Editing Seam bowling (section)

{{short description|Bowling technique in cricket}}
{{Refimprove|date=August 2016}}
{{Bowling techniques sidebar |expanded=all}}
'''Seam bowling''' is a [[bowling (cricket)|bowling]] technique in [[cricket]], in which the ball is deliberately bowled to hit the ground on its [[Seam (sewing)|seam]], to cause a random deviation when it bounces.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fuss |first1=Franz Konstantin |last2=Smith |first2=Robert Masterton |title=Should the Finger Pressure be Well Distributed Across the Seam in Seam Bowling? A Problem of Precession and Torque |journal=Procedia Engineering |date=2013 |volume=60 |pages=453–458 |doi=10.1016/j.proeng.2013.07.016 |doi-access=free |hdl=1959.3/445442 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fuss |first1=Franz Konstantin |last2=Smith |first2=Robert Masterton |title=Accuracy Performance Parameters of Seam Bowling, Measured with a Smart Cricket Ball |journal=Procedia Engineering |date=1 January 2014 |volume=72 |pages=435–440 |doi=10.1016/j.proeng.2014.06.076 |doi-access=free |hdl=1959.3/427825 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> A bowler who uses this technique is called a '''seam bowler''' or '''seamer'''.

Seam bowling is a form of [[fast bowling]], although seam can also be a factor in medium-pace bowling. Although there are specialist seamers that make deliberate use of [[off cutter]] and [[leg cutter]] at the expense of bowling slower than regular fast bowlers, most bowlers employ the seam to some effect and so the terms "seamer" and "fast bowler" are largely synonymous. This was far less the case in the past, even the recent past. 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.