Top 5 Cricket Training Drills to Improve your Bowling

Here are five simple yet highly effective drills that you can practice to take your bowling to the next level.

• Target Practice (Line & Length) - Place a target (A cone or a marker) on a consistent good length spot. Bowl repeatedly towards it aiming to hit the target or land the ball as close as possible. For variation, add more targets for wider lines or for different lengths (e.g a yorker length marker). This drill will directly improve your accuracy and consistency of landing a ball in the desired area, and will be crucial to build pressure on the batsman.

• Corridor Bowling (To help stop wide's and bowling too straight) - Set up two parallel lines of cones or markers along the pitch, creating a narrow 'corridor' or channel down the wicket. Aim to bowl within this corridor. You can also practice bowling along a side net to ensure the arm doesn't fall away from the action. This drill will help you refine your bowling line, ensuring the ball pitches consistently near the stumps and doesn't stray too wide or too straight.

• Variation Bowling (Planned Overs) - Before starting, decide on a sequence of six different deliveries (e.g, inswing, outswing, slower ball, bouncer, yorker, stock ball). Then, bowl a full over, focusing on executing each delivery as planned regardless of the outcome. This drill will enhance your control over different bowling variations and improve your ability to execute a strategic bowling plan, keeping batsman guessing. It will also help you to stop relying on a certain delivery that you may favour.

• Run Up Consistency Drill - Mark out your bowling run up and practice approaching the crease with a consistent stride length and pace, without bowling the ball initially. Once comfortable, add the bowling action, focusing on maintaining the same rhythm and tempo throughout the run-up. Additionally, we recommend practicing your run ups to build up leg muscle endurance and pace. This drill is important to practice because a consistent run up is fundamental to a repeatable bowling action, which is essential for both accuracy and generating maximum speed and energy transfer into the delivery.

• Wrist Position and Seam Movement Drill - Hold the ball with your preferred grip, ensuring your wrist is directly behind the ball with the seam upright. Practice flicking the ball up against a net, aiming to make it spin with a consistent seam orientation. Alternatively, bowl short distances to a partner, focusing on the wrist snap and keeping the seam vertical through release. A strong wrist position is vital for generating swing, seam movement, or spin, depending on your bowling style, and for maintaining control over the ball's trajectory.

If you are still struggling with your bowling after following these drills consistently, feel free to check out our rookie bowling course to advance your learning even more!