Carrom Ball
Encyclopedia
The carrom
ball is a style of spin bowling
delivery used in cricket
. The ball is released by flicking it between the thumb and a bent middle finger in order to impart spin. Though the delivery is known to date from at least the 1940s, it was re-introduced into mainstream international cricket in the late 2000s by Ajantha Mendis
. Although Mendis popularized it, Ravichandran Ashwin
is equally potent with the ball that is considered a third category of spin bowling after leg and off-spin.
from Victoria, who used it throughout his Test career in the period after the Second World War, although he did not use the name "carrom ball". Fellow countryman John Gleeson
used a similar grip a decade later, but by the 1970s the method was almost forgotten; however, it has since re-entered cricketing consciousness because of its use by Ajantha Mendis
of Sri Lanka, with the new name of carrom ball.
Recently, Ravichandran Ashwin
of India is the new name that has been related with the carrom ball. He took 9 wickets in his debut test against West Indies in 2011-2012 and used the carrom ball to dismiss Marlon Samuels in the second innings.
is held between the thumb, forefinger and the middle finger and, instead of a conventional release, the ball is squeezed out and flicked by the fingers like a carrom
player flicking the disc on a carrom board.
It is different to wrist-bowled deliveries. Traditional leg-spin is bowled with anti-clockwise wrist movement for a right-armed bowler, while Muttiah Muralitharan
's special type of off-spin is bowled with clockwise wrist movement. A finger-bowled delivery such as traditional off-spin is bowled with a clockwise finger movement.
Carrom spin can be considered a third category of spin bowling after leg spin and off spin, as the middle finger and thumb flick or squeeze the ball out of the hand, like a carrom player flicking a striker in the indoor game of carrom
.
When the centre finger is gripped towards the leg side, the ball spins from leg to off; when the centre finger is gripped towards the off side, the ball spins from off to leg.
Depending on the degree the ball is gripped towards the leg side, the carrom ball could also travel straight.
The carrom ball can therefore spin to either the off or leg sides or travel straight (as opposed to the popular misconception that it only spins towards the off side).
Carrom
Carrom is a family of tabletop games with gameplay that lies somewhere between billiards and table shuffleboard. Carrom is known by many names around the world, including carrum, couronne, carum, karam, karom, karum, fatta and finger billiards...
ball is a style of spin bowling
Spin bowling
Spin bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as spinners or spin bowlers.-Purpose:The main aim of spin bowling is to bowl the cricket ball with rapid rotation so that when it bounces on the pitch it will deviate, thus making it difficult for the...
delivery used in cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. The ball is released by flicking it between the thumb and a bent middle finger in order to impart spin. Though the delivery is known to date from at least the 1940s, it was re-introduced into mainstream international cricket in the late 2000s by Ajantha Mendis
Ajantha Mendis
Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslo Mendis is a cricketer who plays for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.Mendis, although classified as slow-medium, bowls a mixture of deliveries, including googlies, off-breaks, top-spinners, flippers and leg-breaks, as well as the carrom ball, released with a flick...
. Although Mendis popularized it, Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is an Indian national cricket team player, who plays for India and Tamil Nadu cricket team. He is a right-handed batsman and right arm off-break bowler. He is the only bowler of recent times apart from Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka to bowl the carrom ball. He played two matches...
is equally potent with the ball that is considered a third category of spin bowling after leg and off-spin.
Origin
The first bowler known to have used this style of delivery was the Australian Jack IversonJack Iverson
John Brian Iverson was an Australian cricketer who played in 5 Tests from 1950 to 1951. He was known for his unique "bent finger" grip, with which he briefly perplexed batsmen across Australia as well as the touring English cricket team...
from Victoria, who used it throughout his Test career in the period after the Second World War, although he did not use the name "carrom ball". Fellow countryman John Gleeson
John Gleeson
John William Gleeson is a former Australian cricketer who played in 29 Tests from 1967 to 1972.-Early years:Gleeson grew up in the country town of Tamworth...
used a similar grip a decade later, but by the 1970s the method was almost forgotten; however, it has since re-entered cricketing consciousness because of its use by Ajantha Mendis
Ajantha Mendis
Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslo Mendis is a cricketer who plays for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.Mendis, although classified as slow-medium, bowls a mixture of deliveries, including googlies, off-breaks, top-spinners, flippers and leg-breaks, as well as the carrom ball, released with a flick...
of Sri Lanka, with the new name of carrom ball.
Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is an Indian national cricket team player, who plays for India and Tamil Nadu cricket team. He is a right-handed batsman and right arm off-break bowler. He is the only bowler of recent times apart from Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka to bowl the carrom ball. He played two matches...
of India is the new name that has been related with the carrom ball. He took 9 wickets in his debut test against West Indies in 2011-2012 and used the carrom ball to dismiss Marlon Samuels in the second innings.
Method
The ballCricket ball
A cricket ball is a hard, solid leather ball used to play cricket. Constructed of cork and leather, a cricket ball is heavily regulated by cricket law at first class level...
is held between the thumb, forefinger and the middle finger and, instead of a conventional release, the ball is squeezed out and flicked by the fingers like a carrom
Carrom
Carrom is a family of tabletop games with gameplay that lies somewhere between billiards and table shuffleboard. Carrom is known by many names around the world, including carrum, couronne, carum, karam, karom, karum, fatta and finger billiards...
player flicking the disc on a carrom board.
It is different to wrist-bowled deliveries. Traditional leg-spin is bowled with anti-clockwise wrist movement for a right-armed bowler, while Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan , often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002...
's special type of off-spin is bowled with clockwise wrist movement. A finger-bowled delivery such as traditional off-spin is bowled with a clockwise finger movement.
Carrom spin can be considered a third category of spin bowling after leg spin and off spin, as the middle finger and thumb flick or squeeze the ball out of the hand, like a carrom player flicking a striker in the indoor game of carrom
Carrom
Carrom is a family of tabletop games with gameplay that lies somewhere between billiards and table shuffleboard. Carrom is known by many names around the world, including carrum, couronne, carum, karam, karom, karum, fatta and finger billiards...
.
When the centre finger is gripped towards the leg side, the ball spins from leg to off; when the centre finger is gripped towards the off side, the ball spins from off to leg.
Depending on the degree the ball is gripped towards the leg side, the carrom ball could also travel straight.
The carrom ball can therefore spin to either the off or leg sides or travel straight (as opposed to the popular misconception that it only spins towards the off side).