Advice From The Pros: Death Bowling

Nottinghamshire and England's Ryan Sidebottom gives advice on how bowlers should look to contain batsmen in the final few overs of a one day innings.

In one day cricket, every run counts, especially as the innings comes to a close. Recent innovations such as the use of slow ball bouncers have added extra weapons to bowler’s lockers. We asked Ryan Sidebottom how a bowler should look to contain batsmen in the final few overs of a one day innings.

As teams are invariably looking to attack in the final few overs of a one day innings, how much more difficult is it bowling under these circumstances?

It’s difficult because you can be a hero or a villain, but that’s why you practice. As things have changed in cricket, slow ball bouncers and variations are now used more to try to put batsmen off. You have to practice your yorkers though because they should be your most dangerous ball.

And how frequently should you be using such variations to keep the batsman guessing?

If the batsman is slogging you might use your variations more, but still use your line and length delivery. It should be your best delivery and if you get hit don’t panic, just go again. They can’t hit your best ball to the boundary every time.

How important is it psychologically for a team batting first if they score big runs off the final few overs of an innings?

Momentum always counts in limited overs cricket. If you can get 30 or 40 off the last two overs the game can change, so the pressure is on you when bowling at the death.

And field settings play a big role in keeping the score down?

Field settings can help keep the batsman thinking. If you’re going to bowl a slow ball bouncer you want the field in front of square. Similarly, if you’re going to bowl a yorker you might have third man and fine leg up to fool the batsman into thinking you’re going to bowl a slow ball bouncer. The key is to keep the batsmen thinking all the time.

Should bowlers still be looking to take wickets late in the innings, or does containing runs become more important?

Either option is always good. The final overs are primarily about containing runs and if you do that well you invariably take wickets.

How frustrating is it bowling to a tail ender swinging the bat and scoring fortunate runs over the keepers head?!

It very rarely happens to me! My advice would be to settle at the end of your mark, concentrate, and take your time. You can often bowl well in twenty20 cricket and go for lots of runs, but then you can bowl poorly and take wickets with catches on the boundary.

How should players look to bowl at batsman trying to swing his arms?

You should be using your variations as you would do to any other batsman, changing the pace and bowling yorkers. That’s the way to slow the scoring at the end of an innings.

As players lower down the order come in to bat, how should bowlers be looking to expose their lesser technical ability?

Putting lower order batsmen under pressure so they can’t score runs is key. If you can make them take three or four balls to get in, then the pressure mounts on them as the scoreboard isn’t advancing.

Pace on the ball is not necessarily the way to go. Can taking the pace off the ball work in the final few overs?

It can work at the end of an innings yes, as spinners are playing a bigger role in limited overs cricket. Most teams have two or three spinners because they can be so difficult to hit to the boundary, especially left arm spinners.

Are you someone who likes lots of advice in these situations? Should players be giving their teammates advice, or have trust in their bowlers?

Not at all. I like to think for myself in these situations, if I mess up then it’s on my head! For others it may be different, perhaps youngsters may benefit from more advice, but I like to back myself in those situations.

As a bowler if you’ve gone for a few boundaries early in the over how do you try to respond?

You’ve got to keep trying to bowl dot balls and put the batsman under pressure. You should be looking to hit middle and off stump so that it gives the batsmen no room to free their arms.

Is bowling at the end of an innings something you enjoy?

I really enjoy it. I’ve always done it through my career and have always enjoyed that part. As I said you can be a hero or a villain, but I’d rather be bowling than fielding at fine leg for the last three or four overs! Being under pressure is how you improve as a player.