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Craig HillCricket Tips #4: Shining the ball
July 3rd 2006 04:40
For many of those who scratch their heads when you see cricketers on TV rub that red piece of leather near their crotch almost every time they have the ball, this may be the 'cricket tips' section for you.
The first thing you must wonder is - why so close to the crotch? The basic answer is, is that it's just the most convenient spot for a quick rub...
Shining the ball basically keeps the ball hard and subject to what you call 'swing'. Shiny balls swing in the air whilst travelling at speed ('swing' - movement of the ball left/right whilst in the air at speed), and thus are harder to hit especially for those batsmen new to the crease (they've just come in to bat). As the game goes on and the ball receives consistent impact on the surface, the ball will most definitely lose its shine, and thus one side of the ball will be emphasised and taken care of. This is done in order achieve what is called 'reverse or irish' swing. What you should end up with is a ball with a distinctively shiny side and a side that is rough and mankey. If perfected, a bowler can choose which direction he/she wants the ball swing (either left or right): If the rough side on the left hand side, the ball will swing to the left, and if the rough side is on the right hand side the ball will swing to the right. Achieving reverse swing definitely provides the bowler with an advantage over the batsmen who begin to start guessing which way the ball will swing in the air - something every bowler loves to see.
So there you go, there is a legitamate reason for the ball to be constantly rubbed, and it could surely win matches.
The first thing you must wonder is - why so close to the crotch? The basic answer is, is that it's just the most convenient spot for a quick rub...
Shining the ball basically keeps the ball hard and subject to what you call 'swing'. Shiny balls swing in the air whilst travelling at speed ('swing' - movement of the ball left/right whilst in the air at speed), and thus are harder to hit especially for those batsmen new to the crease (they've just come in to bat). As the game goes on and the ball receives consistent impact on the surface, the ball will most definitely lose its shine, and thus one side of the ball will be emphasised and taken care of. This is done in order achieve what is called 'reverse or irish' swing. What you should end up with is a ball with a distinctively shiny side and a side that is rough and mankey. If perfected, a bowler can choose which direction he/she wants the ball swing (either left or right): If the rough side on the left hand side, the ball will swing to the left, and if the rough side is on the right hand side the ball will swing to the right. Achieving reverse swing definitely provides the bowler with an advantage over the batsmen who begin to start guessing which way the ball will swing in the air - something every bowler loves to see.
So there you go, there is a legitamate reason for the ball to be constantly rubbed, and it could surely win matches.
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