John Venn’s Bowling Machine
Most readers of this blog will be aware of the existence of Venn Diagrams, but not a lot of people know that their creator, John Venn, invented a mechanical bowling machine for use by cricketers in batting practice. Recently some folks at Cambridge University built a replica of this machine, presumably with the aid of some sort of diagram, and here’s a fascinating video about it.
Modern bowling machines fire the ball at you like a cannon, but this machine has the virtue of the batter being able to see the arm coming over which must help a little. This creation is also able to impart quite a bit of spin, in either direction but it looks like it should be quite easy to pick. The examples shown in the video also demonstratte that batting is only partly about hand-eye coordination – a key element is how to move your feet!
In the Dark 
April 14, 2026 at 4:47 pm
Ha! I was at Old Trafford yesterday to see Lancashire turn round a losing position and defeat Derbyshire by 29 runs, thanks to 43-year-old Jimmy Anderson. We’d have been stuffed without Aussie Marcus Harris, who easily top-scored in both Lancashire innings.