Stock bowler

There is such a term as a stock ball in cricket – this is an ordinary ball delivery. It has a minimal risk that the batting team will earn runs on the one hand, as well as a small chance that the batting team will be able to take a wicket on the other. This technique can be used both if the serving team does not want to take risks and if it is necessary to lull the vigilance of the batsman before a decisive and effective serve. In addition, in cricket, there is the term stock bowler, which denotes a player. We tell you about the features of this position and about who plays this way most often.

What is a stock bowler in cricket?

This term refers to a player who acts as a bowler and whose task is to prevent the batting team from earning runs. At the same time, the bowler’s other tasks – to take a wicket and knock out the batsman – fade into the background.

Also, the stock bowler is often called a player who plays steadily, that is, keeps a certain pace. The changes in the nature of his game are mainly designed to deceive the batsman and eventually take a wicket. But most often, a stock bowler is a player who plays extremely carefully and from whom you should not expect performance in terms of the number of wickets taken.

To explain how important such a strategy is in the game, let’s recall the basic rules of a cricket match. Two teams meet on the field, with eleven players each. One of the teams takes on the role of a bowler during the game, the second – a batter, later the roles change.

The task of the bowling team is to destroy the batter’s wicket or knock out the batsman in any other way. The task of the batting team (two batsmen who are on the field from its composition) is to earn as many runs for their team as possible, and for this – not to be knocked out for as long as possible.

As a rule, top bowlers, who are included in the lists of the best players of all time, have an aggressive and bold style of play; their goal is to knock out the batsman and take a wicket. It depends on the number of wickets taken in cricket that the rating of bowlers is compiled. Such players are called strike bowlers.

But the bowler’s task, as we wrote above, is not so simple: he needs not only to knock out an opponent, but also not to let him earn runs. Therefore, before each serve, the player is faced with a choice: to take a risk, having the opportunity to take a wicket and, possibly, allowing the opponent to earn points, or not to risk and make a careful serve.

Players who make their goal primarily to prevent opponents from earning runs (within the framework of a single match or in the course of their career as a whole) are called stock bowlers. As a rule, their game takes place with a large number of overs but with a low run rate.

When does a player play the role of a stock bowler?

Often this role is played by young players or those who have proven themselves as excellent batsmen in the team, but they are quite weak in the bowler position. Often, the main task of a stock bowler is to hold the defense while more experienced players gain strength. In addition, such a game may well be a cunning strategy: the bowler, serving in this way, lulls the batsman’s vigilance, so that later with the help of a slower ball or another type of serve, he can knock him out or take a wicket.

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