Custom Bats Cricket Forum
General Cricket => Cricket Training, Fitness and Injuries => Topic started by: kaustav on April 01, 2012, 05:09:18 PM
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So yesterday, we played a game on a nightmarish pitch; chasing 149 we barely won by just one wicket. Balls were keeping low, bouncing high suddenly, moving off the pitch like a stabbed rat and what not. My question is: how do you manage an innings on such a dicey wicket when you know that any ball can get you out at any time. What kind of mindset should a batsman have according to your opinion? What kind of shots should he avoid? Should he hit out knowing fully well that the next ball will get him out or should he just hang in there and concentrate as hard as possible? I am sure that at a point in all our seasons, we will come across a pitch which will behave ridiculously. Please discuss. :( 8) >:(
Thanks
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you put on your lid and man up, Brian Close style and expect to wear a few.
protect your stumps, play on the front foot where possible and work really hard to rotate the strike so the bowlers don't get into a rhythm.
if you go for the try and slog everything approach it will work one time in about 12, so the odds are against it working but if it is someone's day you never know.
the longer you bat the easier it will get.
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As Wilkie will tell you there was a team in the league with one if these pitches where 120 was a good score I just tried to bat on middle and get forward but anything wide throw hands and bat at it
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yes wear a lid wear a few for the team try and play the ball as late you can and hope you have a bit luck on the way and rotate the strike and wait for the bad ball run hard put fielding side under pressure in the field ;)
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I agree with all the previous comments as i've played on this surface for the last 2 years in prague but no longer as we have a proper pitch from this season.. hooray!
It was basically a park so in the middle it was a mix of playing on flix, carpet or the barish ground when dry enough so none of the teams here knew what to expect.... it was a great leveller of batsmen but by focusing hard on every ball and staying in as long as possible helped everyone who got a few runs..
However, this year we all start from scratch on what we hope will be a decent wicket and field...
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Sounds like the pitch we had as a 'home' one for the last two years, 140 is a good score on it. The players who have done best on it seem to either bat long or really go for it from the start and smash a quick 20 or 30
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My sunday village team has a very poor wicket. Slow and low or bounce like a tennis ball. A lot of good teams come unstuck as they try to over attack thinking they'll get out any second. This is true but you need to forget about it and focus on each ball expecting it to play as normal and be a bit selective with your shots. I look to get forward to just about everything and play straight as much as possible, which is not easy when I favour the cut and pull. If a ball is in your area try to cash in and put it away and hang in there with the others. Also don't expect to score as fast and team totals needs to be adjusted. 100 in an T20 game will usually get you a win on our pitch.
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I played on similar pitches last season for the 3rd team. Agree to what Buzz said ,getting on front foot and as close to the pitch of the ball possible and don't commit to any shots too early. Prepare to get hit and enjoy the battle. Short pitched balls won't cause much trouble as you get a bit more time to react and adjust. I tried to stop playing the cut shot initially eventhough it was my best shot.
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Like a few here I've got nearly 30 years of cricket under my belt and can remember the good days before covers were used. Played on a few nasty ones but less so nowadays. I'd give these tips:-
1. Play each ball on it's merit - sounds stupid but alot of guys get themselves out playing for something that isn't there. You'd also be surprised what a few smacks to the boundary does for the bowling teams confidence.
2. Play tight- don't go for expansive drives or front foot pulling. Defend your stumps with the full face and watch the ball carefully. The longer you stay in the easier it will get.
3. Play late and watch the ball bounce - don't assume because it's short it will sit up.
Unlike others, I don't think plunging onto the front foot works. If you are playing on a moss track then it's far more sensible to start on the back foot. It depends on the track is all I'm saying. More important watch the ball carefully and react late to any movement ie. dropping the wrists on a popper or lunging down for the shooter.
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So yesterday, we played a game on a nightmarish pitch; chasing 149 we barely won by just one wicket. Balls were keeping low, bouncing high suddenly, moving off the pitch like a stabbed rat and what not. My question is: how do you manage an innings on such a dicey wicket when you know that any ball can get you out at any time. What kind of mindset should a batsman have according to your opinion? What kind of shots should he avoid? Should he hit out knowing fully well that the next ball will get him out or should he just hang in there and concentrate as hard as possible? I am sure that at a point in all our seasons, we will come across a pitch which will behave ridiculously. Please discuss. :( 8) >:(
Used to call it prop and cop. prop forward with teh bat in line with the stumps and be prepared to cop one that bounces on the body. If you play for the low bounce and don't mind the pain, the dangers aren't nearly as bad as all that, especially as bowlers will forsake a good length as soon as they see the variable bounce!
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sounds like one end of the square at my cricket club. Best way to deal with it is to dig deep and just bat. dont worry too much about what its doing. sooner or later your likely to get that ball that kicks off a length or rolls along the floor. it happens unfortunately. rotate the strike and make full use of the loose delivery.
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I think you just have to get on with it and accept that the ball can do anything and If the ball beats the bat then don't worry about it too much because there is nothing you can do about it.
I agree with everyone else, play with a straight bat and don't expect the same ball twice haha.
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just wish for the full toss lol
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Unlike others, I don't think plunging onto the front foot works. If you are playing on a moss track then it's far more sensible to start on the back foot. It depends on the track is all I'm saying. More important watch the ball carefully and react late to any movement ie. dropping the wrists on a popper or lunging down for the shooter.
The danger if you sit on the back foot is that the mind can play tricks on you as you see far more movement from the bals that do something abnormal, and you then start to twitch at the ball, bringing th slips into play far more than is necessary. On the front foot, movement is minimised and the one that pops has hit you before you can get yourself into much trouble!
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Be watchful, straight bat, and soft hands. Unless someone is bowling at 80+ mph, nothing you wear is going to hurt that much, with all the padding...
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practice.
put a blind fold on when in the nets and feel for the ball.
works a treat
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As nightmare uncovered pitches are all too common in Cumbria, I would agree that playing straight, looking to get forward and soft hands is the best approach. By all means play off the back foot if very short but in my experience playing in the 'v' off the back foot with a straight bat is much less risky on horrible tracks than a cross batted shot as it allows for more margin for deviation of the ball. Oh, but if you get a full toss...cash in!
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We have the similar experience in Romania. For fast bowlers, my strategy is to stand quite ahead of my crease with the exception of one or two bowlers who are quite fast and try to reach to the ball where it is pitched with the straight bat. If it is in the zone or I am able to reach it, I am generally hitting it straight along the ground or over the bowlers head. In case the bowler adjusts the length, I try to defend it with a straight bat with the pad behind the bat.
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Batting, you want to try keeping on the pitch from hell...................lol
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Batting, you want to try keeping on the pitch from hell...................lol
Last season on our home pitch I bowled a gentle off-break that ripped off of something on the pitch outside off, turned hard and fast about two feet, beat the batsman and hit him on the chin. Lucky really, cause the keeper said he'd no idea what'd happened. Happily I returned to dinner lady mode straight after, dishing up puddings to get destroyed.
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The danger if you sit on the back foot is that the mind can play tricks on you as you see far more movement from the bals that do something abnormal, and you then start to twitch at the ball, bringing th slips into play far more than is necessary. On the front foot, movement is minimised and the one that pops has hit you before you can get yourself into much trouble!
As I said, depends on the track. Propping forward on a wet flyer is far more likely to get you out off the shoulder than playing back and straight. With regards to movement it works both ways, playing back gives you a fraction more time to bring the bat out of the line. However you can increase the deviation by playing back. Worth considering in the days of uncovered wickets at first class level, they mainly played back and must of known a thing or two ;)
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As I said, depends on the track. Propping forward on a wet flyer is far more likely to get you out off the shoulder than playing back and straight. With regards to movement it works both ways, playing back gives you a fraction more time to bring the bat out of the line. However you can increase the deviation by playing back. Worth considering in the days of uncovered wickets at first class level, they mainly played back and must of known a thing or two ;)
Unless they were called Peter May who used the "if in doubt, push out" method ;)
I think you have to play to your strengths, if you are playing on a damp flyer then it is reasonable to play back a little more, but they don't happen very often... the damp tennis ball bouncing track is more common - in which case there is a fair amount of rock forward then back and smash the ball over midwicket - in theory - wear it in the chest in practice!! :)
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practice.
put a blind fold on when in the nets and feel for the ball.
works a treat
Use the force....
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I played on one track last year with variable bounce, to say the least, and found myself playing off the back foot to try and give myself more time to play the ball late. Then got trapped in front, lbw for not many, when one just didn't rise from short of a good length. Couldn't get down in time, and was plum in front. Thought at the time that if I'd played forward to it I would've put some element of doubt in the umpire's mind, even if it were straight. That said, I'd probably have gotten one on a good length that bounced, hit a glove and popped up. Ultimately, you have to accept there's risks in both strategies, and as the fellas say, pick the one that best suits the pitch.
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I'm no Geoffrey Boycott, but you have to be careful not to go and chase the bad delivery, if you go at it too hard then there is huge risk of nicking one off, or dragging one on.
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Get forward watch the ball leave as much as possaible + keep shape + put the ball away when you can selecxt areas where you can score
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On a nightmare pitch quite often the side that bowls the best will win, for those overs things are in your favor so take advantage and save every run. Batting, get forward and play with a straight bat, don't check your drives, the ball wont be coming on quite often you will play it early and spoon a catch to mid-off, if its more than a push play with a full follow through which will also get a few fielders out for easy singles. We played on a terrible pitch and our openers just defended and little pushes into gaps and milked the singles, 4-5 off the over + a bad ball dispatched for 4 every couple of overs and that's an excellent rate to go at, without really taking an risks.
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Use the force....
What if you are facing Yoda?
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What if you are facing Yoda?
Then repeat... "Something something something Darkside"
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Then repeat... "Something something something Darkside"
Vader!! Stop!! huuushh (Vader breathes...)
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Batting, you want to try keeping on the pitch from hell...................lol
with u on that mate
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yeah Simmy was rubbish over at Ledsham last year. Dropped a catch off me!
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Batting on a bad pitch, going forward or going backward both have their issues. If you go back the ball can keep low and bowl you, forward it can pop up and go off the glove. I try to go backward and only play straight batted shots, so if it skids on you can just drop on it. Certainly no Pull shot, as when it keeps low pulling you will always get out.