What is the Googly in Cricket? – Bernard Bosanquet Invented Googly Bowl

The googly in cricket is one of the most skillful and deception-laden deliveries in cricket’s repertoire. This mysterious spinning weapon has flummoxed even the greatest batsmen for over a century with its ability to bewilder.

In this blog, we delve into all aspects of the googly – its origins, grip, technique, variations, famous exponents, impact, and effectiveness. Read on to unlock the secrets of this magical trick ball that has become an integral part of spin bowling over the decades.

What is a Googly Ball in Cricket?

A googly is a leg-spin delivery bowled with wrist spin that turns away from a right-handed batsman, as opposed to the convention leg break that turns into the right-hander. The name ‘googly’ comes from ‘goochelaar’, meaning conjurer or magician in Dutch.

To bowl a googly, a right-arm leg-spinner grips the ball between the thumb and index/middle finger with the back of the wrist facing the batsman at release. This makes the ball emerge from the front of the hand with topspin and break away from the leg stump line towards off-stump/slips.

The googly deceives batsmen expecting a leg break going the other way and often leads to catches at slip or lbws. Its late deviation off the pitch after pitching makes it lethal, especially on turners. Executed well, Leg-spinners consider the googly to be their most effective and formidable asset.

The Origins and History of the Googly – Bernard Bosanquet Invented Googly

The googly was invented by English non-professional cricketer Bernard Bosanquet around 1900 during a county match. While playing a leg-spinning delivery, Bosanquet noticed the ball unexpectedly turning the ‘wrong way’ i.e. away from leg.

Intrigued by this, Bosanquet began experimenting and consciously developed the technique to bowl that delivery. He debuted his new trick ball ‘googly’ in 1900 first-class cricket, sowing confusion in batsmen’s minds.

The googly revolutionized spin bowling by bringing in a new dimension of uncertainty. Bosanquet tasted success with it and the googly soon spread worldwide as a must-have weapon for all leggies. Since then, it has become an integral part of a leg-spinner’s repertoire across all formats.

How to Bowl a Googly in Cricket?

Bowling an effective googly requires:

• Gripping the ball between thumb and the index+middle fingers, with thumb resting alongside the seam. Wrist must be cocked back.
• Approaching the crease with wrist initially pointing towards fine leg from a sideways-on position.
• At the point of release, giving the wrist a vigorous flick and turning it to the left so the back of the hand faces the batsman.
• Allowing the ball to emerge from the front of the hand with top spin that makes it dip and turn away after pitching.
• Maintaining the same seam position, body alignment, and point of release as the leg break action to deceive batsmen.
• Ensuring the right wrist position, finger flick, smooth release and upright seam makes the ball turn sharply and bounce.

Successful performance entails extensive practice, wrist strength, topspin and seam position mastery. But the effort is worth it for leggies to gain a lethal weapon.

The Key to Bowling an Effective Googly

To maximise the potency of the googly, leg-spinners must focus on:

• Disguising it identically to the conventional leg break action at the point of release. Any early tell risks batsmen reading it.
• Generating enough side or top spin to make the ball turn away sharply after pitching. This tests batsmen’s technique.
• Proper wrist alignment and timely cocking and flick release to impart deception and spin. Releasing too early reduces impact.
• Using it sparingly as a surprise variation ball. Bowling too many googlies makes batsmen start picking it.
• Varying pace and flight cleverly to beat batsmen’s expectations and induce false shots.

The googly requires immense skill and practice to bowl effectively. But once mastered, it gives leggies a prized wicket-taking option.

Difference Between the Googly and a Doosra

The doosra is another popular leg-spinning delivery that spins away from right-handed batsmen. While the bowling action is similar, there are key differences between the googly and doosra:

• Googly is bowled by leg-spinners, doosra by off-spinners. Googly turns against the bowler’s stock delivery, doosra goes with the off-spinner’s natural turn.
• Googly is bowled with the wrist while the doosra uses more finger/knuckle release and minimal wrist action.
• Doosra relies on unconventional bent elbow action at release to impart spin. The googly uses wrist position and flick.
• Doosra spins less than googlies as it’s difficult to impart revs with fingers. But googlies rip more with wrist spin.

Both deliveries aim to beat batsmen in flight and off the pitch. But their differing mechanics andrelease methods set them apart.

Best Googly Bowlers

Some notable exponents of the googly over the decades include:

• Bernard Bosanquet: Inventor of the delivery and used it to effect in county cricket.
• Reggie Schwarz: A South African pioneer who brought the googly to Test cricket in 1905.
• Clarrie Grimmett: Potent googly was the Australian leggie’s chief weapon including during Bodyline.
• Abdul Qadir: Bewildered batsmen for years with his sharply ripping googlies for Pakistan.
• Shane Warne: Deployed the ‘Millennium Googly’ judiciously as a surprise weapon to fox batters.
• Anil Kumble: Deceptively simple but piercingly accurate googlies were the Indian legend’s go-to.
• Stuart MacGill: His legbreaks got the glory, but MacGill’s searing googlies often created breakthroughs.

When bowled to perfection, the googly has been unplayable, even for expert batsmen. Its practitioners have created lasting legspin legacies.

Impact of the Googly on Cricket

The googly’s introduction revolutionized spin bowling in cricket by adding a new dimension of uncertainty and complexity. Its impact on cricket includes:

• Giving leg-spinners a wicket-taking option to complement attacking leg breaks. This made leggies more versatile.
• Keeping batsmen guessing and forcing them to adjust footwork and technique to negotiate googlies turning away.
• Expanding a leg-spinner’s repertoire with a new variation that breaks conventional norms of spin.
• Encouraging innovation in spin bowling through doosras and carrom bowls inspired by the googly’s success.
• Showcasing how new deliveries that ‘break the rules‘ can evolve cricket and balance contests between bat and ball.

Bosanquet’s invention gave bowlers the edge for decades until batsmen eventually adapted. The magical googly made leg-spin more potent and shaped bowling evolution.

Why The Googly is So Effective?

The googly owes its enduring effectiveness to several factors:

• Deception It resembles the stock leg break but goes the ‘wrong way’, duping batsmen.
• Late Deviation It lands without hint of shape, then rips away sharply after pitching. This tests technique.
• Variation It provides leggies a different threat versus leg breaks to keep batters guessing.
• Potent Spin When spun hard, it can beat batsmen for turn even if read as a googly.
• Drift in Air Backspin from the hand’ action makes good googlies drift before pitching.
• Bounce The topspin and upright seam adds extra bounce, creating uncertainty on pitch.

When combined, these attributes give the googly an X-factor unmatched by most other deliveries. It keeps bat-ball contests excitingly balanced.

So there you have it – a complete deep dive into the magical, mystical googly. This genius Bosanquet invention became leg-spin’s chief weapon by introducing guile, deception and uncertainty.

While googlies require immense expertise to be effective, its excruciatingly difficult performance is worth it. With enough practice and smart usage, the googly gives leg-spinners a prized wicket-taking option. No wonder Bosanquet called it his “best invention”!

Final Thoughts

The googly is a fascinating and deceptive delivery in cricket, known for its ability to surprise batsmen and spin in the opposite direction from what is expected. In this article, we delve into the history, technique, and impact of the googly in the world of cricket. Whether you’re a cricket enthusiast or simply curious about this intriguing aspect of the game, this article is your go-to resource for understanding the googly.