Control and Rhythm

Being able to hit a spot on a 22 yard pitch with pace every delivery is a difficult skill that can only be learned through lots of focused practice. While simply running in and bowling may help a little, for efficient and drastic improvement, focused training such as these drills are a necessity. Drill 1: Place a piece of paper or a cone on a certain line and length which you would like to improve on such as a wide-yorker, top of off or bouncer. Bowl 6 overs and record the number of times you hit the paper. Rinse & repeat until you gain the level of accuracy you where desiring. Drill 2: The same as drill 1 but the marker is placed at the spot the ball passes the wickets.

The Run-up: Pace bowlers need a run-up that gives them momentum and rhythm. A bowlers run-up should be comfortable, not too fast or slow and should allow the bowler to be balanced in the gather. A set run-up length and stride pattern that is constantly used breeds consistency. A good way to measure your ideal run-up is to close your eyes and run in and measure where you land. Repeat this until you are comfortable with the length. The keyword there is comfortable, once you have measured your run-up, you need to stop focusing on it and just think about the delivery you are bowling. Spin-bowlers often neglect their run-up but for many, it can be one of the most important aspects of the action. Many young spin bowlers model their action off Shane Warne, a bowler with a very slow, walk-in run-up. However, this run-up does not work for most, instead they may need to run-in with more power to generate enough revolutions to spin the ball.