Cricket: Off Spin - Grip

Never let the batsmen settle; develop your spin bowling and build some variations with this session to keep the guessing as to which ball is coming next.

Bowling spin is a fine art. Get it right and you?ll be the fear of every batsman walking out to the middle!

A leg spin bowler spins the ball from a right handed batsmans leg stump towards their off stump. The bowler grips the ball with the top joint of the index and middle fingers lying on the seam and the third finger bent along it.

As the bowlers arm moves forward the fingers are straightened and the wrist is flicked forwards, with the palm finishing facing downwards. The 3rd finger is the one that imparts most of the spin.

On release of the ball the bowler completes a full swing of the arm, driving through to the opposite hip. Its important to pivot on the ball of the front foot and make the back knee drive through the ball.

For this drill you need a wicket-keeper and a queue of bowlers at both ends of the wicket.

The first player takes their run up and bowls an off spin ball on one side of the cones down the middle towards the opposite stumps. Ideally the spin generated should make the ball cross over the line of cones and bounce up for the wicket-keeper to take.

Once the bowler has bowled they continue their run to the back of the queue on the other side and the drill repeats with the bowler at the other end.

A Right-armed bowler bowling outswing will move the ball away from a right-handed batsman. The 1st and 2nd fingers are placed on the top of the ball and spread either side of the seam. The side of the thumb is placed on the underneath of the ball directly on the seam. To make the ball swing, ensure that the seam remains vertical and angled away from the batsman.

A right-arm bowler bowling to a right handed batsman will move the ball into them. The index and second finger should be placed either side of the the seam. The flat side of the thumb should be placed on the underneath of the ball. Ensure that the balls seam remains vertical and is angled towards the leg side.