At our level of cricket, batsmen tend to get themselves out. The eyes light up with dollar signs, the feet dance, the bat swirls and when the dust settles they've been stumped or popped up a catch to cover.
So the key to bowling at this level is to bowl straight. Make the batsman play the ball. Wide balls cost runs, extend the game, tire the bowlers and can easily be the difference between a win and a loss.
The key to bowling straight is getting the arm over straight. As batting is best done with a straight bat, so bowling is best done with a straight arm. A round-arm or slinging action requires a very precise release point for the ball to find its way to the stumps. With a straight, upright arm, direction is more assured and length is the deciding factor. But if it's straight then the batsman has to play it!
The importance of a run-up to the rhythm of a bowler cannot be overlooked. However long or short it is, find it. Take strides and then run until you feel you reach a natural crescendo that would coincide with your delivery of the ball. Repeat it until it feels natural. Measure it out and remember it. Or run it out in reverse, starting from the bowling crease. Mark it. Not worrying about your run-up or where your feet are going to land means you can concentrate solely on what you're going to do with the ball in your hand. Stuttering up to the crease means you arrive and suddenly think, "Oh! I'm here now. I suppose I'd better sling one down." Find your run-up.
Don't be afraid to consult the captain as to the field you want set. If you're bowling a load of pies on both sides of the wicket then the captain will (quite rightly) tell you to bowl six balls in the same place but if you have a trap you want to set then try it.
Again, at this level, batsmen usually only have a couple of shots, one of which involves the word heave. Suss out the batsman. If he doesn't like it short, get him on the back foot. If he's happy to lean back and glide, entice him forward. Vary your pace. You're the one with the ball. Make the batsman dance to your tune.
If you want to know how to swing, spin or otherwise make the ball sit up and talk, then I suggest you consult some serious coaching manuals. Or ask an expert!
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