Left-arm unorthodox spin
| Bowling techniques | |
|---|---|
| Types | |
| Fast | |
| Spin |
|
| Deliveries | |
| Fast | |
| Spin | |
| Other | |
| Actions | |
| Usual | Overarm |
| Other | |
Left-arm unorthodox spin also known as Slow Left Arm Chinaman, is a type of Left Arm Wrist Off spin bowling in the sport of cricket. Left-arm unorthodox spin bowlers use wrist spin to spin the ball which turns from off to leg side of the cricket pitch. The direction of turn is the same as that of a traditional right-handed off spin bowler; however, the ball will usually turn more sharply due to the spin being imparted predominantly by the wrist. Some left-arm unorthodox bowlers bowl a leg spinner's "googly" (or "wrong'un"), which turns from right to left on the cricket pitch. The ball turns away from the batsman, as if the bowler were an orthodox left-arm spinner.
Origin of the term chinaman
In cricketing parlance, the word "chinaman" is used to describe the stock delivery of a left-arm "unorthodox" spin bowler (though some reserve it for the googly delivery [1]). The name has its origins in a Test match played between the West Indies and England at Old Trafford, Manchester, in the year 1933. Elliss "Puss" Achong, a player of Chinese origin, was a left-arm orthodox spinner, playing for the West Indies at the time. According to folklore, Achong is said to have had Walter Robins stumped off a surprise delivery that spun into the right-hander from outside the off stump. As he walked back to the pavilion, Robins said to the umpire, "fancy being done by a bloody Chinaman!",[1] leading to the popularity of the term in England, and subsequently, in the rest of the world.
References
- Cricket and Race by Jack Williams ISBN 1-85973-309-3
- Wisden, 1968 and 1987 editions
