In cricket, a bowling machine is a device which enables a batsman to practise (usually in the nets) and to hone specific skills through repetition of the ball being bowled at a certain length, line and speed. It can also be used when there is no-one available to bowl, or no one of the desired style or standard.
There are a number of different types of bowling machine available to cricket coaches, each quite different in the ways they achieve the required delivery, though most allow the use of remote control, so that a coach can be closer to a batsman when the stroke is played.
Ball-throwing machines for cricket have been used for over a century and originally followed a more slingshot design,[1] which later gave way to motorised wheels and programmable machines.