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Neil Smiths Bowling Masterclass
It's back! After a brief spell in liquidation, the infamous Master-class has re-opened its doors. Leg-spinners, Yorkshireman and pinch-hitting batsmen alike - your voices have been heard. So, without further ado, it's over to young maestro Neil Smith to show you how to spin the
ball the other way from a Sri Lankan chucker and how to do it better than an fat Aussie.
THE GRIP: The first steps in making the most of the spinner’s art are the grip and the use of the wrist and/or fingers to impart spin. Leg spin is often described as wrist spin because, unlike off spinners, the revolutions of the ball are generated by the wrist rather than the fingers.
STEP 1: The top joints of the index and middle fingers are across the seam,
with the ball resting between a bent third finger and the thumb.
STEP 2: As you release the ball, straighten the fingers and much of the work
on the ball will be done by the third finger, turning the ball anti-clockwise.
Flick the wrist so that the palm of the hand finishes facing downwards.
THE RUN-UP: There are many secrets to Neil's bowling... many of which he is yet to discover. Nevertheless, one he shares with us every delivery is his run-up. He claims all his power comes from his patented 'aeroplane wings' which he demonstrates every delivery. This instantly baffles the batsmen, normally inducing laughter, and thus with no control over their stroke, they lob one up to the unsuspecting fielder at long on. Notch another up in the wicket column for Smith.
THE ACTION: A perfectly straight arm (Murali take note), with only the wrist cocked ready to apply copious amounts of spin to the ball. He leans back offering him extra leverage for the follow through. His non-bowling arm is pointing toward his target, possibly the crossbar. His eyes are fixated on the spot on the wicket he intends to land the ball. His body recoils from this position to release yet another perfect delivery. Note his position at the crease. His skater shoes get very close to the popping crease giving the batsman less time to react to whatever delivery he chooses to bowl, be it leggy, googly, zooter, flipper or slider.
THE FOLLOW-THROUGH: The last picture shows an umpire-view of Neil's follow-through, albeit it doesn't give a good view for any umpiring decision. Neil has many facets to his follow-through action. He plants his front foot right in the block-hole allowing a very straight wicket-to-wicket flight for the ball. This produces a unique angle for the batsman to deal with. Furthermore, his trademark jeans produce an unfamiliar scuffling sound as he ambles up. His follow-through also has the added chance of kicking the non-striking batsman with his flailing back leg. This ball looks to be one of his specials*, as it B-lines for the crossbar.
And so there we have it, an insight into how spin supremo Neil Smith baffles batsmen on a weekly basis. Pure legspin royalty.
---
* The BAR-BALL: One with "just the right flight and dip" claims Neil, that it hits the first bar of the nets. This claim has since been adopted by many of the Gordos bowlers. Also the original catalyst for the Gordonians Crossbar Challenge.
ball the other way from a Sri Lankan chucker and how to do it better than an fat Aussie.
THE GRIP: The first steps in making the most of the spinner’s art are the grip and the use of the wrist and/or fingers to impart spin. Leg spin is often described as wrist spin because, unlike off spinners, the revolutions of the ball are generated by the wrist rather than the fingers.
STEP 1: The top joints of the index and middle fingers are across the seam,
with the ball resting between a bent third finger and the thumb.
STEP 2: As you release the ball, straighten the fingers and much of the work
on the ball will be done by the third finger, turning the ball anti-clockwise.
Flick the wrist so that the palm of the hand finishes facing downwards.
THE RUN-UP: There are many secrets to Neil's bowling... many of which he is yet to discover. Nevertheless, one he shares with us every delivery is his run-up. He claims all his power comes from his patented 'aeroplane wings' which he demonstrates every delivery. This instantly baffles the batsmen, normally inducing laughter, and thus with no control over their stroke, they lob one up to the unsuspecting fielder at long on. Notch another up in the wicket column for Smith.
THE ACTION: A perfectly straight arm (Murali take note), with only the wrist cocked ready to apply copious amounts of spin to the ball. He leans back offering him extra leverage for the follow through. His non-bowling arm is pointing toward his target, possibly the crossbar. His eyes are fixated on the spot on the wicket he intends to land the ball. His body recoils from this position to release yet another perfect delivery. Note his position at the crease. His skater shoes get very close to the popping crease giving the batsman less time to react to whatever delivery he chooses to bowl, be it leggy, googly, zooter, flipper or slider.
THE FOLLOW-THROUGH: The last picture shows an umpire-view of Neil's follow-through, albeit it doesn't give a good view for any umpiring decision. Neil has many facets to his follow-through action. He plants his front foot right in the block-hole allowing a very straight wicket-to-wicket flight for the ball. This produces a unique angle for the batsman to deal with. Furthermore, his trademark jeans produce an unfamiliar scuffling sound as he ambles up. His follow-through also has the added chance of kicking the non-striking batsman with his flailing back leg. This ball looks to be one of his specials*, as it B-lines for the crossbar.
And so there we have it, an insight into how spin supremo Neil Smith baffles batsmen on a weekly basis. Pure legspin royalty.
---
* The BAR-BALL: One with "just the right flight and dip" claims Neil, that it hits the first bar of the nets. This claim has since been adopted by many of the Gordos bowlers. Also the original catalyst for the Gordonians Crossbar Challenge.
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