A thrown ball is an illegal delivery where the bowler straightens their arm at the elbow at the moment of release. Cricket rules require the arm to remain relatively straight to ensure the ball is ‘bowled’ fairly rather than ‘thrown’ like a baseball or a football. Example: The umpire called a no-ball because he judged the bowler’s delivery to be a thrown ball rather than a legal bowling action.
Pro-Tip: In professional cricket, technology is used to ensure that any bend in the arm remains under the legal fifteen-degree limit. If a player is caught consistently throwing, they are suspended from bowling until they can prove their action has been corrected in a lab.
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