What is the difference between finger and wrist spin?
Wrist spin (or leg break bowling) is when you try to spin the ball from the leg stump towards the off stump. The ball normally pitches on or around leg and spins back into the batsman.
wrist spin is a style of bowling in which the bowler spins the ball by releasing it from the back of his hand, running the third and fourth fingers down the side of the ball as it is released;
leg spin for a right-handed bowler, left arm unorthodox spin for a left-handed bowler. the standard type of ball bowled by a leg spin bowler, which spins from the leg to the off to a right-handed batsman.
Leg spin is a style of bowling in which the (right-handed) bowler spins the ball so that when it bounces on the pitch it moves from the leg to the off to a right-handed batsman. I suppose you could call leg spin 'on spin'?
Off spin (or finger spin) is when you try to spin the ball from off stup to leg stump; the ball pitches on off stump and spins in to the batsman,a style of bowling in which the (right-handed) bowler spins the ball so that when it bounces on the pitch it moves from the off to the leg to a right-handed batsman. The ball is held like a door knob and turned using the fingers upon delivery, without bending the elbow.....
Does anyone do both? Not at international level ! I've seen bowlers do this at club level, even had a go at both myself.
Is one harder than the other?
Finger spin is much easier . You need to tell the umpire if you change the style I think.... Anyway the grips are completly different.
http://www.dangermouse.net/cricket/bowling.html shows pitures of the off spin and leg spin grip
Leg spin
Warne
Mcgill
Anil Kumble
Richie Benaud
Off spin
Jim Laker
Ashley Giles
Robert croft
Muralitheran
Saqulin
Is one better than the other.... Off spin produced the games greatest figures. Leg spin produces the games greatest threat.
Slow Bowling Terminology Right Handed spin bowlers Off spin / Off break:
A slow ball which turns towards the bowling hand side of the bowler after pitched. The spin is produced mostly by Fingers
For a right handed bowler, the ball will turn towards the right side of the bowler and a RHB will see the turn as Off to Leg direction.
For a left handed bowler, the ball will turn towards the left side of the bowler and a RHB will see the turn as Leg to Off direction. (See SLA below)
Leg spin / Leg break:
A slow ball which turns opposite the bowling hand side of the bowler after pitched. The spin is produced mostly by Wrist.
For a right handed bowler, the ball will turn towards the left side of the bowler and a RHB will see the turn as Leg to Off direction.
For a left handed bowler, the ball will turn towards the right side of the bowler and a RHB will see the turn as Off to Leg direction. (See SLC below)
Left Handed spin bowlers Left-arm orthodox spin:
Left-handed Off spin. Generally called Slow Left Arm (SLA).
Since this is Off spin, the ball will turn towards the left side (bowling hand side) of the bowler and a RHB will see the turn as Leg to Off direction (just like leg spin).
Left-arm unorthodox spin:
Left-handed Leg spin. Generally called Slow Left arm Chinaman (SLC).
Since this is Leg spin, the ball will turn towards the right side (opposite the bowling hand side) of the bowler and a RHB will see the turn as Off to Leg direction (just like off spin).
Variations: Googly and Chinaman:
Off spin bowled with a Leg spin action and grip by a right handed bowler is called Googly.
Off spin bowled with a Leg spin action and grip by a left handed bowler is called Chinaman.
Googly bowlers are basically Right handed Leg spin bowlers and
Chinaman bowlers are basically Left handed Leg spin bowlers (Left-arm unorthodox).
Both Googly and Chinaman are called Wrong-un in Australia (and now by many as well).
Off spin bowlers produce off spin with off spin action and grip, not with leg spin action and grip. That’s why they are not called Googly or Chinaman bowlers.
A RHB will see Googly as Off spin (Off to Leg) and Chinaman as Leg spin (Leg to Off).
Arm Ball:
Spin bowler sometimes make a delivery with more pace but without spin to fool the batsman.
Doosra:
Leg spin bowled with an Off spin action and grip. Doosra bowlers are basically Off spin bowlers. No separate name for right or left handed bowlers, yet!
Leg spin bowlers produce leg spin with leg spin action and grip, not with off spin action and grip. That’s why they are not called Doosra bowlers.
Top Spin / Over spin:
Forward spin. Ball "shoots" speedier after pitched.
Flipper / Under spin:
Back spin. Ball "flipps" slower after pitched. Extra flight sometimes causes the ball to be dropped closer to the batsman than anticipated.
What makes a spinner so dangerous? Well the ball's going slowly.So the batsmen's eye's light up. But it's spinning, in the air (and off the pitch) . Also on humid days, the ball can swerve, and this is more so with leg spinners; Frightening! And they've got variations in flight, spin, speed, length, direction, crease etc... When you move slowly things seem clearer.