In cricket, overarm bowling refers to a delivery in which the bowler's hand is above shoulder height. This is in contrast to a roundarm delivery, where the hand is between shoulder height and waist height; and an underarm delivery where the bowler's hand is below waist height. A professional cricket match In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball towards the batsman. ... In cricket, at the start of an innings the bowling team opens its bowling by using their pace bowlers first. ... Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. ... Seam bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. ... Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. ... Spin bowling, sometimes known as slow bowling, is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. ... In the sport of cricket, left-arm orthodox spin is the equivalent of off spin bowling, but bowled with the left hand. ... A left-arm unorthodox spin, more commonly known as a slow left-arm Chinaman (SLC), is a type of delivery used in cricket by a left arm bowler. ... Leg spin is a type of spin bowling used in cricket. ... Off spin is a type of spin bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner and refers to a right-handed spin bowler who uses his fingers to spin the ball from a right-handed batsmans off side towards the leg side (that is... Finger spin is a style of bowling in the sport of cricket. ... Wrist spin is a style of bowling in the sport of cricket. ... A delivery in cricket is simply the bowling of a ball towards the batsman, performed by a designated bowler as part of their over. ... An arm ball is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. ... For other uses, see Bouncer (disambiguation). ... A doosra is a particular type of delivery by an off spin bowler in the sport of cricket. ... Hi Waller. ... A full toss is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. ... A beamer in cricket terminology is a type of delivery in which the ball, without bouncing, passes dangerously close to the batsmans head. ... In cricket, a googly is a type of delivery bowled by a leg spin bowler. ... In cricket, an indipper is a delivery that curves into a right-handed batsman before the ball pitches (bounces on the pitch). ... An inswinger is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. ... A leg break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. ... A leg cutter is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. ... An off break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. ... An off cutter is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. ... The slower ball is a delivery in the sport of cricket which is delivered by fast bowlers. ... In cricket, a topspinner is a delivery where the ball comes out the top of the bowlers hand, causing it to spin in the direction of travel. ... In cricket, a yorker is a delivery where the cricket ball bounces on the cricket pitch on or near the batsmans popping crease. ... In the sport of cricket, an underarm delivery is a ball bowled by a bowler to a batsman in which the bowlers arm does not rise above the level of the shoulder. ... A cricket match in progress. ... In the sport of cricket, an underarm delivery is a ball bowled by a bowler to a batsman in which the bowlers arm does not rise above the level of the shoulder. ...

After roundarm was legalised in 1835 with the bowler allowed to deliver the ball at shoulder height, it was not long before some bowlers began to raise the hand above the shoulder. The Laws of Cricket at that time directed that such a delivery be called a no ball. In 1845, the law was strengthened by removing the benefit of doubt from the bowler in height of hand questions, the umpire's view of the incident being final. 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The laws of cricket are a set of rules framed by the Marylebone Cricket Club which serve to standardise the format of cricket matches across the world to ensure uniformity and fairness. ... In the sport of cricket a no ball is an illegal delivery by the bowler. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Even so, it was only a matter of time before confrontation occurred. The problem was that many umpires were themselves bowlers and believed that the bowler should be allowed to bowl with a fully raised hand. The watershed was reached on 26 August 1862 at The Oval when Surrey hosted All-England. The England bowler Edgar Willsher deliberately bowled overarm and was no-balled six times in succession by umpire John Lillywhite, ironically the son of William Lillywhite, the famous bowler who had done so much to have roundarm legalised in 1835. August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The famous gasholders, which are now listed buildings. ...

In what was surely a pre-rehearsed demonstration, Willsher and the other eight professionals in the England team staged a walkoff, leaving their two amateur colleagues looking non-plussed in the middle. Play continued next day, but Lillywhite diplomatically withdrew and was replaced by another umpire.

MCC responded to this "crisis" with rather more haste than they had to roundarm and changed the Laws of Cricket in time for the 1864 season. Law 10 was rewritten to allow the bowler to bring his arm through at any height providing he kept it straight and did not throw the ball. This completed the evolution of bowling and the overarm style has remained predominant ever since, though some conservatives (including W G Grace, no less) did continue to bowl roundarm till the end of their careers; and even underarm itself was still seen occasionally. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... William Gilbert Grace (July 18, 1848–October 23, 1915) was an English cricketer who, by his extraordinary skills, made cricket perhaps the first modern spectator sport, and who developed most of the techniques of modern batting. ...

An interesting historical development of the legalisation of overarm was that for many years, 1864 was deemed to mark the start of "first-class cricket" which suggested that earlier cricket was "second-class". The 1864 origin has been strongly challenged: see also First-class cricket. First-class cricket matches are those of at least three days length in which both teams have two innings each, and which involve either international teams or the highest division of domestic competition. ...