This week I received an email from B. Lee in Bradford, who wrote;

"Last season I had a big problem with my run-up and I was bowling a lot of no-balls.  It cost me a few wickets and I really need help correcting this.  Do you have any ideas?"

This is a common problem, especially amongst younger bowlers.  Luckily there are a few easy ways that you can quickly correct this problem;

Firstly, it is important you understand exactly what makes a good run-up.  A good run-up should;

• Be repeatable and consistent
• Be smooth and rhythmical
• Be balanced
• Feel good

The aim of your run-up is to gain forward momentum going into your bowling action.  Once you have become comfortable with your run-up you can then concentrate on your bowling action and not whether you will land behind the line!

The easiest way to stop bowling no-balls is to establish and measure your run-up.  A bowler’s best run-up is established by practice. The best way to practice is to find an open space and set off running until it feels right to bowl (a blindfold can be useful for this). Then get a friend to mark with cones the front and back foot landing positions. Repeat this process until you land on the same cones a few times in a row and you have found your natural run up. The most important aspect of this process is “feel”. The bowler must feel it is right to bowl, not try to land on the cones from the previous attempt. It is important that you set off from the same position on the same foot each time. The run up should then be measured from the front foot landing position. It is probably best measured with a piece of string or tape measure which can then be taken to each game and marked out before the start of play.

The distance between the cones for your front foot and back foot will tell you the length of your delivery stride.  This can also be useful in preventing no-balls as you will be able to measure this at a later date and check whether there has been any change to your delivery stride.  You can then change the length of your run-up accordingly.

I hope this has helped.  For more ways to improve your game book on to one of our cricket coaching courses in Yorkshire.

Sam Anderson