Quote:
> > The other complicating factor with Vettori is that his heel is usually off
> > the ground at the point of delivery.
> There aren't many bowlers, IMHO, who deliver the ball with their heel not
> off the ground.
To Andrew: The point of delivery is irrelevant, except as it relates
to determining the delivery stride. According to the Laws of Cricket
(Appendix D) the "Delivery stride is the stride during which the
delivery swing is made, whether the ball is released or not, it starts
when the bowler's back foot lands for that stride and ends when the
front foot lands in the same stride." Noballs for foot placement
depend solely on where each foot *lands* in the delivery stride; as
was pointed out in the part snipped, where the foot slips or moves
after it lands is not relevant. More to your point, where the point
of delivery is relative to the position of the feet is not relevant.
To Samarth: Although your statement in itself is probably correct, I
think it misses the point Andrew is making. The Laws require, for it
to be a fair delivery, that in the delivery stride "the bowler's front
foot must land with some part of the foot, whether grounded or raised,
behind the popping crease." The phrase "whether grounded or raised"
can cause problems for the umpire, because it is legal for the front
heel to be in the air when the front foot lands, even though nothing
is grounded behind the popping crease, as long as the umpire is
satisfied that the raised heel is breaking the plane of the popping
crease in the air. However, the determination is more difficult in
close cases with such a bowler. Fortunately for us umpires, at least
in my own experience, the vast majority of bowlers land their front
foot with the heel flat on the ground, and to that extent I think that
you are missing the point of what Andrew is saying. I have not seen
Vettori bowl, but I believe Andrew is saying that Vettori makes the
job more difficult for the umpires by not grounding the heel of his
front foot in the delivery stride. If true, that is a relevant thing
to point out, and your comment does not really address it.
Take it easy,
Ron Knight