An illegal ball in cricket, often termed a "no-ball," occurs when a bowler does not follow specific rules during their delivery. This can encompass a variety of infringements, with one of the main types related to the legality of the bowling action itself.
Illegal Bowling Action: Throwing
The reference provided focuses on one specific type of illegal ball – the illegal bowling action, which is commonly referred to as throwing rather than bowling. This occurs when:
- Elbow Extension: The bowler's elbow extends by more than 15 degrees between the point their arm reaches horizontal and the point they release the ball. This is a key determinant according to the International Cricket Council (ICC) definition.
How to identify a throw
Visually, it can be challenging to spot minor infractions, but excessive bending at the elbow followed by a straightening (rather than a smooth, rotating arm action) is often the tell-tale sign of a throw.
Consequences of an illegal ball
If a delivery is deemed illegal due to an illegal bowling action, the following consequences apply:
- No Ball: The delivery is called a "no-ball," and the batting team receives an extra run.
- Free Hit: In certain limited-overs formats, a free hit is awarded to the batting team on the next delivery. This means that a batter cannot be out, except via run out, obstructing the field, hitting the ball twice or handling the ball.
- Remedy: The umpire may warn the bowler. Repeated illegal deliveries can even result in the bowler being temporarily removed from bowling, or in extreme cases even banned from bowling entirely.
In Summary
An illegal ball in cricket encompasses various rule breaches, but the provided reference highlighted one specific type of illegality: throwing the ball. This is defined as when the bowler's elbow extends by more than 15 degrees during the delivery. This kind of no-ball results in penalties for the bowling team and advantages for the batting side.
