Trundling masterclass with Martin 'Gilly' Baker

St Michael's Cricket Club

Cricketing Masterclass

Trundling with Martin ‘Gilly’ Baker, in association with ‘Good Ale’

Whilst it is perfectly true that other teams have proved themselves greater exponents of the arts of pace, spin (on and off), swing, in fact all types of bowling, there remains one area in which we at St Michael’s are still undisputed masters. I refer, of course, to the ancient art of ‘Trundling’.

The trundler’s art is an extremely subtle area and as a result is one which often goes unappreciated, even amongst so called ‘players’ in other less well established teams, such as The Bold Dragoon CC. As someone who has always prided himself on having been a pretty fair trundler in my day, I can now reveal the secrets that have been passed down from trundler to trundler across the generations.

The run-up	Not too long, not too short. Speed of approach is crucial here. The run up should be long enough to allow the trundler to break into a lope, but not so long as to generate any real pace. Eight or nine paces is acceptable.
The delivery stride	A slightly longer stride than those in the run up. On no account jump into the air, as this will disrupt the natural rhythm of the action.
The grip	The ball should be held seam up, pointing straight down the wicket. It is vital that the seam is not angled in any way and that in delivery the ball does not impart any form of spin upon it. Either of those faults could cause the ball to deviate alarmingly off the pitch, not something a true trundler would want to see. Also, it is worth remembering that any ‘shining’ of the ball could cause it to ‘wobble’ in flight, possibly even threatening movement. This is rare, but can easily be ironed out by slightly altering one’s action, or scuffing up the side of the ball that is shiny.
Line and length	The trundler’s gospel. There is only one place for the true trundler to put it. In terms of line it should be ‘in or around’ off stump, and length should be ‘there or thereabouts’, and nothing else!

Obviously, it is possible to impart the true nature of trundling in a small an article, but this will show you the basics. Perhaps the public, and indeed the powers that be will once again recognise this noble art.