Gyro Spin vs Side Spin: What Baseball Tells Us About Lungi Ngidi’s Devilish Slower Balls One of the most memorable moments from the T20 World Cup for South African fans was another batter falling victim to Lungi Ngidi’s slower ball. The fast bowler’s off-cutter trapped Ryan Burl lbw on Sunday, securing his 90th T20I wicket—a milestone for a South African player and third overall behind Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp. The delivery, clocked at 114.3 kmph, was 23.5 kmph slower than the previous ball, a stark contrast that highlighted the effectiveness of Ngidi’s technique. Commentary from Proteas legend Shaun Pollock noted the similarity to Dwayne Bravo’s delivery, describing it as “dips on you, it comes out of the top of the hand.” Ngidi’s mastery of the slower ball has been a talking point even when he struggled against India. During a restrictive spell of 0-15 in four overs, he revealed how he refined his skills during the 2018 IPL while on the Chennai Super Kings bench. He credited Bravo, a former CSK teammate, for teaching him the art of the slower ball. But what exactly did Ngidi learn, and why are these deliveries so challenging for batters? In cricket, Ngidi’s primary slower ball is the off-cutter, a common variation for seam bowlers. Right-armers typically roll their fingers down the right side of the ball to add spin, reducing speed and creating movement off the surface. Coaches often use the “key in the door” analogy to describe the motion, emphasizing the need to turn the ball sharply. However, Bravo and Ngidi’s approach diverges from this standard technique, prompting a reevaluation of how slower balls are classified. The connection to baseball offers insight into this distinction. In baseball, pitchers classify pitches based on the axis of spin.#t20_world_cup #chennai_super_kings #lungi_ngidi #dwayne_bravo #shaun_pollock
