Metatarsal stress fractures in cricket fast bowlers

NewsBot · Aug 9, 2023

English men's domestic cricket injury risk by activity and cricket type: a retrospective cohort study from 2010 to 2019
Luke Goggins et al
August 03, 2023

Objectives
Explore whether injury profiles and mechanisms differ between red (First-Class multi-day) and white (One-Day and Twenty20 limited over) ball cricket in elite men's domestic cricket from 2010 to 2019.
Design
Retrospective cohort analysis.
Methods
Injury incidence calculated according to the updated international consensus statement on injury surveillance in cricket, along with seasonal days lost and injury severity descriptive statistics.
Results
Across both cricket types, bowling resulted in the most seasonal days lost (Mean 1942, 95% CI: 1799–2096) and highest mean injury severity (30 days, 95% CI: 28–33), with lumbar spine the body region with the most seasonal days lost (Mean 432 seasonal days; 95% CI: 355–525) from bowling. Injury incidence was higher in white ball compared to red ball cricket (per unit of time), with bowling (and its various phases) the most frequently occurring mechanism in both cricket types (White ball: 67.0 injuries per 1000 days of play [95% CI: 59.6–75.3]; Red ball: 32.4 injuries per 1000 days of play [95% CI: 29.1–36.1]). When bowling, the abdomen and thigh were the body regions most injured from white (13.4 injuries per 1000 days of play [95% CI: 10.3–17.4]), and red ball (6.4 injuries per 1000 days of play [95% CI: 5.0–8.2]) cricket respectively. Overall, clear differences emerged in the nature and mechanism of injuries between red and white ball cricket.
Conclusion
Bowling presents the highest injury risk (Across both cricket types), as well as highlighting the increased risk of injuries diving during fielding and running between the wickets when batting, in shorter white ball cricket.
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NewsBot · Aug 15, 2023

Optimal initial position and technique for the front foot contact phase of cricket fast bowling: Commonalities between individual-specific simulations of elite bowlers
P J Felton et al
J Biomech. 2023 Aug 12;158:111765

Group-based and individual-based studies in cricket fast bowling have identified common technique characteristics associated with ball release speed. The applicability of these findings to individual bowlers is often questioned, however, due to research approach limitations. This study aims to identify whether the optimal initial body position at front foot contact and subsequent technique to maximise ball release speed exhibit common characteristics for elite male cricket fast bowlers using individual-specific computer optimisations. A planar 16-segment whole-body torque-driven simulation model of the front foot contact phase of fast bowling was customised, evaluated, and the initial body position and subsequent movement pattern optimised, for ten elite male fast bowlers. The optimised techniques significantly increased ball release speed by 4.8 ± 1.3 ms-1 (13.5 ± 4.1%) and ranged between 37.8 and 42.9 ms-1, and in lower peak ground reaction forces and loading rates. Common characteristics were observed within the optimal initial body position with more extended front knees, as well as more flexion of the front and bowling arm shoulders than in current performances. Delays to the onset of trunk flexion, front arm and bowling arm shoulder extension, and wrist flexion were also common in the subsequent movement during the front foot contact phase. Lower front hip extensor and front shoulder flexor torques, as well as greater bowling shoulder extensor torques were also evident. This is useful knowledge for coach development, talent identification, and coaching practice.
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NewsBot · Feb 3, 2024

Female cricket pace bowling: kinematic and anthropometric relationships with ball release speed
C Lyons et al
S Afr J Sports Med. 2023 Jun 5;35(1)

Background: Despite an increase in the professionalism and participation of female cricket, the coaching of female pace bowling is still reliant on male-derived knowledge.

Objectives: To investigate the association between key male-derived kinematic and anthropometric parameters and ball release speed (BRS) in female pace bowlers.

Methods: Eleven female pace bowlers participated in this study. BRS, and four anthropometric and five kinematic parameters were determined. Stepwise linear regression and Pearson Product Moment correlations were used to identify anthropometric and kinematic parameters linked to BRS.

Results: The best predictor of BRS explaining 89% of the observed variance was the bowling shoulder angle at ball release. The best anthropometric predictor of BRS was height explaining 53% of the observed variance. Other parameters correlated with BRS included: run-up speed (r = 0.75, p = 0.013) and arm length (r = 0.61, p = 0.046). When height was controlled for, the front knee angle at front foot contact was also correlated to BRS (r = 0.68, p = 0.044). No relationship was found between trunk flexion and BRS.

Conclusion: Faster BRS were characterised by faster run-up speeds, straighter front knees, and delayed arm circumduction similar to male pace bowlers. The lack of relationship between trunk flexion and BRS may highlight female pace bowlers adopting a bowling technique where BRS is contributed to by trunk rotation as well as trunk flexion. This knowledge is likely to be useful in the talent identification and coaching of female pace bowlers.
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NewsBot · Feb 19, 2024

Annual incidence and prevalence of injuries in elite male academy cricketers: A 4-year prospective cohort study
Amy Williams et al
JSAMS Plus; Volume 3, June 2024, 100050

Objectives
The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of injuries; time-loss and non-time loss, in elite male academy cricket.

Design
Prospective cohort analysis.

Methods
Annual injury incidence and prevalence from all cricket related injuries were calculated for 348 male academy players (under-13 to under-18) from the 18 First-Class County Cricket clubs in England and Wales across four years (2017/18, 2018/19, 2020/21 and 2021/22), in accordance with the updated consensus statement for injury surveillance methods in cricket.

Results
The average annual injury incidence was 115.0 injuries/100 players/year, with similar rates between time-loss (59.7 injuries/100 players/year) and non-time loss injury incidence (55.3 injuries/100 players/year). On average, 8.5 % of players were unavailable on any given day of the year due to injury. Match injury incidence (48.8 injuries/100 players/year) was higher than cricket-based training (25.2 injuries/100 players/year), gym-based training, illness, and ‘other’ injury incidences. Match bowling was the activity associated with the highest total (17.7 injuries/100 players/year), time-loss (10.3 injuries/100 players/year) and non-time loss (7.4 injuries/100 players/year) injury incidence. The lumbar spine was the body location most frequently injured (15.3 injuries/100 players/year) and was the most prevalent body location injured (2.9 % of players).

Conclusions
The findings from this study provide, robust evidence of the extent of the injury problem in elite male academy cricketers. Bowling poses the greatest risk to players and the lumbar spine is the most common and prevalent injury location.
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NewsBot · Apr 24, 2024

Injury Profiles in Sub-Elite Women’s Cricket: Exploring Incidence, Prevalence, Nature, Onset and Body Region.
Jolandi Jacobs et al
Physical Therapy in Sport; 23 April 2024

Highlights
•Injury incidence at sub-elite women’s cricket appears lower than elite levels.
•Time-loss injuries were higher in training compared to matches.
•The most time-loss injuries occurred in the lower leg and ankle.
•Fast bowlers had the highest muscle-related injuries.
•Wrist and hand injuries caused the most matches missed.
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Introduction
The rise in participation in sports, like women’s cricket, is linked with increased injury risk. Providing high-level longitudinal data is the first step in implementing evidence-based injury prevention strategies.

Design
Prospective cohort study

Objective
This cohort study aims to describe the injury profiles in sub-elite women’s cricket in South Africa during the 2022/23 season.

Methods
Injuries were prospectively recorded using injury surveillance questionnaires, injury surveillance database, and logbooks completed by each team’s medical staff. Injury rates were investigated for match and training days, body region, player role, nature, and activity at the time of injury.

Results
Three teams with a total of 44 players (20.86 ± 1.6 years) were included in the study. Injury incidence was 85.23 per 1000 player match days, 15.91 for match time-loss and 69.32 for non-time-loss, with 2.95% of players unavailable for match selection on any day. Fast bowlers had the highest injury incidence. Fielding caused 46.67% of all injuries. Injury incidence was higher in training than in matches. The wrist/hand had the highest injury incidence and caused the most match time-loss.

Conclusion
This study provides valuable insights regarding the current injury rates in sub-elite female cricket players.
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NewsBot · May 28, 2024

Anthropometric and biomechanical factors in elite male and female fast bowlers
Jolandi Jacobs et al
J Biomech. 2024 May 21

Researchers have extensively studied the biomechanics and anthropometrics of fast bowling in men's cricket, but there is still limited research in women's cricket. This study describes and compares the anthropometric qualities and bowling biomechanics between elite male and female fast bowlers. An inertial measurement system was used to collect three-dimensional biomechanical data for 20 elite fast bowlers (13 males and seven females). Kinematic data was captured at one step before back foot contact, back foot contact, front foot contact, ball release to one step after ball release. Anthropometric measurements included body segment lengths, mass, body fat (BF%) and muscle mass (MM%). The student t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for analyses. Hotelling's T2 statistic was calculated to control Type I error during multiple comparisons (p = 0.045). Males and females differed in overall height, limb length, BF% and MM%. Females presented with slower ball release speeds (p = 0.001). Biomechanically, the females were more front-on when approaching the delivery stride and then initiated pelvis and trunk rotation during the delivery stride, not seen in the males. Females and males have a similar magnitude of trunk side-flexion, but females present with a different strategy than males (p = 0.038). Females presented with increased front knee extension at ball release (p = 0.05). The findings from this study emphasise the differences between male and female fast bowlers and suggest that the coaching principles used in male fast bowling may not be relevant to female fast bowlers.
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NewsBot · Sep 27, 2024

Differences in cricket fast bowling kinematics between grass and artificial surface pitches
Peter Alway et al
Sports Biomech. 2024 Sep 16:1-14.

Cricket fast bowling training and research are often conducted on artificial turf, while matches are played on natural grass. It is unknown if technique differs between the different surfaces; therefore, the aim of this study was to explore if fast bowling technique differed between surfaces. Shoe slip distance and kinematic and temporal parameters previously associated with ball release velocity and lumbar bone stress injury were determined for eight male sub-elite fast bowlers using three-dimensional motion analysis on grass and artificial surfaces. Paired t-test and statistical parametric mapping were used to identify differences in technique between surfaces. Significantly greater slip distance was observed during back and front foot contact on the artificial surface compared to bowling on the grass surface. No kinematic or temporal parameter significantly differed between surfaces, therefore fast bowling technique is likely similar between grass and artificial surfaces, and previous research utilising artificial surfaces in fast bowling research is likely to be valid.
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NewsBot · Dec 27, 2024

Quantification of Ground Reaction Forces During the Follow Through in Trained Male Cricket Fast Bowlers: A Laboratory-Based Study
Jeffrey Fleming et al
Sports (Basel). 2024 Nov 22;12(12):316.

Ground reaction forces (GRFs) are known to be high during front foot contact of fast bowling deliveries in cricket. There is a lack of published data on the GRFs during follow through foot contacts. The aim of this study was to quantify and compare peak GRFs and impulse of the delivery stride and the follow through of fast bowling deliveries. Ten trained male fast bowlers (ball release speed mean ± SD; 32.6 ± 2.3 m/s) competing in the Men's Victorian Premier League participated in the study. Peak GRF and impulse data were collected using in-ground force plates in a laboratory setting. Linear mixed modelling of GRFs and impulse showed a significant effect of foot strike (p < 0.001). Front foot contact had the greatest magnitude of peak vertical GRF (5.569 ± 0.334 BW) but was not significantly greater than back foot recontact (4.471 ± 0.285 BW) (p = 0.07). Front foot impact had the greatest vertical impulse (0.408 ± 0.018 BW·s) but was similar to back foot (0.377 ± 0.012 BW·s) and front foot (0.368 ± 0.006 BW·s) recontacts (p = 0.070 to 0.928). The high GRF and impulse during the follow through highlights the need for further kinetic and kinematic research on this phase of the fast bowling delivery.
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NewsBot · Sep 28, 2025

Analysis of injury patterns and recovery outcomes
among cricket players: A retrospective study at
Rajshahi university medical center, Bangladesh
Jakir Hossain, Golam Azom Foysal, Moudud Ahamed, Arifur Rahman,
Tanjila Khatun and MM Haque
International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health 2025; 12(4): 68-76

Purpose: Cricket is the most widely followed team sport across the Commonwealth, with the
International Cricket Council (ICC) boasting 105 member nations. However, there is a noticeable lack of
published medical research focusing on cricket-related injuries in Bangladesh or the broader
subcontinent. This study aims to identify the most common types of sports injuries experienced by
cricket players in the region.
Methodology: This study used a quantitative research technique with a retrospective survey design. A
total of 31 participants were selected through a simple random sampling technique. Data were obtained
from records at the Bangladesh Tennis and Cricket Academy (BTCA), Rajshahi. The researcher utilized
a structured questionnaire to extract relevant information directly from archived documents. Collected
data were coded numerically and entered into Microsoft Excel, followed by analysis using SPSS version
16.0. Descriptive statistical methods were applied to interpret the findings.
Results: Out of the 31 injured cricketers surveyed, shoulder injuries were the most common, reported by
8 players (22.58%). This was followed by spine, back, and trunk injuries in 6 cases (19.35%), thigh and
hip injuries in 5 players (16.13%), and knee and leg injuries in 3 cases (12.90%). Additionally, 3 players
(9.68%) experienced hand and finger injuries, 3 (9.68%) sustained ankle injuries, 2 (6.35%) reported foot
injuries, and 1 player (3.22%) had a head or neck injury. Regarding gender distribution, 28 participants
(90.3%) were male, while 3 (9.7%) were female. The highest injury incidence was observed among
cricketers aged 18-20 years, accounting for 13 cases (35.2%), with a mean participant age of 19 years.
Bowlers were the most affected group, representing 13 injury cases (35.2%).
Among the 31 injured cricketers, 9 individuals (29%) suffered direct injuries, while the majority, 22
players (71%), experienced indirect or overuse injuries. The most frequently reported conditions included
rotator cuff injuries (N=3; 12.9%), hamstring strains (N=3; 9.7%), and back pain (N=6; 19.3%). In terms
of treatment, 7 participants (22.6%) received medication only, 4 (12.9%) underwent physiotherapy alone,
and 20 individuals (65.5%) received a combination of both. Improvement was noted in 4 cases (57.15%)
treated with medication only, 3 cases (75%) receiving only physiotherapy, and 17 cases (85%) who
received combined treatment.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that injuries to the shoulder, hip and thigh, knee and leg, as well as the
back, are the most prevalent among cricket players across all playing roles. Indirect and overuse injuries
were more commonly reported than direct injuries. Overall, bowlers appeared to be the most injury-prone
group among the participants.
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NewsBot · Dec 28, 2025

The effect of increased strength on ball release speed and front foot contact-phase technique in elite male cricket fast bowlers
P J Felton et al
J Sports Sci. 2025 May;43(10):915-925.

Research on strength in cricket fast bowling has focused on ball release speed over technique. This study investigates how increased strength affects performance and front foot contact-phase technique during fast bowling. A planar, 16-segment, whole-body torque-driven simulation model, customised and evaluated for 10 elite male fast bowlers, was used to optimise the technique for maximum ball release speed under 3 conditions: 1) original strength; 2) 5% increased lower body strength and 3) 5% increased lower body + shoulder strength. As strength increased across conditions, discrete and continuous one-way ANOVA's with post-hoc t-tests, highlighted ball release speed increased (40.7 vs 41.3 vs 41.5 ms-1; p < 0.01), vertical front foot ground reaction impulse decreased (p < 0.023) and mid-phase bowling shoulder extensor torque increased (53% to 61%; p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in phase time, ground reaction forces, joint kinematics or joint kinetics, although the increased strength techniques exhibited less knee extension, reduced trunk flexion and greater shoulder extension, contrary to expectations. This suggests that increased strength may lead to alterations in the front foot contact technique which allows greater muscular momentum to be generated. Caution is advised when considering using strength interventions to alter the front foot contact-phase technique.
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NewsBot · Jan 19, 2026

Biomechanical Evolution in Longitudinal Analysis of Lumbar Stress Injuries in Fast Bowlers: A Systematic Review
C Arun et al
Cureus. 2025 Dec 16;17(12):e99363.

Fast bowling involves a highly complex and physically demanding motion sequence, placing fast bowlers under substantially greater workloads than other cricketing roles. Consequently, they experience a disproportionately high incidence of injuries, particularly to the lower back, with lumbar stress fractures being especially common in adolescent bowlers. These injuries are multifactorial, arising from repeated exposure to high spinal loads, underscoring the need for comprehensive biomechanical analysis and targeted preventive strategies to enhance safety and prolong athletic careers. This systematic review synthesizes 15 years (2008-2023) of research to identify injury patterns and biomechanical contributors, aiming to inform safer, sustainable training practices. A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, Embase, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar identified 21,550 records. After screening 21,406 titles and abstracts, 517 reports were sought for retrieval, and 491 were assessed for eligibility. Ultimately, 37 studies met the inclusion criteria. Eligible studies included prospective and retrospective cohort designs, analytical cross-sectional studies, and randomized controlled trials. Only peer-reviewed, full-text, English-language publications were considered, while case reports, reviews, and non-peer-reviewed articles were excluded. Screening and verification were conducted using RAYYAN and Mendeley, with an independent multi-reviewer assessment to ensure rigor. Findings highlight that shoulder counter-rotation exceeding 25°, trunk lateral flexion, and reduced knee flexion (<30°) at front-foot contact significantly elevate lumbar and lower-limb loading. Poor lumbopelvic control increases lumbar stress injury risk by up to 88%, whereas greater ankle dorsiflexion (>30°) demonstrates a protective effect via improved shock absorption. Preventive strategies should prioritize early biomechanical screening, workload regulation, and targeted lumbopelvic strengthening. Rehabilitation approaches must emphasize gradual workload progression and refined movement control, supported by long-term biomechanical monitoring to enhance performance and minimize injury risk.
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scotfoot · Jan 20, 2026

The long toe flexors redistribute load from the metatarsal area and load up the toes. This reduces stress in the metatarsals .
Presumably, this could reduce the rate of metatarsal stress fractures.

"Bending moments in the second metatarsal were shown to vary directly with peak pressure under the second metatarsal head (r = 0.801). These findings demonstrate the load distributing function of the extrinsic plantar flexors during heel rise."

Foot Ankle Int. 1995 Aug;16(8):464-73.
doi: 10.1177/107110079501600802.
Influence of extrinsic plantar flexors on forefoot loading during heel rise

L Ferris 1, N A Sharkey, T S Smith, D K Matthews
Affiliations Expand

PMID: 8520658

DOI: 10.1177/107110079501600802

Abstract

This investigation studied the effects of simulated plantar flexor muscle activity on forefoot loading using a static cadaver model. Nine cadaver feet were mounted in an apparatus in the heel rise position. Using computer-controlled and pneumatic actuators, forces were simultaneously applied to the tendons of the triceps surae, flexor hallucis longus, flexor digitorum longus, peroneus brevis and longus, and tibialis posterior until 750 N of ground reaction force was achieved, at which time forefoot plantar pressure patterns were captured immediately with a pedobarograph. Second metatarsal bending moments were calculated from strain gauge data collected concurrently. Consecutive loading cycles were performed with sequential elimination of simulated muscle force from each tendon except the Achilles. Loss of simulated flexor hallucis longus activity significantly decreased great toe contact forces and significantly increased forces under the forefoot. Simulated loss of both the flexor hallucis longus and flexor digitorum longus caused significant decreases in contact area, pressure, and force beneath the toes and significant increases in contact area and force under the forefoot. Bending moments in the second metatarsal were shown to vary directly with peak pressure under the second metatarsal head (r = 0.801). These findings demonstrate the load distributing function of the extrinsic plantar flexors during heel rise.

Metatarsal stress fractures in cricket fast bowlers

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scotfoot Well-Known Member

pain in 4th and 5th metatarsal three years after stress fractures

Lateral metatarsal stress fractures and Pes cavus

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Second metatarsal stress fractures

3rd and 4th metatarsal stress fractures

Stress fracture 3rd metatarsal - any advice on healing time please?

First Metatarsal Stress Fracture

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Metatarsal stress fractures in cricket fast bowlers

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scotfoot Well-Known Member

pain in 4th and 5th metatarsal three years after stress fractures

Lateral metatarsal stress fractures and Pes cavus

Vibram FiveFingers Cause Metatarsal Stress Fractures?

Second metatarsal stress fractures

3rd and 4th metatarsal stress fractures

Stress fracture 3rd metatarsal - any advice on healing time please?

First Metatarsal Stress Fracture

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