How To Bowl In Cricket For Beginners [ Steps That Assist You In Becoming A Good Bowler ] 

Bowling in cricket is throwing the ball toward the wicket guarded by a batsman. A player who performs this action is known as the bowler. They would also be competent batsmen and in all probability, be called all-rounders.

There are a lot of different moving parts to a bowling action of the cricketers. Hopefully, this post will provide you with the details of how to bowl in cricket and some common tips that will be helpful on what you should be going to get comfortable with bowling.

How To Bowl In Cricket For Beginners – 6 Basic Bowling Actions!!

It would be best if you got the basics right to bowl a cricket ball, whether a pace merchant or a spinner. Bowlers bowl and aim to either take wickets or prevent run-scoring opportunities.

Likewise, cricketers who can bat and bowl well are highly regarded and known as all-rounders. Each bowl is called a delivery, and bowlers attempt deliveries in sets of six that make an over.

When a player has finished them, a new bowler replaces them and bowls their set of six balls from the opposite end of the pitch. The same rules apply when you are right-handed or left-handed, and there are steps to follow that will assist you in sending down those perfect deliveries.

The common stage of a bowling action will also guard against bowling the ball, referred to as chucking. This action needs to be avoided because it is an illegal delivery. The post will guide beginners looking to take up the game at any age and who are willing to know how to bowl in cricket. 

How To Bowl In Cricket Step By Step – Explanation

For beginners in the game, putting all of these moving parts together to create your bowling action is a challenging task. Especially when you first start to bowl, the whole movement can feel strange and unnatural.

But after some time, you will settle on a technique that works and is right for you. Here are some of the basics of how to bowl in cricket. You should follow a few steps to deliver an excellent and legal bowl. The below things will assist you in becoming a good bowler.

1. Gripping the ball

Bowling a ball begins with gripping. The ball is not a perfect sphere, and the fact that it has a seam means it is vital that you hold it correctly.

For fast bowlers, place your index and middle fingers on the top of the ball, with that seam running vertically in the center. The little finger and ring finger will be alongside, while the thumb will be underneath. These actions support you. Don’t press the ball too far back into the palm of your hand. It needs to be relaxed.

For spin bowlers, the grip basics will be similar, but there are two clear differences: the ball’s seam should run across the fingers relatively parallel to them. The index and middle fingers will be broader apart, and the supporting fingers and thumb will be in a similar supportive position to the fast bowler.

• The Run-up

The run-up’s primary purpose is to build momentum as we approach the crease. Fast bowlers will have a long run-up to help them gather speed, while spin bowlers come in from just a few paces.

Using a smaller run of around 5 paces is widely recommended, and you can begin with a light jog. It will be easier to extend that run-up if you want to when you become more confident. But you will need to master the smaller run first. Just jog into the crease that runs start to be comfortable, and you have the required momentum.

Those players started without worrying about letting go of the ball. The art of running becomes natural once you are happy. Then we can move on to the more technical elements of bowling action.

• To Gather

The gathering phase begins a couple of paces before you release the ball and start getting yourself in position to bowl. When you get about two paces from the crease, you should take off from your left foot and hop onto your right foot if you are a right-arm bowler.

After you hop onto your right hand, immediately bring your left knee up towards your chest. Then lean back slowly and get yourself ready to release the ball.

A left-arm fast bowler will do the same thing with opposite feet. Perform your run-up, and once you get roughly two paces from the crease, you should take off from your right foot and hop onto your left foot if you are a left-arm fast bowler.

Bring your right knee a little toward your chest, lean backward slowly, and get ready to release the ball. You should be roughly one stride length away from the popping crease at the end of the gather phase.

• The Coil phase

For right-arm fast bowlers, when you are about to do the little hop step from your left foot to your right foot during the gather phase. You should bring your bowling arm up to your right ear simultaneously, and after your bowling arm is next to your ear, bring your left arm up in front of your face, immediately painting your elbow.

For left-arm bowlers, your arm should be brought up somewhere close to your left ear just as you hop from your left foot to your right foot. After putting your left arm to your ear, your right arm should be brought up immediately in front of your face by pointing your elbow.

• The Release point

Pull your bowling arm down at speed as that front foot plants down on the popping crease. Your arm will rotate downwards, but the optimum point at which you should release the ball is just after the hand moves to its highest point.

Keep the arm straight to ensure this is a legal delivery, and avoid chucking. The ball arrives the faster the arm is. So spinners and pace bowlers will adjust their speeds accordingly.

•  The Follow Through

It is essential to have to follow through while bowling in cricket. It adds extra momentum to the delivery and prevents stress on the body. Run for three to four extra paces toward the batsman.

It means instead of standing still after you have released the ball, you should continue your motion to run toward the batter. These are the six common ways that tell you the procedures of how to bowl in cricket.

How To Carry A Cricket Ball?

● Place your thumb finger on the seam of the ball. A worn cricket ball will have both a smooth side and a rough side separated by a seam. Depending on velocity and rotation, the difference in surface texture will cause the ball to swing through the air from one side to the other.

● Now place your index finger on the seam opposite to the thumb finger. The seam will force the ball to bounce in a particular direction when bowled with this grip. The ball will bounce to the bowler’s left when bowled from the right hand and to the right when thrown from the left hand.

● Grip the ball, so the seam is parallel to your index finger. The ball will strike the ground on the left side of the seam when bowled from the right hand and bounce away from a right-handed batter’s offside.

● Then place your middle finger to the right of the seam a quarter down the ball. You can bowl with high velocity when you keep your middle finger closer to your index finger. Sometimes it will be tough to bowl with control.

● Wrap your pinky and ring finger into a loose fist. There should be minimal contact between the ball and these fingers, if any. These are the ways to carry a cricket ball and tell you how to bowl in cricket.

How To Drive Up To The Crease?

Most of the best bowlers find ways to drive themselves up, but you can influence the right conditions. A simple way to drive up is by moving around your crease. Doing correctly is the main thing, and here are some ways to do it and tell you the details of how to bowl in cricket.

● It is an aggressive move that upsets the seam bowlers when moving out of your crease. A good ball length is now a half volley, and a yorker is a full toss that you can dispatch anywhere in the park.

● Standing in both feet inside the crease is also designed to put a bowler off his length as you can play back to fair-length balls. It is effective against spinners and slower medium-paced bowlers.

● Another trick is a variation of starting deep using the crease. You create your normal position but move back and across just before the ball is released. This gives the best impression.

● The last option is to carry the most risk but allows you to hit bowling into gaps at the end of your innings. You will move sideways, and the choices are to step away to the leg side and aim to hit over mid-off or step away to the offside and aim to chip over a short fine leg.

How To Release The Ball?

● Bend your elbow while you run up and carry the cricket ball close to your chin.

● Coil your body and turn from the waist. Once you twist your body, make sure to keep your weight back.

● Drop your elbow and allow your bowling arm to fall to your side.

● Straighten your elbow and arm and allow your hand to swing toward the ground.

● Allow your body to uncoil your weight to the lead leg.

● Thrust your shoulder forward.

● Keep your elbow straight and swing your arm like a windmill.

● Snap your wrist while releasing the ball.

● Release the ball when your hand reaches the peak of your delivery arc.

● After you release the ball, do follow through properly.

● Bend your elbow and relax your hand and forearm.

How To Follow Through?

The bowler approaches with a run to gain momentum while bowling the ball. The bowler tends to suppress the motion and stop after releasing the ball, called a follow-through. Follow through is a must-action when you know how to bowl in cricket.

Follow through is to set an aggressive intent at your top mark. The only goal is to hit your length hard, have the ball going through, and hit the stump’s top with its line continuing onto the keeper’s gloves.

Just after bowling the length of a ball, bend your elbow and relax your forearm and hand. Allow your arm to wrap around your waist or stomach. Remember to avoid the center of a pitch in a protected area, so you should run away from a slight angle.

Conclusion – How To Bowl In Cricket For Beginners

It is crucial to bowl the ball in a way that feels comfortable for you. Every bowler has different bowling actions. This post was intended to give you a framework to build your bowling action and teaches you how to bowl in cricket. Keep these things and procedures in mind when constructing an effective action.