What is defined as a slow bowler

[Paul]

Thanks to all those who replied to my last question but it has led me to another question.

How do you decide whether a bowler is slow or slow medium?

[jaybee]

Paul
Is this the question you referred to?

Oct 24, 2010 8:31:25 GMT paulturner62 said:

As cricketers in Taiwan we are required to umpire games ...
A bowler of slow medium pace bowled a ball which passed the batsman over waist high but then hit the top of the stumps....

Assuming it is, the answer is that it's a question of whether the delivery is slow or not and it's only the umpire who can decide that. It's entirely his (or her) decision and it has to be made on a ball-by-ball basis.
There's a complete lack of any guidance on this in the Laws, but in the UK there is one clue from the ECB directive on how long young players are allowed to bowl. There it specifies that a a 'fast' bowler is "a bowler to whom a wicket keeper in the same age group would in normal circumstances stand back to take the ball".
That doesn't get round the problem of a fast bowler slipping in a slow(er) ball or of a slow bowler trying to bowl a fast(er) delivery and messing it up. Most people will say that if in doubt err on the side of it not being 'slow'.

Incidentally it's better to log on with a follow-up query and put it in the same thread if you can so that everybody can see how it started off.

[oldie]

I had an incident on the weekend where a medium fast bowler, bowled his slower ball, only to mess it up bowling it above waist high and down leg a bit. The ball was promptly put away for 4. The non- striker was enquiring whether the ball should have been called a no-ball? I responded by saying that I believed it to be an attempted slow ball, end of matter. I did however wanted to say that it was a bloody terrible ball, and got the treatment it deserved, but kept this thought to myself.

[Acumen]

As a matter of man management, you might have said "that was a terrible delivery" and gained some empathy from all the players.

I would certainly have issued an unofficial warning.

[oldie]

My understanding is that slow balls need to be above shoulder height before warnings are issued. It's only fast balls that get pulled up above the waist.

[Acumen]

I would still encourage him to keep the ball down.

[gooders]

Nov 23, 2010 0:21:45 GMT oldie said:

My understanding is that slow balls need to be above shoulder height before warnings are issued. It's only fast balls that get pulled up above the waist.

The law says any delivery other than slow. I take that to mean anything other than slow, not just fast!