Swing Bowling Tip: How to Outsmart the Batsman | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips

Swing Bowling Tip: How to Outsmart the Batsman

This is an exclusive preview of Swing Bowling Masterclass from Nathan Bracken

Swing bowling is about more than just tearing in and bowling as fast as you can. You need a more tactical approach.

In games you try and run the same routine and thought process from ball to ball. To me, it was understanding who I was up against. Different players played things differently.

As you walk back you think, "I'm bowling to a Herschelle Gibbs. I don't want to give him room outside off-stump, I want to stay nice and tight". Whereas you look at some other players and your line to outside off stump. For example, Paul Collingwood is going to look to try and hit on the leg side.

It's up to you as the bowler to work out the best way to bowl.

So, for the guy who is strong on his legs you try and make him hit through the off side. Make him do something different. The line you bowl changes the whole way a player plays you. If you bowl with their strength, they're going to sit back and find it easy.

Once I have decided my plan for that ball at the top of my run I just run and bowl. Have confidence in what you do and keep repeating it.

Changing plans

Sometimes you can be bowling well but the plan just isn't working. You also need to be flexible and aware enough to know when to change.

As a bowler you start to know if the bat is getting on top or he's finding it comfortable. That's when you call the captain over and say, "Hey, is it worth looking at this, is it worth looking at something else?"

Sometimes the captain says, "No, let's just keep going and see how it goes." And that can be effective sometimes. I know I've been in game situations where I've been at mid-on or mid-off, or I've been bowling and we had a little meeting, we decided to stick with it a bit longer And two balls later the plan worked perfectly.

That's a hunch thing, you can't really work that one out. But then other times you sit there and know it isn't working. You can have to confidence to say to the captain it feels too easy for the batter.

That's when you need your Plan B.

It might be you shut him down, get him up the other end and keep him away from the strike. When you look at the explosive players like a Chris Gayle it's so much safer to drop the fielder out, bowl that ball and let him get up the other end.

Just let him sit on a little bit longer that he's not facing balls, he's not hitting boundaries. He's getting that pressure building up, and then you'll get in your results that way.

So, for every batsman on the other time, work out a couple of plans and then go and make sure that you can bowl to that plan. As a swing bowler, it's your best chance of getting wickets.

Get more videos, worksheets, training tips and swing bowling advice with Nathan Bracken by clicking here.

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Comments

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