In the sport of
cricket bowling is the action of
propelling the
ball toward the
wicket defended by a
batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a
bowler; a bowler who is also a competent
batsman is known as an
all-rounder. Bowling the ball is distinguished from
throwing the ball by a strictly specified biomechanical definition which restricts the angle of extension of the elbow. A single act of bowling the ball towards the batsman is called a
ball or a
delivery. Bowlers bowl deliveries in sets of six, called an
over. Once a bowler has bowled their over, one of their team mates will bowl an over from the other end of the pitch. The
Laws of Cricket govern how a ball must be bowled. If a ball is bowled illegally, an
umpire will rule it a
no ball. If a ball is bowled too wide of the striker for the batsman to be able to play at it with a proper cricket shot, the bowler's end umpire will rule it a
wide.