Flipper in Cricket — The Leg-Spinner's Lethal Skidder

What Is the Flipper?

The flipper is a wrist-spin delivery that generates back-spin — the ball skids straight on and low after pitching, rather than turning as a leg break or googly would. Batters who are lured forward expecting a fuller delivery find the ball stays down and raps them on the pads, resulting in LBW dismissals.

The Grip

The flipper is squeezed out between the thumb and the first two fingers — literally pinched and clicked out from the fingertips. This action imparts back-spin (the seam rotating backward in flight) rather than the top-spin or side-spin of other deliveries. The arm action looks similar to a leg break, concealing the variation.

Shane Warne to an English batter: two leg breaks pitching on leg and turning. Then a flipper — same action, same flight. The batter is lured forward expecting more turn. The ball skids straight and low, beats the forward defensive, and traps the batter in front of middle and off. LBW. The batter never picked the change.

Shane Warne and the Flipper

Shane Warne is the most celebrated flipper bowler in cricket history. He learned it from Richie Benaud and used it to dismiss top-order Test batters who had been lulled into expecting the leg break. Warne's flipper was delivered at full pace with the same trajectory as his leg break — making it extremely difficult to pick. He took many crucial Test wickets with it.

Batting Against the Flipper

• Play back rather than committing forward — the flipper skids low, so forward play exposes the pad.
• Watch for a difference in the ball's trajectory — the flipper often has a flatter arc than a leg break.
• Look for a different seam position at release — though this is hard to spot at match pace.