Types of Bowling in Cricket: Pace, Swing, Seam and Spin Explained
Understand the main types of cricket bowling: fast, medium-pace, swing, seam, off-spin, leg-spin and left-arm variations, plus common deliveries.
Bowlers try to dismiss batters by varying speed, direction, bounce and movement. Broadly, bowling falls into two families, pace and spin, each with its own techniques and variations. This guide explains the main types and the deliveries you will hear mentioned in commentary.
Fast and pace bowling
Pace bowlers rely on speed, bounce and movement. Fast bowlers, who typically bowl at around 140 km/h or more, use a longer run-up and aim to beat the batter with velocity or to generate steep bounce. Fast-medium and medium-pace bowlers operate somewhat slower, often relying more on accuracy and movement than outright speed. There are no official speed categories in the laws, so these labels are conventions used by commentators.
Swing bowling
Swing bowling makes the ball curve in the air. It is influenced by the condition of the ball, the bowler’s grip and wrist position, and the atmosphere.
- Inswing: the ball curves towards the batter.
- Outswing: the ball curves away from a right-handed batter.
- Conventional swing: occurs with a newer ball, when one side is shiny and the other rough.
- Reverse swing: occurs with an older, worn ball and moves in the opposite direction to what the bowler’s shine would suggest.
Bowlers maintain the ball by polishing one side, but laws ban changing its condition by artificial means, such as tampering with the surface.
Seam bowling
Seam bowlers aim to land the ball on its raised seam so that it deviates off the pitch rather than in the air. A ball that moves sideways after pitching is said to seam or nip. Seam bowlers are particularly effective on greener pitches or in damp conditions, and many pace bowlers combine seam with swing.
Spin bowling
Spin bowlers impart revolutions on the ball using the fingers or wrist, making it turn after pitching. They bowl at slower speeds and use flight, drift and variation of pace to deceive batters.
Finger spin
- Off-spin: a right-arm bowler turning the ball from the off side to the leg side against a right-handed batter.
- Orthodox left-arm spin: a left-arm finger-spinner turning the ball away from a right-handed batter.
- Doosra: an off-spinner’s delivery that turns the other way, away from the right-handed batter.
Wrist spin
- Leg-spin: a right-arm wrist-spinner turning the ball from leg to off against a right-handed batter.
- Googly: a leg-spinner’s delivery that turns the opposite way, into a right-handed batter.
- Left-arm wrist spin, sometimes called chinaman: the left-arm equivalent of leg-spin.
- Flipper and slider: variations that skid on after pitching rather than turning.
Common deliveries
- Yorker: pitched at or near the batter’s feet, hard to hit and important at the end of an innings.
- Bouncer: pitched short to rise towards the batter’s head or chest. Playing conditions limit how many may be bowled per over.
- Slower ball: a change of pace to disrupt timing, including the off-cutter and the back-of-the-hand variation.
- Full toss: a ball that reaches the batter without bouncing, and which is often hit for runs.
- Length ball: pitched at a good length, hard for the batter to drive or leave.
A delivery that passes above waist height of the batter without bouncing is called as a no-ball for the full toss rule.
Bowling actions and legality
Bowling actions are regulated by the ICC. A bowler’s elbow may extend by up to 15 degrees during delivery; beyond this, the action is considered illegal. Suspected actions can be reported and tested.
Why variety matters
Captains look for balance in a bowling attack. Pace bowlers offer wicket-taking power with the new ball and at the end of an innings, while spinners control the middle overs and take advantage of dry pitches. Our guide to how pitches affect matches explains why conditions often decide which type of bowler thrives.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between swing and seam?
Swing is movement of the ball in the air, while seam is movement off the pitch after the ball lands on its raised seam.
What is a googly?
A googly is a leg-spinner’s delivery that turns in the opposite direction to a standard leg-break, towards a right-handed batter.
What is a yorker?
A yorker is a delivery that pitches at or very near the batter’s feet, making it difficult to hit.