Science Of Swing Not A Grey Area!

Tradition dictates that cloudy skies cause the ball to move sideways. But Garfield Robinson reveals it’s all a myth

- Garfield Robinson

Those of us who followed the recent England v West Indies Test series – and that might be every serious cricket fan in the world since it was the only international cricket on show – heard, on a number of occasions, that overcast conditions contribute to the ball’s tendency to swing. You heard it at the toss as team captains contemplated whether to bat or to field; you heard it every morning as pundits evaluated which bowlers the fielding team might turn to; and you saw it in print.

This is nothing new. It is common knowledge that has been around for a very long time. Almost everyone involved in the game cites it frequently, especially when the action is taking place in England, where bad weather is a regular threat.

Swing bowlers smile and lick their lips at the thought of bowling under cloud-laden skies; batsmen worry about playing and missing and finding balls swerving away at the last moment. So yes, the relationship between overcast conditions and swing is established cricket knowledge. It has been for a long time.

The only thing is it’s not true. There is no relationship between the weather and a cricket ball’s inclination to deviate in the air.

Aerodynamics experts, Dr Rabi Mehta, NASA scientist and former new-ball partner of cricket legend and current Pakistan prime minister, Imran Khan, have carried out studies that have established that overcast conditions do not accentuate swing. And despite years of publications and interviews on the matter, his findings have fallen on deaf ears.

Many fans and pundits, some of whom are well aware of Dr Mehta’s work, remain convinced that there is a connection between swing and the weather. On this topic, many of us in cricket are like members of the modern flat earth societies.