Effect of External Oblique Strength on Bowling Acceleration in Cricket Players - Research Proposal Answer

Introduction

Cricket is a popular sport in New Zealand and the speed at which the bowlers are able to accelerate the ball towards the batsman plays a crucial role in the outcome of the match. This speed relies on many different factors such as the technique used by the bowler, their strength and other technical factors such as the type of ball, weather conditions etc. Previously, various studies have demonstrated the role that core strength and lower body strength and technique play an important role in bowling performance no studies have been conducted that evaluate the effect of external oblique strength on bowling acceleration (Kiely et al., 2021; Olivier et al., 2022). External obliques are muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. They originate from the anterior surface and inferior border of the 5th to 12th ribs and insert into the iliac crest and linea alba on both sides. External obliques play an important role in producing the rotational force needed to accelerate the cricket ball during delivery. Establishing a relationship between the strength of these muscles and the acceleration produced during bowling will provide valuable insight to the players, coaches and trainers. It will demonstrate the role that strength training, especially with respect to the external obliques, plays in improving the performance of bowlers on cricket teams.

Operational Definitions

Bowling acceleration for the purposes of this research paper refers to the maximum speed of the ball swung by the bowler during delivery. This speed will be measured using a radar gun.

The strength of the external oblique muscles for the purposes of this experiment will be quantified and defined by the ability to hold a ninety-second side plank. The technique followed while performing a side plank will be standardized across all participants to minimize errors due to differences in technique.

Literature review

Methods

Aims and Objectives

The main goal of this research is to determine the effect that external oblique strength has on the acceleration of a cricket ball during delivery. This goal can be achieved by answering the research question “How does external oblique strength correlate to bowling acceleration in cricketers?” This research question can be answered by meeting the following research objectives.

• Quantify the strength of external oblique muscles in cricket players.
• Record the bowling speed of the study group and the control group at the start and the end of a six-week exercise program.
• Compare the bowling speeds of the experimental group to that of the control group at the start and the end of 6 weeks of exercise in the study group.
• Observe the effect of muscle strength in delaying fatigue identified by a reduction in bowling speeds.
• Analyse the data obtained using ANOVA.

There is an assumption of a positive correlation between the strength of the external obliques and the acceleration produced in the cricket ball. The results of this study will have major implications for the training provided to cricket players. If a positive correlation is found between the known variable (strength of external oblique) and the unknown variable (acceleration of the ball) then it will provide evidence to justify the incorporation of external oblique strength training into the training provided to cricket players.

Study Design

This is a case-control study that will be following a parallel group study design. 30 cricket players will be selected for inclusion in this study. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the control (n=15) or the experiment group (n=15). The control group will not engage in any specific exercises during the study duration except the routine cricket training and practice. In addition to the routine training and practice, the experiment group will receive six weeks of resistance training exercises to increase the strength of external oblique muscles. At the end of six weeks, the strength of external oblique muscles between the control group and the experiment group will be compared. Any changes in the bowling speeds will be recorded and compared with respect to the change in muscle strength.

Participants

The participants for this experiment will be selected on the basis of the following inclusion and exclusion criteria. The participants included in the study will be 18 to 35-year-old team members of any minor league cricket clubs that play cricket at least 4 hours per week. Any players with less than two years of experience will be excluded from the study to minimize the impact of bad technique and form on the results of the study.

Procedures

For this, the assumption is that the cricketers that are able to maintain a ninety-second side plank will be able to accelerate the ball faster. However, there is a risk of confounding factors such as the core strength, lower body strength and technique and expertise of the players making this comparison unreliable. Therefore, the study participants will be divided into a study group and a control group and the differences in bowling speeds between the two groups will be compared after one group receives training to strengthen their external obliques. This will help remove the effect of the aforementioned confounding factors. Following training the change in the number of participants in each group able to hold a ninety-second side plank will be observed. The measurements for the acceleration of the cricket ball will be made under similar weather conditions and using the same ball to remove any aerodynamic impact of these factors on the results. The speed of the ball on delivery will be measured using a radar gun to estimate the acceleration accurately irrespective of the trajectory followed by the ball. Each participant will perform two sets of 12 deliveries consecutively. The average ball speed will be calculated for each set.

Data Collection

Data regarding the strength of the external oblique muscle of all 30 participants will be quantified and collected in the form of the ability to hold a ninety-second side plank at the start of the study. Data regarding the bowling speeds of all participants will be collected at the start of the study using a radar gun to measure the average speed of bowling in two consecutive sets, of 12 deliveries each, for every participant. After randomization and strength training in the study group for six weeks these measurements will be repeated and the data collected from all participants.

Data Analysis

All the collected data will be analysed using ANOVA (Analysis of variance). Data will be analysed to see if there was an improvement in the strength of external obliques after six weeks of training in the study group. Pre-training and post-training values of bowling acceleration will be analysed to note any changes in the differences between the study group and the control group. The direction and strength of these changes will be identified. The direction and strength of changes will be correlated to the changes in the strength of the external obliques. This correlation will be carried out separately for the first set of twelve deliveries and the second set

Limitations and Delimitations

The main limitation of this study is the relatively small sample size which can impact the reliability of the results. Delimitation is that this study focuses solely on the strength of external oblique muscle on the bowling speeds ignoring the impact of any other potential factors.

Ethical Considerations

Informed consent will be obtained from all study participants. The research will comply with the ethical guidelines and maintain confidentiality and privacy. Ethical approval will be obtained from the research ethics committee. Any ethical concerns arising during the study will be addressed in line with existing guidelines throughout the study.

Expected Results

The study is expected to establish a positive correlation between the strength of external obliques and bowling acceleration. This correlation is expected to strengthen as the number of deliveries progresses as stronger muscles are anticipated to experience a delay in the onset of fatigue. The results will be discussed in the form of means and standard deviations. The outcomes of the ANOVA analysis will determine the significance of the differences observed in the available. All these results will be clearly represented in relevant formats.

1. Gantt Chart - Time Schedule

1. Budget

The budget for this research will include the following expenses:

• Cost of purchase of equipment:
• Radar guns for measuring ball speed - $200
• Strength training equipment - $1000
• Cost of statistical analysis software subscription - $100
• Travel expenses for the research team to reach the different cricket venues - $150
• Transport expense reimbursement for the participants travelling to the research site - $550

Total budget - $2000

It is important to note that the budget created is an estimate and is subject to be adjusted as per costs. Maximum utilization of available resources will be made and cost-effectiveness ensured.

References

Kiely, N., Pickering Rodriguez, L., Watsford, M., Reddin, T., Hardy, S., & Duffield, R. (2021). The influence of technique and physical capacity on ball release speed in cricket fast-bowling. Journal of Sports Sciences, 39(20), 2361-2369. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2021.1933349

Olivier, F. M., Olivier, B., & Mnguni, N. (2022). The core of performance in adolescent cricket pace bowlers: Trunk muscle stability, maybe, but not strength-endurance and thickness. South African Journal of Sports Medicine, 34(1), 1-6 http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2078-516x/2022/v34i1a12521

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