Reading Cricket Cub

If you are a cricketer and want to improve your bowling technique, especially with your pitching, then there are a few methods you can try.

The line is one important consideration as this dictates how much room the batsman has to play with. As a bowler, you should ideally focus on bowling towards the off stump and really concentrate on bowling in the ‘corridor of uncertainty’. This means that as long as you keep bowling in this region, you will always be putting pressure on the batsman to either play a shot or get caught, or if he misses then he will get bowled or caught behind. It is not easy to bowl a good line but this is something that can only developed with lots of practice.

The length at which you bowl is also very important. Ideally a ‘good length’ is a delivery one which does not allow the batsman enough time to hit the ball for a big shot. It should not be too close to the bat but not too far away either, this means that when the ball bounces it can either turn, or pitch in whichever direction it is required to.

As a bowler you can use the length to your advantage by bowling a various line of deliveries to confuse the batsman. You may want to start with a few short balls followed by a full length delivery and hopefully either get a leg before wicket or bowl him. This is another thing that requires a great deal of practice and can only be achieved once you have absolutely full control of the ball.

Remember, bowling isn’t just about speed. If you are a fast bowler then in order to achieve optimum speed, you need to perfect your line and length first. This can take several years before you can confidently bowl at a quick pace, start off slowly perfecting your run up and building up the power gradually. If you want to look at good line and length then your best bet is to look at Australian bowling legend Glen McGrath who has been one of the finest examples of line and length bowling. Furthermore, don’t forget to look at your run up and try to tweak this so you are confident of getting the right amount of pace and power in your follow through. Some of the world’s best bowlers do this by counting the number of strides so they don’t under or over stretch themselves.

Z Fazal

When you find yourself needing to purchase a good pair of wicket keeping gloves, you could be overwhelmed by the sheer quantity available to buy. So many different makes and brands to choose from! How is one to know which are the best to choose, and which features are important? Not to worry, choosing a pair of decent gloves need not empty your pockets, and you really only need to consider a few criteria when buying this necessary bit of equipment for your sport.

Fit, of course if very important to get correct and you want to try them on in the store if at all possible. If you can’t do that, maybe because you’re shopping online, then measure your hand from the tip of your middle finger to the bottom of your wrist. If the measurement you come up with is approximately twenty-one centimeters, choose large gloves. If it’s more than twenty-two centimeters, go with extra-large gloves. If your hand is smaller than twenty-one centimeters, try junior cricket size gloves.

Padding for your gloves is important too, and the more the better, however you don’t want to go overboard since that might cost you in terms of how fast your hands can move. You need to be protected from the super-fast balls though, so be prepared to pay extra for a bit more high-quality padding.

Almost all gloves have some finger protection built into the tips nowadays, but double-check to be sure, just as a safety precaution to avoid any unnecessary injuries.

Webbing that stretches from the index finger of the glove to the thumb is nice for when your aim is just a tiny bit off. However, you should check with your league rules for how much is permissible before you buy the gloves.

These four items are just a couple things to think about when shopping, but actually, selecting gloves is really all about your personal preferences and what is comfortable for you. The name-brands like to make a big deal out of specific features and they always have some big new thing that you have to have, so long as your glove has thick padding and excellent finger protection, you’ll be fine. Some players have even played with a starter pair of gloves for years just because that one pair is what felt right to them. The cricket equipment companies would like you to think that their brands have the features which are necessary to have, but that’s just not necessarily true. Always just go with what feels right to you. In regards to cricket equipment, the costliest is not necessarily the best!

Find out more information about how cricket gear at the Cricket Equipment site!