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12 April 2001
  
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[Rules & Regulations]
 The Laws of Cricket - 2000 Code

Click on the following links to view the details : -

  1. Law 1 : The Players
  2. Law 2 : Subs/runners, leaving field, retiring, commencing innings
  3. Law 3 : The Umpires
  4. Law 4 : The Scorers
  5. Law 5 : The Ball
  6. Law 6 : The Bat
  7. Law 7 : The Pitch
  8. Law 8 : The Wickets
  9. Law 9 : The Bowling, Popping and Return Creases
  10. Law 10: Rolling,Sweeping,Mowing,Watering the Pitch & Remarking of Creases
  11. Law 11: Covering The Pitch
  12. Law 12: Innings
  13. Law 13: The Follow-On
  14. Law 14: Declaration and Forfeiture
  15. Law 15: Intervals
  16. Law 16: Start of Play; Cessation of Play
  17. Law 17: Practice on the Field
  18. Law 18: Scoring Runs
  19. Law 19: Boundaries
  20. Law 20: Lost Ball
  21. Law 21: The Result
  22. Law 22: The Over
  23. Law 23: Dead Ball
  24. Law 24: No Ball
  25. Law 25: Wide Ball
  26. Law 26: Bye and Leg Bye
  27. Law 27: Appeals
  28. Law 28: The Wicket Is Down
  29. Law 29: Batsman Out Of His Ground
  30. Law 30: Bowled
  31. Law 31: Timed Out
  32. Law 32: Caught
  33. Law 33: Handled The Ball
  34. Law 34: Hit The Ball Twice
  35. Law 35: Hit Wicket
  36. Law 36: Leg Before Wicket
  37. Law 37: Obstructing The Field
  38. Law 38: Run Out
  39. Law 39: Stumped
  40. Law 40: The Wicket-Keeper
  41. Law 41: The Fielder
  42. Law 42: Fair and Unfair Play

[Techniques] - Wrist Spin Bowling / Batting / Bowling

a. The Art of Wrist Spin Bowling

1. The Leg Spinner

The grip is two fingers up and two down, with the split between the second and third fingers, which are spread across the seam. The thumb rests on the ball and does not do anything. Shane says his grip is a little unusual because his first two fingers are closer than most leg-spinners.

The delivery - The spin on the ball is roughly 30 degrees so that the ball both spins sideways and dips with the overspin. Closest variation is the top-spinner, where the seam points to the wicketkeeper and the ball over-spins straight down the pitch.

2. The Flipper

The grip - The fingers are brought further forward on the ball and the thumb plays a part. Shane says his grip is not too tight as this can stop the ball fizzing out of his hand.

The delivery - The trick is to not bowl it too fast. When he stays relaxed and squeezes the ball out through fingers and thumb (an instant after the centre picture), the underspin makes the ball slice through the air more quickly.

3. The Wrong 'Un

The grip - Same as the leg-spinner.

The delivery - The front shoulder has to drop a little to allow the wrist to come right over the top and the ball to come out with the opposite spin on it - off-spin rather than leg-spin. At the last moment you have to flick the ball out of the off-spin way with your fingers.

4. The Zooter

The grip - The ball is held much further back in the palm of the hand, which holds the ball back as you let it go.

The delivery - The ball is pushed out the front of the hand, from the palm, and either floats or skids through the air, maybe swinging in a little. The seam is straight up and down and the zooter does not spin.

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And a couple of illustrations of:

b. The Art of Batting

1. The Cover Drive

One of the most elegant shots in the game, but one you don't see that often in Test cricket because fast bowlers don't pitch full enough that often, the important things are to get your foot across to the pitch of the ball and to stroke the shot, rather than hit it too hard. Play this shot more to spinners, when you can make a little room for yourself.

2. The On Drive

A very tough shot because it is hard to open your foot to point straight down the pitch, bring the bat down nice and straight and still hit the ball hard enough to go down the ground

3. Off the Pads through the On-side

The key is to let the ball come to you and then turn your wrists at the last instant, can play this to balls on off-stump when seeing them well. In one-day games, sometimes hit it harder and in the air, but in Tests just turn the wrists and let the pace of the ball do the work. A shot that often goes for four because there are plenty of gaps in the field.

4. Square Cut

As long as you have enough width outside off-stump, you can hit the square cut quite hard, sometimes in the air as well as on the ground, it is an important shot in Test cricket because pace bowlders usually bowl short of a length and you need the cut to score runs. Against spinners sometimes play it off the stumps on a slow pitch.

5. Backfoot Defence

A basic bread and butter shot against pace bowlers. The keys are decisive footwork, a straight bat and soft hands which allow you to adjust up or down depending on the bounce, and to pull your hands and bat inside the line if you decide late to let the ball go. 'The key is to stay on line, not follow the ball if it leaves you late. One of those shots you must be able to play to keep your wicket intact.

6. Forward Defence

Soft hands are important here too, especially against spinners where you might have close-in fielders waiting for a catch. It's important to keep your bat and pad close together and your head over the ball. Again, a key shot in that it allows you to keep good balls out of your stumps.

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c. The Art of Bowling
Pace Bowling - The Outswinger with Dennis Lillee

1. Tip for pace and rhythm

If you are struggling to find a regular rhythm, try this exercise: to into an empty field with no obstacles nearby and from a marked point, do a full run-up with your eyes closed. Imagine you are an old steam engine looking to build momentum. Walk two or thre paces, start to jog and gradually build up to about three quarter speed, thinking of the sound and action of a steam train as you are running. I have used this method many many times, and it still works wonders in bringing out smoothness. (1955) Befire you bowl your first ball, you must be mentally as well as physically set up. Making batsmen play is all important. If you bowl it at or just outside off stump, there is a genuine chance that he'll nick it, given that he's so keen to feel bat on ball.

2. The Outswinger

The outswinger delivered at pace is one of the most powerful deliveries. It swerves in the air from middle to off, begging for catches for the wicketkeeper or the slips. Hold the ball well out of the palmwith the seam running vertically. At the point of delivery, the seam points towards first slip. The wrist is cocked and whipped through, with a powerful follow-up. The arm finishes well outside the body in the direction of mid-off.

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