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Old October 13, 2008, 07:19 AM
abu2abu abu2abu is offline
Test Cricketer
 
Join Date: October 4, 2007
Location: Paris
Favorite Player: Ian Bell, aftab ahmed
Posts: 1,423

Here's something that's always bothered me (and led to heated arguments with family members):

An offbreak (helpfully known by a variety of other names such as, offspin, left arm orthodox and finger spin) is a ball which turns from the offside to the leg side.

A legbreak (aka, wrist spin, chinaman, leg spin) turns from leg to off.

However, a legbreak is also distinguished from a offbreak because it comes out of the back of the hand (with the spin largely induced by the wrist), whereas as an offbreak comes out of the front of the hand (with the spin induced mainly by the fingers).

In that case, if a ball is bowled out of the back of the hand (that is, with a legbreak action) but actually turns like an offbreak (that is from off to leg) is that delivery still a legbreak? I know many of you will say that's a googly, but what I want to know is does that still make it a legbreak?

Put another way:

What is the defining factor when determining what is offspin and what is leg spin? Is it what direction the ball turns in or whether the ball is delivered with a legbreak or offbreak action? Or is it a curious combination of both?
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