BATTING : How To Play The Back-Foot Drive And Defense

The back foot drive is an attacking shot which is played to a ball which has pitched short of a good length and which will probably bounce around stump high. You should try to hit the ball between mid on and cover and along the ground.

Main Points

• Take your normal batting stance with your eyes level and remember to always stay relaxed to help you react quicker to the delivery. Once you’ve judged that the ball/delivery is suitable for a back foot drive, take your backswing and step backwards simultaneously.
• You should now have an established and well balanced base with your weight fairly evenly distributed over both feet, ideally it should be slightly forward on the front foot.
• Initiate your down swing ensuring that you bring your bat down straight (remember the drill with the two stumps?) and move your front leg backwards at the same time.
• Increase your bat speed into contact with the ball and swing it down and through the line of the delivery, keeping your elbow high and keeping control of the bat with your top hand. Try to follow through naturally, stay relaxed and well balanced at all times during the shot. Don’t try to hit the ball too hard, use the pace of the delivery to maximise the shots power.

Make sure you're behind the ball when playing the back foot defensive

The Back-footed Defensive

The back foot defence is a defensive shot, which is played in response to a ball of a good length or slightly shorter which is most likely to bounce and hit your stumps or come close to hitting them. You want to aim to just block the delivery and have it drop straight to the ground.

The main set up points are similar to those above so I won’t go through them again just for the sake of it!

The major differences are that you need to SLOW your bat speed into contact with the ball. You should swing your bat down and into the line of the delivery and aim to contact the ball beneath your eyes, remembering to always show the full bat face to the ball. Again try to stay relaxed and well balanced.

Having a relaxed grip with your bottom hand will help you drop the ball to the ground and not pop it up in the air.

Common problems:

The most common problems I see are that a batsmen is not getting into line with the ball and so might an edge to the wicket keeper or slips. A good tips to improve getting into line would be to initiate a trigger movement (a small foot movement) prior to delivery to help get the feet moving, which in turn should help you get into line.

Some batsmen have more than one trigger movement depending on their style and technique. I do two; I move my back foot about a few centimetres backwards and towards off stump and I move my front foot about a few cm’s forward, this helps me get into line and respond to a delivery quicker.

Another is playing with an overly strong bottom hand which can cause you to get caught. Try loosening your bottom hand or holding the bat with just your thumb and first two fingers in training to keep the ball on the ground (remember to keep your top and elbow high).

 

 

BATTING : Power of Cover Drive

As a batsman and cricketer you primary aim is to score as many runs as possible to help your team set a high target for the opposition, or in order to beat the score which the opposition has set for you.

A great cover drive is the hallmark of a refined cricketer...

To help you do this, this article will identify some common problems and teachyou how to play better cover drive. Hopefully you’ll find these tips useful and they will help you improve your cover drive and score more runs.

The cover drive is an aggressive and attacking shot which is played to a delivery which is pitched up or just a bit full of a good length, you are aiming to hit the ball along the ground between mid off and cover.

To play the shot, watch the ball out of the hand and correctly judge that the ball is going to be slightly full of a good length. From your stance, lead with your front shoulder in towards the line of the ball and into the shot. If you lead with your shoulder first and get it inline it will help the rest of your body come into line naturally and more fluently.

Step with your front foot out to the pitch of the delivery and bring your bat down and through the line of the delivery, ensuring that you keep your front elbow high and bat straight (not a crossed batted shot). Aim to place the ball between mid of and cover, maintaining a firm base and follow through the shot in a relaxed manner.

Key points:

• Watch the ball out of the hand all the way onto the bat
• Lead with your front shoulder into the shot
• Get your foot to the pitch of the ball
• Keep you elbow high and bat straight
• Hit the ball along the ground
• Keep a solid base of support
• Follow through naturally

Common Problems:

Are you getting caught at mid-off or cover when you play the off/cover drive, is it caused by the follow through?

Getting caught at mid-off or cover is a very common problem and is not usually caused by an exaggerated follow through, but more likely to be with the timing of the shot or because the batsman is playing with too much bottom hand.

To solve this try loosening your grip with your bottom hand and practise just griping the bat with your thumb and first two fingers on your bottom hand. This should help you stop driving it in the air and getting caught.

Another technique is to try waiting a fraction of a second longer as if you’re playing the ball too early it will go in the air, if you are struggling getting the timing right this is the solution for you.

Also if you’re trying to drive a ball that is pitched short of a length you’ll hit it up in the air. If so try to judge the length better and drive the balls that are pitched fuller of a good length, you should also take into account the pace and condition of the wicket as this will affect the timing of the shot. For example on slow wickets you will have to wait longer and play the ball later to keep the ball in the ground.

In conclusion remember to accentuate your leading elbow, keeping it high, don’t use to much bottom hand as this will cause you to drop the elbow and hit the ball in the air. Practise in front of a mirror at home to watch and analyse your body position and always remember good footwork is the most essential part of any shot, so get your foot to the pitch of the ball.

 

 

BATTING : The Square Cut Uncovered

The square cut is another shot which you should try to add to your batting ‘armoury’, as it will allow you to play aggressively to balls delivered shot outside your off stump which you wouldn’t be able to drive.

Can you play the square cut?

It is an aggressive/attacking shot played off the back foot to a ball which has been pitched short of a good length (a short delivery) and is passing wide of off stump. You should aim to hit the ball square of the wicket ideally between point and gully, always aim to hit the ball between the fielders and into the gaps.

Main Points

• To play the square cut start from your normal batting stance, stay nice and relaxed, with your head still and your eyes as level as possible.
• As the bowler is about to bowl take your backswing, and as you see the delivery is going to be suitable for a square cut move your back foot, back and across towards the off stump.
• Move your weight onto your back foot and establish your base of support over it. Bring your bat down and across the line of the ball towards the off side, increasing your bat speed into contact, from a high position to lower one. As you hit the ball ‘roll your wrists’ over the ball to keep it down.
• Follow through the shot naturally and stay relaxed and balanced.

Common problems:

• The most common problem is getting caught out at point or gully by not rolling the wrists or not playing from high to low. Like most shots, you need to isolate it in the nets and practice with throw downs hitting the ball down (low) and along the ground.
• Another problem is lacking the ability to hit the ball in the gaps and instead hitting it to fielders, the best way to improve your shot placement is to use targets in practice to hit the ball between.

Advanced tips:

Try playing a ‘late’ cut. To do this you need excellent timing, as you need to wait a fraction of a second longer before hitting the ball. You should aim to hit the ball behind gully towards third man (be careful if there are slips in place).

 

 

BATTING : How To Play The Back-Foot Drive And Defense Properly

The back foot drive is an attacking shot which is played to a ball which has pitched short of a good length and which will probably bounce around stump high. You should try to hit the ball between mid on and cover and along the ground.

Main Points

• Take your normal batting stance with your eyes level and remember to always stay relaxed to help you react quicker to the delivery. Once you’ve judged that the ball/delivery is suitable for a back foot drive, take your backswing and step backwards simultaneously.
• You should now have an established and well balanced base with your weight fairly evenly distributed over both feet, ideally it should be slightly forward on the front foot.
• Initiate your down swing ensuring that you bring your bat down straight (remember the drill with the two stumps?) and move your front leg backwards at the same time.
• Increase your bat speed into contact with the ball and swing it down and through the line of the delivery, keeping your elbow high and keeping control of the bat with your top hand. Try to follow through naturally, stay relaxed and well balanced at all times during the shot. Don’t try to hit the ball too hard, use the pace of the delivery to maximise the shots power.

Make sure you're behind the ball when playing the back foot defensive

The Back-footed Defensive

The back foot defence is a defensive shot, which is played in response to a ball of a good length or slightly shorter which is most likely to bounce and hit your stumps or come close to hitting them. You want to aim to just block the delivery and have it drop straight to the ground.

The main set up points are similar to those above so I won’t go through them again just for the sake of it!

The major differences are that you need to SLOW your bat speed into contact with the ball. You should swing your bat down and into the line of the delivery and aim to contact the ball beneath your eyes, remembering to always show the full bat face to the ball. Again try to stay relaxed and well balanced.

Having a relaxed grip with your bottom hand will help you drop the ball to the ground and not pop it up in the air.

Common problems:

The most common problems I see are that a batsmen is not getting into line with the ball and so might an edge to the wicket keeper or slips. A good tips to improve getting into line would be to initiate a trigger movement (a small foot movement) prior to delivery to help get the feet moving, which in turn should help you get into line.

Some batsmen have more than one trigger movement depending on their style and technique. I do two; I move my back foot about a few centimetres backwards and towards off stump and I move my front foot about a few cm’s forward, this helps me get into line and respond to a delivery quicker.

Another is playing with an overly strong bottom hand which can cause you to get caught. Try loosening your bottom hand or holding the bat with just your thumb and first two fingers in training to keep the ball on the ground (remember to keep your top and elbow high).

 

 

BATTING : Unleash The Power of an Effective Cover Drive

As a batsman and cricketer you primary aim is to score as many runs as possible to help your team set a high target for the opposition, or in order to beat the score which the opposition has set for you.

A great cover drive is the hallmark of a refined cricketer...

To help you do this, this article will identify some common problems and teachyou how to play better cover drive. Hopefully you’ll find these tips useful and they will help you improve your cover drive and score more runs.

The cover drive is an aggressive and attacking shot which is played to a delivery which is pitched up or just a bit full of a good length, you are aiming to hit the ball along the ground between mid off and cover.

To play the shot, watch the ball out of the hand and correctly judge that the ball is going to be slightly full of a good length. From your stance, lead with your front shoulder in towards the line of the ball and into the shot. If you lead with your shoulder first and get it inline it will help the rest of your body come into line naturally and more fluently.

Step with your front foot out to the pitch of the delivery and bring your bat down and through the line of the delivery, ensuring that you keep your front elbow high and bat straight (not a crossed batted shot). Aim to place the ball between mid of and cover, maintaining a firm base and follow through the shot in a relaxed manner.

Key points:

• Watch the ball out of the hand all the way onto the bat
• Lead with your front shoulder into the shot
• Get your foot to the pitch of the ball
• Keep you elbow high and bat straight
• Hit the ball along the ground
• Keep a solid base of support
• Follow through naturally

Common Problems:

Are you getting caught at mid-off or cover when you play the off/cover drive, is it caused by the follow through?

Getting caught at mid-off or cover is a very common problem and is not usually caused by an exaggerated follow through, but more likely to be with the timing of the shot or because the batsman is playing with too much bottom hand.

To solve this try loosening your grip with your bottom hand and practise just griping the bat with your thumb and first two fingers on your bottom hand. This should help you stop driving it in the air and getting caught.

Another technique is to try waiting a fraction of a second longer as if you’re playing the ball too early it will go in the air, if you are struggling getting the timing right this is the solution for you.

Also if you’re trying to drive a ball that is pitched short of a length you’ll hit it up in the air. If so try to judge the length better and drive the balls that are pitched fuller of a good length, you should also take into account the pace and condition of the wicket as this will affect the timing of the shot. For example on slow wickets you will have to wait longer and play the ball later to keep the ball in the ground.

In conclusion remember to accentuate your leading elbow, keeping it high, don’t use to much bottom hand as this will cause you to drop the elbow and hit the ball in the air. Practise in front of a mirror at home to watch and analyse your body position and always remember good footwork is the most essential part of any shot, so get your foot to the pitch of the ball.

 

 

SDCA LEAGUE SCORES - 07.09.2014

Ground : Neelambal Subramaniam HSS – Division : II

Davaram SC 206 allout in 40 Overs (Vinoth 74, Shanmugam 40, V.Muthukumar 3 for 12)

Lost to

Rangers CC 210 for 5 in 34.1 Overs (J.Vikram 73, G.V.Vinoth Kumar 32, M.Ganesan 32)

 

Ground : Salem Steel Plant – Division : II

Salem CC 133 allout in 45 Overs (R.Moorthi 3 for 28)

Beat

Tigers XI 60 Allout in 45 Overs (K.Nethaji 6 for 7)

 

Ground : Govt. Engineering College “A” – Division : III

Sivanthi Adityan CC 180 for 9 in 45 Overs (S.Prabhakaran 4 for 36, K.Senthil 3 for 28)

Lost to

Rock CC 121 for 3 in 27 Overs(G.Senthil Kumar 55, T.Durairaj 3 for 19)

ROCK CC WON ON BETTER RUNRATE in a RAIN INTERUPPTED MATCH.

 

Ground : Periyar University “A” – Division : IV

Metro CC 165 allout in 45 Overs (A.Dhanapal 51, R.Govindaraj 30, A.Ramesh Kumar 38, K.Naveen Kumar 3 for 40)

Lost to

Kumar Memorial CC 86 for 4 in 21 Overs (N.Saravanan 3 for 26)

KUMAR MEMORIAL CC WON ON BETTER RUNRATE in a RAIN INTERUPPTED MATCH.

 

Ground : Periyar University “B” – Division : IV

Royal Slammers CC 120 allout in 45 Overs (N.Asarudeen 5 for 24)

Beat

Punith CC 55 allout in 45 Overs (P.Chandran 4 for 10, P.Madan Kumar 4 for 14)

 

BATTING : How To Use Effective Foot Work To Score More Runs

When batting in cricket it is essential to have excellent footwork. As good foot work is the basis for achieving excellence in cricket and is the foundation for good batting technique.

Foot work is absolutely necessary as all successful strokes start with effective footwork.

If you watch Brian Lara, Michael Vaughn, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, all of these amazing batsmen have outstanding footwork, often when these types of players don’t perform it is simply due to lack of footwork.

Good footwork allows you to time the ball well and place the ball in gaps. It gets you in the optimum position to hit the ball, so you can hit it where you want and with ease.

If you have been struggling to play a particular shot for some reason it could be due to poor footwork causing bad timing and body positioning.

With faster bowlers it is even more essential to have excellent fast and precise footwork, so that you can get into a balanced position, in-line with the ball, so you can play the ball with control.

Getting quickly into position through footwork therefore is very important.

The more you practice your footwork against both fast and slow bowlers the easier you will gradually find it. Many players do what we call trigger movements just before the bowler releases the ball, this helps get the feet moving into position and into line much quicker and easier, especially against faster bowlers.

Next time you watch a game on TV watch the batsmen’s feet really closely as the bowler is about to deliver you’ll see these small ‘trigger movements’; small foot movements, which help the batsmen get in position and inline early.

As a batsman it is absolutely necessary to develop your foot work and foot movement, as all excellent strokes start with effective and efficient footwork.

 

 

BATTING : Forward Defence

When you first start to learn how to play cricket one of the first shots you will learn is the forward defence, it’s a fundamental shot which is the foundation of your batting and should be mastered to help reach you potential, as you can’t score runs when you are out and sat in the pavilion.

What's not quite right with this forward defence?

The forward defence is the best way to protect your wicket from accurate deliveries which you can’t score off, as you need to remember your primary aim as a batsmen score runs of every delivery if possible.

The forward defence is simply a defensive shot which is played in response to a ball which you can’t score runs off or where it would be very risky to try and hit for runs. Usually it’ll be of a good line and length that will hit or come close to hitting the stumps.

Main Points

• Take your backswing and step forward with your front leg to make a comfortable stride towards the pitch of the ball.
• Try to establish a strong, well balanced and relaxed base/stance, over the leg which has stepped out towards pitch of ball and you should have a bent front knee.
• Bring your bat down to ball using your top hand to control the movement, speed and direction of the bat. Slow down your bat speed into contact with the ball and keep your top elbow high.
• Aim to contact the ball under your eyes and play the ball with the full face of the bat. Always remember to play the shot with your bat against pads (your front leg) so that there is no gap between the two which the ball could pass through.

Common problems:

There are a number of common problems, which with good practise can be easily solved e.g.

• Having a gap between you pad and bat. To help solve this have a friend pr coach watch you play the shot to identify whether this is a problem for you. If it is, get in a net and have throw downs and consciously practice getting your bat next to your pad. Ensure that you try to get your foot out towards the pitch of the delivery.
• Playing with a strong bottom hand, causing the ball to pop up in air. If you are doing this, try loosening your grip on your bottom hand and control the bat with your top hand. Practise with a tennis ball and try to make the ball drop dead and not bounce off more than a meter from the bat, this is quite hard with a bouncy tennis ball!
• Not bringing the bat down straight from high position in backswing, so causing the bat to come down at an angle and not through the line of the ball, which will result in you missing the ball. To help solve this, put up a set of stumps as normal, then remove the middle stump. Now stand closer to the stumps than you would normally and practise your backswing, bringing up and down between off and leg stumps, you’ll quickly find out if you backswing is straight or not.

Advanced tips:

Try playing with soft hand, whereby you loosen you grip slightly with both hands, not so much that the ball will cause the bat to move in your hands, but just enough to ensure the ball drops straight to the floor. If you try the tennis ball drill above you’ll get the hang of it pretty quick. This also helps have the effect of causing the ball to drop quicker if you edge it and will often hit the floor before reaching the slips.

You can also try angling your bat to defect the ball away for a single to fine leg or third man, almost becoming a leg glance.

 

 

BATTING : Pull Shot

As you begin to learn how to play cricket one of the core shots you should aim to master is the “pull shot”. This is a very effective attacking shot and when played correctly can produce spectacular result.

Key Points

The pull shot is played with a crossed bat and is an aggressive back footed shot. It should be played to a ball which has been pitched short, on or outside leg stump and will pass over the top of the wickets.

To play the shot, start in your normal batting stance as you would any delivery and play the shot in response to the appropriate delivery, e.g. short and on/outside leg stump.

Take your backswing and step back and across towards your off stump with your back foot and establish this as your base of support. Bring your front foot backwards naturally, ideally keeping it on the ground if possible to help your balance.

Bring the bat down and across the line of the ball, increasing the bat speed into contact with the ball, hit the ball in front of you body (your body needs to be behind the line of the delivery). You are aiming to hit the ball between mid-on and fine leg, between any fielders who may be in the area.

‘Roll your wrist’ over the ball as you contact it, so that it goes straight to ground; the face of the bat should end up pointing down to the ground. You can also bring the bat down from a high position and finish lower; this will also keep the ball down. Finish the shot with a natural follow through, staying relaxed and balanced.

Common problems:

1. The most common problems are hitting the ball in to the air and getting caught out.
2. Miss timing the ball and not hitting the ball effectively or where you want it to go.
3. Misjudging the delivery and playing the pull shot to and inappropriate delivery.

To help solve these, firstly practice in the nets rolling your wrists over the ball in practice and aim to hit it along the ground every time, don’t be tempted to hit it in the air. If the ball is on the ground you’re not going to get caught.

Perfect practice is the main key to improving your timing of the shot; the wicket, bowler and weather conditions will all influence how the ball reaches you, so you’ll need to adapt and adjust accordingly for the circumstances. To help place (hit) the ball where you want it to go, set out some target cones and get a friend to give you some throw downs and practice hitting the ball through the targets (along the ground).

If you are playing the pull shot to the wrong type of delivery you need to think about your shot selection and redefine in your own mind which balls you should be pulling and which you shouldn’t. The more you play and the better you practice the easier it should become.

 

 

BATTING : The Sweep Shot and Reverse Sweep

The sweep and the reverse sweep are two batting shots which are not commonly used, especially the reverse sweep which is rarely used. However both shots can be used in certain batting situations and are an effective way to score runs and keep the score board ticking over.

There is a high element of risk with the sweep shot, so good judgement and excellent timing is essential. Avoid playing the sweep and reverse sweep early on in your innings especially to straight deliveries, as it is not a good idea to play it until you have your eye in and know how the pitch is playing and what the bowler is doing. As for example, if the ball stayed low it would be quite easy to misjudge and get out LBW or bowled which you definitely want to avoid, so be patient and play yourself in first.

The sweep and reverse sweep are both cross batted shots and should ideally be played to slow deliveries which are of a good length and not too full. To play the orthodox sweep shot, first wait for the ball to be released before making any movement…

DON’T PREMEDITATE THE SHOT!

Once you have determined that the ball is there to play the sweep shot to, move your front foot as far down the wicket towards the pitch of the ball as you can. As you are moving forward bend both knees simultaneously so that you whole body is low down, let your back knee touch the ground to act as an extra base of support. Try to stay balanced and relaxed. Bring the bat down from the off side and across the ball towards the leg side and aim to hit it either in front of or behind square leg. You can roll your wrists over the ball as you hit to help keep it on the ground. Aim to have your arms fully extended when you contact the ball.

To play the reverse sweep, get in to the same position as for the orthodox sweep, however this time, bring you bat down and across from leg side towards the off side, so you are aiming to hit the ball through the gully area. This shot requires very good coordination and timing as you have to twist the bat round so that the bat face faces the off side at the point of contact without altering your grip.

Common problems:

• Premeditating the shot- deciding to play the shot before the bowler has bowled the ball. Wait until the ball is released from the bowlers hand before deciding to play the shot.

• Playing the sweep too early in the innings before getting your eye in. Wait until you are set and know how the pitch is playing and what the bowler is doing before attempting the shot.

• Trying to hit the ball too hard. Good timing and technique is better and more effective as you need to reduce the risk as much as possible.

• Playing the shot to deliveries which are either too full or too short, so good judgement of length is required.

Remember that the sweep and reverse sweep are quite hard shots to master and carry quite a lot of risk, so make sure that if you intend to use them, practice the shots in the nets and in training to get a feel for the shot and so you know when to play it; so that when you come to use them you are confident and skilled enough to do so.

 

 

Best Regards

 

JAYARAMAN UMASHANKAR

Trainer & Consultant

 

t +91 9626282000 | m amarjay@gmail.com |  |

Don't print this Email unless you really need to.This Will Preserve Trees On Earth

 

DISCLAIMER : The contents of this E-mail (including the contents of the enclosure/(s) or attachment/(s) if any) are privileged and confidential material and should not be disclosed to, used by or copied in any manner by anyone other than the intended addressee/(s). If this E-mail (including the enclosure/(s) or attachment/(s) if any ) has been received in error, please advise the sender immediately and delete it from your system. The views expressed in this E-mail message (including the enclosure/(s) or attachment/(s) if any) are those of the individual sender.

 

COACHING : How to Find Out What Works for You

You want to become a better cricket player, and there is no shortage of advice. The problem is, how do you work out what tips, tactics and techniques work best for you?

It's quite possible to argue that the answer is simple. That there is one size that fits all players. All you have to do is strive to achieve the perfect bowling action or front foot drive. Success is a matter of drilling, grooving and analysing until all flaws are gone.

It's an attractive idea by it's simplicity. It also ignores two huge parts of being a cricketer: genetics and environment. These things together mean that "one way" can never exist.

For a start you are a completely genetically unique person. There are so many gene combinations, no two people can be the same. Height, handedness, body structure, strength, speed, hand-eye coordination and much more are set long before you are born. Sure, you can (and should) influence many of these elements later in life but you can only do so much. Add to this your different upbringing as a person and as a player and you can see that trying to make a unique person into a "cookie cutter" cricketer is impossible.

So let's think more like an individual and start getting better at cricket.

Listen to advice with ears and mind

However, just as there is no perfect single way, there are best practices. There are methods that have been tried by many thousands of cricketers through the years. To ignore that deep information would be foolish.

So, listen to as much advice as you can.

Information is always the first step to development. The trick is to think of yourself as the filter. You let in things that work for you, while respectfully rejecting everything else. That's a process we have discussed before.

As a coach, I have spent a lot of time gathering knowledge that helps players become better cricketers, but I'm a human with biases towards my own experiences and I can't do more than tell you what I have seen work before (or others have reported). For that reason I love it when a player does not accept what I say.

You should do the same with your coach and advisors.

Take time to look online for the advice you are given. Is it backed by a lot of websites? Are there studies that have looked at the effectiveness? Do other people agree? Does it instinctively make sense to you?

Learning to process the fire hose of cricket information mindfully is the start.

But you need to do a lot more.

Be your own experiment

No amount of research and thinking is enough. To find out if any piece of advice fits your shape, you need to do an experiment with one subject: You.

This is hard because the temptation to listen to the "secrets" is strong. You can be seduced by the idea that if it worked for Bradman/Shoaib/Sachin/Warne it must work for you. It might, but you need to find that out for yourself.

How do you do that?

It's simple, but not easy. Take your time to try things and see if they "feel" right. In the meantime, other knock on effects might happen. You have to be patient and know that failing a lot is the key to success.

Here is an awesome way to structure your nets as a batsman to experiment. But this is not just for batsmen. It crosses both the technical skill sets (batting, bowling, fielding) and the wider methods of the game (tactics, mental game and fitness). Wherever there is an element you can improve there are a number of methods to try.

You can support your research further with data. How something feels is all important, but sometimes you need to take a longer view.

For example if you want more muscular power to develop your speed as a bowler, you need to track your gym performance over a number of weeks before changing methods. If you are getting more powerful - in this example more weight lifted is a good guide - then keep doing the same thing. If your progress has stalled, make a change.

In more cricket specific environments you can use PitchVision and other tracking tools to track key performance indicators (KPI) over time. By the way, "KPI" is just a fancy way of pointing out specific elements you want to improve.

Good players are good reviewers

Sounds like a lot of work?

That's because it is.

Working out your method can only ever be established by slow, painful trial and error. There is a lot of error before you get through it. As long as you are constantly reviewing what works and - perhaps more importantly - what doesn't work you are on the right road.

For me, that is what distinguishes a good player from an average player: He or she is prepared to review everything all the time and keep coming back even in the face of failure.

If that describes you, I'll be delighted when you make it as a cricketer.

 

 

COACHING : Old Fashioned Batting Tips for Modern Run Makers

Are you confused by the explosion of batting methods in recent times? You should be.

Batsmen are expected to contribute more runs in less time from 1-11 these days. You can thank Twenty20. As a result there are more outrageous shots played with more confidence than ever before. I saw a club game not long ago where the number 9 played a scoop shot several times! Yes, these days it's all about finding your own method.

But don't panic.

There are some things that still work for most players most of the time. They are timeless classic tips that coaches have taught for decades. They are the place you start, and the place you go back to when you want to get back to basics after a run of bad form.

In a ground-breaking world, it's reassuring that some things don't need to break new ground. Here they are:

Stand still

Despite trigger moves and crease management it's still a core skill to be still as the ball is released.

This is to do with simple ball tracking. If you want to pick line and length early you need to be have a still point from which to work. If your head and eyes are moving, it takes longer for your brain to work out where the ball is going.

Do what you like before the bowler bowls - and after you have picked the line and length - but you better have a darn good reason to be moving when he lands his front foot. If you don't have that reason, make sure you are still at ball release.

Play straight

Batting is a 360 degree exercise now. But if you are playing the percentage game, it's still much better to play on, straight and off drives as your first option.

Why is this?

Most balls are bowled between half volley and back of a length, on or just outside the stumps. The best way to try and hit a ball like this is to use the face of the bat in a line that swings opposite to the ball: hitting it straight. If you misjudge you are less likely to miss the ball compared to trying to hit across the line.

If you are batting up the order in longer games, you can wait for the ball to drive and hit straight between extra cover and midwicket, in "the V". This is classical batting.

What if you need to get on with it and score quickly? You can still hit length balls straight. You can hit in the air straight for boundaries.

Of course, you can still play fancy shots and score well if the situation dictates, you have your eye in, or your ability allows. That said, I would argue that your default position is to hit the ball straight and it should be an element of your game that you practice tirelessly as it will give you the best results in the long term.

Play late

We all know batsmen who "time" it. What they lack in power they make up by playing the ball later in its trajectory. What looks like a gentle tap flows quickly to the boundary. Bell. Tendulkar.

Timing is a complex thing that happens in fractions of seconds involving your whole body balance and alignment, and two objects, only one of which is under your direct control (the bat). For most of us this is made easier by the maxim to "play late". You have probably heard one of these vague coaching terms as you bat in nets:

• Wait for it a little longer
• Play the ball under your eyes
• Try to time your swing
• Time it, don't hit it
• Hit the ball half as hard as you think you should
• Wait, wait, wait. Go, go, go!

Perhaps one of these resonated with the way you think, perhaps they didn't - it's a tough concept to explain and is better felt - but the basic principle is the same; the later you can hit the ball the better it is for your batting.

This will take some experimentation from you to get right. Not everyone is the same, with some batters better at timing the ball out in front, that is to say not "under the eyes". Kevin Pietersen is the prime example. Other players prefer to do it in the more traditional way.

Additionally, there are differences in head and foot position between players. Stances and backswings also vary. None are wrong in all cases. Some are right for some people.

What trends across better players is that they "play late" within their own style. A good batsman picks line and length early, gets into a strong position early and then has time to decide when to begin their downswing for perfect connection with the ball.

 

 

How to Bowl Perfect Line and Length

Let me ask you something; how much better a bowler would you be if you could hit a perfect line and length?

It's a challenge that takes a lifetime to master, and a road that is littered with distractions. Yet the simplicity is appealing: Put the ball on the spot, hit the seam again and again and watch the wickets tumble.

You don't need to be quick. You don't need to rip it square. You don't need to swing it round corners or even have a clever mystery variation. Those things are nice, but accuracy... accuracy is within reaching distance.

It's so tantalisingly close that you can almost taste the success it will bring.

Yet, so few achieve what should be simple.

How do you break through the accuracy barrier and take your game up a level?

Here is some advice.

Become obsessed with process

Modern coaching uses terms like "processes" to break the shackles of outdated methods. We used to use technique as the beginning, middle and end of bowling. It was striving for perfect technique that created bowlers with perfect accuracy.

That is certainly true, but we also know now that techniques vary. Technique is an important part of the bowling process that also includes other factors. Take the example of Lasith Malinga. The Sri Lankan has a bowling technique that should be super inconsistent. Yet he can bowl that death yorker for 12 balls in a row if he likes. He has a process.

And that's what you need too.

That starts with your bowling technique. Does your technique give you the best chance of bowling with accuracy? Do you find that you action can vary between balls?

Video yourself bowling both in nets and in games, especially towards the end of a match or session where fatigue can influence your movement through the crease. Watch to see what stays the same, decide what changes as you get more tired or stressed.

When you can see an area of weakness, strive to improve it.

This is not about wrist or head position or any other particular technical point per se. It's more about seeing what works in your technique, and what goes wrong when you fire it down the leg side. For example:

• If you notice your head falling to the off side at the end of the game, you might need better fitness (both core strength and endurance)
• If there is variation in your arm position as you release the ball, work backwards through each step of your action and decide where it breaks down, then work on it with chaining drills.
• If you bowl poorly under pressure situations, start developing methods to become better and handling those pressure moments.

You get the idea: Spot the issue (technical, fitness, or psychological), design a drill or training plan to overcome that method and work on it with single-minded obsession.

Remember the basics

Of course, all this takes some effort and no small amount of skill and knowledge. Luckily, during this process you can do something a lot simpler and that is almost always effective: basic target bowling.

Target bowling is useful because it is the purest form of deliberate practice: You can set it up quickly, get instant feedback and track your improvements over time. PitchVision even does this for you, but you can use a pen and paper or track it in your notes app on the iPad.

So, set up some targets, mark your pitch and bowl like a crazy person until it starts to click and your percentages shoot up. The more you do it, regardless of any other factor, the more accurate you will get. You learn where to look, you learn how bowling a good ball feels, you learn how to stay focused in a long spell. If you do it enough you develop bowling stamina.

Like all practice methods there are limits - you don't learn how to bowl under pressure, and you can't correct technical issues - but overall it works so well I would be amazed by any bowler who didn't use it.

Combine your target bowling with your new obsession with process and you have a bowler, over time, who can reach insane levels of accuracy.

Cricket is simple when you put it like that isn't it?