The last four overs of a T20 innings are cricket's highest-pressure environment for bowlers. Batters are set, targeting boundaries, prepared to take risks. A bowler's armoury of variations determines whether they concede 30 or 50.
Death bowling is about unpredictability. When batters know what's coming, they score. When they're guessing, they make mistakes.
The Yorker: Foundation of Death Bowling
The yorker remains the most effective death delivery when executed well. A ball pitching in the blockhole gives batters no room to generate power.
Technical keys:
- Release point slightly later than length deliveries
- Front arm pulls down hard to drive the bowling arm through faster
- Follow through towards the target - don't fall away
- Aim for the base of off stump, not middle
The challenge is consistency under pressure. A yorker that becomes a full toss is six runs. Practice must include pressure situations - yorker drills with consequences for missing the target.
Slower Ball Variations
When batters are primed for pace, slower balls create the timing errors that produce wickets and singles instead of sixes:
Back-of-hand slower ball: The classic variation. The back of the hand faces the batter at release, taking pace off while maintaining the seam position. Looks like a fast ball, arrives 10-15 mph slower.
Split-finger slower ball: Ball gripped between index and middle finger. The split grip reduces pace while allowing the ball to skid through. Less obvious than back-of-hand to batters watching the release.
Knuckle ball: Ball pushed out of the knuckles with minimal spin. Creates unpredictable movement and pace variation. Harder to control but devastating when it works.
Off-cutter/leg-cutter: Finger position at release imparts spin on a faster delivery. Moves off the pitch late, beating bats aimed at where the ball was rather than where it goes.
Wide of the Crease Bowling
Changing the angle by bowling wide of the crease disrupts batting setups:
Wide on off side: Creates a sharper angle into right-handers. The yorker becomes harder to dig out because it's angling across the batter.
Wide on leg side: Opens up the off side for right-handers but also creates the wide yorker option that's almost impossible to hit with power.
The key is varying the position. Same angle every ball becomes predictable. Mix it up and batters can't preset their feet.
Wide Yorker Strategy
The wide yorker - delivered outside off stump and full - has become a death bowling staple:
Execution: Aim outside off stump at yorker length. The batter must reach for the ball, reducing power generation.
Risk: Too wide becomes a free hit (wide). Too full becomes a full toss. The margin for error is small.
When to use: Against batters who are clearing the leg side. Against power hitters who need to generate momentum through the shot.
Reading the Batter
Elite death bowlers adjust based on what they see:
Early in the stance: If the batter moves early to the leg side, follow them with a yorker at the stumps. If they're opening up the off side, the wide yorker becomes the option.
Grip and bat position: Bottom hand dominant suggests they're looking to hit straight or leg side. Top hand grip suggests cuts and off-side play.
Feet movement patterns: Batters who advance get yorkers. Batters who stay back get slower balls. Batters who premeditate get the opposite of what they're expecting.
Field Placement Integration
Death bowling and fields work together:
For yorkers: Deep square and fine leg protect mishits. Straight boundaries covered.
For slower balls: Catching positions in the ring. Batters who mistime often hit it in the air rather than along the ground.
For wide variations: Third man and deep point become essential. Accept singles to protect boundaries.
Pressure Practice
Death bowling can't be trained without pressure. Session design must create consequences:
Points games: Bowler vs batter with scoring system. Bowler gains points for dots and wickets, loses for boundaries.
Scenario training: "12 needed off 6 balls. Bowl it." Create the actual situation rather than just hitting targets.
Crowd noise: Use speakers to simulate match pressure. The skill is different when you can't hear yourself think.
Key Coaching Points
- The yorker is foundational but variations win games
- Multiple slower balls prevent batters reading pace changes
- Vary the angle by moving on the crease
- Read the batter - their movement tells you what they want
- Train under pressure - death bowling is a pressure skill
