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| Sunday, 12 December 2004 |
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Bowling machines - a boon to batsmen by A.C. de Silva The bowling machines that Sri Lanka Cricket has got down serves the cricketers in more ways than one. It is primarily used indoors, but now we use it outdoors as well. This was what Sri Lanka Cricket Chief Executive Officer Duleep Mendis told me the other day when I met him at Sri Lanka Cricket Headquarters at Maitland Place. The machines came to Sri Lanka around 1982 or 1983 and though the authorities took some time in getting used to the operational techniques as it was something new to Sri Lanka, it is put into full use these days. "We now know what wonders the bowling machine can do. Sometimes when playing against international sides, you can't get the same speed as the others and we get the maximum speed, the bounce and though we use a hard rubber ball, the effect is still there." Mendis said. There is a special ball that has to be put into the machine, but if one wants the normal leather ball can be used, but the wheels go off and get damaged. So because of this, the hard rubber balls are used. The weight is almost the same and these balls have a fairly good bounce and they are the ones that are used. Question: Can the pace be adjusted in the bowling machine for fast bowlers ? Mendis: This can be adjusted and it has different speeds and if one wants speed, you can get maximum speed and even movement by adjusting accordingly. If you want an outswing you can get it done, if you want a in-swing, you can get it done and if you want the length variation it can also be done. So the machine will do everything that you need." Question: Can adjustments be made for leg-spin, off-spin and 'chinaman'? Answer: Anyway, yes, other than 'Chinaman'. You can adjust it, but it is not very effective as far as the spin is concerned. But fortunately we have the spin bowlers, but when it comes to medium pace - the movement, seam, the swing and length variation - it will do everything what you need. Question: The machines that are in Sri Lanka, are they all one variety? Answer: No. There are different kinds because they are different products from different manufacturers, but the net result is the same. We, in fact got down two or three different kinds and we use them at different indoor nets and only two people to operate a machine - (a) someone to just feed in the ball and (b) someone to bat. You can go on playing at a particular length and if you want to have short-pitched deliveries you can adjust it and if you want to square-cut it, you can do it and if you go on 'pulling it' you can do that too. The machine can be adjusted to suit one's requirements. Question: Where the machines right now? Answer: There are private bowling machines at some clubs. Then Sri Lanka Cricket has a machine at the Sri Lanka Cricket Foundation because of the development program and for the development of cricket, there are machines at Kurunegala, Ratnapura, Chilaw and Galle. We have the machines right round because of their usefulness. If one needs batting practice for long hours, you may find it difficult to get bowlers bowling at you for long hours, but for the machine, you need only another player, a bucket with 50 rubber balls. You feed the machine with the balls and the batsman will play for sometime and if he gets tired, he can relax a bit and then go on for a different type of bowling. Question: Bowling medium pace with hard rubber balls can it be done? Answer: Hard rubber balls do not have a seam, but they are like the bigger version of a golf ball and the bounce is almost the same and you can get the movement and it is very similar to the leather ball, but it doesn't have the seam. In the bowling machine there are two big wheels rotating and you adjust the speed and it increases and then if you want to get movement out, Mendis said that they slow down the wheel and maximise the other one for the friction. The ball holds back with the slow one and pushes with the quicker one, so the holding backside is the one that you get the movement. Question: The bowling machine is somewhat of a blessing in disguise when it rains as far as practice is concerned. Your views? Answer: Definitely. You got to have indoor nets and when it rains we go in and go on batting. But sometimes batsmen feel that they can't see the full movement of a bowler gathering momentum with the action and everything. So because of that what we do is to show the batsman the bowler with the arm up with the ball and then put the ball into the machine. Then the batsman is watching the arm and then he is somewhat ready with the last minute movement of the bowler being there. Question: Can schools in the outstations use the bowling machines? Answer: The bowling machines are with the district associations and they look after them. The machines are used by the schools and the district associations organise the distribution system. Question: Indoor nets at the Sri Lanka Cricket Foundation. How does one get to the bowling machine there? Answer: First the indoor nets have to be booked and then the bowling machine - a special request has to be made for it. Question: Bowling machine, is it very popular? Answer: It is used here, but most of the other countries use it much more than we do, because their batsmen go on for hours and hours playing outdoors. I have seen in some places in Australia where some Test players go on batting after their normal net at the bowling machine when they come to the pavilion. They make full use of the bowling machine. Question: Will the batsmen playing in a match feel a difference if they go straight to bat in the middle directly after playing from the bowling machine? Answer: There will be a bit of difference because it is a bowling machine where you go on batting for long spell, but I would not advise any batsman to go to the middle in a match directly from a bowling machine. You should bat a little facing the normal leather ball and then go in. |
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