Seam Bowling
Also known as: seam-up bowling, seam movement
Seam 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.
The cricket ball has a prominent stitched seam around its equator. A seam bowler grips the ball with the index and middle fingers along or close to the seam and the thumb resting on the seam underneath, then delivers the ball so the seam remains upright in flight and hits the surface. Depending on exactly where the seam meets the pitch, the ball can nip away towards the off side, back in towards the batter (often called "nipping back"), or go straight. Because the deviation is subtle and unpredictable, seam bowling is effective even without swing or spin. Fresh pitches and damp conditions amplify seam movement. Seam bowling is the primary skill of most English and South African pace attacks.
Example
The seam bowler lands the ball on a perfect length and the seam grips the surface, the ball nipping back sharply to beat the bat and hit the top of off stump.
Why it matters
Seam bowling creates wicket-taking opportunities from imperfect pitches. SwingVantage's cricket analysis (in development) will examine seam position in the delivery stride and release to help bowlers maximise this 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.
- Good LengthA 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.
- New BallThe new ball is a freshly manufactured cricket ball at the start of an innings (or available after a set number of overs), which swings and seams most readily due to its hard, lacquered surface and prominent seam.
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