Monday 30 June 2014

2014-15 : TNCA Under 25 - Round 1 : Day 2

At Salem:

Karur 57 in 31.2 overs (S.I. Vasudevan four for 17, K. Venkatapathi three for 18) lost to Salem 61 for one in 10.2 overs.

Namakkal 225 for nine in 45 overs (A. Gandhi 86, G. Vinoth Kumar 32 n.o., S. Sivakumar five for 32) bt Pudukottai 121 in 37.1 overs (K. Arun 50, K. Karthikeyan three for 31, G. Vinoth Kumar four for 17).

At Coimbatore:

Coimbatore 247 for six in 50 overs (C. Hari Nishanth 77, J. Koushik 101 n.o., M. Manikandan three for 26) bt Dharmapuri 84 in 20.3 overs (K. Gowtham Thamarai Kannan five for 36, S. Dinesh Kumar three for 29).

Krishnagiri 212 in 43.5 overs (Y. Surya 36, G. Karthik 47, K. Nagaprasad six for 45, B. Karthik three for 44) bt Ramanathapuram 156 in 35 overs (S. Subramani 48, A. Muralidharan four for 14).

At Tirupur:

Kancheepuram 195 in 50 overs (S. Chandrasekar 39, R. Aashish Kumar 54, T.G. Vineeth Kumar five for 37) bt The Nilgiris 127 in 36.1 overs (M. Ismail 39, S. Ashwath three for 19, S. Sachin Sharma three for 25).

At Madurai:

Perambalur 96 in 25.2 overs (Manoj Kumar 38, Vasu six for 18) lost to Madurai 97 for four in 22.3 overs (Suresh Kumar 41, Prasanna Venkatesh 28).

Sivagangai 82 in 23.5 overs (Thennarasu three for 30) lost to Tiruvannamalai 83 for three in 16.4 overs (S. Krishnakumar 37 n.o., P. Hariharasudhan 25).

At Tirunelveli:

Trichy 259 in 48.2 overs (S. Senthilnathan 100, P.S. Nirmal Kumar 68, C. Sarathkumar 34) bt Tirunelveli 113 in 33.2 overs (S. Maharaja 29, R. Sibi 26, C. Sarath Kumar five for 27).

At Theni:

Tiruvallur 201 in 48.3 overs (R. Amit Singh 62, M. Poiyamozhi 30) lost to Kanyakumari 202 for two in 39 overs (R. Arockia Vijayan 65 n.o., S.T. Natarajan 59 n.o., S. Sunish 40).

Theni 115 in 25.5 overs (V. Naveen 28, K. Kalaivanan three for 29) lost to Tiruvarur 116 for nine in 38.5 overs (A.D. Athinathan 29 n.o., S. Parthasarathi three for 23, R.C. Ulaganathan three for 36).

At Tuticorin:

Virudhunagar 105 in 35.2 overs (B. Vallabha Ganesh 26, R. Sundaraj four for 32) lost to Tuticorin 106 for three in 21.2 overs (K. Sivakumar 42).

Dindigul 190 in 47.5 overs (A. Lakshminarayanan 67, M. Abdur Rahim 33, S. Viswanathan 31 n.o., V. Naresh Babu four for 45) bt Vellore 114 in 43.1 overs (E. Tamil Dhileepan 30, T. Raj Kumar three for 45).

At Villupuram:

Villupuram 240 for seven in 50 overs (V. Anbu 43, M. Sridhar Raj 75, T. Sirajudeen 68 n.o., A.V.R. Rathinam three for 47) bt Tanjore 101 in 30.2 overs (M.B. Manojkumar 32, T. Sirajudeen three for 21, V.S. Tamizhdashan four for 22).

Nagapattinam 238 in 50 overs (K. Muthukumar 84, S. Vighneshpathy 65, P. Bhuneshwaran three for 41, S. Vijayakumar three for 18) lost to Erode 239 for seven in 48.1 overs (N. Venkatachalam 56 n.o., P. Karthi 51, P. Bhuneshkumar 25, S. Kiramprasanth 38, E. J. Kaviarasu 32).

2014-15 : TNCA Under 25 - Round 1 : Day 1

At Salem:

Salem 339 for six in 50 overs (K. Venkatapathi 80, A. Satya Moorthi 71, M.S. Promoth 55 n.o., A. Darvesh 52, S.I. Vasudevan 41, M. Madhavan three for 66) bt Pudukottai 149 in 23.1 overs (S. Prabakaran 40, B. Natheeem Khan 30, G. Rahul Ganthi five for 46).

Namakkal 201 in 44.5 overs (S. Karthick 45, E. Parthiban 40, C.K. Harish three for 32, R. Pavithran three for 43) bt Karur 98 in 36 overs (C.K. Harish 30, K. Karthikeyan four for 24, M. Prabhakaran three for 23)

At Coimbatore:

Coimbatore 315 for eight in 50 overs (J. Koushik 55, N. Jagadeesan 108, S. Sujay 36, S. Jahir Husian 33 n.o., S. Subramani three for 71) bt Ramanathapuram 154 in 39 overs (N. Muneeswaran 32, B. Karthik 30, K. Gowtham Thamarai Kannan five for 38, including hat-trick, R. Arun Balaji four for 34).

Krishnagiri 105 in 26.4 overs (R. Sonu Yadav 36, M. Arun four for 34, K. Murali four for 12) lost to Dharmapuri 106 for six in 19.4 overs.

At Tirupur:

Nilgiris 226 in 50 overs (R. Karunkaran 32, R. Santhosh 30, M. Ismail 48, S. Seyabudeen 58, O. Nithyanand five for 48, G. Surender three for 43) bt Tirupur 218 in 49.2 overs (Sushil Kumar 32, G. Surender 58, B. Kirisudan 35, T.G. Vineeth Kumar five for 32).

At Madurai:

Madurai 274 for seven in 50 overs (Thirumurugan 114, Ohm Prakash 50, Manibharathy 37) bt Sivagangai 100 in 37.3 overs (Ramesh three for 32, Ganeshamoorthy three for 32).

Tiruvannamalai 125 in 35.3 overs (Krishnakumar 35, Kapil 32, Manoj Prabhakar four for 28) lost to Perambalur 126 for four in 31.3 overs (Vinoth Kumar 51, Manoj Prabhakar 24 n.o.). Perambalur 5, Tiruvannamalai 0 .

At Tuticorin:

Virudunagar 128 in 34.3 overs (M. Satheesh 39, Panu Vallatti five for 39) lost to Dindigul 129 for four in 19.2 overs (A. Lakshmi Narayanan 29 n.o.).

Tuticorin 82 in 24.1 overs (R. Sundar Raj 32, V. Naresh Babu five for 19) lost to Vellore 83 for four in 25.3 overs. Vellore 5, Tuticorin 0 .

At Tirunelveli:

Cuddalore 119 in 34.2 overs (T. Sankarlingam 54, S. Sarath Kumar five for 20) lost to Trichy 120 for six in 28.2 overs (R. Guhan 52, J. Kathiravan three for 22).

At Theni:

Kanyakumari 263 for seven in 50 overs (S. Sunish 61, K. Seenivasa Pandian 52 n.o., Arun.V.Karol 41, N. Arun Raj 28) bt Tiruvarur 199 for eight in 50 overs (A.D. Adhinathan 40, K. Surender 39, N. Arun Raj three for 28)

Theni 165 in 43.5 overs (V. Naveen 46, M.R. Prahalad four for 32, D.T. Chandrasekar four for 37) lost to Tiruvallur 167 for six in 39.5 overs (S. Harish Babu 36, R. Amith Singh 31).

Sunday 29 June 2014

BATTING : How the Best Death Batsmen Score from the Best Death Bowling

How to hit the yorker

Owais Shah (T20 expert and ex-England player) used to ask me to try and hit the yorker length from a bowling machine and he would come up with a few options to hit or guide for runs.

Sometimes he would jump back in the crease just ahead of ball release to get under the really full ball, bend his knees and try to hit a flat trajectory shot straight over the bowlers head.

Or he would target those Line Drive and Drop Kick areas that we recently covered.

His intention was to drive the ball low and hard to get 2 or 4. Occasionally, he would time it so well that Owais would clear the ropes. He did this brilliantly against Tim Southee in a 2008 ODI at Durham in his 25 ball 49.

On other occasions, Owais would guide the ball past the keeper for 4 or try and beat 3rd Man either side for a boundary. His stillness of head and body at ball strike was crucial. This allowed him to watch the ball closely and then use his hands (his kinaesthetic awareness) to manoeuvre the ball to its intended tactic.

Duncan Fletcher - former England and current Indian coach - was an advocate of a shorter back swing when you knew that a bowler has a propensity for yorkers at the end of innings. His view was that if you set yourself for a yorker then once you see that the ball was going into another length, your body would adjust - or step and swing action/reaction in biomechanical terms - and the swing would lengthen as the body steps into the different length ball.

Paul Collingwood was amazing at this, even against yorker bowlers as awesome as Malinga and Brett Lee. He set himself for yorker and then adjusted when he picked up variations in length with a more expansive step and swing technique.

Have a go at a combination of these two approaches and see how you get on.

How to hit the slower ball

One of the best exponents of the slower ball back in my day was the Australian, Ian Harvey. He became an expert in delivering different versions of slower deliveries. At Hampshire, we use to assume that every ball in his second spell was going to be a slower ball and then trust ourselves to adjust when he pushed the ball through at his normal medium pace. We couldn't run down the pitch at him because the incredible Jack Russell was waiting for us to lift a foot. Playing conventional shots with a adapting mindset (slower ball to pace on) was the way to go.

We didn't get it right in all our games yet his impact at the back end of the innings lessened game on game which informed us that the new approach was paying off.

The value of wisdom

The Fletcher and Harvey examples both incorporate information to inform strategy and approach.

I'm sure that you have bowlers in opposition teams that predominantly bowl slower balls or go to yorker a lot at the end of an innings. Can you use this knowledge to inform your team training and strategies against them next time round?

 

 

Saturday 28 June 2014

Become a Better Fielding Side with Tables

Catches win matches. 15 runs makes the difference between a tight loss and a comfortable win. Everyone remembers the moment the game turned on a brilliant piece of fielding.

I bet you are thinking of one right now.

These are things we know, things that the coach says again and again (especially after we drop a couple). Yet still there is no accepted measure of fielding skill like batting or bowling average.

No wonder some players - no you, others - don't fancy it.

What's in it for them apart from the wishy-washy talk about "doing it for the team"? They scoff and head back into the nets to put another couple of points on the average.

 It's somehow deeply ingrained to find fielding a chore. My club side are a perfect example. During middle practice where I was feeding instead of using bowlers, a 12 year old boy came up to me and asked to bowl. I asked him why; "fielding practice is boring" was his reply.

Depressing? Perhaps.

Revealing? Absolutely.

But the answer might be easier than you think.

Fielding average creates fielding excellence

Think about how much more motivating fielding becomes when you have something you are working towards other than "don't drop that skyer". That's the power of a "fielding average" to go with your batting and bowling numbers.

It's the more advance equivalent of the good old slip catching competition. Remember how motivated everyone was to be the one with the most catches? You can generate the same feeling during games if players know their place in the fielding table is on the line. Cricketers are a competitive lot, even if some are not prepared to admit it!

So, generate a table to go with batting and bowling numbers and keep track of it throughout the season. You'll be surprised how standards raise just by placing it in a prominent place.

How to measure fielding

Of course, this begs the question; what exactly do you measure?

Fielding is only about 3 things: catching, stopping and throwing. So let's put them together.

  1. Catches are obvious, but they don't tell the story as well as runs or wickets. You may go a handful of games without a chance while the next guy takes 3 and drops 5. Hardly a fair comparison, so take drops into account too.
  2. Stopping is more complex, but you can use a measure of runs saved minus runs lost. Say you field 2 balls in the game. The first is a brilliant diving stop to save a boundary. the second is a fumble misfield that allows the batsmen to turn for another. 4 saved minus 1 lost is 3.
  3. Throwing is the hardest to measure, but as a crude indicator you can make sure the scorer registers the thrower for run outs.

As some of these are open to interpretation, the scorer (or coach if she is doing it) is the final arbiter of every one.

The rest is then up to you: I prefer to see a single table that accounts for all of these. For example, you allocate 10 points for a catch or run out, take away 8 points for a dropped catch and then add on the runs saved/lost score to get your fielding number.

You might prefer to keep these all separate, having a different winner in each table.

But the key is to measure and draw up that table.

It's motivating, it's a clear demonstration of the importance of fielding and, most of all, it will make you and your team better in the field: Less frustration, more wins and a great sense of team pride at a job well done.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

 

Friday 27 June 2014

How the Best Death Batsmen Score from the Best Death Bowling

All good death batters have options to counteract death bowling.

I have worked with some excellent batsmen who thrive at the death. They work tirelessly at developing skills around the three balls they are most likely to get:

Yorker.

Slower ball.

Bouncer.

So how do they do it, and how can you coach it at your level?

How to hit the yorker

Owais Shah (T20 expert and ex-England player) used to ask me to try and hit the yorker length from a bowling machine and he would come up with a few options to hit or guide for runs.

Sometimes he would jump back in the crease just ahead of ball release to get under the really full ball, bend his knees and try to hit a flat trajectory shot straight over the bowlers head.

Or he would target those Line Drive and Drop Kick areas that we recently covered.

His intention was to drive the ball low and hard to get 2 or 4. Occasionally, he would time it so well that Owais would clear the ropes. He did this brilliantly against Tim Southee in a 2008 ODI at Durham in his 25 ball 49.

On other occasions, Owais would guide the ball past the keeper for 4 or try and beat 3rd Man either side for a boundary. His stillness of head and body at ball strike was crucial. This allowed him to watch the ball closely and then use his hands (his kinaesthetic awareness) to manoeuvre the ball to its intended tactic.

Duncan Fletcher - former England and current Indian coach - was an advocate of a shorter back swing when you knew that a bowler has a propensity for yorkers at the end of innings. His view was that if you set yourself for a yorker then once you see that the ball was going into another length, your body would adjust - or step and swing action/reaction in biomechanical terms - and the swing would lengthen as the body steps into the different length ball.

Paul Collingwood was amazing at this, even against yorker bowlers as awesome as Malinga and Brett Lee. He set himself for yorker and then adjusted when he picked up variations in length with a more expansive step and swing technique.

Have a go at a combination of these two approaches and see how you get on.

How to hit the slower ball

One of the best exponents of the slower ball back in my day was the Australian, Ian Harvey. He became an expert in delivering different versions of slower deliveries. At Hampshire, we use to assume that every ball in his second spell was going to be a slower ball and then trust ourselves to adjust when he pushed the ball through at his normal medium pace. We couldn't run down the pitch at him because the incredible Jack Russell was waiting for us to lift a foot. Playing conventional shots with a adapting mindset (slower ball to pace on) was the way to go.

We didn't get it right in all our games yet his impact at the back end of the innings lessened game on game which informed us that the new approach was paying off.

The value of wisdom

The Fletcher and Harvey examples both incorporate information to inform strategy and approach.

I'm sure that you have bowlers in opposition teams that predominantly bowl slower balls or go to yorker a lot at the end of an innings. Can you use this knowledge to inform your team training and strategies against them next time round?

 

 

Wednesday 25 June 2014

COACHING : Can You Turn Information Overload into Better Cricket?

How do you manage your virtual cricketing world?

We live in an amazing time: It's now possible for anyone with a smart phone or tablet to gather vast swathes of data through stats and videos.

Even at the lowest levels, you can quickly generate a huge pile of information that needs to be processed and used to help you or your players improve. It's a powerful tool, but one that needs careful management.

So how do you keep up with all the information you gather?

You may have a different approach, and if you do, I would love to hear about it, but here is what the Dream Team have established as best practice for their level.

Filter before you start

For Sam Lavery, a key point was to be precise about what you are going to gather, because if you have too much information you will never be able to process it.

It's perfectly possible with an iPad for a coach to gather information far beyond the scorer's remit. But ask yourself if you have time to turn that information into something that can be used?

The same is true for video.

You can film every ball bowled and played in games and practice, but can you filter your way through hours of footage to spot a weakness and make your point?

Probably not.

So instead, be cautious with what you gather and how you gather your videos and data.

  • In games, collect the information you find most important, don't try and get everything.
  • If you are going to film your in-game performance, focus on the first couple of overs rather than everything. Bowlers can also have the end of a natural spell filmed to see how things have changed under fatigue.

With a system in place you can look up every half volley, cover drive or anything else quickly. It makes data management and cleaning a simple task.

Archive and delete ruthlessly

Once you have your information gathered, and you have used to to make a technical or tactical point (or found it to be of no use), delete it.

It takes up space and dilutes the quality of your information.

If you feel the need to keep it as reference material, you can always copy it onto a hard drive and stash it away, but be ruthless about what is on your mobile device (laptop, phone or tablet).

The one exception would be if you need a handy reference point for development reasons.

Perhaps you are looking to improve an on drive shot. You may have taken a hundred videos of the shot over a few sessions. You can keep the couple of videos that show your progress from a hopeless swipe to a balanced stroke and remind yourself how far you have come.

Sam Lavery keeps his iPad clean after a session apart from a couple of important videos organised by player. The rest is backed up by the rule of three and stored away. The archive gets reviewed once every 6-12 months.

Enjoy the raw data

Coaches who have a lot of data like to filter it into something simple for a player to understand. This is an excellent approach, but the raw data is also enough for many players.

If you are gathering your own data, or you just like to dig through and look for evidence, then get that raw information and do it yourself. You may find something the coach has missed.

It's easy to share information, both filtered and unfiltered using services like Dropbox or Evernote. These are designed to let you have your information anywhere: You can share it between people or just between your computer and phone.

The coach will love to see the initiative you are showing, which gives you the edge in selection meetings.

Overall, it's obvious that data is a vital part of the modern cricketer and coaches toolbox.

Everyone needs it, and everyone needs to manage it. If you can do so, you will be on the right track to a clear mind, better practice and, of course, more runs and wickets.

 

 

Tuesday 24 June 2014

COACHING : Second Chance: How to Add Another "String to Your Bow" as a Cricketer

It's easy to be typecast as a cricketer.

When you have played for any length of time in the same place you start to get a reputation. You are the bowler who is a bunny with the bat. You are a batsman who doesn't even bowl in the nets. Every team has one player like that.

And I guarantee that somewhere deep in their heart, each one of these players wishes he had more skills.

Every batsman wants to be able to bowl bouncers to give back a bit of aggression. Every spinner wishes they could biff revenge sixes over deep midwicket.

So, why not try?

Modern cricket, lead by Twenty20, has given space for players with more "strings to the bow". Who says your lifelong wicketkeeper can't bowl leg spin (a long standing hidden desire of your 'keeping author)?

And as for fielding, well, there is certainly no excuse for being anything but the best fielder on your team.

But where do you start?

Won't your teammates laugh at you when you tell them you want to [insert skill here] seriously?

Maybe.

But they won't laugh when you prove them wrong and become an effective player with your new skill. Here's how to go about it.

Choose wisely

Not all skills are created equal to all people, so choose what you want to do carefully.

Sometimes it will be obvious. If you bowl a little part time off spin, you can commit to making it full time instead. Or, you lose your place in the first team as an aging fast bowler so you go into the second team and try your hand at spin instead.

Other times, it will simply be a passion you want to develop. As I mentioned before, I have long dreamed of hanging up the keeping gloves to bowl leg spin. Our club has recently signed a young keeper who has taken my place, making me one step closer to the dream. I really should start working on that googly.

So, pick something.

The research it hard. .

Then commit to it for at least 30 days of solid practice. After a month you will find it has become a habit and you will have improved dramatically. Enough to keep you going for another year of hard graft.

Buddy up

Once you have chosen your skill and committed to working on it, find yourself a mentor, or a buddy.

This is most likely someone in your team who has the skills already. If you want to be a spinner, sidle up to the best spinner in your team and tell him or her that you want the number 2 spot. It's a fact that people love to share their knowledge. Take advantage. Tap up as much advice as you can. You might even get a net session or two out of them if they are feeling really generous.

Of course, if there is no one in person you trust to advise, you can always use PitchVision Academy to get a virtual coaching session with some of the best names in cricket.

Play some games

Having a net is good; drills are excellent; But the real test comes with games. Get out there and throw your skill in at the deep end.

This is where games of lesser importance come in handy. Try and play pick up matches, Last Man Stands, friendly games or even drop down a grade to play as a specialist in your new skill.

While playing, you will quickly learn your weak and strong areas. You will develop tactics and mental techniques that will grow your technique. You will gain directly from your experience be it good or, more likely, horrifically bad.

Be prepared for some pain.

The advantage you have is that you have been through this learning process before with your main skill. You remember what it was like to be hopeless and then get better, and then get good and canny. This all means you can speed up the process with your new skill.

It's heartening to know that even if you first over as a leg spinner goes for 27, you won't always be this bad (as long as you stick with it for a month).

Avoid "bits and pieces"

As you develop you will likely be encouraged to work harder on your new skill. But don't forget your other skills too.

The idea here is to become, for example, a batsman who is good enough to be a second spinner. You don't want to become a second spinner who also bats a bit. Always make sure your main skill is your main skill and your other skills are important, but secondary.

In other words, you are no longer a one dimensional specialist, but you are also not a "bits and pieces" cricketer who is average at everything and exceptional at nothing.

That is a difficult balance to maintain, and one you have to be aware of from the moment you begin your mission to level up.

But do it right and you can become a more rounded player or even a reinvented one who gets a second run at cricketing success.

 

 

Monday 23 June 2014

BATTING : How to Score a Twenty20 Hundred

A strange thing happened in the final of IPL 7.

Batting first against KKR, King's XI Punjab had two in form overseas superstars ready to go in and start crashing boundaries. Maxwell looked primed. Miller was itching to biff it. Instead, a slight wicketkeeper with a traditional technique - best known for not being MS Dhoni - was sent in after 5 overs.

Wriddhiman Saha looks every bit the anti-T20 player. His batting was once said to have "the look of an accountant passing journal entries." Solid. Reliable. Safe.

He ignored this cliche about himself, and proceeded to smash a blistering Twenty20 hundred. Read on to find out how you can emulate this story in your Twenty20 cricket.

 

I thought it was worth taking a closer look at this innings. It's not only a joy to watch but there are also lessons we can learn:

  • Scoring quickly with traditional technique but no great power.
  • Batting under pressure.
  • Playing to your strengths and targeting key bowlers.

Analyse the situation

Saha came in at 4, ahead of MVP Glenn Maxwell, with the score on 30-2 after 5 overs. It was slow going, so a more obvious tactic would be to send in "The Big Show" to cause some fireworks.

Except I think the KIXP analysts had done their homework. They knew that the biggest threat was in Kolkata's spin bowling of Narine, Chawla and Shakib Al Hasan.

They knew Saha was excellent against spin, as he had proved earlier in the competition also batting up the order.

He was send in to make sure the spin overs were destroyed and the threat nullified for Maxwell.

There's also a good chance Saha was riding high on his own confidence levels and felt like this was his moment. He had played regularly for the first time since 2010 and already nailed a couple of fifties. He had recently heard the news that he was to be reserve wicketkeeper for India on their next 2 tours.

He had his role clearly laid out.

He had his confidence.

He strode to the middle.

Keep your shape

Saha is a solid batsman with a technique that would make the MCC coaching book proud. So he started slowly, taking his time to get a feel for the situation with 6 in 9 balls. In that time we got to see some of the technical basics he stuck to.

As you can see below, he uses a high backlift that he picks up over off stump, against spinners his first movement is a forward press.

The backlift is a key point here. It allows him freedom to play classical and inventive shots. The height creates a pendulum effect, giving him more power and the position keeps the bat close to his body, but never behind it (where he would get blocked off). As a slight player, it gives him access to power and timing.

It's an important point towards the common coaching idea of "keeping your shape".

Use your classical shots

Saha quickly used this basic balanced position to attack. He used his feet early on to Chawla, to hit him classically through and over the off side. They were cricket shots that would have graced any length of match, executed with wristy power.

He took the Indian spinner for 16 in 5 balls.

But drives were not the only classical tool available to Saha.

He also played a "textbook" cut right in the middle of a leg side onslaught, simply to create issues for the KKR captain. At the time, Saha had been going leg side to spin and so the off side was exposed. He expertly put the ball in the gap and made Kolkata supporters wish they had another couple of fielders.

When the pace man Morkel decided to make Saha cower later in the game, he bowled a bouncer. A bouncer, we have been taught is a vicious weapon that spears fear and pain into subcontinental batters.

Saha hooked it for 6.

It wasn't the shot of a fearful man. It would have looked perfectly in place in any match in the last 50 years. Perhaps longer. He stepped inside it, spun on his toe and used the pace to clear the rope.

None of these shots were inventive. You can see them all in coaching manuals of yesteryear. Knowing the high standards that Indian coaches insist on technique, I'm sure Saha's cricket schoolmaster was nodding in approval.

He was doing the stuff that has worked for years, just at a faster rate.

Adapt your basics

The basics in place, Saha started adapting from early on, changing his trigger move to an exaggerated back and across movement against both spin and pace.

This movement has traditionally been coached against very quick bowling to give you more time to judge the line and length and play round the ground. Saha used it differently. He stepped way outside off stump, with the idea that he was going to pull the ball.

Importantly, he kept well balanced. You can see his head position is still over his feet. His backlift is still straight and his knees are bent putting himn in a powerful position to swing.

As he scored 47 runs in 16 balls between mid wicket and square leg, you can see the result of this tactic that combined balanced position with a premeditated shot.

In addition, he was quick to change his plan when the seamers were on.

Knowing he could use the pace of the ball to do the work, anything pitched up outside off stump was steered with an open face square on the off side.

All he needed to do was make contact, beat the fielder and score.

The really clever part was his placement. Despite a field with 3 behind square on the off side he still put boundaries away, giving him a great wagon wheel all round the ground. That's the skill of a touch batsman (and it's something you can practice, don't think of it as natural talent.)

Go after the main threat

Sunil Narine had been exceptional in IPL 7 with his mystery spin, but Saha had a mission. Right from the first ball he faced his tactic was clear. Saha was going to continue to go back and across and hit Narine for as many boundaries over leg side as possible, no matter wher the spinner put the ball.

It worked. In 18 balls the batter took 34 and gave Narine his worst ever figures.

Admittedly, there was a stroke of luck when he was dropped on 60 during Narine's spell. But in T20 you have to make the most of your luck and have the mental skills to carry on with your plan.

This is where the mental game is important, even when you are swinging at everything. You cannot doubt your ability to do the required job or you will be filled with indecision. This is doubly true in a big final where the pressure is on with millions watching. Saha was perfectly focused on his goal, seeingly immune to the pressure.

By the way, that's also something you can practice.

With Narine nullified, the score flew up to 199.

It was just about the perfect Twenty20 hundred.

So my question to you is simple: how can you use this to inspire your play in shorter formats?

Here are some takeaway thoughts worth considering:

  • If you are a touch player, how can you learn power shots that work?
  • How can you develop the same confidence to attack the opposition's best bowler?
  • What "world class basics" can you develop, and which traditional methods can you leave behind?
  • Which types of bowling are you strongest against, and how can you manufacture facing the most balls against them?

 

 

COACHING : 3 Skills Every Cricket Coach Should Secretly Work On

Most players think coaching is easy: You rock up, set out some cones, do some drills and go home. While that's part of the story, there are certain skills the coach needs to practice to be effective.

But as coach you don't want to waste practice time by working on your own skills. Besides, you have enough pride to want to make it look easy and effortless.

It's time to get to the ground early, or on a non-training day, and work on your secret yet effortless practice skills. Your player won't thank you directly, but they will notice how much better their catching and batting has got as a result.

Sidearm

The "dog ball thrower" or "claw" for cricket. It's an essential tool for a coach these days. It saves your arm for throwdowns and can ramp up your pace (up to 15mph faster with the Sidearm than without).

But it takes some getting used to.

The first time you try it you will throw it into the floor at your feet.

When you readjust it goes into the side netting. I have sent more than one flying over a net without a roof.

After a few goes you start to learn the differences between a throw and a throwdown. You get more accurate, but it still took me several 20 minute sessions before nets to get anywhere near accurate. For example, when I was getting better I set myself a target of hitting a reasonable line and length (quite a large area) 20% of the time. It took me 2 sessions to get past that goal.

Nowadays I am good enough to bowl with it with good pace and accuracy, but it took effort.

In my view it's worth the learning curve. It's more useful for batters than throws or a bowling machine, but is almost as accurate when you are good at it. It helps with shot selection and decision making as well as technique for batters.

Plus, there is a range of drills you can do for your keeper.

Nicking

Speaking of the keeper (and slips), the next skill is the most realistic way to practice close catching for them: nicking.

You have seen the top coaches do it and make it look easy. But it's another embarrassing one if you just give it a go. Most people end up missing the ball far more than they hit it. Practice is wasted and you decide never to try again.

But it's so good, it's worth you spending time with a accurate thrower while you work on sliding the ball off the face. So find a thrower you can trust, get down on one knee and get working on it.

Skyer

You'll probably already know that the Skyer is a bit easier than the last two. With it's rubber face you can ping balls up for miles. It beats the older method of using a bat to do catching.

One method that's worked for many is to hit the ball up while also driving your hip through to use your whole body for power and accuracy. The more you work on this, the higher you can hit, but also the better you can pick out players.

It also opens up more options, options that you can practice a bit before putting a player in front of a hard ball.

  • flat catches "in the ring"
  • half volley bounce and hit for more realistic keeping practice or ground fielding
  • feeding onto a Katchet for keeper and infield deflection work

Secret coaching practice

These are all very practical skills that will make you a better coach. It's very easy to just ignore them, especially with younger players who you feel might not need such tool. But the more you have in your toolbox, the better a coach you will become.

Try arriving to practice half an hour earlier with a trusted secret colleague and hone your skills. It doesn't have to take long and it will take your team to the next level.

 

 

Friday 20 June 2014

FITNESS : Core Stability

The next step

Having learned to recruit the TA and MF muscles correctly in various positions, which can take anything from one session to one month or more, it is time to move onto simple core stability exercises. These exercises may also involve the oblique muscles, other lumbar muscles and gluteals to assist the TA and MF in maintaining the lumbar spine in a stable neutral position.

Lying leg lift stabilisation

  • Lying on your back with your knees bent
  • Ensure your back is in neutral
  • Place your hands on your hips for biofeedback
  • Breathe in and relax
  • Breathe out and, as you do so, perform the abdominal hollowing or zipping-up action
  • Once you have established some TA tension, slowly slide your left leg out along the floor until it is straight and then slide it back
  • Your back should not have moved, and your pelvis should not have tilted as you performed this action
  • If your back or pelvis moved, you did not achieve the correct stability
  • Repeat for the other side 10 times each leg

Variations include the same exercise with knee lifts up and knee drops out to the side. Again, the aim is to retain a stable lumbar spine in the neutral position as the legs move.

The waiter's bow

  • Stand up with good posture, knees soft, lumbar spine in neutral, head up and shoulders back and relaxed
  • Breathe in and relax
  • Breathe out and as you do so perform the abdominal hollowing action
  • Keeping the tension, slowly lean forward from the hips 20° and stop, like a waiter's bow, keeping your back completely straight and long as you lean
  • Hold the lean position for 10 seconds - you will feel your TA and MF supporting you if you hold the correct position
  • Keeping the tension and the alignment, slowly return to your start position
  • Repeat 10 times

These exercises are two examples of learning how to keep the spine in neutral, using slow and controlled static contractions of the trunk stabiliser muscles. Notice how technique is vital and the aim is to build up the time you are able to maintain good stability.

Getting functional

The ultimate aim of core stability training is to ensure the deep trunk muscles are working correctly to control the lumbar spine during dynamic movements, e.g. lifting a heavy box or participating in any sport.

Therefore, it is important that once you have achieved proficiency of the simple core exercises, you must progress on to achieving stability during more functional movements. Try the following two exercises.

The lunge

  • Stand with feet hip width apart in front of a mirror
  • Ensure your lumbar spine is in neutral and your back is tall with your shoulders back and head up
  • Lunge forward and bend your knee only halfway down
  • Ensure that your front knee is in line with your toes and your back has remained upright with your lumbar spine in neutral and your hips level
  • Push back up, initiating the movement by pushing down into the floor with your front foot
  • The force from your legs should bring you back up quickly and easily to your start position
  • Your back should have remained totally still and your hips level as you performed the push back

Many people wrongly initiate the up movement by pulling their heads and shoulders back first. This extends the lumbar spine, losing the neutral position. Others have problems keeping their pelvis level while performing the lunge. You must learn to use your deep trunk and gluteal muscles to hold your lumbar spine in neutral and pelvis level as you perform the movement up and down. The movement should only come from the leg muscles.

The Press up

  • Start from your knees, even if this means it is easy for your upper body, to learn the correct technique
  • Your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders and your head must be in front of your hands
  • Lift your hips so that there is a straight line from your knees through your pelvis and lower back, through your shoulders and all the way to your head
  • Ensure your lumbar spine is in neutral, using a mirror or a partner/trainer to help you
  • To maintain a neutral spine and a straight back during the exercise, the trunk muscles must provide active support
  • Slowly lower down, bending your arms all the way to the floor. Keep your head still with your neck straight relative to your back
  • Push up, initiating the movement by pressing down into the floor with your hands

Your back should remain straight and your lumbar spine in neutral throughout the exercise.

These two exercises enable you to learn core stability while performing dynamic movements. By reducing the resistance i.e. doing only half lunges and knee press ups, your are able to focus on the trunk stabilisers and achieving perfect technique rather than working the major muscle groups. The whole essence of core stability training is quality of movement and relaxation. The more you practice, the easier it becomes until you can control your lumbar stability at all times and during complex movements.

 

 

COACHING : Controversial cricket tactics

1. Controversial cricket tactics

Walking

There are not many more divisive issues than walking. Should a batter walk if they know they have hit it? Many people will say yes, many will say it is up to the umpire and you should always wait. Technically, standing your ground is not cheating, although many people consider it so.

Be prepared to be sledged by the opposition if you are a non-walker. If you are faced with a non-walker while in the field then concentrate on uprooting their middle stump � they will walk then.

As a side point, if a batsman has a reputation as a walker takes the opportunity in a big game to fool the umpire by not walking he has certainly crossed a line.

Sledging

Encouraging bowlers is a standard part of the game and not sledging. However, when comments are directed at the opposition we are clearly in the middle of sharp (if not illegal) practice.

The best way to deal with it is to turn the other cheek, although many players will bite back. Either way, the sole aim of a sledge is to put off concentration, so don�t let it distract you.

The amazing appearing new ball

Many club games are played with no new ball. However Law 5.3 states �either captain may demand a new ball at the start of each innings�. A clever home captain can exploit this by keeping a new ball in his bag. If his opponents opt to bowl first he can produce an old ball, if they bat first he can produce his new ball to give him an advantage.

The simple way to avoid this is to ensure your captain agrees the match conditions beforehand.

Diving for the cameras

Many players don't fancy chasing a ball about on a hot day. To combat this, they make sure they do a spectacular dive so they can�t chase it. This won't happen in a well drilled team with a good captain though.

Cutting off the shy

Graham Gooch has admitted he used to put his body between the stumps and the ball to avoid getting run out. However he could be out for another reason. Law 37.1 states "Either batsman is out... if he wilfully obstructs or distracts the opposing side by word or action". If you believe you are on the end of this practice then you should appeal for Obstructing the Field.

Did it bounce?

Catches taken close to the ground are difficult for the umpire to call. Dishonest sides can claim they made a catch that they did not. However, it would take a very good liar to look someone in the eye and claim a catch. As a general rule, if the fielder says they are not sure if they caught it, they probably didn't.

Appealing

Excessive appealing puts pressure on the umpire and he has a responsibility to report this practice to the captain to take action.

Appealing is a simple business. if you think it might be out then you should appeal. If you are confident it is not out you should not appeal.

Overthrows

It is commonly accepted that a run isn't taken if a shy at the stumps hits the batsman and bounces away. However, there is nothing in the laws (or spirit as far as I can see) of the game to stop it from happening. As a batter or fielder you should be aware of the possibility.

Slowing the game

Many teams will slow down the over rate, take too long at tea and generally aim to slow the game down. In time games this indicates sides are playing to get a draw, in over games they may be trying to make the opposition bat in poor light conditions at the end of the game. Under the new laws, penalty runs can be awarded so don�t be afraid to raise the issue with umpires.

2. Downright Cheating

The following is not acceptable under any circumstances:

  • Deliberate fast beamers
  • Tampering with the ball
  • Damaging the pitch

Hopefully you will never come across tactics of this nature, but if you do remember they the worst form of cricketing crime and should be dealt with immediately by the umpire and captains and in due course by the governing body.

 

 

COACHING : A cricket training session template

This is the layout I like to use for a typical training session.

It covers skills drills, fitness and game practice. Each segment can be reduced or expanded depending on the goals for the session. It can also be done with any number of people from one up. If you are doing pure fitness sessions you can cut out the skills and team practice.

General Warm Up (10-20 min)

The warm up is vital to reduce the risk of injury, so don't do what most club players do and skip straight to the skills session.

Conditioning (15-60 min)

This section is designed to be fitness based. You can work on any aspect of your fitness training during this time. If you want to make it cricket specific make sure you include drills that involve bats and balls and that recreate the conditions of a game.

Start with a few minutes of core stability training to help reduce the risk of injury. Concentrate especially on exercises that work the legs, trunk, ankles and knees.

You can then move on to drills with the emphasis on physical training over technique improvement, however you should not let your technique drop too far as you are increasing the risk of injury.

This portion should last no more than 45 minutes if you are also doing skills practice. If you are less fit you should cut the time back.

Always do at least 15 minutes to get the benefits.

Skills Practice (15-45 min)

Once you have worked on your physical conditioning you can move to working on specific skill drills.

The focus here is on skill improvement and maintenance so work on areas that you feel are weaker first. This practice usually takes the largest chunk of time of your session no matter how long you have. The longer the better up to the point when you are too fatigued to practice effectively.

Ideally you will also have access to a coach who can give you pointers as you train, although if this is not possible then a willing training buddy will do.

Team Practice (30 min minimum)

If you are practising as a whole team, now is the time to get back together and do some team practice. You could take part in fielding drills or have a cut down practice game. Either way the idea is to be working together.

If you are working in a pair or smaller group then you can use this time to extend the other parts of your practice depending on your needs.

General Cool Down (10-30 min)

It is essential for injury prevention and recovery that you take a few minutes to cool down.

This also gives the team a change to go over the session and discuss upcoming game tactics.

 

 

Thursday 19 June 2014

FIELDING : The Tabletop Cricket Approach to Field Settings

Was this brilliance or madness?
As the first Test against Sri Lanka meandered to a draw, England needed wickets. So, Alastair Cook took a leaf from the old tabletop cricket game, and set a ring of fielders in front of the batsman.
The field looked like this:


It was hailed as innovative captaincy, or a desperate ploy to take wickets. Or both. Either way, it certainly had an effect on the game with Kumar Sangakarra chopping onto his stumps such was his discombobulation.
So, what was the thinking, and can you emulate it in your games?
I think so. Here is why.

Need wickets: get creative

It's common advice that when nothing is happening in a match where you need to take wickets to win, you need to make something happen by doing funky things.
This is a perfect example.
In an ideal world, your plan will have a firm basis in some weakness you have spotted in the batsman. Imagine a slow pitch where the ball is both not carrying and stopping. Now imagine the batsman has driven a couple of balls on the up.
Why wouldn't you move the slip cordon from three slips and a gulley to one slip, silly mid on, silly mid off and short extra cover?
But the reality is often simpler: you just have a hunch.
You may feel it's time to do something different, even though you are unsure what that might be. rather than just throw another gulley in the mix you put someone at short leg. You look like a tactical genius when the next ball pops up there.
The basis of this hunch might be some kind of leak from your subconscious from all your years of playing. Or it might be nothing more than you are bored. Either way, the batsman might just get thrown by your nonsense and chop the ball onto his stumps.
If Sangakarra can, anyone can.
That's why, in England's case, I don't think you can come up with a tactical genius ploy to explain why there was a short point, short cover, short extra cover, silly mid off and a wide mid off just loitering about. Cook and Anderson just wanted to mix it up, so they threw the dice.
I'm all for this.
Far too often in club, school and academy cricket you see a ring field set with a slip or two. Perhaps if you have played against this chap before and know he is strong on the cut you put third man wider and go with a gulley.
Everyone at every level can be a lot more creative than that in wicket-taking situations. Cook just proved it.

But wait... restriction works too

On the other hand, it's also possible to get a bit too funky.
The basics of cricket are the basics because they work. They are built on best practices that have been developed over hundreds of years in millions of games. In other words: slips exist because the ball goes there in the air a lot.
That means - even if you want to get clever - that your default position will always be a standard field.
With a ring field and 2-3 close catchers you can still take wickets against a side bent on the draw. Batsmen still want to score runs and are not satisfied to defend everything. If you respond by pitching the ball up and cutting off scoring areas frustration begins and mistakes come.
Frankly, you will win most games with disciplined bowling, timely changes in the attack and good fielding without much variation from the template.

The time to get funky

That doesn't mean Cook was wrong.
In this situation, and on many occasions in the club game, there is a time when the orthodox clearly isn't working and you need to do something. You need to do anything other than say "come on lad, big effort" and change the bowling again.
If you have ever "gone quiet" after a long period you also know that sometimes the team just need something else to do rather than loaf at cover.
Then is the time to get creative.
How often will this lead to a wicket?
Probably less often than staying with the orthodox, but even if it works once in a season and you get one more win you are up on the deal.
And let's be honest for a moment, what's the alternative?
Boring fields, lots of predictably dull draws and no fun for anyone.
Save the cricket world from that awful fate and get a little bit more funky.


Your Club Needs You: 5 Ways to Be a Better Member Without Committing

Admit it, you feel a little guilty.

You love to play cricket and pay your dues on time every year. But you know your club needs help.

It's run by volunteers who make the teas, manage the finances, coach the kids, score the book and a hundred other little jobs.

You think, "I could never do that, I don't have the time" when you see the coach turning up to his 8th day in a row at the club to take yet another group of cheeky Under 10s through getting a long barrier right.

You would love to do more, but pressures of work and family are hard enough, let alone that Netflix queue you have to get through. So you listen quietly when the Chairman complains nobody is helping, and nod sagely when he says everyone needs to do more.

You feel bad that you can't commit more time but what can you do? Life is busy!

Here is the answer to that mental anguish.

5 things that you can do that take very little time and will see you as a more valuable club member, doing your bit above and beyond playing and stop the guilt trip that you get every time you see the secretary with a phone on each ear trying t put out some stumps.

Become a sponsor (or find one)

Are you time poor?

The you are probably also well off.

Great, become a sponsor. Most clubs are desperate for money and offer a range of sponsorships from something simple like a match ball to full kit sponsorship. Even if you don't have a company to promote, you can chuck a few notes in the kitty every time you are asked to help out.

But what if you have neither time or money?

Then find a sponsor.

Local businesses are always on the look out for fresh ways to advertise. Sponsorship is a tax deduction and it's great PR to say you are supporting grass-root sport to keep kids off the streets. Put on your salesman's hat and speak to businesses in the area that are on your radar: hairdresser, sandwich shop, coffee place, anywhere.

Mentor a young player

Running a colts or youth team is a tough job that takes at least 2 days a week commitment. If you can't do that, you can become a mentor instead of a coach.

Mentors are more focused on specific players (usually 1-3) with a view to helping a specific part of their game. If you are a well-established senior spin bowler, you can offer to do a session with the best couple of spinners in your youth setup.

This will only take an hour and you don't have to commit to every week.

But you may find that you gain a bigger interest in the results of your work and start to do more. Especially when you find out your tips helped a kid win a game when you were not around!

The choice is yours, meaning you have flexibility that you would not have if you take on a team for a season.

Score or umpire once

Chance are that if you offer to score or umpire a game at any level of your club, your hand will be ripped off in the speed that the offer is taken.

Scoring and umpiring are tricky things. Some clubs have plenty of options, others have barely a scorebook and 6 coins, let alone someone to do the job. Most coaches will tell you of the time when they where umpiring and scoring a game while also trying to help the captain pick a batting order.

You don't have to do every game, but if you did it just once in the season, the team coach would love you.

And again, if you get a taste for it you can do more without ever fully agreeing to every game.

Manage the twitter feed

Ah, twitter: the epitome of the least you can do.

Most clubs have a twitter now. Make yourself responsible for running it. You can do it from any smart phone or tablet. You literally only have 140 characters to play with, so it won't take long.

You can post:

  • club results
  • club news
  • photos
  • links to other relevant tweets and websites

In fact, you can break that simple thing out to a wider idea: Offer something that you have the skills to do.

Maybe you are not a twitter wizard (although I would argue anyone online can do it), but you are good with your hands and can do some running repairs and maintenance around the facilities. An occasional hour or two on an ad hoc basis is crucial. Do something that's easy for you but is a head scratcher for everyone else.

Turn up early to a match

Here's a personal one from me: Every stopped to wonder how long it takes to set up a cricket club on match day?

Some people. like me, will know it's not just 5 minutes because they do it every week. Other people rock up every week once it's all done acting like the schoolboy who never wonders how his clothes go from the washing basket to clean, ironed and in the wardrobe.

If you are more likely to be the latter, do me a personal favour and arrive at the ground an hour earlier to help set up. All the tasks are simple to complete and it will reveal to you how hard the swan paddles.

It shows you are keen and willing and will be a relief to the guy who is balancing drop out calls, boundary markers, tea urns and maybe, just maybe, warming up.

If every player in the club did it once in a season, there would be way more people at the ground early and a lot more time to get ready to play.

The bottom line: there is always something

The point I am trying to make here is that we can change the approach to club cricket.

If everyone realised that chipping a little something in now and again is just as vital as doing a big job like Treasurer or Head Coach then the load would be spread.

So do what you can, when you can.Simply saying "how can I help?" will be much appreciated. You know who to ask.

You will feel better, the club will run smoother and you will hear less complaints.