We love spinners on the PitchVision Academy Cricket Show. It’s a long term campaign of the show to encourage more spinners who rip it, and less miserly slow-medium pacers.

The slow scoring reliable opener, the hard hitting tail ender, the elegant stroke player, the strike bowler...

We all do it.

We label team mates to help determine their role in the side and to assist us in making decisions to best suit the situation.

There no worse practice than when a set of bowlers practice one element of the game; and the batters try to work on another element entirely. 

Disjointed net sessions are counterproductive because nobody gets what they want: least of all you as the coach.

Burners and David swap cricket injury stories and we want to hear yours too. So drop us a line with your most gruesome injuries, just please don’t show us your scars – that’s gross.

The show also features part 3 of the spin bowling tips interview with South African coach Menno Gazendam.

Plus we answer your questions on cricket careers and how to be loose like Joel Garner recommends. 

 Deadlifting. Cuh.

You wouldn’t catch Bradman doing it: Warne only ever bent down to the floor to pick up a stray chip.

As contributor to PitchVision Academy AB says; “in my experience, the limiting factor in most cricketer's games is a combination of technique and cricketing intelligence, not strength and fitness.”

And he’s right... so what gives with the title of this article?

With the Indians in the middle of a rocking series against the English there is plenty for Burners and David to discuss on the show but we take a good look at spin bowling too.

First, we look at the spin issues Australia have, and how your club can learn from their mistakes.

Then we talk to Spin Bowling Tips author and spin coach Menno Gazendam in the first part of our interview in developing spin skills.

Menno also has an 8 week course in spin bowling available here. It’s free.

Finally we answer your questions on walking in and bowling runs ups.

Sometimes as a spinner you wonder if it’s all worth it.

Your well planned stock ball is thumped by a slogger over deep midwicket and your captain puts his hands on his hips as if it’s somehow your fault.

And there are still 4 balls left in the over.

It’s enough to drive anyone to bowling miserly medium pace.

Except you are not like that; you love the challenge of bowling spin.

Think of the death of a typical top-level one day game: The quicks always finish the game.

It makes sense to follow their lead at club level.

Except club cricket is a different game and, in fact, spinners are far the better option to finish off an innings and get the win.

The possibility of the draw means batsmen can shut up shop and aim to just not lose the game. This is much easier against club seam bowlers with an old ball that it is against spin.

Dead pitches make for very dull cricket: Unless you learn how to spice things up.

My club is a perfect example. Pitches that have no pace or bounce means batsmen have plenty of time to handle stock line and length bowling.

Slips have little chance of a catch carrying.

It’s why our bowlers have started working on variations that help on slower pitches when it’s a stalemate:

We all accept the importance of a warm up to prepare your body and mind for the game if you play any serious level of cricket from school upwards.

We looked at the hour or so that our case study club, Watsonian CC, took to warm up in a league match in Edinburgh.