Hot like the Sun: Coach Bowlers to Bowl like Broad | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips

Hot like the Sun: Coach Bowlers to Bowl like Broad

Graeme Swann described Stuart Broad as "hot as the surface of the sun" at Durham after his match-winning 11 wicket Ashes haul.

So how did Broad do it, what happened to give him such an edge in the match? And what lessons can we learn from it.

 

1. Shifting length

Broady used to be fixated with back of a length bowling. His line is generally immaculate, yet too many balls would fly through harmlessly to Matt Prior.

At Durham, Broad hit a fuller length on a more regular basis and this bought the stumps and edge into the game.

5 of his wickets in the 2nd innings were LBW or bowled demonstrating the adjustment he made from Old Trafford.

2. Working in your change up ball

When Broady changed his length he tended to go to a committed bouncer: Very Glen McGrath-like.

This is a great combination ball when the ball is swinging as it will prevent the batter from simply pushing forward every ball.

The ball to get Smith out was a bonus. Broad delivered it to take Smith's feet and decision making away from him yet picked up a bonus wicket through his surprise element.

If you have no bouncer to club up with your length ball, then push your point to deep point and slide in a wider, away swinging half volley. The batter will be tempted and the slips/keeper will be waiting.

If he nails it then there is a good chance it will only be a single to your deep point.

3. Recognise the times to bowl at top pace

During my time around Test cricket, I noticed how quality fast bowlers chose the time to maximise their pace and other times to sit into a spell at a lesser pace.

Zaheer Khan was a master of this. He would bowl at 75-78mph when the ball was not swinging and as soon as it did Zaheers pace would rise to 83-85mph to capitalise on the changing ball condition.

On Monday, Tim Bresnan started to get the ball to reverse a little, something that the commentators felt would not happen as the outfield and square were green and lush. Yet the ball did start to tail as a result of getting old and battered.

Broad noticed this and his pace rose from 83mph to 91mph. The swing started to increase and the reaction time of the batter started to decrease.

The lead up to Michael Clarke's dismissal was textbook. Reaching top pace, hitting the length that brings the stumps into play and the off stump rocked back!

Learn to hold your pace at a manageable level when the ball is not moving laterally so you can build pressure through dots.

Then have the capacity to increase your pace when the ball is swinging conventionally or through reverse/contrast swing.

Master this and you will be a bowler for all conditions. Just like Stuart Broad.

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