Swing Bowling | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips

Video Coaching From England's #1 Wicket Taker: Jimmy Anderson

In April 2015, James Anderson had Denesh Ramdin caught at slip for his 384th Test wicket, making him England's highest Test match wicket taker.

Now, on PitchVision Academy, Jimmy is showing you exactly how he did it through his online video guide: Jimmy613. It's the most comprehensive guide to fast bowling available.

Click here to buy now.

Video Coaching from One of England's All Time Wicket Takers

PitchVision Academy are delighted to announce JIMMY613, the video-based coaching guide from English swing bowling hero, Jimmy Anderson.

Click here for full details.

In the online course, you'll find the most comprehensive guide to fast bowling available.

We are delighted that Jimmy has chosen to let PitchVision see how he has become such a high class and long lasting bowler. Now you can join the ride.

Should You Bowl at Batsmen in Nets?

Every team has one.

The staunch one. The guy who says bowlers should always bowl at batsmen in nets. It more realistic and anyway, nets are more for batsman than for bowlers.

This is frustrating. You know how it goes. The batter who is timid in the middle feels like KP in the safety of the net. There are wild swings, switch hits and all manner of unreal shots. You know they would never be played in a match.

Your practice is wasted.

Worse; there is nothing you can do about it while the staunch one looms over you telling you to pitch it up and give the batsman a chance to work on driving.

And besides, you want to give your team some batting practice too. It's not like you are totally selfish.

Do you fight hard against the staunch one to get time to bowl at a target, or do you give up an resign yourself to being a bowling machine?

In fact, you can keep everyone happy quite easily with a simple trick.

How to Prepare for a Cricket Trial

Trials are unique: The feeling of nervousness on arrival, the pressure of your first delivery and - hopefully -the feeling of excitement as they crunch a pull shot from the “big lad”.

Here are a few tips. They may not revolutionise your stats at the end of the season, but will install a game plan, or a little structure to your trial. Possibly taking you from a player who just missed out, to the one that snuck in the back door.

Unlock Your Coaches' Code to Boost Your Cricket

Has your coach ever said something to you that you don't quite get?

Don't you feel like you are missing out because you can't decode it?

You are not alone.

Streetwise Bowling: The Preseason Bounce Pounce

This article is part of the "Streetwise Bowling" series from PitchVision Academy. To view the full list of tactics click here.

I'll be honest with you about this one, it's disgustingly simple. So much so you might shrug and go "so what?". Yet year after year I see young fast bowlers make this mistake in the early season and miss out on a bundle of wickets as more canny seamers take full advantage.

So, this edition of "Streetwise Bowling" is more of a story than a set of balls.

Streetwise Bowling: The Seamer's Subtlety

This article is part of the "Streetwise Bowling" series from PitchVision Academy. To view the full list of tactics click here.

As a seamer, you lack the subtle variety of seam and swing. You are probably not that quick. You are McGrath, relentlessly hitting your length and relying on the seam for variety.

But even the metronome needs something else.

Batsmen get well set on a flat pitch. You come up against a player who you know is a little sluggish to get forward early in his innings. The ball gets old and worn at the end of an innings.

It's time to take a wicket through subtlety.

Streetwise Bowling: Your Guide to Planning the Destruction of Batsmen

Every bowler needs a plan.

For most, especially the inexperienced, it doesn't get more complicated than "hit the top of off stump". Of course, there is nothing wrong with that plan. It often works. But batsmen are canny. They don't always do what you want.

That's why the really good bowler is able to bowl to a plan that goes beyond the basics and into the wicket-taking stratosphere.

Ask the Readers: Swing Bowling Against a Breeze?

Phil sent in a question and, frankly, it's one I thought the PitchVision readers would be able to help.

Here it is:

"Having played league cricket 26 years and taken a wicket or two, I have now moved city. The ground where I now play is very open and there is a strong breeze blowing from left to right. As an away swing bowler I have quickly accepted that I cannot swing it away to a right-hander when the wind is blowing across. Is this incorrect of me? Of course, I would assume a high class swing bowler would have no trouble but I am unsure whether it is possible or not"

So, what do you think?

Are You Sabotaging Your Chances of Getting Swing?

The sun beats down on a warm afternoon and you are in the middle of an opening spell. The ball is new, the pitch is firm and the batters have set their jaws to dig in hard.

You are desperate to find that bit of swing to make all the difference to your attack.

The call goes up for which side needs shining from the senior player at gully, "look after the dragon, guys" he insists, before rubbing the side of the ball imprinted with a golden dragon on the dark red leather.