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Q: I’m a young offspinner playing grade cricket in Melbourne and have a question about bowling in one day games.
Our captain wants me to bowl flat and full-to middle stump so we can have 3 players on the boundary to keep the runs down and look to get the batter out bowled or LBW.
My preference is to bowl with more loop just outside off stump and spin the ball back towards the stumps. I feel more comfortable as some balls will turn more than others and I’m hoping to beat the outside and inside edge of the bat.
I’d like to get some advice on which is the better way. He is the captain, so I do as I’m ask but I find it difficult.
Thanks
A: Hi Roh,
You are on the right track. The main aim should be to hit the off stump.
Therefore if the pitch is turning you will land the ball outside the off stump to allow for it to spin in to off stump.
If the wicket is not turning so much you will need to be a lot tighter with your line and land the ball on or just outside the off stump.
At the end of the day if you are aiming for the ball to hit the off stump, you will get some bowled and LBW dismissals, and with natural variation the outside edge of the right handers bat too.
You are the one with the ball in your hand at the start of your run up, if you can prove that your plan works, and your field set works then it should be up to you, and a good captain will allow it.
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Q: My son is 15 and bowls off spin and we’d like to ask about the difference between bowling overspin or side spin. He bowls more side spin now but as he gets taller the coaches are saying he needs to bowl more overspin.
Can you help about the benefits of both?
A: Overspin requires good technique getting over the front leg at the point if delivery, generally a more vertical bowling arm and feeling as if the index finger is rolling over the top of the ball at release. The benefits are more dip and drift which will deceive the batsman, and therefore will give you a larger target area. The other benefit is generative more bounce which will help on Australian wickets in general as well.
