Reverse Swing
Also known as: reverse swing, late reverse
Reverse swing is a phenomenon where an old, asymmetrically worn ball swings in the opposite direction to conventional swing, deceiving batters conditioned to expect conventional movement.
Conventional swing occurs when the ball is new and the seam is prominent — the ball swings towards the shiny side. After 40 or more overs, if one side is kept shiny and one side is allowed to roughen up, the aerodynamics change: the rough side now creates turbulent airflow and the ball swings towards that rough side — the opposite direction to conventional swing. This reversal is compounded at higher pace, making it most effective in the hands of skilled fast bowlers. Reverse swing is notoriously hard to pick from the hand, particularly because the bowler can keep the ball in the conventional position but swing it the other way. It has been one of the most potent match-winning weapons in Test and one-day cricket when mastered.
Example
With an old ball, the bowler presents it with the rough side forward and swings it back into the right-handed batter late — exactly the opposite of what the batter was guarding against — to bowl them behind their legs.
Why it matters
Reverse swing is a decisive weapon in the second innings of long-format cricket. SwingVantage's cricket analysis (in development) will study seam presentation and release angle to help bowlers understand and develop this advanced skill.
Related terms
- 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.
- In-SwingIn-swing is conventional swing bowling where the ball curves in the air from off to leg (in towards the body of a right-handed batter), often targeting the stumps or pads.
- Out-SwingOut-swing is conventional swing bowling where the ball curves in the air from leg to off (away from the body of a right-handed batter), enticing an edge towards the slip cordon.
- 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.
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.