Have you ever seen a bowler get the ball to do things that make it look like it is possessed? That is exactly what Nathan Ellis does to the ball, and it is hard to look away. A hat-trick on debut isn’t just making an entrance, it’s kicking the door down—and Ellis has since sharpened that impact, becoming Australia’s secret ace in white-ball cricket.
The Birth of a Signature
Nathan Ellis didn’t start as a magician with the ball. During his early days in Sydney grade cricket, practicing this delivery felt like playing roulette. “One in every three would hit the roof or side net,” Ellis recalls. Imagine that! You’re trying to perfect a ball, and half the time it’s flying off in random directions. But it was persistence, experimentation, and sheer courage that turned this tricky variation into his go-to weapon.
It is curious to see Ellis’ journey suggest that innovation in cricket often comes along a path of trial, error, and observation. He found a lot of influences from greats before him—men such as Clint McKay, Steve Waugh, and James Faulkner that helped him develop his style. McKay, in particular, stood out to Ellis with the speed of his arm and hidden wrist position, and Ellis started to experiment with what became the slower ball. At this point, we can see how he was learning from the past and adding his variations, which is a potential hallmark of cricket greatness.
The Mechanics Behind the Magic
So, what makes Ellis’s slower ball so tricky? He releases the ball with a twist and flick that’s as unpredictable as it is effective. It sounds chaotic, but it’s this unusual arm speed and angle that help him mask the delivery. From a batsman’s perspective, the ball looks like it’s coming at normal pace, only to slow down just enough to induce a mistimed shot.
A slower ball is a dangerous ball. The back-of-the-hand slower ball turned deadly for the West Indies as Australia dominated all five T20s. He fooled three batsmen, which helped him get three of his six wickets in the series, only for batsmen to be left swinging at thin air with Ian Bishop giving Ellis final after final from the commentary box. What is impressive is the degree of deception and control he exercised.
What Makes Ellis the Meteor Among Shooting Stars of Pace?
Let’s face it: Australia is stacked with tall, fiery pacers—Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins dominate the headlines. Ellis may not tower over batsmen at six feet, but his value lies in contrast. While Starc or Cummins batter batsmen with pace and bounce, Ellis lulls them into a false sense of security, only to surprise them with variations they can’t read.
In addition to this, his style and the occasional deft change of pace into slower balls provides a diversity of scope amongst Australian pacers that is not traditionally Australian. And he’s not just fast; it’s more about changing the timing, rhythm, and expectation. That’s why in limited-overs cricket, he’s becoming the type of player you want to face for 6 overs, not just an average type of bowler, but remapping a portion of the game.
FAQs
- What is Nathan Ellis’ trademark delivery?
His trademark delivery is the back-of-the-hand slower ball.
- Why is Ellis’s slower ball so effective?
Its effectiveness comes from his fast arm speed and deceptive action that masks the pace.
- Which Australian bowler influenced Ellis the most?
Clint McKay inspired Ellis with his arm speed and back-of-the-hand technique.
