Line and Length

Basic Bowling Drill 5 – Line and Length

The bowler’s job is to take wickets and limit run scoring by the batsmen – good line and length makes that job a lot easier to achieve.

The line is the direction of the ball in accordance to the batsman’s stumps, while the length is the area of the pitch where the ball bounces.

Remember: The batsman does not have to hit the ball – it’s up to you as the bowler to make the batsman play a stroke.

Line

Cricket commentator Geoff Boycott often uses the phrase “the corridor of uncertainty” as the ideal area to bowl at a batsman. 

  • This is an imaginary channel around and just outside the off-stump where batsmen are unsure whether to play or leave the ball.
  • Bowling consistently around this area will increase the bowler’s chances of taking a wicket.
  • A bowler’s line will also depend on whether the ball is swinging in the air or seaming off the pitch. 
  • Most batsmen like the ball wide outside off stump or on or around leg stump, so avoid bowling in those areas too much.

Length

The length of the ball will determine whether the batsman will play on the front or back foot.

There are five areas the bowler can aim for:

Know what you intend to bowl before you bowl it

  • Long hop/bouncer
  • Short of a length
  • Good length
  • Full length/half volley
  • Full toss

Length depends on the type of bowler – fast bowlers will tend to aim for a shorter length to utilise pace and bounce, while spinners need to bowl a good length to deceive the batsman in the air and off the pitch.

The ideal length for a bowler is one where the batsman is unsure whether to play forward or back.

Different pitches will also have an influence on length.  Hard and bouncy pitches favour a shorter length, while slower pitches require a fuller length.

Many juniors tend to bowl wide on the legside, usually from trying to bowl too fast.  You don’t have to be super fast, accurate bowling on a good length will always take wickets in junior cricket.

You can easily practise target bowling at home with a tennis ball in the back garden.