Quantification of the Cricket Bowling Delivery; a Study of Elite Players to Gauge Variability and Controllability

The bowling delivery has been recognized as an important factor in cricket. The batsman faces each delivery and attempts to read the bowler’s actions to predict the type of delivery and to avoid making an error in judgment which could cost the game. Numerous studies have been carried out to investigate factors such as the biomechanic and kinematic aspects of the bowling delivery and what information the batsman is able to pick up from the delivery sequence. However the factors which constitute the bowling delivery, the mechanisms adopted to bowl the ball and how a subtle variation in the ball release affects the delivery, have not been studied in such detail. This research is focused on understanding how the bowler is able to control and vary their delivery patterns. Using performance analysis data collected from the second Ashes test held between England and Australia in August 2005 two bowlers have been studied over a six over bowling spell. Information regarding the variability within each over has been analyzed to help quantify the mechanics of the bowling delivery.