Training is part of every sport – it’s crucial for anyone who wants to excel in what they’re playing, and take their skills to the next level. Cricket is no exception. Batting perfection and accuracy don’t just happen overnight – a cricketer has to go through painstaking practice to be able to achieve the wanted results with the ball hits.

Even though training with a coach is part of the deal, a true cricketer trains on their own too, outside the field. Practising at home is where success lies, but don’t worry if you have no one to assist you – that’s what the reliable cricket ball machine is for. This kind of device is created specifically to help you hone your skills, perfecting the ball being bowled at different lengths, speeds, and lines. 

How to Find the Ideal Cricket Machine? 

Once you do get to shop for this device, you’d be faced with a tough decision because there are various bowling machines to choose from, differing in size and design, as much as features. So, to be able to make the right choice, it’s essential to consider these crucial factors, much like you would with choosing the right cricket balls.

Start With Your Skill Level

Before moving on to the machines, it’s important to give your skills a thought first and foremost. This is essential because a beginner doesn’t need the same type of machine and features as an intermediate or advanced player. Getting the design suited to your requirements helps get adequate practice and work on the right techniques for optimal performance and effectiveness.

Consider the Type of Machine

These devices differ due to the type of mechanism they have. As such, you can choose from programmable and automated cricket ball machines, to mechanical and pneumatic depending on how much help it is you want and need. If you don’t mind a little hands-on approach, then you’d do well with the mechanical which is more affordable than the automated and programmable. 

Then again, it all comes down to how high-end the design is. It’s possible to find automatic designs that are budget-friendly, so they’re not all expensive for beginners. Then again, the mechanical is better if you’re new to the sport and aren’t yet sure you’d continue to practice. If you’re sure about it, however, it’s best to go with the highly customisable automated and programmable as they offer advanced technology and precise ball control. 

The reason the mechanical is called such is that you get to mechanically operate a lever or handle to release the balls, whereas the automated does that on its own – all you have to do is click a few buttons to adjust it. The pneumatic uses a pneumatic mechanism to generate the power needed to release the balls. The programmable, as you might guess, comes with a motorised system you can easily customise based on your needs, regarding bowling style, speed, swing, spin, length and line.

Look Into the Features

What makes some machines better than others is the variety of features they come with, offering you more reliability with practice and skill. If you want the kind of machine that would keep on serving you time and time again, even as you progress into the sport, then it’s important to get a cricket ball machine with a range of speed, control, line, length, angle, and trajectory variations. The more settings, the better for you as a long-term investment.

Also, be sure to check for safety features because you ought to have the peace of mind the machine will work as expected, leaving no room for risks. Should there be a malfunction or accident, a reliable design is supposed to shut down thanks to convenient sensors. Additionally, check for the availability of the machine to be equipped with handy accessories like a feeder attached for extra balls, and a net to the ground to keep them in place. 

Check for Portability

Who says you only have to practice in your own backyard? A great cricket bowling machine is lightweight, compact, and easy to store and carry in your cricket bag, so you can use it on the field as much as on your trips. Practice shouldn’t stop just because you decided to go on a little trip. Features to consider here to be certain of a machine’s portability include weight, size, and how easy it is to assemble and disassemble it. 

To get a bit more out of your practice, don’t forget to also check for the system and how it operates, whether it needs to be plugged in so you’d have to look for sockets, or whether it gives you flexibility with the placement thanks to the use of batteries. If it’s the latter, you can get even more flexibility with rechargeable batteries that can give you hours (three to four) of fun training.