Exclusive: ECB partners with Cambridge University in bid to master the secrets of cricket ball swing

The England and Wales Cricket Board is partnering with Cambridge University to give English bowlers the edge through a better understanding of the “aerodynamics of cricket-ball swing”, Telegraph Sport can reveal.

They are enlisting the help of scientists at Cambridge University, where the department of engineering is welcoming applications for a PhD project into the “Aerodynamics of Cricket-Ball Swing”, and providing the funding.

The study seeks to explain the relationship between “real game conditions” and existing theories of conventional and reverse swing.

The factors being explored include ball type, ball condition, bowling action and weather conditions – with the inquiry seeking to connect the theory to what actually happens in matches.

The ECB is expected to have exclusive access to the results of the study, thought to be the brainchild of Raphael Brandon, who left his role as director of performance solutions at the English Institute of Sport in 2015 to become the ECB’s head of science, medicine and innovation.

The initiative bears the fingerprints of British Cycling, with Tony Purnell, head of technology and former principal of Red Bull F1, one of four Cambridge dons overseeing the study.

It is hoped that the findings will assist English bowlers on overseas tours. Mastering the use of the Kookaburra ball has consistently caused problems for the English bowling attack on tours to the southern hemisphere. The machine-manufactured Kookaburra has less of a seam and loses shine quicker than the handmade Dukes ball.

The research posting inviting applications explains: “Cricket-ball swing has been observed since the early days of the sport with players, including WG Grace, noting the ‘peculiar flight’ of leather balls as far back as the 19th century. Since then, cricketers and aerodynamicists have identified the seam position, ball speed and surface condition of the ball as key factors determining the direction and magnitude of swing.

“Modern cricketers rely on experience, intuition and no little guesswork to predict whether a cricket ball will swing for a certain bowler, at a particular ground and under particular conditions.”

The job listing promises that “the ECB will be closely involved with the project and will provide practical cricketing know-how as well  as real-world data to support the investigation”.

Cambridge University has a rich cricketing history, with more than 80 Light Blues gaining Test caps, including 21 Test captains.