Manufactured by South African company Flicx, the Brell Express Bowling Machine allows the cricket coach to bowl every delivery in the book, from spin to pace, and at speeds accurately controlled from 0km/hr up to 160km/hr. The machine 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 client wanted a simple and reliable means of changing speeds and types of delivery. To meet these demands, the machine has two 0.37kW three phase motors – controlled by Control Techniques’ Commander SK 0.25kW AC drives from the single phase 230VAC mains supply – with speed control of each motor by potentiometer. For given speed settings, each delivery will be identical, whilst any change to settings takes a matter of moments.
Small, powerful and reliable, the SK is easy to fit, set up and use, with all the ten parameters most users need being accessible from the display keypad, explains the company. An additional benefit is provided by its energy-saving efficiency.
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, of which 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.
