The art of death bowling
One of the most important parts of the 50 over game is death bowling, those last 7 to 8 overs in an innings can be the difference between winning and losing games. Unfortunately with the 50 over game being so batsmen friendly (fielding restrictions, harsher wide calls etc), bowlers hardly get acknowledged for being able to bowl that yorker, or deceive the batsmen with a slower ball. Would help if someone currently playing was actually quite good at it though.
Finally, someone other than Brett Lee or Nathan Bracken for Australia has done this. This person goes by the name of Ryan Harris, in just his second ODI, he took 5/43 including the prize wicket of Shahid Afridi with balls that were full and straight. Now l’m sorry, but other Australian fast bowlers, like Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle have failed to do this. Why bowl short consistently at the death? Even from my own knowledge, batsmen will rather something they can get under, being a shorter delivery, than something up in the block hole. For some reason it seems the pressure of bowling at the death gets to players and corrupts their cricketing brains. Remember, it’s better to be full than short consistently. Take a leaf out of Bondy’s books.
Shane Bond - One or if not New Zealand’s greatest ever one day bowlers
It’s not just about bowling full and quick, no no, a slower ball can be even more lethal if not picked by the batsmen correctly. There are a few types of slower balls out there. The most predominantly used one is a normal off spinner. Glenn McGrath and now Clint McKay have mastered the out of the backhand straight delivery, which was a major wicket taker for McKay in the 2020 Champions League for Victoria. By far the best slower ball is the wrongun bowled by Rana Naved, quite simply, brilliant bowling.
Rana Naved - This isn’t a wrongun, but sure is a cracker of a delivery
If you combine bowling full principle and the odd slower ball or shorter delivery, you will be able to frustrate the best of batsmen into playing the wrong shot to the wrong ball. This is a very good tool to those bloody tailenders who you just cant get out.
Lasith Malinga
It’s even more paramount now with the introduction of the batting power play (5 over period where the batting captain makes the bowling captain only have three people inside the circle) to get your bowling spot on. Being just that little bit short or full could send you delivery 10 rows back. A major advantage for the batting side is to use this power play in the last 10 over period. South Africa used it effectively in the ODI’s against the Australians last year by taking the batting power play with 5 over’s to go. The majority of teams opt to use their batting power play around this time, but certain circumstances can make the batting captain use it differently. On the flip side, teams looking for quick runs could lose quick wickets, which could work in the bowling sides favour. It’s just the luck of the draw sometimes.
To continually be the number one side in the world in ODI’s, you need to have the consistency in your death bowling, it’s unacceptable at international level to be bowling 4 good deliveries and a few poor ones (Eg. Umar Gul throughout the first 3 ODI’s). Let’s not knock Mr Gul, he is certainly one of the best in the world at the aspect of death bowling. Enjoy!
Finally, someone other than Brett Lee or Nathan Bracken for Australia has done this. This person goes by the name of Ryan Harris, in just his second ODI, he took 5/43 including the prize wicket of Shahid Afridi with balls that were full and straight. Now l’m sorry, but other Australian fast bowlers, like Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle have failed to do this. Why bowl short consistently at the death? Even from my own knowledge, batsmen will rather something they can get under, being a shorter delivery, than something up in the block hole. For some reason it seems the pressure of bowling at the death gets to players and corrupts their cricketing brains. Remember, it’s better to be full than short consistently. Take a leaf out of Bondy’s books.
Shane Bond - One or if not New Zealand’s greatest ever one day bowlers
It’s not just about bowling full and quick, no no, a slower ball can be even more lethal if not picked by the batsmen correctly. There are a few types of slower balls out there. The most predominantly used one is a normal off spinner. Glenn McGrath and now Clint McKay have mastered the out of the backhand straight delivery, which was a major wicket taker for McKay in the 2020 Champions League for Victoria. By far the best slower ball is the wrongun bowled by Rana Naved, quite simply, brilliant bowling.
Rana Naved - This isn’t a wrongun, but sure is a cracker of a delivery
If you combine bowling full principle and the odd slower ball or shorter delivery, you will be able to frustrate the best of batsmen into playing the wrong shot to the wrong ball. This is a very good tool to those bloody tailenders who you just cant get out.
Lasith Malinga
It’s even more paramount now with the introduction of the batting power play (5 over period where the batting captain makes the bowling captain only have three people inside the circle) to get your bowling spot on. Being just that little bit short or full could send you delivery 10 rows back. A major advantage for the batting side is to use this power play in the last 10 over period. South Africa used it effectively in the ODI’s against the Australians last year by taking the batting power play with 5 over’s to go. The majority of teams opt to use their batting power play around this time, but certain circumstances can make the batting captain use it differently. On the flip side, teams looking for quick runs could lose quick wickets, which could work in the bowling sides favour. It’s just the luck of the draw sometimes.
To continually be the number one side in the world in ODI’s, you need to have the consistency in your death bowling, it’s unacceptable at international level to be bowling 4 good deliveries and a few poor ones (Eg. Umar Gul throughout the first 3 ODI’s). Let’s not knock Mr Gul, he is certainly one of the best in the world at the aspect of death bowling. Enjoy!
