What is a heavy ball?

[goose]

What exactly is a heavy ball? Who was the last Indian to bowl a heavy ball? (Ramesh Powar aside)

[Cricketics]

When the ball gets wet I think. Like when you smack it out of the ground, and it goes in the puddle and comes back to the ground, it means heavy ball.

[vvvslaxman]

Heavy ball.. Agarkar. He can hit the bat hard at times not like Flintoff.

[Lurker]

Bouncers are heavy ball. The deliveries are so fierce that your balls sink to the ground dragging you with it.

[goose]

Two very different responses! Cricketics I don't think it has anything to with the moisture content of the ball. It's a trait associated with a particular style of bowler. In this series Bresnan, for example, bowls a heavy ball according to Nasser. Actually, Flintoff is said to have the same ability. But I haven't really heard anyone explain what it is.

[vvvslaxman]

Two very different responses! Cricketics I don't think it has anything to with the moisture content of the ball. It's a trait associated with a particular style of bowler. In this series Bresnan' date=' for example, bowls a heavy ball according to Nasser. Actually, Flintoff is said to have the same ability. But I haven't really heard anyone explain what it is.[/quote'] Ball hits the bat harder than you expect for a specific speed. Two bowlers bowl at the same speed. One bowler can hit the bat harder. Not sure how you can explain anymore. But it is a term that has been in use for years.

[goose]

Ball hits the bat harder than you expect for a specific speed. Two bowlers bowl at the same speed. One bowler can hit the bat harder. Not sure how you can explain anymore. But it is a term that has been in use for years.

Moving the question on then, at what point of the cricket ball trajectory is the speed actually measured by the technology?

[Pagalpanti]

Some bowlers like Anderson, Steyn are bowlers who are nippy. The ball fizzes out quickly after pitching and its easy to play shots. While heavy ball, you can say comes really hard at bat. You gotta put in effort to play shots. Bresnan, Kallis, Flintoff are some who are usually mentioned.

[nballa]

Moving the question on then' date=' at what point of the cricket ball trajectory is the speed actually measured by the technology?[/quote'] hand release.

[Cricketics]

Two very different responses! Cricketics I don't think it has anything to with the moisture content of the ball. It's a trait associated with a particular style of bowler. In this series Bresnan' date=' for example, bowls a heavy ball according to Nasser. Actually, Flintoff is said to have the same ability. But I haven't really heard anyone explain what it is.[/quote'] I was trying to make it a sarcastic post, but I think I ended up making a bit sense. But yeah, i don't think there is any "Heavy ball" term in MCC rule book. It's just a random term created by commentators like corridor of uncertainity and stuff like that. But most likely the a ball which has been used for 20 some overs should be the most heavy I think. The amount of cricket I have played, thats when the ball looks the most heaviest. The shiny logos on the ball are totally gone by then, and the ball looks heavy red color. It's just after another 15-25 overs when the ball starts to lose its juice and thats when the threads start to come out from the ball as it gets worn out.

[goose]

So a heavy ball is simply one that is faster than recorded by the technology.

[Pagalpanti]

So a heavy ball is simply one that is faster than recorded by the technology.

not really, you can say that the one that climbs up on you or hits hard at your bat.

[Pagalpanti]

Lee bowls quick but he doesn't bowl heavy balls. Kallis while slower does it. Its not really an art one can learn I guess, comes naturally.

[goose]

not really' date=' you can say that the one that climbs up on you or hits hard at your bat.[/quote'] but surely that's just a function of the speed of the ball on impact / reaching the batsman?

[nballa]

it is possible that a ball released at the same speed by two different bowlers one loses speed quickly when it reaches the other end while the other looses less speed so it hits it harder. well built players who put a lot of shoulder into the ball hit the bat harder than the nippy ones who generate most speed from the wrist snap. wasim akram was not express but regularly broke stumps with a very short runup.

[vvvslaxman]

but surely that's just a function of the speed of the ball on impact / reaching the batsman?

Either batsmen misjudges the pace or bowler is deceptive.

[Rajiv]

Something which Inida needs in a pair to play rest of the series

[kabira]

mostly the bowler who can bang ball in, gets that extra zip out of the surf. Bresnan is one. Our the years ,Kaspo was heavy ball bowler, wasn't quick, but can bang the ball on good length and can get life out of surface.

[CG]

mostly the bowler who can bang ball in' date=' gets that extra zip out of the surf. Bresnan is one. Our the years ,Kaspo was heavy ball bowler, wasn't quick, but can bang the ball on good length and can get life out of surface.[/quote'] Flintoff is perfect example

[Alchemist]

So if it has anything to do with the ball hitting harder on the bat, does that mean that the batsman might be the real reason to make it a heavy ball. May be the speed is deceptive causing the batsman to lose the timing. In my experience, when the timing is perfect everything is smooth. But when you particularly miss time a rising ball, you can feel the vibrations in your hand. I think this might be heavy ball. I might very well be wrong too.