Cutters in Cricket Bowling Explained
How pace bowlers use cutters — off-cutters and leg-cutters — to deceive batters with late movement off the pitch.
What Is a Cutter?
A cutter is a slower delivery bowled by a pace bowler that grips the pitch and deviates sharply off the surface. Unlike a full-pace delivery the cutter is released with the fingers cutting across the seam, imparting side-spin that makes the ball turn like a spinner's delivery but at medium-fast pace. The change of pace combined with lateral movement creates a lethal combination.
Off-Cutter vs Leg-Cutter
An off-cutter cuts from off to leg, moving into a right-handed batter. The index finger pulls down the off side of the ball at release. A leg-cutter cuts from leg to off, moving away from the right-hander. The middle finger cuts down the leg side at release. The leg-cutter is the classic wicket-taking delivery and the harder of the two to control.
When Cutters Are Used
- In the middle overs of ODIs when the ball is old and not swinging
- On slow subcontinental pitches that give the ball purchase
- As a change of pace to disrupt a batter who has settled into a rhythm
- At the death in T20s to prevent slogging — the slower pace disrupts timing
- Against tailenders who struggle to read the change of pace
Notable Cutter Bowlers
Malcolm Marshall was perhaps the first fast bowler to make cutters a primary weapon, using them on helpful pitches to move the ball at pace. In modern cricket, Dale Steyn, Stuart Broad, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have all used cutters effectively. Jasprit Bumrah's slower-ball cutter has become one of the most feared deliveries in T20 cricket because his action gives batters no hint of the change.
Grip for a Leg-Cutter
Hold the ball with the seam running across the fingers rather than along them. Middle finger is placed on top of the seam; at the point of release the middle finger rolls down the leg side of the ball. The wrist stays behind the ball rather than driving through it. The result is a ball bowled at 15–20 km/h slower than the bowler's normal pace with pronounced seam-side movement.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cutter a spinner's delivery?
No — a cutter is bowled by a pace bowler. However, it imparts side-spin similar to spin bowling. A true spinner's delivery rotates about its own axis while in the air; a cutter moves after pitching.
How much slower is a cutter than a full-pace delivery?
Typically 15–25 km/h slower. A bowler who bowls at 140 km/h might send cutters at 115–125 km/h. The combination of deceptive action and pace change makes the batter's timing go wrong.
Can cutters swing in the air?
Usually not — the cross-seam grip reduces or eliminates conventional swing. The movement from cutters is almost entirely off the pitch.