Simon Hughes
Extra Bounce
It is an increasing trend for fast bowlers to be tall. Harold Larwood, the original 'Bodyline' bowler, was only 5ft 9in and great bowlers from the 50s and 60s like Ray Lindwall and Brian Statham, among others, were barely 6ft. Malcolm Marshall was only 5ft 10in, which makes his achievement of taking 376 Test wickets at the rapid strike rate of one every 46 balls all the more amazing. Now, the majority of quick bowlers are well above average height, with Curtly Ambrose at 6ft 8in towering over everyone.
Bowling from these elevations, the ball is liable to bounce more, and be awkward for the batsman to keep down. Also, it's harder for him to see. He has to look up at the bowler's hand, which is often well above the level of the sightscreen, then suddenly finds the ball rearing up at his face.
Maximising height
Bowlers don't always make full use of their height but Andy Caddick (below) is renowned for the steep bounce he gets out of any pitch. Clearly he maximises his 6ft 5in height by keeping his head upright
in delivery and, most importantly, bowling over a braced front leg.
He gets a lot of extra power, and therefore speed, from this rock-solid position. He's pivoting off his front leg, and getting real momentum
from it.
 Andy Caddick
Andy Caddick exploits every inch of his height (left) and so is able to get a high degree of bounce.
 Alan Mullally
The explanation for Mullally's lack of real penetration is clear from his action (left) – he is not making the most of his physique.
Alan Mullally (above) is the same height as Caddick but as he lands at the crease, his front leg bends and his whole body buckles slightly, meaning he's not bowling from as rigid or as lofty a position. Although he's an accurate bowler, Mullally doesn't always seem to get as much as he could out of a pitch, both in terms of lift and venom.
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Copyright © Simon Hughes 2001
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