How to Swing a Cricket Ball

If you are more attuned to Baseball swinging a cricket is akin to a curveball. A good swing bowler in the right conditions, usually in overcast weather, has the ability to move the ball in the air away from the batsmen and in to the batsmen. A more recent phenomenon is reverse swing where the ball looks like it will move one way, but goes in the opposite direction. This articles attempts to describe the techniques of inswing and outswing.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

How to Make the Most of Swinging Conditions

1. Know that a ball is most likely to swing in either moist air, or on a green pitch that has moisture underneath.

2. Have the right bowling technique. It is said that a good swing bowler should have a conventional side on action.

3. Keep the ball in shape. During a game of cricket you may notice the fielders rubbing the ball against their clothes. They will rub only one side so as to take the shine of that side, effecting the balls ability to swing. It is thought that the best time to bowl in and out swing is with a new ball, but reverse swing is more likely to occur when the ball is around 40 overs old.

How to Bowl an Inswinger

4. 
   The inswinging grip

   Hold the ball so the seam is in a vertical poition and grip the ball with the first two fingers on top of the seam. The thumb should be underneath.

5. Turn the seam so the shiny side of the ball is the furthest from the batsman. Remember to keep the seam position vertical.

How To Bowl an Outswinger

6. 
   The outswinging grip

   Hold the ball so the seam is in a vertical poition and grip the ball with the first two fingers on top of the seam. The thumb should be underneath.

7. Turn the seam of the ball towards the slips with the shiny side of the ball nearest the batsman. Again remember to keep the seam position vertical.

Resources

• Bowling an inswinger
• Bowling an outswinger

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[mithunam]

on 7/24/2009 1) what the author missed to mention is the physics of the movement of the ball...the ball always moves to the rough side..as the the side that is shined has slightly lesser weight and also allows for the air pressure to move the ball onto the rough side. without a mention of this it will be useless to talk about swing bowling.
2) the fielders rub one side of the ball to keep the balls shine and NOT to take the shine off the ball (a mistake mentioned in the article)
3)Reverse swing is to make the ball swing towards the shined side....it is almost impossible to do it with a new ball.