Googly

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A googly, also known as a wrong'un or Bosie, is a type of delivery in the game of cricket bowled by a right-arm leg spin bowler. It is different from the normal delivery for a leg-spin bowler in that it is turning the other way. The googly is not a variation of the typical off spin type of delivery, in that the cricket ball is presented from the bowler's hand in such a way that once the ball pitches; instead, it deviates in the opposite direction of a leg spinning type of delivery (i.e. towards the leg stump rather than the off stump). It has also been colloquially referred to as the wrong'un, Bosie or Bosey, with the latter two eponyms referring to Bernard Bosanquet, the bowler who originally devised and began using the googly. He first employed it in July 1900, during the second innings of a County Championship match between Middlesex and Leicestershire at Lord's. [1] In that game, Sam Coe became the batter to be dismissed by a googly. [2] During the Edwardian era, some considered its use to be an example of cheating. [3]

Contents

Explanation

Reggie Schwarz, known for using the googly as his stock delivery Reggie Schwarz c1905.jpg
Reggie Schwarz, known for using the googly as his stock delivery

While a normal leg break spins from the leg to the off side, away from a right-handed batter, a googly spins the other side, from off to leg, into a right-handed batter (and is distinct from an off break delivery). The bowler achieves this change of spin by bending the wrist sharply from the normal leg break delivery position. When the ball rolls out of the hand (from the side near the little finger, as in a normal leg break), it emerges with a clockwise spin (from the bowler's point of view). A googly may also be achieved by bowling the ball as a conventional leg break, but spinning the ball further with the fingers just before it is released. [4]

The change of wrist action can be seen by a skilled batter and the change of spin allowed for when playing a shot at the ball. [4] Less skilled batters, or ones who have lost their concentration, can be deceived completely, expecting the ball to move one direction off the pitch, only for it to move the other direction. If the batter is expecting a leg break, he or she will play outside the line of the ball after it spins. This means the ball can strike the pads for a potential leg before wicket (lbw) appeal, fly between the bat and the pads and hit the wicket, or catch the edge of the bat.

The googly is a major weapon in the arsenal of a leg spin bowler, and can be one of the bowler's most effective most important wicket-taking balls. It is used infrequently, because its effectiveness comes mostly from its surprise value.

Left-arm unorthodox spinners can bowl with the googly action using the left arm. This delivery turns away from a right-handed batter, like a leg break or left-arm orthodox spinner. This type of delivery was known historically as a "chinaman".

The googly is similar in principle to the doosra, the ball from an off-spinner that turns the opposite way from his stock ball. [5]

Chambers Dictionary describes the whole etymology of the word as "dubious". [6]

Mechanics

To grip the ball for a leg-spinning delivery, the ball is placed into the palm with the seam parallel to the palm. The first two fingers then spread and grip the ball, and the third and fourth fingers close together and rest against the side of the ball. The first bend of the third finger should grasp the seam. The thumb resting against the side is up to the bowler, but should impart no pressure. When the ball is bowled, the third finger will apply most of the spin. The wrist is cocked as it comes down by the hip, and the wrist moves sharply from right to left as the ball is released, adding more spin. The ball is tossed up to provide flight. The batter will see the back of the hand when the ball is released. [4]

An alternative grip is to hold the ball in the thumb, index finger and middle finger. The finger-print of both the thumb and index finger rest on the seam, as does the first bend of the middle finger. Together with rotation of the wrist, the index and middle fingers are involved in imparting spin on the ball and can achieve a very high number of revolutions.

Alternative/non-conventional leg spin grip--fingers view Alternative leg spin grip - fingers view.jpg
Alternative/non-conventional leg spin grip—fingers view

As with the more conventional grip, all the various deliveries can be bowled with the same level of success and the wrist and fingers must also be relaxed.

Alternative/non-conventional leg spin grip--thumb view Alternative leg spin grip - thumb view.jpg
Alternative/non-conventional leg spin grip—thumb view

In a scene from John Boorman's 1987 film Hope and Glory , David Hayman plays a father who, before leaving to fight in WWII, passes on "the secret of the googly" to his young son. [7] [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Left-arm unorthodox spin</span> Type of spin bowling in cricket

Left-arm unorthodox spin, also known as slow left-arm wrist spin, is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket. Left-arm unorthodox spin bowlers use wrist spin to spin the ball, and make it deviate, or 'turn' from left to right after pitching. The direction of turn is the same as that of a traditional right-handed off spin bowler, although the ball will usually turn more sharply due to the spin being imparted predominantly by the wrist.

The flipper is a particular bowling delivery used in cricket, generally by a leg spin bowler. In essence it is a back spin ball. Squeezed out of the front of the hand with the thumb and first and second fingers, it keeps deceptively low after pitching and can accordingly be very difficult to play. The flipper is comparable to a riseball in fast-pitch softball.

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Off spin is a type of finger spin bowling in cricket. A bowler who uses this technique is called an off spinner. Off spinners are right-handed spin bowlers who use their fingers to spin the ball. Their normal delivery is an off break, which spins from left to right when the ball bounces on the pitch. For a right-handed batsman, this is from his off side to the leg side. The ball breaks away from the off side, hence the name 'off break'.

A topspinner is a type of delivery bowled by a cricketer bowling either wrist spin or finger spin. In either case, the bowler imparts the ball with top spin by twisting it with his or her fingers prior to delivery. In both cases, the topspinner is the halfway house between the stock delivery and the wrong'un - in the wrist spinner's case his googly, and in the finger spinner's case his doosra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of cricket terms</span> Cricketing terminology

This is a general glossary of the terminology used in the sport of cricket. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics. Certain aspects of cricket terminology are explained in more detail in cricket statistics and the naming of fielding positions is explained at fielding (cricket).

A doosra is a particular type of delivery by an off-spin bowler in cricket. The doosra spins in the opposite direction to an off break, and aims to confuse the batter into playing an unavoidable shot.

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Spin bowling is a bowling technique in cricket, in which the ball is delivered relatively slowly but with the potential to deviate sharply after bouncing. The bowler is referred to as a spinner.

An arm ball is a type of delivery in cricket. It is a variation delivery bowled by an off spin bowler or slow left-arm orthodox bowler. It is the finger spin equivalent of a wrist spinner's slider or zooter.

An inswinger is a type of delivery of the ball in the sport of cricket. In such a delivery the ball curves—or "swings"—in toward the batter's body and the wicket. By contrast, an outswinger swings away from the line of the batter and the wicket. Inswingers are bowled by swing bowlers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Off cutter</span> Bowling style in Cricket

An off cutter is a type of delivery in the game of cricket. It is bowled by fast bowlers.

In the sport of cricket there are two broad categories of bowlers: pace and spin. Pace bowlers rely mostly on the speed of the ball to dismiss batsmen, whereas spin bowlers rely on the rotation and turn off the ball to deceive the batter.

In the sport of cricket, a slower ball is a slower-than-usual delivery from a fast bowler. The bowler's intention is to deceive the batsman into playing too early so that he either misses the ball completely or hits it high up in the air to offer an easy catch. It is analogous to a changeup in baseball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delivery (cricket)</span> Single action of bowling a cricket ball

A delivery or ball in cricket is a single action of bowling a cricket ball toward the batter. Once the ball has been delivered, batters may attempt to score runs, with the bowler and other fielders attempting to stop this by getting the batters out. When the ball becomes dead, the next delivery can begin.

Wrist spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, usually used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is finger spin. Wrist spin is bowled by releasing the ball from the back of the hand, so that it passes over the little finger. Done by a right-handed bowler, this imparts an anticlockwise rotation to the ball, as seen from the bowler's perspective; a left-handed wrist spinner rotates the ball clockwise.

Finger spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, generally used to spin the ball in the opposite direction, is wrist spin. Although there are exceptions, finger spinners generally turn the ball less than wrist spinners. However, because the technique is simpler and easier to master, finger spinners tend to be more accurate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topspin</span> Property of a rotating ball

In ball sports, topspin or overspin is a property of a ball that rotates forwards as it is moving. Topspin on a ball propelled through the air imparts a downward force that causes the ball to drop, due to its interaction with the air. Topspin is the opposite of backspin.

In cricket, a slider is a type of delivery bowled by a wrist spin bowler. While a topspinner is released with the thumb facing the batter, a slider is bowled in a similar manner to a legbreak, but instead of imparting sidespin with the third finger, the bowler allows his fingers to roll down the back of the ball, providing a mixture of sidespin and backspin. Whereas a topspinner tends to dip more quickly and bounce higher than a normal delivery, a slider does the opposite: it carries to a fuller length and bounces less than the batter might expect. The sliders will typically head towards the batter with a scrambled seam. This has less effect on the flight and bounce but absence of leg spin may deceive the batter. Frequently the slider is bowled with a mixture of side spin and backspin. This has the effect of making the ball harder to differentiate from the leg break for the batters without reducing the mechanical effects caused by the backspin. This delivery may skid straight on or it may turn a small amount.

The carrom ball is a style of spin bowling delivery used in cricket. The ball is released by flicking it between the thumb and a bent middle finger in order to impart spin.

References

  1. ↑ Donnelley, Paul (2010). Firsts, Lasts & Onlys of Cricket. London: Hamlyn. p. 88. ISBN   978-0600621737.
  2. ↑ Frith (1985), p. 71.
  3. ↑ Frith (1985), p. 11.
  4. 1 2 3 Warner, Pelham Francis (1920). Cricket. Longmans, Green, and Company. p. 76. Retrieved 17 January 2020– via Google Books.
  5. ↑ "What is the 'doosra'?". BBC. 14 August 2004. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  6. ↑ The Chambers Dictionary. Allied Chambers. 1998. p. 692. ISBN   9788186062258 . Retrieved 17 January 2020– via Google Books.
  7. ↑ "Hope and Glory". John Boorman.
  8. ↑ Eastaway, Robert (2005). What is a Googly?. London: Robson Books. p. 112. ISBN   978-1861056290.

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