Cricket Coaching Fast Bowling Tips / Injury : Sidestrain – Over bowling

by Richard Pybus

Hi Coach, I am a 17 year old fast bowler and one day in training I overbowled. As a result I had a side strain and swelling in my lower rib on the left side(non bowling side).
The problem is that the swelling hasn’t gone for 3 months now, what should i do?
Thanks

Hi, the first thing with a soft tissue injury is applying the RICE principle, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation to the injury site.

If you don’t have immediate access to medical personnel at your club or school to have it checked out, then RICE needs to be implemented straight away.

I am not a Doctor or a Physio so I am not going to attempt to diagnose over the internet.

If the injury has been hanging around as you say it has, then you need to get to a Doctor and a sports physio to get it looked at.

On return to bowling when the injury has healed, build it up slowly and gently whilst you allow the body to adapt to a bowling workload again. Don’t bowl two days in a row and be guided by how the body feels, rather be patient and let the bowling workload grow slowly whilst the body adapts and gets strong.

Regarding your over bowling, it is really important that you bowl sensibly and not into fatigue ( tiredness), the body becomes susceptible to injury when it is tired and when it is growing.

Bowl in short spells, at nets look to have four bowlers in the net so that you get time between deliveries to recover. Bowl for 24 to 36 balls in a practice spell. You can do this a couple of time’s a week without injury, more than this you are setting yourself up for injury.

Good luck with your recovery.

Best wishes Coach

About Richard Pybus

I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.