Batting E-Book

James Knott

• Herausgeber: Polaris
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 445

Beschreibung

This book is aimed at players and coaches (male & female) of all levels. James Knott and Andrew O'Connor have created a comprehensive and up to date guide to batting for coaches, players and parents featuring photographs and diagrams along with sixty accessible drills. This is an essential guide to the intricate skills required to become a successful batter for both players and coaches. With input from a wide range of elite players and coaches, past and present, this is an invaluable guide to developing batting skills for young and old alike.

Leseprobe

BATTING

A COMPREHENSIVE MODERN GUIDEFOR PLAYERS AND COACHES

‘This book is fantastic. It is insightful and detailed, I thoroughly enjoyed the holistic structure, weighted heavily towards tactics and the mental approach, still with accurate and simplified technical input’

SAM ARTHURS, FOUNDATION PATHWAY MANAGER, OXFORDSHIRE CRICKET

‘This book offers a complete guide to batting, explained in a way that is thoroughly engaging and intelligible to all audiences. Whether you’re a player looking to advance your own batting, a parent or a coach looking to improve others, you will find everything you need in this book to develop the next great modern-day batter’

LUKE SHARPLES, TALENT PATHWAY PERFORMANCE MANAGER, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB

‘As technical batting coaching appears to be enjoying a renaissance following the recent fortunes of the England Test side, this book provides an accessible and comprehensive guide. The way technical and tactical aspects of batting are described makes it accessible for players of all abilities, and the drills are practical and applicable. This book is a must for all young players and coaches with a desire to understand and improve their game’

MIKE SUTLIFF, DINTON CC AND FORMER PROFESSIONAL CRICKETER WITH LEICESTERSHIRE & GLOUCESTERSHIRE

‘In touch and up to date whilst still incorporating the sound principles of batting that have lasted the test of time, this comprehensive guide is of great use to players, coaches and parents alike looking to aid the development of modern batsmanship to meet the demands of the modern game’

BEN CODDINGTON, WIMBLEDON CC AND LINCOLNSHIRE

‘This is a very detailed book on batting, yet still an accessible read for players and coaches of all levels. The technical, tactical, mental and physical aspects of batting are all covered and there is a huge drills section for coaches to dip into.

DAVID RIPLEY, FORMER NORTHANTS HEAD COACH AND LONDON SPIRIT ASSISTANT COACH

BATTING

A COMPREHENSIVE MODERN GUIDEFOR PLAYERS AND COACHES

JAMES KNOTT & ANDREW O’CONNOR

FOREWORD BY

ADAM HOLLIOAKE

With contributions fromSir Geoffrey Boycott, Ben Duckett, Julian Wood,Graham Gooch & Mark Butcher

This edition first published in 2022 by

POLARIS PUBLISHING LTDc/o Aberdein Considine2nd Floor, Elder HouseMultrees WalkEdinburghEH1 3DX

Distributed byBirlinn Limited

www.polarispublishing.com

Text copyright © James Knott & Andrew O’Connor, 2022Photography copyright © Stowe Studio 100, 2022Follow on Instagram #stowestudio100

ISBN: 9781913538330eBook ISBN: 9781913538347

The right of James Knott & Andrew O’Connor to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written permission of the publisher.

The views expressed in this book do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or policies of Polaris Publishing Ltd (Company No. SC401508) (Polaris), nor those of any persons, organisations or commercial partners connected with the same (Connected Persons). Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed by third parties are not those of Polaris or any Connected Persons but those of the third parties. For the avoidance of doubt, neither Polaris nor any Connected Persons assume any responsibility or duty of care whether contractual, delictual or on any other basis towards any person in respect of any such matter and accept no liability for any loss or damage caused by any such matter in this book.

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available on request from the British Library.

Designed and typeset by Polaris Publishing, EdinburghPrinted in Great Britain by MBM Print, East Kilbride

CONTENTS

FOREWORD BY ADAM HOLLIOAKE

INTRODUCTION

ONE: THE BASICS

Grip

Stance

Trigger movements

Backswing

Watching the ball

Playing late

TWO: THE SHOTS – TECHNICAL ASPECTS

Front-foot drives

On drives

Back-foot drives

Cut shot and back-foot ramp

Work to leg off the back foot

Pull and hook shots

Coming out of your crease to hit the ball

Sweep shots

Ramp shots

Front-foot defence

Back-foot defence

Leaving the ball

Running the ball to third man

Playing the yorker

Batting wagon wheel

THREE: THE SHOTS – TACTICAL ASPECTS

Front-foot drives

Back-foot drives

Cut shot and back-foot ramp

Work to leg off the back foot

Pull and hook shots

Coming out of your crease to hit the ball

Sweep shots

Ramp shots

Running the ball to third man – front and back foot

Front-foot and back-foot defence

Field placings

FOUR: FURTHER TACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Know your game

Pre-match and pre-innings – reading a pitch and assessing bowlers

Constructing an innings and partnership building

Run chases

Breaks in the innings

Different tactical batting approaches dependent on format and your strengths

FIVE: RUNNING BETWEEN THE WICKETS

The duties of the striking batter

After playing the ball

While running

The duties of the non-striking batter

As the ball is being bowled

After the ball has been played

General running between the wickets

Technical aspects of running between the wickets

Sprinting the run

Slowing down to complete the first run

Turning and setting off

Completing the last run

Batting with a runner

When the injured batter is on strike

When the injured batter is off strike

SIX: THE MENTAL ASPECTS OF BATTING

Concentration

Personal targets

The next ball is always the one that counts

Motivation and single-mindedness

Positive mindset and enjoyment

Confidence

Resilience

Dealing with nerves and fear of failure

Visualisation

Dealing with fielders’ and bowlers’ verbal distractions

SEVEN: ADVANCED BATTING SKILLS

The training cycle

Game ownership

Pre-match preparation

Hitting the gaps

Manoeuvring the fielders

Judgement of length and line, the hitting area and hitting on the up

Scoring off bad bowling

Playing swing bowling

Playing fast bowling

Playing spin bowling

Conditions favouring bowlers – ugly runs and attack the best form of defence

T20 batting – 360 scoring and power hitting

Reading the swing and picking slower balls

Limiting your game and opening the batting

Changing pitch conditions in multi-day cricket

Walking and dealing with a bad umpiring decision

Batting in different countries

EIGHT: LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF

Fitness

Nutrition

Hydration

Batting in the heat

Sleep

Batting equipment

The bat

Helmet

Batting pads

Batting gloves

Protective box

Thigh pads

Arm guard

Chest guard

Batting spikes and rubber-soled boots

Cap and sun hat

NINE: TRAINING METHODS AND DRILLS

Technical development

Tactical development

Batting games

Hand-eye-foot coordination

Training on your own

Pre-match

Waiting to bat

Introduction to video analysis

Drill and practice safety awareness

Useful coaching quotes to remember

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

ABOUT THE PLAYERS & COACHES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FOREWORD

There is something unique about the art of batting that separates it from most sports. Like the knock-out in boxing, the batsman losing his wicket signals the end of his game. It’s final, brutal and beautiful at the same time.

There would be very little that would get any person to watch a game that lasts for five days (or even one day for that matter) without these little battles, these tiny victories and failures within the grand scheme of the war. It would be hard to keep people’s attention for the length of time that it takes to complete any game of cricket without that massive moment of celebration for the bowler and huge disappointment for the outgoing batsman, his team-mates and supporters.

I first became a professional cricketer back in 1989 and have been fortunate to stay in the game for the last 30-odd years. During that time, I have seen so many advancements, fitness fads, nuances and biomechanical changes in batting techniques to acknowledge that I will probably never know what the perfect way to bat is, as there will always be new techniques that improve the batsman’s chances of scoring runs. Every time I think I have the complexities of the game covered, someone comes along and masters a new technique. At the time of writing, the off-stump guard is high on the list of debates (certainly between the players that played in my generation and the players of the current generation). One thing that I do know is that whichever technique a batsman chooses, it’s important that the batsman commits to that technique and, even more importantly, does it well.

I have seen players like Shivnarine Chanderapaul average 50 in over 100-plus Test matches. When first looking at his technique you’d think he was destined for failure. If you saw a youngster batting with the same technique, there would be a lot of coaches who would tell him he could never be successful batting that way. For all the biomechanical flaws that Chanderpaul appeared to have, he made up for it with two of the more important things a batsman can possess: the ability to play the ball very late and an amazing appetite for runs born from impeccable concentration.

On the topic of concentration, I have been fascinated by the change in mindset of batsmen in the modern era. Their ability to concentrate has been elevated by a greater understanding of psychology and the use of sports psychologists who have now made terms like emotion control, pre-ball routines and arousal levels part of common dressing-room talk (within the professional game at least).

When I was a player, I would’ve called myself very strong-minded (I’ve never been one for modesty), but most of my coaches would say I was just stubborn and very hard to coach. I listened to the coaches but didn’t always take everything they said as gospel; I’m not sure if this is from a) arrogance, b) ignorance, c) mistrust, d) the fact I felt I could add to things that the coaches were telling me. This last point has fascinated me in recent times. When I first started as a coach, my ego often made it hard for me to accept when a player questioned the things I would suggest to him/her. I felt that any player that didn’t listen to what I had to say was ‘difficult to coach and was not going to reach their potential’. I now recognise that once a batsman is at the professional stage of their career, working out new techniques is important – indeed necessary – for their game to improve. When I look back at the footage of me playing in the late 90s (bearing in mind I was probably one of the more forward-thinking cricketers at the time), I look at the naivety of my technique and feel that had I known then what I’ve since learned as a coach, I would have been a far better player (if I had adopted the modern techniques).

It is a new thing for me to be able to let go of the fact that modern players are superior to those of the past. It would be naïve to think otherwise. People are running faster, jumping further, have greater technology. Almost every world record has improved in every sport; it would be foolish to think that batting was the only sport/activity that has gone backwards.

With that in mind, I feel coaches need to move forward from the old-school ‘tell someone how it’s done’ mindset and need to move towards a more collaborative approach with the player. It goes without saying that this doesn’t apply to youngsters starting the game. Learning a basic and sound technique is vital. The finer nuances of the game can be developed once the player is at the professional level.

One thing that I feel remains contentious and is debated long and hard between the modern player and the more traditionalist player, is the amount of pressure a batsman applies to the bowlers. I know that it will always be the way that ex-players feel that current players aren’t patient enough or prepared to wait for scoring opportunities. This argument has no finish line and will never be resolved; however, I am of the firm belief that a batsman must (by the nature of his body language and intent) make the bowler aware that if he delivers the ball into certain areas of the pitch he is going to get punished. It is this very intent that creates pressure on bowlers, and bowlers who are running up to bowl that are under pressure are far more likely to bowl a loose delivery than the one who runs in to bowl knowing that a batsman is only looking to survive.

So with this in mind I believe that batsmen need to apply pressure to bowlers; the amount of pressure is the very art of batting and if everyone had the answer to that then there would be very little need for James Knott’s and Andy O’Connor’s very enlightening book.

Adam Hollioake Surrey & England

INTRODUCTION

With the variety of formats around in the modern game, cricket players and coaches need to be more flexible in their approach than ever before, developing a diverse set of skills in addition to tactical awareness. Every player will have a ‘natural’ game and style, but it is important now to have a variety of games to suit each format and match scenario. With practice, it is possible to develop numerous ‘natural’ games and different ways of playing. Ben Stokes is a great example of this. In Test cricket he can go from first to top gear very quickly, and at the appropriate time.

There are also many different styles of batting out there. No two batters are identical, and their individual style of batting will have developed through experience, watching other players and through any coaching influences they have had, whether this be from family or formal coaching. It is important to have an understanding of these to develop an all-round game, but ultimately a batter needs to know their own game and figure out what works for them. The greater this awareness, the greater the results will be on the pitch in terms of run scoring.

‘As a player you need to realise you are your own best coach. You are responsible for your performance and your development. A coach can give you ideas and direction, but you need to select the right things that work for you and are suitable for you.;

GRAHAM GOOCH

Essex & England, & former England batting coach

This book highlights and provides options on the basic fundamentals that are required for batting and run scoring, along with a breakdown of the technical and tactical aspects of each shot, coupled with the mental and physical demands of batting. Throughout this book there are many contributions from some of the game’s best players and coaches, both past and present. For coaches there is a comprehensive drills chapter, with over 80 drills and practices that will help develop your player’s game and keep training sessions engaging and varied. Whatever level you are currently playing or coaching at there will be something in this book for you.

Note for players and coaches

Ensure you practise thoroughly before taking any new or revised changes into a game, so that it already feels natural, thereby allowing you to concentrate on just watching the ball. So select the relevant elements that work for you. Ultimately, you need to be responsible for your own development.

Throughout this book, all technical descriptions and drill references are detailed for a right-hand batter facing a right-arm bowler, bowling over the wicket, unless stated otherwise.

ONE

THE BASICS

‘The key basics to nail down are keeping your head still, playing the ball as late as possible and then practising the shots you want to perform in games over and over again.’

BEN DUCKETT

Nottinghamshire & England

It is so important for you as a batter to have a firm technical foundation and knowledge of the basics of batting early in your development, so that should you experience a slump of form and lack of runs, you always have a reference point to return back to. The more these basics are practised and repeated, eventually becoming natural and consistent, the greater success you will have out in the middle. Usually when a dip in form occurs it is a basic fundamental that is failing, so you need to go ‘back to basics’.

Note for coaches

When a player is playing well and scoring runs consistently, record video footage of this for you both to refer back to if they lose form. You will then be able to highlight any differences in their game and start making the interventions to get back to their ‘best’ game.

‘The grip, stance and backlift are the three main building blocks of a solid technique.’

MARK BUTCHER

Surrey & England

Grip

The most important aspect of gripping the bat is that your hands work together and not detrimentally oppose each other. This can potentially be a problem if the hands are too far apart on the bat handle. When working together they allow your bat to come down in a straight line, thus producing a natural flow and follow-through.

To achieve this natural flow with the hands working together, it is advised that the V shapes made by your thumb and first finger of both hands are aligned together on the bat handle as in the photo above. A good starting point is to line these Vs up down the back of the bat between the outside edge and the splice of the bat. If arranged in this manner they produce a straight line down the back of the bat. This is a good starting point for your grip, as it enables you to access both sides of the wicket more easily and contributes to you having a greater array of shots. Some of the world’s best players such as Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli grip the bat this way.

However, there are many batters out there who line their Vs up differently to this. Remember that while this is the preferred method, some unorthodox grips work perfectly for the individual using them. It is an individual preference and should only be changed if it can be proven to be a flaw in technique, ultimately holding back a batter’s development. Try an experiment. Move your Vs so they align with the middle of the bat – straight down the splice. If you take the bat back, what do you notice about the bat face? Which side of the ground will this grip assist with accessing? Which attacking shots will it help with?

The answer is the leg side, as the bat face is now more closed. With the Vs in this position, the grip can help keep the ball down when sweeping, cutting, hooking and pulling. It can also help with getting the hands high when defending. The former South African captain and now director of South African cricket, Graeme Smith, is a good example of a player who had a ‘closed grip’ and would often hit balls from outside off stump through the leg side.

Conversely, if the Vs are lined up more towards the outside edge of the bat, this will aid off-side play as the bat face will now be more ‘open’. Former England captain and now Sky Sports commentator Nasser Hussain is a good example of a batter with a more open grip, and as a result was a good square driver.

Note for coaches

If you find a player whose grip is slightly off-side or leg-side dominant, but they are still able to access both sides of the ground scoring effectively, think hard before intervening. If this grip feels natural to the player and is effective, is there a need for a change?

Most batters will have their hands together on the bat handle, nearer the top than the bottom if the size of the bat is correct. However, some players feel they have more control of the bat if they grip it nearer where the bat handle joins the bat, and others more leverage and therefore power if they grip it near the end of the handle. As you get more experienced you may subtly move your hands lower or higher on the handle if you have premeditated a certain shot. There are even some players who have their hands slightly apart on the handle, the South African batsman Faf du Plessis being an example of such a player.

It is important not to grip the bat too tightly in your set-up if you want to achieve a natural bat flow. If you grip the bat too tightly, and your hands and arms are very tense, this can inhibit your bat swing. Having a lighter, softer grip will make it easier to produce your swing if your bat is the right weight and not too heavy. This is known as having ‘a good pick-up’. You only need to grip the bat handle tightly as the bat hits the ball to ensure that the bat face does not move much on contact and you get full power into the shot.

A relaxed grip will also help you make any late adjustments to the shot you have decided to play, and if you are defending, enable you to achieve ‘soft hands’, where there is some give in the bat as the ball strikes it. This can help get the ball straight to ground or prevent a catch carrying to the wicketkeeper, slip or close-in fielder.

Stance

‘All great players and have great footwork and balance.’

SIR GEOFFREY BOYCOTT

Yorkshire & England

The most important feature of your stance is that it feels comfortable and that you can move quickly from it, whether you have a trigger movement (also called a pre-delivery movement) or not. Trigger movements are discussed later in this chapter. A solid, balanced base, enabling your head and eyes to remain level and still as the bowler runs in, will enhance your ability to watch the ball closely as it is released.

A good starting point is to have your feet approximately shoulder-width apart, with the crease line in the middle of your feet. This ensures that your back foot will be in the crease if the keeper is stood up, thus negating any possibility of being stumped. It also provides some free distance to step safely back towards the stumps for back-foot shots. Of course, there are variations to this, and often tactical decisions may govern where the batter takes their stance. On a low-bouncing wicket, against a medium-pacer with the wicketkeeper stood back, the batter may decide to set up outside the crease, down the pitch towards the bowler to help negate lbw. If facing a very quick bowler, some stand with both feet inside the crease to give themselves more time to see, react to and play the ball.

As with grips, many batters stand differently as the bowler runs in. Some may trigger a lot, some trigger a little, and others not at all. In terms of being balanced and still with a good head position, nearly all players have their knees slightly bent in their stance, with their weight slightly on their heels, not totally on the balls of their feet. The bending of the knees puts the batter into a powerful position for movement, potentially forwards or backwards. Very much like a grasshopper ready to leap, by bending the knees slightly the batter stores up potential energy, then releases this in the movement process. If the batter’s legs are stiff, straight and upright, it is very difficult to move quickly from this position. Conversely, if the knees are bent excessively, this too can hinder quick movement and can lead to coming up on contact with the ball as it is hard to maintain that very low position.

It must be remembered that the weight will be moved into the balls of the feet as the movement decision is initiated. The toes/ball of the back foot will push the batter on to the front foot, and the toes/ball of the front foot will push the batter on to the back foot.

Note for coaches

If a batter is often ‘falling over’ in their stance, with their head moving towards the off side of the pitch, ask them to bend their knees more, move more weight on to their heels and to imagine they are sitting on a stool. If you are using a bowling machine, a great way of ascertaining this is to perform a ‘dummy feed’, where you pretend to feed the ball into the machine. The batter will invariably continue with their movement, thus enabling you to determine the unrestrained direction of movement and balance.

In the photo on the previous page you will notice that the batter’s stance is slightly open, with the back foot on middle stump, front foot on middle-and-leg stump. This slight opening of the stance can help keep the eyes level and still, by preventing the head falling over to the off side. All players are slightly different, but if you are picking up a bat for the first time this is a good starting point.

The head is also slightly forward and tucked into the left shoulder over the front foot so that the eyes are level and are presented towards the ball. This head position will also help you stay over the ball, whether you are playing on the front or back foot and will additionally help with transferring your weight into your shot and keep the ball on the ground. A useful coaching point is to ask the batter to keep their helmet grill tucked into their shoulder area while in their stance. This will help with keeping the head and front shoulder relationship together in the shot.

‘Your head should be still, slightly pointed at the target, with your eyes level and on off stump. Head goes towards the ball and your head and shoulder move before your feet. Lean slightly forward – this can help you not fall over to the off side.’

GRAHAM GOOCH

How wide apart you have your feet will depend upon personal preference in terms of comfort and feel for best achieving a solid base coupled with quick movement. A good starting point is around or just wider than shoulder-width apart, similar to that of Joe Root. There are of course exceptions to this – the great England batsman Kevin Pietersen had his feet a long way apart in his stance, while players of previous generations often had their feet quite close together. Certainly, the taller you are the wider stance you are likely to need to achieve a balanced position.

Note for coaches

If a batter is struggling with their footwork, then a wider stance can help them as they have less distance to move forward or back, and they can simply transfer their weight on to one foot or the other. The great England opening batsman, Marcus Trescothick, is someone who admitted he never had great footwork so adopted a wider stance.

Some players also like to open their front foot slightly so that it points towards extra cover. Again, this can help with your head position and the ability to hit down the ground and to the leg side. It is also the position it should end up in for most front-foot shots, whether defending or attacking.

Many batters will open their stance up further to play inswing bowling or a right-arm bowler bowling round the wicket, so that their shoulders are aligned to where the ball is coming from. This action ensures they are not ‘closed off’ to the delivery, where they would have to play round their front pad to access a straight delivery. If the ball is swinging in to a right-handed batter, then this will also help reduce lbw dismissals.

Trigger movements (or pre-delivery movements)

‘Timing of any trigger movement is crucial. If you do it too late you will be on the move as the bowler lets go of the ball, which will delay your footwork. On release you need to be still with your head and eyes level. The trigger movement must also be consistent, so you know where your off stump is.’

GRAHAM GOOCH

Whether you are just starting out or are an experienced player, you need to have a good understanding of a trigger movement and what it is used for.

Most batters have a trigger movement of some sort. For some it may be very small, perhaps just a small bend of the knees and lifting of the bat, while others may have a much more exaggerated movement similar to Alastair Cook, who takes large strides across the crease. The most important aspect of any trigger movement is that, whatever form it takes, it has finished by the time the bowler lets go of the ball, ensuring that your feet and, most importantly, your head are still, with your eyes level and presented towards the ball.

A trigger movement needs to be consistent and repeatable so that it is the same each ball, finishing in the same place each time. This is critical for knowing where your head is in relation to off stump, allowing you to judge whether a ball is going to hit the stumps, is moving down the leg side, or missing the off stump. This judgement is critical in determining your shot decision-making relative to each ball.

The main reason for batters having trigger movements is to activate their footwork, inducing the feeling that they are light on their feet and can move quickly into position to execute the shot. This is particularly true when playing quick bowling. Often batters can feel rooted to the spot if they simply stand dead still. If you are a successful batter, playing all types of bowling without a trigger movement, then continue to do so. However, if footwork is an issue for you, then think about adding a trigger movement to your pre-delivery routine.

Example of trigger movement

Note for coaches

A trigger movement can help footwork and speed up movement. However, if you have a batter who is committing too early when playing spin, then perhaps suggest that they do not trigger when facing a spin bowler. This will slow down footwork, but they do have more time to play the ball against a slow bowler. A lot of batters trigger against quick bowling but not when facing spin.

Backswing

As with all the aspects discussed so far in this chapter, no two batters are identical in how they pick up the bat. However, the best batters bring the bat down straight to connect with the ball, unless playing one of the horizontal bat shots discussed in the next chapter.

While in their stance, some batters start with their bat between their feet, particularly players with a wide stance. Others place the bat behind their right foot, some wide of their feet, and some may not have it on the floor at all. Some may tap the bat on the ground as the bowler runs in or move it up and down.

During the bowler’s run-up it is not that important what your bat does. However, once the ball is delivered it becomes very important in two ways:

1. The bat needs to go up, so you can get power.

2. It then needs to come down straight, to give you the best chance of hitting the ball.

The bat does not have to go back straight to come down straight. Watch footage of the world’s current best batters, Steve Smith, Joe Root, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson. Their backswing initially arcs towards the slips/gully, before looping back into a straight position prior to commencing the downswing, which again comes down straight.

‘You should pick up the bat towards first, second slip and then loop back round straight to get a natural swing.’

SIR GEOFFREY BOYCOTT

As long as your bat comes down straight, it is fine to have an arc in your backswing. However, if you do have that arc and you find you are playing around the line or ‘in to out’, then you will need to swing the bat back straighter for it to come down straighter. The term ‘in to out’ describes the motion where the bat downswing comes into your body, hits the ball, then commences to arc away from your body on the follow-through. This looping action causes batters to hit the ball mainly to the off side of the pitch.

At the point of release, most batters will have their bat between knee and waist high. The reason for this is so the bat goes back before it comes down, activating a natural pendulum motion, with the downward momentum going through the ball to give power to your shots. The bat accelerates through the ball for attacking shots and decelerates to a stop for defensive ones.

As the batter moves towards the ball the bat goes back further and then comes down to hit the ball. It does not have to move far, just enough to activate momentum to the bat. It is important that any backswing feels natural and is consistent. If you are gripping the bat lightly, this will help you achieve a natural swing, bringing the bat down straight. There is a phrase ‘step and backswing’. Both occur simultaneously, hence as the batter steps forward or back to the ball, the backswing is initiated.

Like a golf swing, the golfer does not start with the club above their head. It starts low to the ground next to the ball and then goes back and up in a natural swing. It is the same for your backswing. It needs to go up before coming back down. However, most batters would find themselves too rushed to fit this in if the bat started on the ground. Therefore, the majority will have their bat between knee and waist height as the bowler lets go of the ball.

When trying to hit fours and sixes – ‘power hitting’ – it is useful to use another golf analogy. If a golfer wants to hit the ball a long way they use a driver in association with a very long backswing. If they want to chip the ball they use a pitching wedge with a very short backswing. Therefore, it is obvious that if you want to hit the cricket ball a long way, you have to activate a big backswing! If a batter has no backswing, their attacking shots become more of a push than a hit and getting the timing right can be a problem.

Note for coaches

There are always exceptions. Viv Richards would have his bat on the floor as the bowler released the ball, Paul Collingwood had a small backswing, and Brian Lara’s bat was above his head as the bowler delivered. If your player does any of these and is making runs, then let them continue in that manner.

Watching the ball

When discussing stance and trigger movements, the importance of having your eyes level and presented towards the ball are critical. This gives you the greatest chance of seeing the ball leave the bowler’s hand clearly. It is in this instance that you will receive the most information about what line and length the ball will be pitching on, and, if you are watching really closely, whether there is likely to be any movement in the air or off the pitch due to the bowler’s wrist and finger positions.

The earlier you pick up the ball in its flight, the more time you will have to play your shots, and therefore make better shot selection decisions regarding whether to go forward or back, and attack or defend. If the ball has already travelled a distance before you have picked it up, the more rushed you will be to play your shot. Seeing the ball as it is let go by the bowler is crucial. Bowlers sometimes give away visual cues as to what type of delivery they are about to bowl. This is extremely useful for the batter to identify, especially against fast bowling. This is discussed further in the book.

It is most beneficial to focus on the ball as the bowler is running in, tracking it in their hand until they release it. You may be able to gain some information and evaluate what the bowler is trying to do while they are running in; for example, which side of the ball is the shiny side, or whether their grip has changed for a slower ball or other type of variation. This is an important skill to learn early on and will also aid you in picking a spinner’s delivery too. This is discussed more in Chapter 3.

Next time you practise see if you can pick which side the shiny side is as the bowler is running in.

You should aim to watch the ball all the way on to the bat. A good habit when training is to exaggerate this. The aggressive New Zealand opening batsman, Martin Guptill, even exaggerates his head watching the ball in matches, so as the ball sails over the long-on boundary for 6, his head is still looking down at the spot where his bat made contact with the ball. Watching the ball all the way on to the bat will help you deal with any late movement, as well as playing the ball late and keeping it down. Additionally, as the Martin Guptill example highlights, it is also important when hitting over the top. That is developed more in the next chapter.

Note for coaches

If a batter has lost some form and is in a period of low scoring, ask them whether they are watching the ball closely before suggesting any technical changes. It maybe that they are simply not quite focused on the ball as it is released, therefore not picking up the ball until later in its flight.

Playing late

‘See it early, play it late. Particularly when facing swing bowling or the turning ball.’

SIR GEOFFREY BOYCOTT

Playing late is an extremely important element of batting, as it is crucial to know where you should be making contact with the ball, in terms of its relationship with your body. Most coaches will talk about playing late, but where is that in relation to your body and head?

The answer is when the ball is beneath your head. On the front foot, if you have bent your front knee, your head will be over your left foot toes, or just inside them, so that is where you should contact the ball whether driving or defending, when aiming to keep the ball down along the ground. When playing off the back foot through the off side, this is now in line with your right leg and foot, with the ball still close to being under your head. This will obviously be dependent on the line of the ball.

If you make contact with the ball when it is under your head you will be able to keep it down and benefit from transferring your body weight into the shot, therefore maximising the power in your shots. You will also have a lot more control of where the ball goes.

Front foot contact area.

Back foot contact area.

Imagine a small box under your head that goes with you whether you play front or back foot. Any ball you hit within that box gives the maximum control and is a lower risk shot. It also enables you to keep the ball along the ground, you can angle it into gaps, increase power, as well as make any late adjustments if the ball moves.

The better the wicket, with more pace and true bounce, then the larger the box will be. The worse the wicket, slower and more seam movement, the smaller that box becomes, as you have less margin for error. Any shot you play outside of this box will bring higher risk, particularly by accidentally hitting it in the air. Your decision to play it will be determined by the match situation and the format of game you are playing.

It is essential that this simple truth be remembered. If you want to keep the ball down, upon contact the handle of the bat should be in front of the blade, and if you want to hit the ball in the air, upon contact the handle of the bat should be behind the blade. The upper half of the body – the shoulders, arms and hands – hit the ball. The lower half of the body – the legs – get you into position to do so.

Fundamentally, the feet are the servants of the body.

TWO

THE SHOTS – TECHNICAL ASPECTS

‘A good technique gives you confidence and a much better chance of doing well.’

SIR GEOFFREY BOYCOTT

This chapter will cover the technical aspects of the shots you can play, whether defending, attacking or leaving the ball. A large selection of shots are available to you, wherever the bowler delivers the ball, and the length and line the ball needs to be for each shot will be highlighted. In the following chapter we discuss the tactical considerations, which will also influence your decision-making and subsequent shot selection.

The following diagram shows the various lengths the ball can be delivered on, and we will describe the ideal length the ball needs to pitch on for each particular shot.

Expanding the range of shots for particular deliveries (i.e. hitting good-length balls on the up) is discussed in Chapters 4 and 7.

Player task

Once you have completed this chapter and practised the shots, highlight three attacking shots that you play well and consistently. They can be front- or back-foot. This will initiate the process of understanding your own game and what your individual strengths are.

Front-foot drives

‘Footwork is an important basic to get right. If you get this right, you will get a good head position. You want the front foot alongside the ball so your bat can come through straight. If in line or off side of the ball you have to play round the front pad. That will make your head fall over.’

SIR GEOFFREY BOYCOTT

We start with attacking shots, so that if you are reading this book early in your playing career or are perhaps considering whether to give cricket a go for the first time, we want you to first of all feel the excitement of hitting the ball hard and watching it travel a long way. When in a game situation this will help you score runs, which is ultimately what batting is about.

The ideal length for playing a front-foot drive is a half-volley, or a full toss below knee height. If it is a half-volley, the ball has little distance to travel after pitching before you hit it with the bat, so there is less risk in playing the shot if there is any movement off the pitch.

Whether defending or attacking on the front foot, the first part of your body to move towards the ball will be your head and left shoulder. This will hopefully be instinctive if you have a balanced position upon the bowler releasing the ball, and your eyes are level and presented towards where the ball is coming from. Your front foot and body should then start to move just after your head and shoulder.

As you step towards the ball, your bat should be taken back higher in your backswing, as you are looking to hit the ball and score runs. You need to generate power into the shot, so this initial backswing followed by the downswing momentum will provide this.

In the photos on the previous page, the batter has taken a comfortable stride forward and bent his front knee. The bending of the front knee is crucial to allow your body weight to go through the ball, which will give you more power than just hitting with your arms, also enabling you to get your head over the ball. A bent knee also helps you to achieve a solid balanced base, encouraging the bat to come through straight, all the way from the top of its backswing to the end of its follow-through. If not balanced, there will be excess body movement restricting the bat from coming through in a perfect arc.

Note for coaches

If, despite having a bent knee, a batter is struggling to achieve a solid base, look at two potential front-foot issues. After stepping forward, are they landing heel first or toes first? If landing on the balls of the feet, the front foot might not be fully planted and is trying to balance on the balls of the feet only. It is difficult to achieve a solid base like this. Encourage your batter to land heel first before planting the whole foot down. The second issue to look for is where the front foot is pointing. Ideally for all off-side drives it should not be pointing straight down the pitch. A strong base is best achieved by pointing it towards extra cover. If the batter is attempting an on drive or straight drive, their front foot can point down the pitch, while still crucially forming a solid base. Without a solid base they will fall over to the off side and the shoulders will rotate horizontally instead of working vertically.

The forward stride length that takes you to the ball should be comfortable and will vary for every player depending on how long their legs are, coupled with their natural mobility. If you are trying to take an excessively long step, it will be more difficult to get your head and weight over the ball, and harder to achieve a solid base. The length of stride is also determined by the line of the ball. If just outside off stump, it is easier to take a bigger stride. When on the stumps most players take a shorter stride forward.

In terms of the bat swing, the bat should go right through the ball and follow through in the direction you want the ball to go. Imagine if you were to let go of the bat after hitting the ball – it would go in exactly the same direction as the ball. Remember to only grip the bat tightly as you are just about to connect with the ball, so that your bat swing remains true throughout the pendulum motion. Take a look at the photo sequence below, as this highlights the perfect ‘P’ position that your hands and bat make throughout the swing.

Check swing.

You can swing through with a ‘check swing’ or a ‘full follow-through’.

Full follow-through.

For check drives, it is the bottom, or toe, of the bat that should finish its swing pointing to where the ball should go. If a full follow-through drive is executed, it is the top of the handle of the bat that should point where the ball should go after the wrists have broken.

It is important that the step to the ball is in sync with the bat coming through to hit the ball. Ideally you do not want your foot planted too early then the bat coming down to hit the ball. You will lose a lot of natural timing this way, without as much body weight contributing to the power in the shot. You will just be hitting with your arms.

To keep the ball along the ground the bat should make contact with the ball on the downswing so the bat is angled:

Remember, if you want to hit the ball down, the handle should be in front of the blade when connecting with the ball. If the plan is to go over the top, then contact is slightly further out in front of the body with the bat now on the upswing:

Remember, if you want to hit the ball up, the handle should be behind the blade when connecting with the ball.

Note for coaches

When hitting over the top, players often try to hit the ball too hard and the shoulders start to rotate horizontally instead of vertically, leading to the bottom hand dominating the shot and the path of the bat therefore not going straight through the line of the ball. It is important to stress not trying to ‘overhit’. Try to keep a side-on shape as long as possible, specifically on contact with the ball, allowing the natural swing of the bat and the transfer of body weight to generate the power required to get the ball over the top of the infield or boundary.

‘Keep a strong base and keep your head still. Don’t try to overhit it and lose your shape.’

BEN DUCKETT

When hitting over the top, it is easier to hit balls that pitch just short of a half-volley length, as this length allows the bat to get underneath the ball on contact. How to ‘create the length’ to hit over the top from full deliveries is detailed in Chapter 7, although this of course can be used in any format of the game.

In terms of where your front foot should be in relation to the line of the ball, it will be alongside it as much as possible. Once the ball gets too wide this will no longer be possible, but it is still important that your foot goes in the direction of the line of the ball for you to still get your weight through it and have control of the shot. The three photos below show where the front foot lands in relation to the ball depending on its line:

Straight drive.

Off drive.

Cover drive.

For straight drives where the ball is hitting the stumps and you want to hit down the ground past the bowler, it is not usually necessary or possible to get a big stride in. However, it is still important to get your weight into the shot. Some players often take a shuffle forward as they play the shot to stop overbalancing. When they do this it is important to keep the knees bent so the head does not come up and the shoulders will stay in a vertical position, not rotating into a horizontal plane.

On drives

It is crucial in your batting development to have a strong on-side (or leg-side) game, with an array of scoring options. To generalise, depending on the match situation and the bowling type, there are usually more gaps on the on side to score into. It is important that when a bowler bowls into your pads you can find a gap and score. If you score consistently when the bowler strays down the leg side, you will put them under a lot more pressure. This increase in pressure is likely to cause more mistakes from the bowler, culminating in more scoring opportunities for you.

The key to any leg-side shot, except pulls, hooks and sweeps, is that it is still fundamentally a straight bat shot. The bat still needs to come down straight to give you the best chance of connecting with the ball. Just before you make contact, your wrists work to help you angle the ball into the gap.

On drive sequence.

On drive sequence.

Through mid wicket sequence.

Through mid wicket sequence.

The ball delivered above is a half-volley, so the batter is looking to drive similarly as they would a ball on the stumps or outside off stump. It is important that the contact area is still beneath the head so that you control the shot and can keep the ball down. Instead of a bent front knee, your front leg can straighten slightly to allow the bat to come through and access the ball. Often, if you try to play from a front-foot base, the bat has to come round the front pad and, instead of coming through straight, is actually coming across the ball, making it harder to get the timing right for connection. In this case the ball will likely strike the pad and you will miss out on a scoring opportunity. If your front foot strides too far to the off side, you will have cut yourself off from clean access to the ball, so once again you will play around your pad.

It is critical that if the ball is relatively straight, the front foot is taken to the leg side of the ball, ensuring that the foot is pointing straight down the pitch. This allows the hips to open up, creating a much better alignment for hips and shoulders to create a straight path for the bat to follow on its downswing and follow-through.