Over the Wicket vs Around the Wicket: Bowling Angles Explained
Bowlers choose to deliver from either over the wicket (their bowling arm closest to the stumps) or around the wicket (their non-bowling arm side, going around the umpire). This article explains what changes when a bowler switches angle, why different angles are used against different batsmen, and how the around-the-wicket angle is used specifically as a tactical weapon.
Over the Wicket vs Around the Wicket
When a bowler delivers 'over the wicket,' their bowling arm side is closest to the stumps: for a right-arm bowler, they run up on the right side of the umpire and deliver with the stumps to their left. When delivering 'around the wicket,' they run up on the opposite side — the left side of the umpire (for a right-arm bowler), creating a wider angle of delivery toward the batsman's body rather than toward the off stump. The around-the-wicket angle changes the delivery's natural direction of approach to the batsman: a right-arm bowler going around the wicket angles the ball toward the right-handed batsman's body from an unusual direction, which can: create LBW opportunities (the ball pitches on line of the stumps from a wider angle); make inswing more dangerous (inswing from around the wicket angles into the batsman); and create rough outside the off stump (from previous footfall marks).
Why Bowlers Switch Angles
Bowlers switch between over and around the wicket for tactical reasons: to target a specific batsman's weakness (a right-hander who struggles with deliveries angled into their body may be better targeted from around the wicket); to exploit footmarks (spin bowlers specifically bowl around the wicket to land in footmarks left by bowlers at the other end, creating sharper turn); to change the angle of inswing or outswing (around the wicket changes which direction the swing angles toward the batsman); and simply for variety (the different angle creates a different visual challenge for the batsman who has calibrated against the over-the-wicket angle). The umpire notification requirement: the bowling side must tell the umpire which side the bowler is coming from before each delivery — a bowler cannot switch without notification.
Around the Wicket for Left-Arm Bowlers
For left-arm pace bowlers, around the wicket creates a particularly challenging angle against right-handed batsmen: the ball arrives from an unusually wide angle on the right-handed batsman's off side, making the corridor of uncertainty more extreme (the ball is further outside off stump but can still hit the stumps). Mitchell Starc (Australia) and Trent Boult (New Zealand) are noted for using the around-the-wicket angle with left-arm swing — the ball arrives from wider than a conventional angle and swings back in toward the right-hander's stumps or pads. This combination (wide angle + inswing) is one of cricket's most difficult deliveries to manage for a right-handed batsman.
Frequently asked questions
Does the umpire move when a bowler switches sides?
Yes — when a bowler switches from over-the-wicket to around-the-wicket (or vice versa), the square-leg umpire's position may be affected. More immediately, the non-striking umpire (the umpire at the bowler's end) adjusts their position to be on the correct side of the wicket based on which side the bowler is running up from. The bowler must notify the umpire of the switch before the delivery so the umpire can confirm their position is correct. Failing to notify the umpire (or changing side without notification) means the delivery is called a no-ball — the rule ensures umpires are never in the bowler's run-up path.
Can spin bowlers use the over-the-wicket/around-the-wicket switch effectively?
Yes — for spin bowlers, the angle switch is specifically used to target footmarks. When a pace bowler has been bowling over the wicket and creating foot-indentation marks outside the off stump (from their landing foot), an off-spinner going around the wicket can land the ball in those marks, causing the ball to grip and turn far more sharply than the normal pitch surface would produce. This is a deliberately coordinated bowling attack strategy: pace bowlers create the rough, spin bowlers exploit it. The around-the-wicket angle for an off-spinner also creates LBW opportunities: the ball pitches on a straighter line from the wider angle, creating on-line LBW chances that over-the-wicket off-spin (which angles away from the stumps) does not generate.
Is the over-the-wicket or around-the-wicket angle more common?
Over the wicket is the standard delivery angle for both pace and spin bowlers — it is the natural, comfortable position from which most bowlers learn the game. Around the wicket is the variation — used specifically as a tactical switch. In professional cricket, the ratio varies by bowler type: right-arm pace bowlers might bowl 80% of deliveries over the wicket and 20% around; left-arm pace bowlers who use the around-the-wicket angle as a primary weapon (Starc, Boult) might bowl 40-50% of deliveries from that angle. Off-spinners typically bowl over the wicket but may go around to exploit rough or target left-handers specifically. Leg-spinners almost universally bowl over the wicket except for specific tactical situations.