Good Length
Also known as: good-length delivery, the corridor
A good-length delivery is one that pitches at the spot that forces the batter to be uncertain whether to play off the front foot or the back foot — the most dangerous line for any bowler.
The good length varies by surface and conditions but is broadly defined as the area that pitches approximately 6–8 metres (18–24 feet) from the stumps for pace bowlers on most pitches. It bounces at a height that makes it awkward for either a front-foot stroke (the ball is too short to drive) or a back-foot stroke (the ball is not short enough to cut or pull comfortably). Forcing this indecision is the foundation of tight, effective bowling in all formats. Consistently hitting a good length means the bowler offers few loose balls and pressures the batter into mistakes. The corresponding full-pitched extreme is the full toss and the corresponding short extreme is the short ball.
Example
The bowler fires in six consecutive good-length deliveries on off stump, forcing the batter to play and miss twice before finding the edge.
Why it matters
Hitting a good length consistently is the single most important skill in pace bowling. SwingVantage's cricket analysis (in development) will map landing zones relative to the stumps so bowlers can measure their length control with precision.
Related terms
- YorkerA yorker is a delivery bowled to pitch right at the batter’s feet, under the swinging bat — one of the hardest balls to score off and a key death-overs weapon.
- BouncerA bouncer is a fast, short-pitched delivery that rears up toward the batter’s head or chest, used to intimidate and to set up the fuller ball.
- Seam BowlingSeam bowling is a style of pace bowling where the ball is gripped so the seam is upright and the ball lands on the seam, causing it to deviate unpredictably off the pitch.
- Swing BowlingSwing bowling is making a fast-bowled ball curve sideways through the air — toward the batter (inswing) or away (outswing) — by using the seam angle and the ball’s shine.
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