Spin bowling adds variety to a cricket team’s bowling attack
It can be deployed to take wickets, slow the opposition’s run rate or just give the batsmen something different to think about.
There are two main types of spin bowling: off spin and leg spin. While there are several similarities between the two, there are also some unique differences in technique and outcome.
Spin Bowling in One-Day Matches
Spin is an important factor in one-day matches as well as test cricket. With limited overs, batting sides are keen to rack up runs and spin bowling is a way to slow their scoring rate. Even if spin bowlers don’t take wickets, this can result in batters taking more chances against fast bowlers and getting out as they chase runs.
Most teams include at least one spinner in their bowling attack to give the captain options. It’s almost certain the winner of the Cricket World Cup currently underway in India. If you’re trying to predict who might win the tournament, for the purpose of sports betting, a varied bowling attack should be something you look out for.
To help explain the difference between the two, let’s imagine a batsman at the crease preparing to face a ball. The off side of the field is the half of the pitch he is facing. The leg side is the half of the pitch he has his back to.
Off Spin
Off spin is bowled to the batter’s offside (in front) with the spin taking it towards the leg side. When off spin is bowled so that the ball moves across the batter’s body it decreases their chances of connecting with the ball. In this scenario, off spin can help limit the number of runs scored.
An off spin ball that is intended to take a wicket is typically bowled wider down the off-side. In this instance, while the ball spins the same way, the bowler is trying to tempt the batter into playing a shot. The changing direction of the ball should deceive the batter causing them to miss it or connect poorly.
Off spinners usually bowl at a slow pace, using a looping trajectory that makes the ball dip and turn sharply. Off-spin bowlers can also try to deceive a batsman by bowling a doosra. Harbhajan Singh used this ball a lot throughout his career. It’s a leg spin ball bowled with an off-spin action, which means it spins in the opposite direction from what the batsman is expecting.
Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka is widely considered to be the best off spinner of all time. He took 800 wickets during his test career, the most of any bowler in the history of the sport.
Leg Spin
Leg spin is bowled down the leg side, with the ball spinning towards the offside when it bounces. Typically, a leg-spin ball moves towards the batter’s body. It’s usually bowled at a slightly faster pace than off-spin. Leg spin has a straighter trajectory and relies on the spin of the ball to generate movement and deceive the batsman.
Australia’s Shane Warne is widely regarded as the greatest leg spinner in cricket history. He took 708 test wickets and was a master of a delivery known as the flipper. This was a ball bowled fast and straight. On contact with the pitch, it would spin but stay low to the ground.
Another popular way of mixing up leg-spin bowling is using the googly. This is the opposite of the doosra and is bowled as a leg spin ball but spins in the opposite direction.
A Varied Attack
While off spin and leg spin both rely on deception to be effective, they are different in their approach and the way they pose a problem for batters. Teams that have a bowling attack that consists of off-spinners, leg spinners and fast bowlers generally have a big advantage over the opposition.