Bowling basics

Matthew Hoggard's bowling basics

Bowlers are the players in charge of collecting wickets for the fielding team.

Every bowler has their own individual method of bowling, so find the ideal bowling action for you.

There are five basic components to bowling. They are:

The run-up

Bound

Coil

Release

Follow through

STEP ONE

The run-up

As you set off from the top of your run-up, start by using small steps before changing to larger strides

Keep your arms close to your body and your head steady - keep your eyes fixed on the target - the batsman

STEP TWO

The bound

As you approach the crease, turn your body to get side on and lean back slightly

STEP THREE

Coil

The coil is the spring from which the ball is released. Keep the ball close to your chin with your head looking behind a high front arm

As your back foot lands on the pitch, keep your body upright. Your back leg should remain stable and support the body while the front foot should be raised slightly

Your front foot should be pointing to the batsman as it lands with the leg braced ready to take the full impact of the delivery

STEP FOUR

Release

As the shoulders begin to rotate, push your bowling arm forward and down from the coil position, with your non-bowling arm pointing to the batsman

The arms should rotate through with the ball released at the top of the delivery arc

STEP FIVE

Follow through

As you follow through, fold your bowling arm into your body and swing your hips around to finish

Your momentum will take you towards the batsman but make sure you don't run down the middle of the pitch