This article needs additional citations for verification. In the sport of cricket there are two broad categories of bowlers: pace and spin. Pace bowlers rely mostly on the speed of the ball to dismiss batsmen, whereas spin bowlers rely on the rotation two fast turn of the ball.
Pace bowlers, or fast bowlers or pacemen, rely on speed to get a batsman out. This type of bowler can be further classified according to the speed at which they bowl the ball on average. Most pace bowlers are medium-fast to fast in top level cricket. In general, bowlers of this type are described as right arm or left arm “fast” or “fast-medium”. Another technique of fast bowling is the sling action.
This action generates extra speed but sacrifices control. The highest electronically measured speed for a ball bowled by any bowler is 161. England on 22 February 2003 in a World Cup match at Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa. Swing bowlers are pace bowlers who, apart from being fast, also use the seam of the ball to make it travel in a curved path through the air. This is further encouraged by systematically polishing one side of the ball while allowing the other side to become roughened and worn. The differing airflow around the two sides will cause the ball to swing in the air, towards the roughened side.
