NICHOLAS DOHERTY 05002524 SCHOOL OF SPORT U.W.I.C. A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FRONT-ON AND SIDE-ON FAST BOWLING TECHNIQUES AT THE ELITE LEVEL OF CRICKET. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN TERMS OF OVERALL PERFORMANCE INCLUDING LINE AND LENGTH, ECONOMY RATES, BOWLING AVERAGE AND WICKETS PER MATCH BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL BOWLERS USING DIFFERENT BOWLING TECHNIQUES? TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 General Introduction 1 1.2 Aim of the Study 7 1.3 Hypothesis 8 1.4 Rationale for the Problem 8 1.5 Limitations 10 1.6 Delimitations 10 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Introduction to Notational Analysis 11 2.2 An Historical Perspective – Hand and Computer Analysis 13 2.2.1 Computerised Notation Systems 15 2.3 Notational Analysis and Cricket 16 2.4 Notational Analysis Studies on One Day international Cricket 21 2.5 performance Indicators in Cricket 22 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Equipment 27 3.2 The System 27 3.3 The Procedure 28 3.4 Data Definitions 30 3.5 Matches Analysed 37 3.5 The Bowlers being Analysed 38 3.6 Data Collected 39 3.7 Pilot Studies 39 3.8 Reliability 40 3.9 Data Processing 41 3.10 Data Analysis 41 4 RESULTS 4.1 Reliability Testing 42 4.2 Bowling Analysis 43 4.2.1 Shot Result 43 4.2.2 Lengths Bowled 44 4.2.3 Lines Bowled 45 4.2.4 Shot Type 46 4.2.5 Shot Type and Runs Scored 48 4.2.6 Played and Missed 50 4.2.7 Runs Conceded per Over 51 4.2.8 Wickets per Game and Bowling Average 52 5 DISCUSSION 5.1 Intra-Observer Reliability Test 54 5.2 Statistics 54 5.3 Discussion of the System 55 5.4 Discussion of the Results 57 5.4.1 Shot Result 57 4.4.2 Lengths Bowled 57 4.4.3 Lines Bowled 60 4.4.4 Shot Type 60 4.4.5 Shot Type and Runs Scored 60 4.4.6 Played and Missed 61 4.2.7 Runs Conceded per Over 61 4.2.8 Wickets per Game and Bowling Average 62 6 CONCLUSION 6.1 General Conclusions 63 6.2 Future Recommendations 64 REFERENCES 65 List of Appendices APPENDIX A. Reliability APPENDIX B. Screens Used Within ‘Feedback Cricket’. APPENDIX C. Wagon Wheels APPENDIX D. Statistical Tests List of Tables Page No. Table 1. Basic Cricket Terminology 30 Table 2. Delivery Length Definitions 32 Table 3. Delivery Line definitions 34 Table 4. Different types of extras 35 Table 5. Definitions of specific strokes. 36 Table 6. Percentages of reliability for the different performance indicators 42 List of Figures Page No. Figure. 1. County Cricket Attendance, 1995-2001 2 Figure. 2. Computer reproduction of a side-on bowling action: side view (right) and front view (left). From left: back foot strike, 6 mid-delivery stride, front foot strike, ball release. Figure. 3. Computer reproduction of a front-on bowling action: side view (right) and front view (left). From left: back foot strike, 7 mid-delivery stride, front foot strike, ball release. Figure. 4. Computer reproduction of a mixed bowling action: side view (right) and front view (left). From left: back foot strike, 9 mid-delivery stride, front foot strike, ball release. Figure. 5. A schematic diagram representing the coaching process 11 Figure. 6. An example of a page from a typical scorebook 17 Figure. 7. The Hawkeye system 19 Figure. 8. Side On Hawkeye 20 Figure. 9. Front On View of Hawkeye 20 Figure. 10. Lengths Bowled 31 Figure. 11. Delivery Lines bowled to right handed batsmen. 33 Figure. 12. Percentages of dot balls, single runs and boundaries resulting from side on and front on bowling techniques 43 Figure. 13. Mean percentage of Lengths Bowled. 44 Figure. 14. Mean percentage of lines bowled 45 Figure. 15. Mean percentages of the balls bowled which leads to the various front foot shots the batsmen performed 46 Figure. 16. Mean percentages of the balls bowled which leads to the various back foot shots the batsmen performed 47 Figure. 17. Total mean percentage of the balls bowled which leads to the various front and back shots executed by the batsmen. 47 Figure. 18. Mean percentages of the runs scored for each of the front foot shots the batsmen performed 48 Figure. 19. Mean percentages of the runs scored for each of the back foot shots the batsmen performed 49 Figure. 20: total mean percentages of the runs scored for each of the shot the batsmen performed 49 Figure. 21: Mean percentage of play and misses 50 Figure. 22. Runs Conceded per Over 51 Figure. 23. Average number of wickets 52 Figure. 24. Bowling Average 53 Acknowledgments I would like to pay a special thanks to my Dissertation supervisor Ray Ponting for his help and support over the past few months. Secondly I would like to thank my friends and family for the support and advice they have given me over the past three years here at UWIC. i ABSTRACT This research investigated the differences between the front-on and side-on fast bowling techniques at the elite level of the game. The study investigated games played in the 2007, I.C.C. Cricket World Cup held in the West Indies. The games analysed took place in the second stage of the Cricket World called the “Super 8’s”. Fast bowlers from Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand were analysed. A specific computerised notation system called, ‘Feedback Cricket’, was used to notate the specific aspects of a bowling performance to determine if there were any differences between front-on and side-on bowlers. To examine the reliability of the study, an intra-observer reliability test was performed. Variables were tested for normality and homogeneity, to ascertain whether data was parametric or non parametric. Independent t-tests were performed on parametric data, while Mann-Whitney-U tests were performed on non- parametric data. These statistical tests enabled the researcher to establish whether the data sets were significantly different. The bowling analysis showed significant differences to exist, between front-on and side-on bowlers, in terms of delivery lengths bowled, the percentage of shots that were played and missed at and the shot type performed by the batsmen. It was concluded that these differences however, did not contribute to the overall differences in performance of the two bowling techniques, as there were no significant difference between the economy rates, bowling average and the wickets taken per match. ii Chapter I Introduction 1. Nature of the study 1.1 Introduction Cricket is a sport that has undergone numerous changes from when the first organised cricket club started at the Hambledon Club in England during the mid eighteenth century (Wynne–Thomas, 1997). The centre of power soon shifted to London, with the establishment of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which had its headquarters at the Lord's ground. In 1835 the MCC gave cricket its first formal laws, which still stand largely intact today (Andrew, 1986). During the early twentieth century cricket had strong links with the aristocracy and the upper classes. The majority of those who served on the MCC committee were from the aristocracy of England and controlled not only English cricket but the county set up too. After the First World War cricket had become a key element in the cult of athleticism at public schools, where nearly all public schools boys had to play cricket on most summer afternoons (Williams, 1999). Cricket is now played at varying levels from school and village clubs to the elite international level. International cricket involves two forms; Test cricket, which involves two innings per side and is played over 5 days and, One Day International Cricket (ODI), which is currently played under a 50 overs per side format. 1 Figure 1. County Cricket Attendance, 1995-2001 (Thousands) (Paton and Cooke 2005). Cricket at the highest level (test cricket) is played over five days with the competing teams playing a maximum of two innings, therefore making it a long game. Robinson (1997) suggests over a period of decades spectators found this version of the game too long and time consuming to watch and its appeal became limited to enthusiastic cricket fans. This is also backed up by figure 1 stating that attendances at all types of cricket matches have fallen. Innovations such as “Day/Night” matches have been introduced with the main objective being increasing the crowds after work. Paton and Cooke (2005) found that the timing and location of games have a large impact on attendance levels. In particular evening games held under floodlights, and 2 games held at weekends or during school holidays all have significantly higher attendance than others. Day/Night cricket” has increased attendance at domestic and international one day cricket, and brings new sponsors and makes it possible to watch live cricket twenty four hours a day seven days a week from any corner of the World (Paton and Cooke, 2005). Another innovation added by the MCC is “Twenty20 Cricket”. It was first played in English domestic cricket in 2003 to popularise first-class cricket and attract more players and fans to the game. Now it has spread too many other countries. A "Twenty20 Game" consists of 20 overs per side, a free-hit after a no-ball is bowled, short boundaries, batting-friendly pitches, designed to attract crowds. However, various members of the MCC did not welcome the idea of “twenty20” cricket, indeed Woodcock (2002) believed that the 20 over game is “hardly more substantial than a game of noughts and crosses or crazy golf on the sea front”.