The Rise of the Deceptive Slow Ball: Stevenson to Curran
The emergence of cricket's short form has forced bowlers to adapt and find new weapons, one of which is the art of bowling deceptively slow deliveries.
The rise of cricket's short form has prompted bowlers to find new weapons, one of which is the art of bowling deceptively slow deliveries.
Franklin Stevenson's voice rings down the phone line. "You know, one of the most difficult things about bowling that ball? I've seen batsmen try to play it! They smash it here or there, most of them are beclueless!"
From cricket's early days, bowlers have been using variations in pace to deceive batsmen. You can imagine those old-school characters, flannel-clad and moustachioed, lodging high lobbers and yorkers that wreak havoc on the south English weald and downs.