How to play cricket ball
Cricket, ever since its inception in the 16th century, has evolved to become an international game that is watched and loved by millions of fans around the globe. However, for those unfamiliar with it, cricket may seem confusing or complicated initially due to specific terms and rules. Instruments like cricket balls, bats, stumps and protective gears might appear simple on their own but encompass considerable depth when it comes to using them properly within the framework of various cricketing rules and guidelines.
Understanding the Cricket Ball
Before delving into how to play a cricket ball, understanding what a cricket ball is becomes important. A cricket ball is a hard spherical object made from cork layered with tightly wound string and leather. It weighs approximately 160 grams (5.7 oz) and measures about 9 inches (22.86 cm) in circumference. The traditional color used during day matches is red while white balls are employed during night matches.
Different Types of Balls in Cricket
A Cricket ball can vary depending upon its type: new, old, shiny side and rough side. A new ball typically swings more as it complements fast bowlers who rely heavily on swiftness and bounce for knocking out batsmen. An older ball becomes beneficial for spinners given its lesser pace makes turning easier hence manipulating batsmen.
The Importance of Grip when Bowling
The way you hold or grip the cricket ball is instrumental in determining the kind of delivery that follows – pace and swing being just two aspects represented by your grip style. For instance, ‘seam up’ bowl calls for index finger and middle-finger flanking over seam of the ball making room for both swing and movement off pitch; likewise ‘cross-seamed’ deliveries where fingers are placed perpendicular to seam lead to uneven bounce.
Mastering Basic Deliveries
To play cricket and become a skillful bowler, one must master several types of deliveries. Some of them are fast paced line and length delivery, in-swinging yorker, out –swinging deliveries etc.
Full Video in Youtube
Playing the Cricket Ball
For players handling batting duties as opposed to bowling, it is important to be prepared for every kind of ball that comes your way. The batsman’s anticipation skills along with impeccable timing remain key in successfully playing a cricket ball.
Just like different grip styles signify distinct deliveries; similarly each player adopts his own unique posture when facing a bowler. A correct stance sees a batsman standing perpendicular towards wicket-end keeping feet shoulder-width apart for requisite balance.
Driving off Front Foot
To play cricket balls directed at fuller lengths or near your front foot, performing controlled drives becomes necessary. Cover drive hits balls outside-off through cover regions while straight drive targets slightly mid-off based within stumps-line into straight boundary.
Playing Back-Foot Deliveries
When shorter pitched balls force you backwards closer to stumps during later stages of their bounce, back-foot shots come handy especially under rising-ball conditions.
Pulling and Hooking
Pull and hook techniques are applied on short-length parted-wide from body or aimed head-high respectively making room for powerful stroke-play square or fine down leg-side sending those bounced-balls far beyond boundaries.
The Art of Anticipation
Lastly, anticipating ball before dispatched by bowler forms an integral part of how to play cricket ball correctly.
Being able to predict changes released from hand helps implement defences or attacks well ahead-of-time proving crucial against quality opposition. To sum up: mastering art of playing cricket involves understanding cricket-ball’s language deeper than most visible aspects; aiding not just survival, but growing command over field too – helping thwart bowling threats across formats.
