable bounce as @mvclayton says) but also helped me bowl with so much more control without sacrificing pace. I found it works best if you really try and use your fingers on the seam to impart back spin (if that makes sense). Obviously this works better if you are first change as you lose all chance of any kind of movement through the air.

[KarlPennington]

So do you bowl, predominantly across seem? Use the seam up delivery as a variation possibly? I have considered doing that. The flaws I find with bowling across seem are two fold. 1. As you mentioned lack of movement and 2. The tendency to bowl the odd long-hop

[northernboy1987]

So do you bowl, predominantly across seem? Use the seam up delivery as a variation possibly? I have considered doing that. The flaws I find with bowling across seem are two fold. 1. As you mentioned lack of movement and 2. The tendency to bowl the odd long-hop

To be honest if I bowl seam (rarely nowadays to be honest, we don't have a spinner so I've been doing that job for the past 2 seasons) I bowl it exclusively cross seam unless as you say it's a variation, but that being said the majority of my cricket is played in T20 format on artificial wickets so that might affect how I go about my business haha.

As far as the long hop thing goes I can't offer much help because it was bowling cross seam that stopped me bowling long hops! All I can recommend is really try and pull your fingers down the back of the ball almost like your finger tips are flicking the seam to add extra back spin, it's hard to explain over text I guess but that technique is what really helped me turn a corner bowling wise.

[KarlPennington]

I understand what you are explaining, I'll give it a go at nets

[RossViper]

put long on and long off back, - make sure they can catch!

what is a good/right lenght

Heres a tip, if you bowl it and it would go over the top of the stumps, by a foot/10inches or less, and no fuller than about half way up, thats a lengh.

maybe you should try to bowl a bit quicker, but still keep it up there.

[jd163]

I love this tactic, I went through some seam bowling problems years ago and I found that bowling cross seam not only works as a tactic alone (variable bounce as @mvclayton says) but also helped me bowl with so much more control without sacrificing pace. I found it works best if you really try and use your fingers on the seam to impart back spin (if that makes sense). Obviously this works better if you are first change as you lose all chance of any kind of movement through the air.

Cross seam bowling with good length on off stump line is doing wonders for me.. i was struggling to control my natural in-swing deliveries and length last season so i slowed down my pace to medium and start bowling cross seam. Much easier to do leg & off cutters and occasional in-swing yorker as variation.

[KIPPERS]

You can tell this is a Batsman's Forum.

[Rob580]

As above, I've got someone like this in my team, keeper up, bowls slow away swingers. Personally I try to use him up front for as long as possible, and if someone starts getting hold of his bowling, take him off. I know this isn't much help in your situation, but it might be worth thinking about what time and situation you're bowling in, as certain bowlers are suited to different situations and it doesn't make you any better or worse for it, every team needs a variety of bowlers.

It sounds like you're floating it up, rather than getting through your action. I would suggest possibly getting your front arm in a little tighter and pulling down with it, rather than reaching out forward. This should help you to 'complete' your action and hit the pitch a little harder, as you'll be getting your shoulders and core more into your delivery. It should also help with getting hit over your head. It's always more difficult to hit a bowler off the front foot who hits the pitch hard, and will give the effect of you being a little bit quicker, especially if you do happen to drop one short.

Anyone who has slipped in their delivery stride on a damp pitch will naturally bowl very floaty, as you don't get through your action, if you drag it down, it's the slowest ball ever. It's a exaggerated example, but holds true that if you get your full body through your action, you'll have the effect of being quicker should you drop it a touch short by virtue of bowling a 'heavier' ball. Think along the lines of how Chris Woakes (floaty) is faster on the gun than Steve Finn (heavy ball), but it certainly appears that Finn is faster.

Just my two penneth, as ever, practice anything in the nets beforehand and be confident with it before you go into a game.