Cricketers who specialize in bowling are players who deliver the ball across a 22-yard pitch at a pace that is between 80 to 150 km/hr. Apart from the pace, they need to let the ball bounce once on the pitch before it reaches the batter. They inculcate swing or spin and are tasked with delivering such balls on a trot for prolonged periods.
Bowling is a physically demanding skill. Depending on the format, bowlers are given a limit to the number of overs they can bowl. In One Day Internationals, a bowler cannot bowl more than 10 overs. This limit reduces to four overs in the T20 format. While these two are limited overs format, test cricket, that has no cap on the number of overs, also does not have a limit on the number of overs a bowler can bowl.
No bowler can complete their share of overs on a trot. This is to ensure that the workload does not have a strain on the bowler and that it does not pose an injury risk. The number of overs a bowler bowls is segmented across an innings. These segments are individually called spells. The length of a spell is usually decided based on the tactic decided by the bowler, the captain, and at times the situation of the match.The most common division of spell used in One Day International cricket is four, four, and two. T20 cricket is the only exception where a bowler can complete their spell in one go. However, this too varies depending on the match scenario. In test cricket, the length of a spell is decided based on the condition of the ball and the bowler’s physique.
A bowler’s spell can also change depending on from which end of the pitch a bowler is more effective. It is also the captain’s acumen to decide when to rest their bowler after a spell and when to re-introduce them into bowling by respecting the bowlers’ stamina.
In 1990, India’s Narendra Hirwani bowled 59 overs without a break in a test match against England. This remains a record. Sonny Ramadhin in 1957 made the record of bowling the most overs in a single test match. Ramadhin’s tally of 129 overs remains unmatched. In the same match, Ramadhin bowled 98 overs in the second innings. This too was a record for the most overs bowled in a single innings.
