http://www.pakportals.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=204&start=0
Physics behind swing
BY SARAH ALAM MALIK
As a former cricket fanatic (I lost interest when it seemed there was more politics in cricket than the game itself), when I was required to write a short project on a physics effect of my choice in my undergraduate degree, I decided to research the physics behind the swing of a cricket ball. This was back when Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar used to dominate the Pakistan fast bowling scene with Azhar Mehmood and Abdul Razzaq being the first change medium pacers. It was an exhilarating watch. Wasim, Waqar and Shoaib would terrorise the opening batsmen with their pace and some superb swinging deliveries and then Razzaq and Mehmood would pick up some early wickets as the batsmen started to relax and hit out.
It was a superb display of the exploitation of some basic physics phenomenon by highly skilled sportsmen. Given the recent string of cricketing events, I thought it would be a good time to resurrect that research project and explain some of physics behind swing bowling.
When given the new ball at the start of an innings, the fast bowlers generally use the raised seam of the ball to create swing. The ball is held with the seam at an angle of around 20 degrees to the direction in which the ball is headed. This creates the following effect as the ball traverses the air; the side with the seam represents a rough surface that causes the air flowing over it to become turbulent, whereas the air flows smoothly over the other side of the ball with the smooth surface. Turbulent air is at a lower pressure than smooth flowing air, causing a pressure difference on the ball, which creates a side force resulting in the ball moving sideways.
So an in-swinger to a right-handed batsman is bowled by holding the ball with the seam pointing slightly to the…
Very interesting phenomenon and superb observation by the writer, I believe it would not hurt to render basic physic course mandatory for all Pakistani bowlers.
What do you think?