Do you ever wonder, what makes Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah yorker ball specialists?

Are you bowling a yorker ball that is getting hit for sixes?

with a yorker, it is almost every bowler’s problem.

The yorker is one the most difficult lengths to execute as a bowler. It comes with a lot of risks and sixes.

 But then again, how do some bowlers execute the perfect yorkers and get the middle stump uprooted? Is it the practice? Talent? Trivago?

One thing is for sure, just practice won’t cut it.

you’ll need to make sure you have got the rest of the 2 things right mentioned below to execute a toe-crushing yorker.

Before we jump to mastering the yorker ball let’s understand how is the yorker ball used.

What is the yorker ball in cricket?

The yorker ball in cricket is the ball that is bowled at yorker length, around the popping crease, or around the shoes of a batsman.

The aim of the yorker ball is to save runs and is mainly used in death overs.  It blocks batsmen from giving the ball elevation, helping the bowler save runs and take wickets.

Let’s say the yorker ball saves runs, the pressure gets the batsman.

Before we dive into the yorker ball mastery, here are the 2 types of yorker balls.  

2 ways to use a Yorker ball

There are mainly 2 ways to use yorker-length balls.

1. Yorker ball in the stump

The yorker directed in the stump is one of the most lethal balls to face as a batsman.

It is almost impossible to score runs off a perfectly executed yorker with orthodox batting.  

2. wide yorker

The yorker that is outside of the batsman’s reach, slightly inside the wide mark is called a wide yorker ball.

This yorker helps save runs when the field is set on the off side of the batsman. 

Now to master these 2 bowls here is…

How to bowl a pinpoint yorker ball in cricket?    

Perfect bowling action, confidence, and practice.

Without any one of these 3, it is hard to execute a perfect yorker ball.

Unlike in batting, only one perfect yorker is enough to turn the game in your favor.

It is hard to execute one on will, but with the right understanding of how good Yorkers are executed, it gets easier.

The three pillars of executing a perfect Yorker are as follows.
 

Good run up with good bowling action

Make sure your bowling action is smooth and not restricting your accuracy.  

Once you have cracked how to bowl fast in cricket, you’d also have understood the importance of good bowling action and runup.

some bowlers have a nonlinear runup, and some use the non-dominant hand incorrectly.
that can hinder the accuracy of a bowler.

this is the first step of bowling any successful delivery. the second one is practice.

Practice bowling yorkers

Practice…Practice… practice… as it goes with every sport and every skill.

The more you practice bowling yorkers in the nets, the better you get and the more confidence you’ll have in real matches.

practice bowling yorker and slower yorker every single day with undivided attention.

Place a shoe at the batsman’s position, and practice targeting it with the highest speed you can.

The same practice can be done by placing a cone, or flattened stump, or some bowlers even practice by placing a coin.

The second thing is to tell your batting buddy to make feet movement as you practice yorker.

It can really benefit in pressure match situations. you will also get more comfortable in reading a batsman’s mind and reacting accordingly.

To make it easier, practice at least 6 yorkers every day before or after your training session.

After the practice, the most important step for executing a perfect yorker ball is the mind’s state.

Confidence

Bowling at the desired place is also the result of a healthy mind.

To understand this better, let’s move the clock back to the ICC men’s 2016 t20 world cup final.

When West Indies needed 19 runs to clinch the world cup title from England.

Ben Stokes was bowling to Carlos Braithwaite.

It was a world cup final, with over a billion people watching it live.

Ben Stokes had six balls to defend 19 runs.

The Yorker ball was the only option against this big hitter.

And then went the first ball, in the slot, into the stands.

It took Braithwaite another 3 balls that went over the boundary to win the world cup for west indies. (another 3 failed attempts of the Yorker ball)

Ben Stokes is an exceptional cricketer, but the pressure of finals got the best of him.

The first 4 balls clearly meant Yorkers but all of them fell a little short as you can watch in this video at 2:19 minutes.

You can bowl a thousand Yorkers in the nets before a match but while facing an in-form batsman, bowlers often end up gifting them full tosses and slot balls.

If you have any kind of pressure in mind, it gets tough to pull off a Yorker.

Good Yorker bowlers have this incredible ability to handle pressure really well.

The takeaway here is the better you get at handling the pressure, the better you get at bowling any ball, not just a yorker.

Why makes a yorker ball so unplayable?

The yorker length differs from other bowling lengths as it stops a batsman from using the full arm rotation with speed.

The other reason is, it is bowled right in a batsman’s toes and it gets difficult for a batsman to give the elevation to the ball.

And as the formula goes No elevation, no sixes, and fours.

When to avoid bowling yorkers?

To bowl a yorker at the perfect time is also an art.

You’ll have to make sure the batsman doesn’t anticipate the yorker ball.

1. The yorker ball is not advisable in the starting over as it’s a hard ball to execute perfectly.

And full toss and slot balls favor the batsman.

2. When it is due in the ground. Or when the ball is wet. It can slip from the hand and go directly on the batsman’s face. (as a batsman, I’d highly not recommend that)

3. When you are not confident about it and your teammate is proposing a yorker.

4. When the yorker ball is not your strength. 

you should go for the alternatives like slower balls and cutters to deceive the batsman.  

The perfect situation to bowl a yorker?

the yorker is normally used in death overs, but you can also use it as a surprise ball in the powerplay.

Make sure you have the right grip on the bowl to execute a good yorker. that is not too tight or loose.

Conclusion

The yorker ball can be the savior of your team.

to bowl a perfect yorker ball in cricket, you will need to have a perfect run-up and bowling action.

That accompanied by practice and confidence is all it takes to execute perfect yorker balls when your team needs it.

And also make sure you practice a lot to handle any kind of pressure well.

If you are an allrounder reading this, you might find “How to play a helicopter shot” helpful. Don’t forget to share the post with your bowling buddies.