Hi Coach,
how should a fast bowler open his attack with the new ball?
Hi Visves,
the new ball always offers the opportunity to take wickets.
New ball bowling is reasonably simple, you want to be hitting a length consistently on off stump and just outside.
You want to be bowling a length which gets all three key dismissals involved. Full enough to bowl the batter, get the LBW into the game and draw the batter forward to initiate the edge.
Glenn McGrath’s modus operandi of sitting in the channel of off stump and fourth stump ( one stump out from off stump)on a length and building up pressure is a simple but hugely effective strategy.
The length you bowl with the new ball is key, rather slightly fuller than shorter, I always encouraged Dale Steyn to bowl a fuller length partly through my experience with Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram.
Their stock length was always fuller, for the ‘3 in 1’dismissal, intelligently using the short ball to push the batter back to then draw him forward.
Game Strategy: It’s also important to do your homework on the opposition, know the weak areas of your opposition batters.
There is always opportunity in the first 6-18 balls you bowl to a new batter before his eyes, hands and feet link together.
Know the pattern to his dismissals, does he sit back on his stumps early on and is susceptible to LBW?
Does he play away from his body and you can pull him across the crease during the over to draw the edge?
Is he a front foot batter who you can target with the short ball?
Keep it simple and be patient, if you build up pressure you can help to take wickets at the other end as well.
Both bowlers focus on working in partnerships, handing pressure over from one bowler to another, as the game moves forward.
Good skills, Coach
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About Richard Pybus
I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.