Leg Spin Bowling by Richie Benaud

 For over-the-wrist spin, grip the ball so that the seam runs across the first joint of the index finger and the first joint of the third finger. For the leg-break, and the over spinner or top spinner, the ball is spun off the third finger. The wrist is cocked, but definitely not stiffly cocked, which would prevent flexibility.

In delivering the ball, you look at the spot on the pitch on which you wish the ball to land, your bowling hand starts level with your face and then describes what could loosely be termed an anti-clockwise circle to the point of delivery. The position of the bowling hand dictates in which direction the ball will spin. At the moment of delivery the positioning of the hand is as follows: Leg-break: in delivery, the back of the hand is facing the face. The ball will spin out with the seam rotating in an anti-clockwise direction towards slip.

Over spinner or top spinner: in delivery, the back of the hand is facing the sky and then the batsman. The ball will spin out with the seam rotating in an anti-clockwise direction and towards the batsman. Wrong’un: in delivery, the back of the hand is first facing the sky and then the ground. The ball will spin out with the seam rotating in an anti-clockwise direction towards fine leg.

You should practice the hard-spun leg-break ninety percent of the time, the variations only ten percent. You should be side-on to the batsman and looking over your front shoulder as you deliver the ball, and then your bowling hand will finish up going past your front thigh.

This means, if you have done it correctly, your body will also have rotated anti-clockwise. This ‘pivot’ is of great importance. If you bowl a ball that is too short, you can be almost certain it happened because your body was ‘chest-on’ to the batsman, rather than side-on, and you dragged the ball down into the pitch.

When you are bowling in a net, make a white shoe-cleaner mark the size of a 20-cent (50p) piece, on what seems to you to be a good length — that is, with the ball pitching where you would not like it to pitch if you were batting. Never have your bowling arm at or past the perpendicular when you deliver the ball; it should be at least a few inches lower than the perpendicular. Don’t even think about learning the ‘flipper’ before you have mastered the leg-break, top spinner, and wrong’un.

Keep it simple is the answer. Attend to the basics first; if you can’t do that, then the more complicated things will be impossible anyway. It is possible to extend some of those points, but the one thing of which you can be guaranteed is that common sense will always outweigh rhetoric and complication. And, no matter what I might say is the best way to bowl leg spin, there are many examples which show that natural ability can be more important than anything else.

Jimmy Maher Career, Profile, Stats, Info and Much More

  

Full Name: James Patrick Maher

Born: 27 February 1974 Innisfail Queensland,

Nickname – Mahbo

National Side: - 1998-2003 Australia

ODI Shirt No: - 46

Height – 6ft (182cm)

Batting – Left-Handed batsman

Bowling – Right-handed Medium Fast

ODI Debut – 14 Jan 1998 vs New Zealand

Last ODI – 9 November 2003 vs New Zealand

Queensland Pura Cup Captain: - 2002/03 and 2007/08

Former Australian cricketer Jimmy Maher is born on 27 February 1974 in Queensland. An attractive left-hander with a thumbing cover-drive, Jimmy Maher played two one-dayers for Australia in 1997-98.

After having played a couple of ODIs, it seemed like Maher's international career was done. However, relentless consistency in the domestic circuit saw him make a return in 2002. It was due to a sensational Pura Cup season in 2001-02, where he became the first ever batsman to aggregate over 1000 runs in a season, that Maher was able to storm his way back into the national side.

Apart from being a gifted left-handed batsman who oozed class in his strokeplay, he was a utility medium pacer and could also keep wickets when needed. Like most left-handers, Maher's signature stroke was the cover drive which he unfurled with absolute class.

Maher's bubbly personality made him a popular member of dressing rooms from the Gabba to the Gower. He took a while to get the hang of English pitches, but magnificent footwork and remarkable shot-selection won through in the end.

In the 2001/02 season, he continued that form back in Australia, slamming 174 against Victoria and 209 against South Australia on his way to becoming the first batsman to reach 1000 Pura Cup runs.

It was in the same year that Australia was determined to start the process of transition and had dropped the Waugh brothers from the ODI squad. Ricky Ponting was appointed captain and there were a plethora of changes in the squad.

As the selectors looked for youth, they also wanted experience, even if it was at the domestic circuit alone and that's where Maher came in. The tour to South Africa was his comeback series and although he played a couple of impact knocks, the consistency never really came. 

Jimmy Maher back into the one-day reckoning, when he announced his return with 95 in the second match against South Africa at Centurion in 2002 and followed that up with a vital 43 not out to secure a tie at Potchefstroom.

A series of handy one-day performances won him a place as the spare batsman (and the stand-in wicketkeeper) in the 2003 World Cup-winning squad, although he appeared in only two matches. Therefore, the tours to West Indies and India followed but his 26-match one-day journey ended when Brad Haddin assumed the backup gloveman’s role. 

Replacing Stuart Law as Queensland's captain, Jimmy Maher lost five domestic finals in a row before sealing his first win as a leader with the 2005-06 Pura Cup. He marked the occasion with a career-high 223 and then let his batsmen race to an unstoppable 6 declared for 900, dedicating the victory to victims of a fierce cyclone in north Queensland the previous week. Maher's Man-of-the-Match performance guided him to a personal haul of 906 runs at 53.29 in the competition and showed that at the age of 32 he had plenty of energy left. 

The run-scoring leader in the interstate one-day tournament, Maher's stand-out limited-overs moment came with a national-record 187 from 129 deliveries against Western Australia in 2003-04 as the Bulls charged to an unmatched 405 in 50 overs.

In February 2007, he also values highly his 108 runs in 133 balls in the limited-overs final of 2006-07, which set up Queensland's victory in the Ford Rangers Cup Final against the Victorian Bushrangers at the MCG. The Queensland Bulls went on to win the match by 21 runs. It was the third time that he had scored a century for Queensland in an Ondday domestic final.

On 11 February 2007 Maher was criticized by South Australian cricket captain Darren Lehmann for not declaring to make a game of their Pura Cup match at the Gabba. Lehmann said he thought he was playing Tasmania referring to Tasmania's reliance on the final day run chases.

Jimmy Maher caused controversy in 1995 following Queensland's Sheffield Shield win over South Australia, when he said during a television interview "I'm as full as a coon's Valiant". Indigenous Australians criticized Maher for his statement and its racial undertone. Maher later publicly apologized for the statement.

A year later, following a subdued season, he stood down with 9,933 first-class runs for the Bulls, second behind Martin Love, and headed for the Indian Cricket League.

 

Ian Healy 113 Not Out vs New Zealand at Perth Nov 1993

In 1993-94 seasons, Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Ian scored a brilliant hundred against New Zealand at Perth in Nov 1993. At one stage Australian team was struggling at 6 for 198 when Ian Healy came and played a genuine innings on the bouncy track of Perth. This was Ian Healy's 2^nd Test hundred and first against New Zealand. He remains unbeaten at 113 off 181 balls, 262 mins, with the help of 11 fours. Australian innings were ended up 398. The match was drawn, but he realized the Australian selectors to keep faith in his batting. The player in the match was declared Andrew Jones, who scored 143 and 45.

Andrew Symonds gears up for the semi-final against South Africa, St Lucia, April 23, 2007

 

Dean Jones throws up on the pitch during his epic 503-minute double hundred, India v Australia,

 

Bill Ponsford Australian Batsman bowled out in Test cricket with his best score, 266, against England at The Oval.

 

1938 Old Trafford Test Match was washed out

Two diehard optimists finally prepare to head home after another day washed out during the 1938 Old Trafford Test where not a ball was bowled during the five days. In those times people paid to get in with no refunds and no guarantee of play. Few tickets were sold in advance. This was only the second Test to have been abandoned without a ball being bowled. The first was also between England and Australia and was also at Old Trafford in 1890. 

Don Bradman and Bill Ponsford

The News heading of Sunday Fictorial On August 18th, 1934 Bill Ponsford (266) and Don Bradman (244) added a world record 451 for Australia's 2nd wicket at The Oval, breaking their own record set at Leeds a month earlier. Newspaper speculation was rife that they could go on to total 1000 as it was they made 701.

Bill Ponsford 266, against England at The Oval.

Saving the best till last when on August 19th, 1934 Bill Ponsford bowed out of Test cricket with his best score, 266, against England at The Oval. He was out when he turned his back on a short ball from Gubby Allen and as he swung round his bat clipped his stumps. 

He started Test cricket with a century too, in 1924-5. He may have retired in 1934 because he didn't want to serve under Bradman, but that is disputed. Like Hammond, he would have been a super-hero in any other era. Not spectacular to watch, but hey he could accumulate runs. He seems to have fallen out of love for the game as much as anything, with Bodyline a souring factor. As a run accumulator, he was outstanding but in terms of elegance and appeal he could not really hold a candle up to someone like Hammond.

On August 20th 1930 Don Bradman was dismissed for 232 in the 5th Test at The Oval

On August 20th, 1930 Don Bradman was dismissed for 232 in the 5th Test at The Oval, taking his aggregate for the summer's Ashes series to 974 runs at 139.14, overtaking the previous record for a series of 905 set by Wally Hammond in 1928-29.

Phil Sharpe, one of England's best slip fielders

Phil Sharpe, one of England's best slip fielders, catches Garry Sobers off Barry Knight in the 1969 Leeds Test. Sharpe took 17 catches in 12 Tests and won seven Championships at Yorkshire. Don Mosey said he "raised slip catching not only to an art form but a geometrical science"

Spectators shelter at The Oval 5th Ashes Test, 20th August 1934.

Spectators shelter at The Oval after morning drizzle delayed the start of the second day of the 5th Ashes Test, 20th August 1934. Back then many grounds had large uncovered areas leaving the public exposed to the elements and makeshift covering was the norm.

Michael Clarke Australian Side Jubilant to lift the ICC World Cup 2015 at MCG

Australian Medium Fast Bowler Terry Alderman. He was famous for his swing bowling.

Australian Medium Fast Bowler Terry Alderman

Bill Brown and Jack Fingleton

Bill Brown and Jack Fingleton Famous Australian Opening Pair 

Australian All Time Great Batsman Allan Border. One of Best Captain as well.

Ashley Mallett was the architect of Australia's 3-1 series win over India in 1969-70

The Australian team in England, circa 1934. O’Reilly is fifth from left in the back row

The Australian team in England, circa 1934. O’Reilly is fifth from left in the back row  Image Credit - Wisden

Bill Johnston – Bradman Invincible Bowler

Bill Johnston the versatile left arm medium pace bowler, who was a key member of Australian invincible side of 1948. Bill Johnston was often an underrated member of Australian side in the decade after the World War II. Bill Johnston played 40 Tests matches from 1947 to 1955. for Australia taking 160 wickets at 23.91 until a knee injury forced him to retirement from cricket.

He was on the one of best performer on the tour of 1948 and equaled Ray Lindwall as Australian Top Wicket takers in the Tests, with 27 victims at an average of 23.33! His efforts earned him a Wisden Cricketer of the Year title in 1949. The Almanac reported that “no Australian made a greater personal contribution to the playing success of the 1948 side” than Johnston.

Across the whole tour, he collected 102 wickets at a marvelous average of 16.80 and he pounded down 84 over’s in the first Test match at the Trent Bridge for a brilliant match figure of 9 for 183. He wasn’t good in batting department, and just managed his highest first-class score, was 38 against South Australia. He was died on 26 May 2007.

Alan Turner's 101 powered them to 328 against lightweights Sri Lanka.