Seam bowling

Bowlers such as Tom Cartwright and Derek Shackleton bowled seamers at a pace in the low 70mphs and were very successful due to their mastery of control and variation.

The seam and wrist position of Australia's Glenn McGrath and India's Mohammed Shami are arguably a perfect example.

[citation needed] The direction and degree of the ball's deviation from a straight path are dependent on the small-scale alignment of the seam and any irregularities in the pitch surface.

Occasionally, however, the ball can deviate far enough to hit the edge of the cricket bat instead of the middle, producing a catch for nearby fielders.

The genuine 'Yorker' may be used by seam bowlers, but bounces ('pitches') so close to the batter's feet that it has no opportunity to deviate from its original line.

However, when the seam of the ball contacts the pitch at the 5 o'clock position, the result is movement to the left (away to the right-handed batter), when the seam of the ball contacts the pitch at the 7 o'clock position, the result is movement to the right (in to the right-handed batter).

This aligns with the unpredictable nature of seam bowling, but appears primarily driven by the technique of the bowler, rather than irregularities in the pitch surface.