The Ultimate Guide to Bowling a Googly in Cricket: Tips and Techniques
If you’re a cricket player or fan, you’ve likely heard of the googly in cricket. A deceptive delivery that has become an essential weapon in the arsenal of every skilled spinner. Bowling a googly can be a challenging task, but with practice and dedication, it can be mastered.
In this guide, we’ll take you through the steps to bowl a googly in cricket. We will also cover the history and variations of this fascinating delivery.
What is a Googly in Cricket?
Before we dive into how to bowl a googly, let’s first understand what it is. A googly, also known as a wrong’un, is a type of delivery bowled by a spinner. It appears to be a regular leg-spinner, but instead of turning towards the leg side, it turns towards the off side, away from the batsman. The unexpected movement of the ball often leads to the batsman misreading the delivery. It results in a wicket for the bowler.
The History of Googly
The googly was first bowled by English cricketer Bernard Bosanquet in the early 1900s. He discovered the delivery while playing with a rubber ball as a child. He refined it over the years until he could use it in competitive matches. The googly was initially seen as a novelty delivery. However, it soon became a powerful weapon in the hands of skilled spinners.
How to Bowl a Googly in Cricket
Now that we know what googly is and where it came from, let’s get into the mechanics of how to bowl one.
- Grip: To bowl a googly in cricket, you need to grip the ball with your fingers in a specific way. Hold the ball with your palm facing upwards and place your index and middle fingers across the seam. Your middle finger should be closer to the top of the ball than your index finger, and your thumb should rest on the seam. This grip will allow you to impart the required spin on the ball.
- Approach: Begin your run-up as you would for a regular leg-spinner, but make sure to keep your wrist straight as you release the ball. This will help you achieve the necessary flick of the wrist needed to spin the ball toward the off side.
- Release: As you approach the crease, flick your wrist quickly and snap your fingers down on the ball, releasing it with a lot of spin. Your fingers should roll over the ball as you release it, causing it to spin towards the off side.
- Follow-through: After releasing the ball, follow through with your arm and spin your body towards the off side. This will help you land the ball in the right spot and maintain your balance.
Practice makes perfect
- No one becomes a master of the googly in cricket overnight, it takes practice and dedication to perfect the art.
- Find a good coach or mentor who can guide you through the process of learning and practicing the googly.
- Make sure you practice with a variety of different balls and pitches, so you can develop your skill in different conditions.
Variations of Googly in Cricket
Bowlers can use other variations to confuse the batsman even further, although the traditional googly is bowled with an off-spin action. One such variation is the doosra, which is bowled with a similar grip and action as the googly, but instead of spinning towards the offside, it spins towards the leg side. If bowled correctly, the doosra can be a devastating weapon, even though it is an even more challenging delivery to bowl than the googly.
Mastering Googly in Cricket
Bowling a googly takes a lot of practice and dedication. It’s essential to master the grip and release and develop the necessary wrist and finger strength to impart the required spin on the ball. Practice in the nets with a partner, and ask for feedback from your coach to help refine your technique.
Final Thoughts
The googly is a delivery that has changed the course of many games throughout the history of cricket. It is a potent weapon in a bowler’s arsenal and can be used to deceive even the most experienced batsmen. By mastering the technique and practicing regularly, any bowler can add googly to their repertoire and become a more effective and versatile bowler. So go ahead, grab a ball, and start practicing your googly today!
