Does the bowler only throw to ONE of the two batsmen at either end of the pitch until he is out, and then once out its the opposite batsmen’s turn, with a fresh batsmen taking the opposite side of the pitch?
Does that mean the bowler stays at one end of the pitch and throw to whatever batsman happens to be opposite him, even after a run?
OR, in the case of my first example, must the bowler switch ends of the pitch so he faces the same batsmen until he is out?
OR, is it the bowlers choice?
In either case, are there any special strategies employed taking advantage of the dimensions of the cricket field?
A typical “over” consists of six bowled balls (not thrown balls) by a single bowler. Every ball in an over is bowled from the same end of the pitch.
When a ball is bowled, the batsman “on strike” (the batsman getting bowled to) can score runs by hitting the ball and then running to the opposite end of the pitch. When he does this, the other batsman will likewise run to the opposing end, meaning the two batsmen have switched positions. That counts as one “run”. If this happens during an over, the bowler will now be bowling at the “other” batsman.
Others have answered some of your other points but just to clarify, what “dimensions” are you specifically referring to?
There are certainly differences between the two “ends” of the pitch. Slight slopes and variations in wind, pitch and ball wear will all be factored into the setting of the fielders and type of bowlers used. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating. Cricket is probably the most involved strategic sport in terms of number of variables.
To flesh things out a little. Once a bowler has bowled six balls from one end of the pitch, a different bowler will bowl from the other end. The captain, under advice from his/her bowlers and team mates, will decide which bowler bowls from which end. A fast bowler might benefit from having the wind behind them while a spinner might do better into wind. A bowler is not permitted to bowl two overs in a row, it must at least alternate.
The main tactical decisions a bowler can make is whether to bowl over or around the wicket, what type of ball to bowl, and where to place the fielders. In test cricket the rules are relatively relaxed regarding fielder placements and how long a bowler can bowl for, while in the shorter versions of the game, one day and twenty/twenty, there are more strict rules to prevent a bowling side from playing too defensively or from overusing a bowler.
