Cricket bowling machine practice: drills and safety

A bowling machine lets you face hundreds of balls in an hour on exactly the line and length you want to work on. Used well, it's the fastest way to groove a technique. Used badly, it teaches you to time a ball that no bowler will ever deliver. Most indoor cricket centres in the UK have at least one machine available to hire with a lane.

Types of bowling machine

• Wheel machines. The most common type. One or two spinning wheels fire the ball out. Two-wheel machines can vary speed, swing and spin by changing the speed of each wheel. BOLA is the best-known UK brand, and many centres have one.
• Arm machines. A mechanical arm swings over to deliver the ball, so the batter sees something closer to a real bowling action and can time a trigger movement. They're less common and usually found at larger centres.
• Simulator and tech lanes. Systems with video of a real bowler synced to the delivery and cameras that track your shots. These are increasingly common at dedicated centres.
• Balls. Some machines take only special bowling machine balls, others take real cricket balls. Using the wrong ball can damage the machine and gives inconsistent deliveries, so use what the venue provides.

At Bath Cricket Club's indoor centre, for instance, three BOLA machines are hired by the hour, from £10 for the Pro BOLA to £25 for the Truman, with a separate £25 induction for each machine (Bath Cricket Club). That induction requirement is common, so ask when you book.

Safety first

• Wear a helmet. A machine is relentless and you'll face more short balls than in a real net. ECB guidance is that young players should wear a helmet when batting against a hard ball, and it's sensible for adults too.
• One feeder, one batter. The person feeding the machine controls the session. Agree a signal so the batter is ready before every ball, and show the ball before feeding it.
• Keep clear of the wheels. Feed from behind or the side as the manufacturer intends, keep fingers, hair and loose clothing away, and never reach in while it's running.
• Nobody in the lane except the batter. Collect balls only once the machine is switched off or the wheels have stopped.
• Start slow. Begin well below your match speed and build up. Check line and length with a few balls before the batter takes guard.
• Check the balls. Worn or wet balls behave unpredictably and can fly at the batter's head.

Batting drills

• Groove one shot. Set a consistent full length outside off stump and play 30 to 50 front-foot drives in a row, focusing on head position and getting your front foot to the ball.
• Leave and defend. Set a channel just outside off. Leave anything wider, play the rest with a straight bat. This is the most useful drill for top-order batters.
• Short ball. At a controlled pace, practise pulling, hooking or getting out of the way. Use a softer ball or lower speed to start.
• Back foot. Set a length just short of good and work on the back-foot punch and cut.
• Spin. If the machine can spin it, practise using your feet to get to the pitch of the ball and sweeping.
• Mix it up. Once you're grooved, ask the feeder to vary length and line without telling you, so you're picking up the ball rather than pre-meditating.

Keep sets short, 10 to 12 balls, with a break and a few words of feedback in between. Hitting 200 balls without thinking won't help.

Fielding and keeping drills

Many machines can be angled upwards or sideways for high catches, slip catching and wicketkeeping practice. Set them up away from the batting lanes or with the lane cleared, and build the speed gradually.

Getting the most from a session

• Decide in advance what you're working on, and stick to it.
• Film a few balls side-on and from behind on your phone. Most centres are fine with this.
• Finish with some balls from real bowlers if you can. Machines give no cues from a run-up or release, and you need to keep reading those.
• Book with a coach occasionally. They'll set the machine for your specific weakness.

Find a lane with a machine: cricket nets near me, or browse all UK cricket net venues. For prices, see how much cricket net hire costs.