Extreme Pace

Depends on the coach - the likes of Fletcher, yes, Dav Whatmore, no.

The extreme pace isn't entirely what gets Tait his wickets, it helps obviously but the fact the batsmen (and indeed the bowler...) have no idea where the ball is going so they cant plan for it. Also the pace combined with the angle that both he and Malinga let go of the ball at means its very hard to pick up the trajectory of the ball in the 0.49-0.59 of a second or whatever that you have to react to a bowler bowling in the 90s.

I'd say everything in cricket is about comprimise although this is only my view, extreme pace on its own probably wont get you many wickets, even pinpoint accuracy at 60mph is unlikely to get you all that much either. Either for what matter will swinging the ball, changing the pace of the ball or cutting the ball off the pitch if you have no accuracy.

I'd say you need to have all the basics first before really becomming good at doing one thing, personally my accuracy is pretty good, no Mcgrath but it goes generally the right area and i've worked on my pace to get it to the point where its threatening enough considering what the ball is doing elsewhere either through the air or off the pitch. So I guess my advice would be to follow coaching but to know your own game, play to your own advantages and know how you want to play. If you want to bowl at high pace then do that.

Well go through your runup slowly a few times and work out where the straight lines are, in general you want your shoulder and hips to be pretty straight, by that i mena it doesnt matter what angle they are at as long as they are parralel. This helps in two ways, it cuts down the strain on your body and the chance of injury and it gives you more power ad your hips can generate alot of extra speed and if your not straight then you will lose quite alot.

With most bowlers i'd say work on your arm as well, make sure that when your at the top of your action your bowling arm is in a straight line down your body with your opposite leg but as your not orthadox that wont help you very much. 

Most people who sling it alot have a very long delivery stride, they dive in, plant their back leg and lean a really long way forward with their leading leg, this will make you go very low but it must help in some way (I cant give much advice on this i have never tried it, just comments from watching Tait and Malinga, the two who seem best at this form of bowling) I assume it means you can then catapult your entire body forward using your hips and upper body and then sling your arm through.

So just basically go through your action step by step and work out how you can get your body to produce more speed.

I find it unlikely you will be fast enough to warrant excessive wildness. Even if you bowl at 85mph+ if you are spraying it everywhere you aren't going to get chucked the ball very often until you learn control.

extreme fast bowlers are told to do one thing - run in and bowl quick

Edited by TCA123 - 04 May 2007 at 10:20pm

^ thanks for those sites, got some good info on them.

You will get some pains in your body from fast bowling, first because your muscles are getting used to it and secondly because the human body just isn't designed to propel a ball in the manner in which cricket players do it.

If your back is hurting excessivly it probably means your hips and shoulders are not lined up and this is causing your spine to twist, which is as damaging as it sounds, go through your action slowly and work out where where shoulders and hips line up. they should be parallell.


Edited by Kerm - 15 May 2007 at 11:23pm

At a young age I'd concentrate on bowling as fast as you can. Accuracy will come and can be worked on, even if it is a comprise for pace.