Swing bowling in Cricket

For all types of swing:

• The plane of the seam must be vertical with respect to the ground - known as upright seam.
• Backspin must be imparted to the ball so that the seam stays upright and the ball doesn't wobble - this is done with a flick of the wrist at the moment of delivery.

Conventional swing

Ball swings in the direction that the seam points to:

• Outswing: deliver the ball with the seam pointing to the second slip.
• Inswing: deliver the ball with the seam pointing to leg slip.

The side that has relatively more shine should face the batsman.

The side that has deeper embossing must be allowed to become rough and dry (the deeper embossing adds to the roughness). The other side of the ball should be frequently polished to retain the shine as much as possible. 

Reverse swing

One side of the ball must be very rough and dry, and the other must be shiny. Usually it takes 20-40 overs to get the desired level of roughness.

The seam must not be bashed in.

The leading, rough side of the ball must face the batsman.

The ball moves in a direction away from the seam i.e. if seam is pointed towards slips and the rough side faces the batsman, the ball swings into a right-handed batsman.

Interestingly, express fast bowlers may produce reverse swing even with the new ball. The extreme pace (>145kmph) produces the same reverse effect as the roughness in the ball's surface.

Contrast swing

The ball must be held "seam up" i.e. the seam should be vertical and point straight ahead (and not be angled towards the second slip or the leg slip).

One side of the ball must be rough and the other side shiny.

It does not matter if the seam is bashed in.

The speed of the ball determines which way it will swing. For a medium pace bowler, the ball would swing towards the rough side whereas for a faster bowler, it would swing towards the shiny side (you can see how the speed can be varied by a faster bowler to achieve swing both ways).

In street/gully cricket in the sub-continent, contrast swing is achieved by taping one side of a tennis ball. The ball is delivered with the taped side on the left or right.

Cervical cancer can be prevented

Cervical cancer is dangerous

It was the second most common type of cancer among women in India in 2020, with 33,000 deaths per year, 8000 of those in Tamil Nadu. Cervical/Vaginal/Vulval/Anal cancers and genital warts are caused by the virus HPV, and can be prevented through vaccination.

Vaccine

Vaccination is to be done between ages 9 and 26. If your child is young and you can wait, do so since the Govt of India has added vaccination for HPV to India's universal immunisation program and is likely to buy Cervavac in millions of doses. Hence the price may come down from Rs.2000 per dose to around Rs.400 in 2024-25. The vaccine is given in two doses till age 15, and in three doses after that.

HPV infection is like any other infection

Most media and people talk about HPV being spread via sexual contact only because it is the most documented route. However, it can spread through other ways like touch, skin contact, clothes/utensils/furniture etc. So, do not assume a person had sexual contact if they are infected by HPV. It is suggested to get this vaccination early only because HPV can be transmitted easily via sexual contact (it could even be contracted from someone who got it via a non-sexual route).

HPV infection is neither detectable nor curable, but can be prevented by vaccination. People generally get to know they are infected when they are diagnosed with cancer or if they get genital warts. A genital wart does not lead to cancer by itself - it can be removed/treated.

Please consult a Doctor and do not act by yourself regarding anything discussed above.

Playing Chess helps prisoners

"The reason why people are in prisons is because they didn't think before they made a move. In chess you have to think before you move."

Charities and chess orgs in India, UK and US are teaching prisoners to play chess.

"Playing chess is part of normal life. So playing chess in prison can make you feel like you're normal, and not a criminal.", says an inmate.

Last year there was a FIDE online tournament for prisoners. In the selection tournament in India, twenty teams from prisons all over India participated, from which two teams were selected to represent India.

The team from the Pune prison in India won the bronze medal. They were coached by Indian GMs who work for Indian Oil Corporation, which organizes sports programs in Indian prisons.

Source:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-65889955

https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/indian-chess-team-from-yerawada-jail-win-bronze-at-intercontinental-championship-101666181849245-amp.html