fast bowler

IPA/ˈfɑːst bəʊlə(r)/
IPA/ˈfæst bəʊlər/

fast bowler — noun

1. in cricket, a player who delivers the ball towards the batsman at high speed (ty

1.nounB2
Definition

in cricket, a player who delivers the ball towards the batsman at high speed (typically over 130 km/h), relying on pace and bounce to get batsmen out rather than on spin or turn of the ball

Example

Rohan's academy chose him to train as a fast bowler for his strong shoulders.

train as a fast bowler — preparing for the specialist role

Chidi modeled his bowling action on a famous fast bowler from the West Indies.

Common collocations
  • train as a fast bowler
  • bowl as a fast bowler
  • become a fast bowler
  • fast bowler + takes wickets
  • fast bowler + bowls at [speed]
  • fast bowler + opening the bowling
Synonyms
  • pace bowler

    interchangeable term, slightly more formal and commonly used in written cricket journalism

  • seam bowler

    a specific type of fast bowler who uses the seam of the ball to generate sideways movement; not all fast bowlers are seam bowlers

  • quick bowler

    informal term used especially in British English club-level cricket

Antonyms
  • spin bowler

    a bowler who turns the ball with wrist or finger action rather than bowling at high speed

Grammar Patterns

fast bowler + verb (takes wickets / bowls)

Usage Note

In cricket commentary, pace bowler is used interchangeably with fast bowler. The more specific term seam bowler refers to a fast bowler who uses the seam of the ball to create sideways movement off the pitch, rather than relying on pure speed alone.

Common Mistakes

A fast bowler is a player who runs fast on the field.
A fast bowler is a player who bowls the ball at high speed toward the batsman.
'Fast' in fast bowler refers to the speed of the delivery, not the player's running speed.
The fast bowler spun the ball past the batsman.
The fast bowler beat the batsman with pace and bounce.
Fast bowlers rely on speed and bounce, not spin.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Fast bowler is the most general term for a cricket bowler who delivers the ball at high speed. Pace bowler is a close synonym with identical meaning, though pace bowler is slightly more common in formal written cricket journalism (match reports, statistical analysis). Seam bowler is a narrower term: it describes a fast bowler who specifically uses the seam of the ball to create movement off the pitch after bouncing — not all fast bowlers actively work the seam, so a very fast 'bouncer-type' bowler is a fast bowler but may not be called a seam bowler. Quick bowler is an informal British English term used at club and county level (e.g. 'they need a quick bowler for the Sunday match'). In practical terms, fast bowler and pace bowler can be used interchangeably in most contexts, while seam bowler and quick bowler carry more specific register or technique nuances.

pace bowlerseam bowlerquick bowler

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • left-arm fast bowler
  • right-arm fast bowler
  • opening fast bowler
  • genuine fast bowler

Prepositions

  • for (plays for a team)
  • with (bowls with pace)
  • against (plays against an opponent)

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchLatinEnglish

A compound noun formed from the English adjective fast ('moving at high speed', from Old English fæst meaning 'firm, swift') and bowler ('a person who bowls', from the cricket sense of bowl, which itself comes from the noun bowl 'ball', from Old French boule, from Latin bulla 'bubble, ball'). The term fast bowler entered cricket terminology in the late 18th century as the sport codified the distinction between bowlers who relied on pace and those who relied on spin.