You all seem quite experts on spin bowling. Maybe you could help me out then. I am an off-spinner. I can turn the ball a mile sometimes and have great control over accuracy and flight. The prolem is that I only have to stock ball. I have no variations which limits me to 3 wickets per game instead of 5 or 6.

Does anyone have any variations that I could use and tips on how to utilize them?

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It depends on what standard you play at, but IMO even at premier leauge level an stock off spinner is enough. What you should learn to do is be able to vary your pace and flight at will.


Also, you say you turn the ball but do you get "dip" that is the most important part of a spinners delivery it makes the length much harder to read.

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Mark.

You are very right pie chucker, one thing you must learn if you want to move up the grades and take wickets is some sort of varieation that is not just fight and pace. No one expects you to learn a doosra but you need an arm ball something that keeps the batsman on his toes. Also you need to change your angles, if you watch Shane Warne bowl he will change his angles by using the crease, for example if you bowl two balls on the exact same spot but you bowl from right next to the umpire then the next ball as far away from the umpire they will have different angles and the ball will be totally different even if it has the same amount of flight and spin.

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Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

The one that doesn't turn. Bowl your normal off spin for a few overs and then bowl one with no spin on it.

Try coming round/over the wicket for variation. You'll be amazed what you can do. Bend your back for a bit more spin/bounce. Try a leg spin delivery too. Kick off your toes and swivel in .

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It is hard to learn spin. I have tried to bowl various styles of slow bowling. From Wrist Spin to Chinaman, I have tried it. And by god, I have failed as well. I have to try what I am best at, what would be seen as medium pace in proffessional cricket but is Fast-medium at my U-16 level. I am more effective If I can swing the ball and of course, I vary my deliveries with the off-cutter heer and there and the bouncer or yorker.

The thing I lack is more pace. I normally bowl a consistent line but my team coach said "If you had 30 MPH more pace, you would probably be playing at U16 county level if you really were at your best. This was a massive confident booster for me, well for 2 matches before I hit a slump and my bowling became a mess. Imagine a bowler who bowls with a long run up and delivers about 50 MPH. That is me, I used to have very consistent bowling, I could bowl an attacking line and I could bowl bouncers and yorkers when I wanted but I wasn't quick enough to be a threat to most batsman, especially if I cannot swing the ball. I have tried so hard to improve my pace, i lost what I was good at, consistent bowling. Now I can be all over the place and I can't get back to basics without it working.

So any advice on how to improve?

At least I am more consistent than Harmison

Ketz, umpires are giving more LBW decisions for batsmen who play the forward defensive and the ball hits the pad first. Take advantage of this by pitching in line with the stumps on a fullish length to draw the batsman forward but impart little or no spin so the ball hits the pad first rather than the bat. Panesar got one of those in the current Lord's Test match against the West Indies.