Explained: What Is The Best Bowling Length?

What Is The Best Bowling Length? In cricket, a bowler is often instructed to follow different plans in certain kinds of situations to control the flow of runs and take wickets. Many matches have been saved by the bowlers where batsmen failed to deliver their best.

The 2024 World Cup is a prime example where the bowlers of Team India helped in winning the title of trophy, featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Hardik Pandya. The star bowlers defended 30 runs with 30 balls in hand and led the team to lift the trophy in the finals.

Star bowlers of the Top 5 Countries (Active)

India- Jasprit Bumrah

Australia- Mitchell Starc

England- Zofra Archer

New Zealand- Matt Henry

South Africa- Kagiso Rabada

Types of bowling length in cricket on the pitch

The main types of bowling lengths in cricket, defined by where the ball lands on the pitch relative to the batsman, are: yorker, full length, good length, short of length, and bouncer/short-pitched.

– Yorker: The ball lands close to the batsman’s feet, nearly on the popping crease, which makes it a difficult area to play, with the primary purpose being to target the stumps. 

– Full Length: Lands just shorter than a yorker, making the batter have to play forward and often encourages drives to the ball. A full-length delivery can also be called a “half-volley” if slightly over-pitched. 

– Good Length: The ball has bounced at a distance that makes the batsman uncertain whether to go forward toward the pitch of the ball or stay back. It is typically between 6-8 meters for fast bowlers. This is considered the length that the batsman finds the most difficult to bat against. 

– Short of Length/Back of a Length: The ball has landed further away from the batsman compared to good length (usually around 8-9 meters), and the ball usually reaches the batter long after about waist- or chest-height, allowing the batsman to play a shot that will force a mistake. 

– Short Length/Bouncer: The ball bounces near the bowler and has a great amount of height and angle toward the batsman’s head and shoulders. Length is used primarily for intimidation. 

Choosing a bowling length is, of course, dependent on bowler type (fast or spin), pitch condition, the weather, and the batting technique, which is relevant because the effectiveness of any length is going to depend on these factors.

Final Word

Ideally, it is said to bowl on good length, which is 6-8m for fast bowlers, as this is nearly perfect for a bowler in terms of being far too hit easily and not too short to judge quickly. This 6-8m distance gives enough distance to the ball to swing and seam on the pitch, which leaves batsmen in confusion whether to hit the ball front on or wait for the ball.

Another advantage is that the bounce of the ball will be determined by the nature of the pitch. If there are patches on the pitch, then it would be difficult for the batsman to judge the bounce of the ball, which will result in false shots or missed shots.

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