A new bowling machine, ideal for high school or club level cricket practice, gives a wide range of speeds and styles of delivery thanks to twin variable speed AC drives from Control Techniques.

The Brell Express Bowling Machine, manufactured by South African company Flicx, allows the cricket coach to bowl every delivery in the book, from spin to pace – and at speeds accurately controlled from 0 km/hr up to 160 km/hr, making the machine ideal for training batsmen of all ages and abilities.  It features twin rotating wheels that spin up to speed in seconds.  The cricket ball is dropped into a feed chute between the rotating wheels whose speed of rotation determines the speed of delivery, whilst a difference in speed between the two wheels imparts spin on the ball.

The machine has two 0.37kW three phase motors, controlled by Control Techniques’ Commander SK 0.25kW AC drives from the single phase 230V AC mains supply.  Control couldn’t be simpler; speed control of each motor is by potentiometer.  For given speed settings, each delivery will be identical, whilst any change to settings takes a matter of moments.  “The client wanted a simple and reliable means of changing speeds and types of delivery,” explains Benedict Dickson from Control Techniques’ Drive Centre in Gauteng, South Africa.  “We were able to supply very accurate, small AC drives for the job – running from the normal domestic supply, yet driving three-phase motors.  The whole package is almost maintenance free, totally consistent and easy to use.  The customer is also very pleased at how compact the drives are.”

The Commander SK is small, yet powerful, taking up very little panel space and is renowned for its reliability.  It is easy to fit, set up and use, with all the 10 parameters most users need being accessible from the display keypad, which is included as standard.  Very important in today’s carbon-aware economy is its energy-saving efficiency and its state-of-the-art manufacturing standards which are responsible for its outstanding reliability.

Flicx, South Africa, was founded by cricket-lover Richard Beghin who realised that there weren’t enough facilities for cricket in South Africa.  His first venture was the roll-out cricket pitch which has become hugely popular around the world – there are 800 in the UK alone!  In 2001 the company acquired the Brell Bowling Machine brand and the company has developed and refined the range.  The company now offers a complete cricket solution for schools, colleges and sports clubs.