Monday, July 19, 2010

The circle change-up for fast bowlers?

I wonder whether any cricket bowlers have tried using the same grip as baseball pitchers use for their 'circle change-up' pitch?

This article tells how to do it: http://www.helium.com/items/1153498-how-to-throw-a-circle-change-up - in a nutshell, the ball is gripped such that the index finger and thumb make a circle down the side of the ball, and the middle finger is vertically on top of the ball. http://www.ehow.com/how_5605037_throw-circle-changeup.html

If it worked for right hand fast bowlers in the same way it does for baseball pitchers, the circle change-up would be a surprise slow delivery (bowled with full effort, and the normal bowling action, but coming-out about 15-20 mph slower than the fast delivery) that would swing-in to the right handed batter.

Presumably it would be a way of bowling a hard-to-read slow in-swinging yorker.

Another way of thinking about it is that the delivery should curve-in and drop-shorter than expected - almost exactly like a sharply spun leg-break does before pitching (think Shane Warne).

Apparently, the grip is relatively easy to master - so it might be worth a try.