A knuckleball in cricket is a fast bowler’s delivery whose purpose is to deceive the batsman. In this delivery, usually, the batsman hits the ball too early as it moves high up in the air. That’s why it’s easy to catch by the fielder.

 According to physics, in this process, the laminar flow of the ball changes into turbulent flow due to airflow over a seam. Moreover, during this delivery, the ball spin is minimized.

However, knuckleballs have a low velocity compared to average velocity, and very few bowlers are efficient at delivering knuckleballs. 

Further, often bowlers play bad knuckleball. 

The speed of the ball does not matter much. Knuckleball is a trajectory type of pitch. 

Although knuckleballs are hard to catch, players mostly use large gloves. The name of the knuckleball is also called due to its catch by the use of knuckles. By the way, some players use their nails to catch it. 

The point to note is that knuckleball is not always an exact way of achieving success during a match. Because a person who has no access to or control over the pitch cannot play knuckleball, this knuckle has less swing. 

Knuckleball in Cricket example

In 2005, former South African cricketer Shaun Pollock delivered the knuckleball successfully against England. Pollock delivered this ball in such a way that he gripped the ball with his finger held against the seam.

 Moreover, he produces a minimum swing in the knuckleball.  

Further, in the fourth series, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham bowled knuckleball to Andrew Strauss, an English batsman. At that time, Strauss could not play it. He was unable to predict the type of delivery, hence being out of the game, according to LBW (leg before wicket).

This incident indicates the importance of the knuckleball in cricket. Because it is this type of variation in bowling that deceives the batsman. In the end, get an advantage with the wicket. 

How Do I Hold knuckleball in Cricket?

If you are thinking about how to put knuckleball in cricket, here is a complete explanation for you. 

There are some steps. By following these steps, you can hold the knuckleball in cricket. 

Ball Holding

The best way to hold the ball is to grip it with your dominant hand. The position of your finger in such ways. Your index and middle fingers are positioned on one side of the seam. On the other hand, the ring finger and little finger are positioned on the other side of the ball. By the way, the role of your thumb is to provide support; it is lightly placed on the thumb. 

Finger Position 

Knowledge of the finger position is essential because it is totally different from the other deliveries. For instance, to deliver a knuckleball produce, there is less swing in it. For that, tuck your fingertip down. And press them against the seam. 

Ball Grip

More importantly, hold the ball and maintain a stable grip to avoid pressure. Okay, if you are thinking, is the grip tight or loose? Don’t worry; the answer is that you should hold the ball firmly. But the point to note is that the grip should not be too tight or too loose. This restricts the movement of the ball. 

Proper Practice

The main important and last thing is proper practice. If you practice your grip and delivery, then you will be more able to deliver a good knuckleball. It also improves your efficiency in delivery.  

The knuckleball in cricket is a very amazing delivery, which puts another twist on the game. The purpose of this delivery is to deceive the batsman and make it difficult to score.