Custom Bats Cricket Forum
General Cricket => Your Cricket => Topic started by: jchokshi on April 01, 2014, 10:51:34 PM
-
Recently, I've been asked to shape myself to open the innings for my team. Traditionally, I've been playing at 4th position comfortably. However, for the last two innings that I've played as opener, I failed miserably. What I've observed is that I don't find myself mentally prepared to open the innings I guess. I tend to feel a bit fearful from playing the shot (fear of getting out or say "pressure of not loosing the wicket early", 2nd guessing myself, etc.) which I'd have played easily had I been playing at 4th position. I don't myself calm at the crease when I open the innings compared to 4th position that I'm used to play.
I don't know if why this is happening as this is pretty new to me and suffice to say that I don't like it. Has anybody had experienced such symptoms before? Any advises?
Thanks,
Jay
-
Hi mate, ive just done an assignment on this exact topic and hope that I can help you, here goes:
I think that you are overly anxious, which leads to low or high arousal levels, meaning that you cannot perform at you're peak.
The reason you are getting anxious is because you dont have very much experience batting.
There are ways that you can improve on this though. Firstly, Positive self talk is probably the most useful, always staying in a positive mindset and saying positive things to yourself helps to clear the head after a poor shot. Secondly, Imagery is useful. there are two forms of imagery, one is personal, this is where you imagine the bowler through you're eyes, secondly, what I call public imagery is more like someone is videoing you. Personally, I always imagine Ian Bell playing the shot that I want to play, and think about how I can play that.
Just think, at the end of the day, cricket is a game and everyone fails at points. But the game is 90% mental and 10% skill, so if you are in the wrong mindset you will never succeed.
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." Michael Jordan
Rowan, (PS I want to be a sports psychologist :P)
If you would like proper definitions or would like to go deeper, feel free to pm me or just reply to this.
-
what a super topic.
there seems to me to be two parts to your issue...
one you are being asked to do something you are uncomfortable with because it is new and don't have a new plan.
two no one has mentioned to you that opening is much harder than 4 as you are facing the opposition bowlers when they are fresh with a new ball.
my view is for the first, relax and for the second, recognise the issue and play yourself in for longer.
there are a few other thoughts here...
http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=8242.msg124907#msg124907 (http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=8242.msg124907#msg124907)
-
As a new opener they probably don't expect much from you and you have the full team behind you. This means you can bat freely and without fear.
It surely is a better place to be rather than coming in at 4 once your team has lost wickets early.
Why are you focussing on playing shots early on anyway?
If you are fearful of playing shots then don't play them. Give yourself 30 balls or so.
And man up
-
two no one has mentioned to you that opening is much harder than 4 as you are facing the opposition bowlers when they are fresh
Yes fresh bowlers mean loose few balls so perfect time to get your eye in.
You said you were comfortable at number 4 but did you make many runs?
How would you have batted as 4 if let's say your team had lost 2 wickets in first over.
-
Man up?? Don't think that comments gonna help much is it?
Opening does take time to get used to, the bowlers are fresher etc, the balls harder, the seams more pronounced,the wicket could be greener,,
All of which are challenges to overcome, hence the need to play yourself in.
Listen to others you have seen open the batting well, ,try and learn from what they do.
The main thing though, is enjoy the opportunity , the team obviously have faith in you.
-
Opening is all subjective. What you need to so depends on the game situation. What your partner is playing like. What he oppo bowlers are doing. You really can't have a set plan every game.
Look at Rogers for Australia. Sometimes he's on 20 of 80 balls. And others he's out scoring Warner!
We dropped our opener a few years back as he became fearful of getting out. We were ending up 90 all out of 40 odd overs. And him carrying his bat for just 6 runs of 124 balls(yep that's his record) and his attitude was. "I'm an opener my job is to not get out"
Well your putting for too much pressure on the rest of us to score so it ain't working.
He since learned and will be back up the order to start this season.
Me when I'm opening I love to put pressure on the opposition bowler, if I can get him off his game before he's settled in good, the fields in, so i can go over the top. Get us a good start and them on the back foot, with bowling restrictions, it's also good if you can remove the oppos bowler from the attack,
Unfortunately that worked less than it didn't, I had a few quick fire 50s, but also a lot of signal figure scores as there are a few close catches on for that mistake.
Then there is our constant opener that revels in opening. He plays the game needed at whatever point,
He once took 24 of the first over because the opener was bowling pies so he took advantage. Yet finished his innings with a 138 ball 111.
I.e he plays the ball on merit. Scores when he can, and if he can't doesn't. But when times get tough he always manages to rotate the strike.
My advice don't over think it. Play your natural game. If it works your an opener. If it doesn't ask to be moved back to 4.
-
Hi Jay
3 years ago asked to do the exact same thing. No one else in the team wanted to open, this year 1st time we had a real opener in our team so it was great to bat with the same guy every week.
1stly I used to like being the non striker, not any more found waiting nervous, so I take strike.
I also like not having to wait to bat.
You get great value for your shots, if they are there I really go for them, the balls new, fields up, and I generally find I get enough early to hit ( I'm a lefty think that helps as well).
Don't forget the bowlers might be nervous as well? I like what Rowan was suggesting, be positive.
I'm no great technician, others on here would be far more qualified to comment, but I do try and play straight for longer, I think, more so than when I came in down the order, just a gut feeling, nothing deliberate, but I think it's a consequence of the bowling.
Cheers
Mark
-
2013 was my first year as an opener, I've started off the year nervous of getting out and didn't really open up until I was on 30/40 ish. However, I soon learned that simply playing each ball on its own merit and knowing what shots you are and are not comfy with early on are the two keys to getting decent scores. You can talk about quick between the wickets, rotating strike etc. Simply put, first ten overs focus on only attacking the bad balls, don't force shots. Sometimes bowlers are allowed to bowl well. If that happens then it's fine, you just adjust to the first change guy and look to attack a bit more etc.
Worst thing you can do is go out there block balls, use them up and put pressure on your team. Or be the one that just goes out swinging and mainly fails and just goes 'I like to dominate'. You are no warner lad,
Each ball on its merit
Look to attack each ball if you can (positive intent)
Respect good balls
Bad balls throw the kitchen sink at and hit for 4/6
No matter the level, barring the odd super spell, there WILL be enough crap balls that you at your worst will score 100 off about 130 balls, which. Ost openers worth their salt would take. If it's worse bowling, you'll find it's quicker :)
-
Think about how you would bat at number 4 if two quick wickets were lost and apply the same strategy. You would need to assess the bowling, pitch and avoid early further damages. Being a middle order batsman can actually work in favour because you can easily shift gears as the innings progresses. Importantly enjoy the chance given to you to face more balls than a number 4 batsman , it actually means you can score more runs.
-
6 off 124 balls!!! :o
surely someone had to deliberately run him out after about 50 balls.
-
Man up?? Don't think that comments gonna help much is it?
well you may not find it helpful some may do.
It was said with good intentions so chill.
Which brings me to the point that batters especially openers have to be less sensitive and be able to block all the sledging, keepers comments etc. out of your mind.
-
Some great advice from everyone on this topic and I'm probably going to repeat much of what is said below!
Having done nearly every position in the batting order, they all seem to require something a little different. To me the main differences between opening and a number 4 are:-
1. Tighter technique, must play straighter and more compact
2. Know were your off stump is and be prepared to let plenty of balls go
3. Look for the singles, sometimes decks are so juicy getting a genuine four ball is unlikely for several overs
4. Shot selection - pack away the big expansive drive in favour of a checked drive, sometimes driving anything is out of the question for a while
Opening is the hardest job in the batting order but the rewards are there if you can just hold on and wait for conditions to ease. Sometimes you get lucky and the it proves to be the best time to bat, the bowlers struggle to control the new ball and there are plenty of gaps to exploit. You have to weigh up the situation and know fairly quickly whether it's a "dig in" period or an opportunity to score quickly. As others have said, a fair bit of thought needs to be given when opening.
-
If all else fails have a double vodka about 10 minutes before you go out to bat.
-
Opening can be difficult at times. You usually face the oppo's best bowlers, who may be fired up if they are defending a low total/playing a must win game/have first use of a seamers pitch/have a reason to be angry. They'll generally have a harder ball with a more pronounced seam.
When I started opening the batting a few seasons ago, I got promoted from tail end slogger with no technique (some would argue that's still the case!) After a while, I learnt you had to be selfish and just block for a while. However, my natural instinct is to attack. I always found it easier when opening with another aggressive batsman, as they would quite often take the pressure I felt to score runs at the top. That would allow me to focus on getting my eye in a bit more.
-
a very good point raised by ajmw89
its easier if you have 2 openers with very different styles, one who is happy to be a little more aggresive and the other who is happy to rotate the strike.
Get 2 of the same and it usually ends up with either an early wicket or 30 for 0 off 20 overs which isnt really helpful.
-
As an opener myself, the most important thing for me is having someone at the other end with a different style. I'm slow to get going and struggle with the full ball however pounce on anything short, I speed up after about 20 balls when I have my eye in and have confidence on how the pitch is playing.
I need to open with a guy who likes the full ball and does not take long to get going. My stats from last season back this up.
-
As an opening bat and having completed the Sports Psychology course to help me with my own mindset when batting whilst I agree, with Rowan affirmations can help at the crease but you can become to intense with concentration. I intend top lay each ball on its own merit leaving balls i do not not have to play and play no risky shots, I don,t worry about the score, think like an opening bat not a middle order player, have a tight technique, see off the opening bowlers, and the new ball. Get the feet moving from ball one. The key is not to give the opposition inroads into into your batting lineup. I then assess the match situation after every five overs e.g. Are the change bowlers easier to score off, have we lost a wicket etc.
-
There is not a lot of difference generally. Play your strong shots. Defend well. I think there is a bit more focus on not getting out early yet trying to not let the opening bowlers settle.
One thing with batting at 4 is you have time to relax and talk with others unlike openers who go straight out to bat. Maybe this is something to think about. Before you go out to bat, have a 2-3 minute switch off before going out to bat.
Sent from my iPhone 5S using Tapatalk
-
Having been an opener most of my playing days the key is to try and judge what is going to be a good score on the deck your playing on. You are setting the tone for the rest of your team.
Try and get yourself in but put the bad ball away and rotate the strike so you don't get bogged down. Always keep the score board ticking over 3-4 and over for the first 7 or so overs is solid foundation to build from. There are benefits of a harder ball, yes it does a bit more bit bowlers will still bowl bad balls and at the end of the day the key to being an opener is to be got out not give your wicket away.
Trust your ability, play the shots your confident with early and always look to rotate. Always worked well for me.
-
Lots of good advice on here. Been opening for most of my career and here are some tips that help me, especially when I'm struggling for some runs.
You first have to accept a couple of things as a given when you open. The ball is going to move around more, you are sometimes going to get a good ball that you can't do anything about that and you will be facing the best bowlers from the opposition.
The flip side of this is that you now have more time to spend a the crease than anybody else and you get great value for your strokes upfront. Give and take.
To make things easier for yourself you need a rough batting plan. I play mostly 50 over matches so my plan is to stay in for 5 overs while I pick up the pace of the wicket and get my eye in. In this period I look to get as many singles as possible and put away long hops and half volleys. After 5 overs I can now play with a bit more freedom, play a few more strokes and start driving on the up etc. Now you can start to put some pressure back on the bowlers. Generally there will be a bowling change after 10-12 overs ( if you are not dominating ) and you will be up against either back up seamers or perhaps a spinner.
Have plans against these bowlers as well. Do you look to hit over the top early against the spinner or do you just want to rotate by sweeping etc.
The basic point is that the majority of your planning should be clear in your mind before the game. This uncluttered your mind and allows you to focus on the ball. You are now just reacting and back in that zone where you act on instinct.
My last point it is a fairly important one as well. You have to want to open the batting. If you are not keen to do it, forget about it. You must want to face the quick stuff and the best they have to throw at you.
-
What a great topic and some great answers.
Totally agree it is in your mind and the majority of the game is play in the mind, indentifing strengths weaknesses etc.
I also believe the mindset and confidence of yourself in team comes into this........
Personally I open the batting and know I have attacking decent players at our standard behind me in the batting order, for this reason I dont like to get bogged down. Ideally scoring at a run ever 2 balls.
Any league points structure also comes into play I have played in poor teams where you could bat through for a losing draw and have batted for very long periods for hardly any runs, I dont like this format throuth I am aware this still happens in areas.
Your mindset needs to be correct but it also needs to be adaptable...... posting or chasing,,,,, chasing 130 or 280...........
-
What a great topic and some great answers.
Totally agree it is in your mind and the majority of the game is play in the mind, indentifing strengths weaknesses etc.
I also believe the mindset and confidence of yourself in team comes into this........
Personally I open the batting and know I have attacking decent players at our standard behind me in the batting order, for this reason I dont like to get bogged down. Ideally scoring at a run ever 2 balls.
Any league points structure also comes into play I have played in poor teams where you could bat through for a losing draw and have batted for very long periods for hardly any runs, I dont like this format throuth I am aware this still happens in areas.
Your mindset needs to be correct but it also needs to be adaptable...... posting or chasing,,,,, chasing 130 or 280...........
draw cricket is much more fun! Brings in more tactics to the game!
-
i remember the days of being 12 or 13 years old and having to block out 20 overs with 11 men around the bat .... every now and again i just couldnt resist a good old slog :D
-
a really good game can be one where a team is defending for it's life and the fielders are in all out attack. think ponting, think collywobbles etc etc.. hell, cardiff 2009 etc
-
So Last season, I went from batting at number 4 in the 2XI and having scores of 16, 10, 4,4,12 before our First XI opener got injured for the rest of the season. So the week after, confidence low.. I get the call up to the first team and being a left hander, my captain asks me to open.. in his words he said "Back yourself, and play on merit..." small pat on the back and out I went.. Scored an absolute fluent 25 before pulling one straight up and getting caught.. Yes 25 is not runs, and isn't anything special, but the important thing was I was driving everything clean, flicks off my leg to the boundary.. Best I batted so far that season..
Captain saw potential, and stuck with me till the end of the season.. How did I mentally prepare? I always told myself (whether or not true), My technique is excellent, my temprament is there all I now need is to execute that in the middle.. I would always take guard and face ball one, I would get my eye in by getting forward and smothering the first 5-10 balls straight down back to the bowler.. The ball hitting the middle of the bat even on a Front foot defence felt great and improved my confidence, settled the nerves. Without dragging on here, opening is all about responsibility and if you stick around for long enough, the old cliche never dies.. Time spent at the wicket does equal runs.
-
i think that format produces better junior cricketers. There is no pressure on them to go out there and smash it if they are chasing 250 off 50 overs. They bat properly if the team gets near then well done if not, the team batting first should have declared on 200 and took the extra overs to bowl the other team out.
I have recently played in leagues where it is winner takes all and the some of the shots i see early on in peoples innings' are horrendous. Problem for them is they dont dont know any other way as they have been brought up to play that way.
-
i think that format produces better junior cricketers. There is no pressure on them to go out there and smash it if they are chasing 250 off 50 overs. They bat properly if the team gets near then well done if not, the team batting first should have declared on 200 and took the extra overs to bowl the other team out.
I have recently played in leagues where it is winner takes all and the some of the shots i see early on in peoples innings' are horrendous. Problem for them is they dont dont know any other way as they have been brought up to play that way.
agreed bud. win/lose forces people to play shots they can't and don't want to, meaning they don't develop fully AND are sometimes written off as 'bad players', when in fact , if they got the chance to bat properly they'd be decent. Plus, win/lose means bowlers get easy wickets.
-
I've opened for the past 16 years and found keeping things a simple as possible is key. Also know that you will accocassionally get out to a really good delivery, that's just how it is and you can't do anything about it (the new ball moves around!). So when you get in make it count.
Some days you'll score freely and some days you'll scratch around for 20 overs, this is when you have to remain mentally strong.
Know your scoring areas, for me I know my run scoring shots early are the staright drive and pull (I leave outside off and make the bowler come to me), once I'm in I'll expand my shots.
Also keep roatating the strike, my current opening partner and I seem to have telepathic undertsanding and we take really quick singles, which puts pressure on the oppo.
Just keep a clear mind, know your best 2 shots to score early runs and keep your self relatively fit...those quick singles really take the pressure off scoring.
All the best for the season ahead
-
Everyone is different,we all have different mental strengths and weakneses, some improve some become weaker,
In my opinion from this you can only become better, when we constantly bat in the same position people can often become relaxed and improvement can slow, how ever when put out of are comfort zone it can cause rapid improvement but we are different,
I went from playing second team cricket to opening the bat for are 1sts because it was thought I have a good eye and can hang around, now at first I thought I was like a lamb to slaughter with teams overseas gunning for me ( i was used to 2nd team cricket ) but as humans I think when put out of are comfort zones we can excel and to my suprise I did ok, and was then trusted with the job on a more regular basis for which I made good progress
So I think sometimes you just gotta have a battle with your strengths and weaknesses and see how you come out on the other side you may suprise yourself, and if things don't go to plan be patient.
-
Rather than waiting for the bad ball try and have a different mindset and wait for the good ball. This is something that Jimmy Cook coaches. He says your mindset should be to hit every ball for a run. If it's a good ball then fine happy to defend it. It's a 180 deg different to most club cricketers who just wait for the bad ball.
Also as a opener the field will be in and the bowlers perhaps not loose and a little wayward. Therefore cash in those bad balls rather than constantly leaving balls or blocking them back.
If you can get on top of the bowler early and dictate then you are in a strong position to then build an innings.
Hope that makes sense.
-
Big fan of bulldogs approach.
I generally open or bat 3. The field is always up early doors with a ball (usually) swinging away. The bowler is finding his length so there are generally cuts to slightly short balls and drives to those balls significantly overpitched trying to seek spin.
I find if I spend the first 10 overs trying to 'see off' the new ball I'll generally perish as the bowler will have his tail up thinking 'im 4 overs none for not many here, i'm really on the hunt for wickets'. A couple of boundaries and the whole mindset can change, the thinking can become, '4 overs none for a few here, need to really tighten up'.
Opening up you're going to get a couple of 'unplayables' a season, the rest of your batting mentality shouldn't change too much, if you get yourself bogged down thinking about your technique too much etc you'll find you get a lot more of these 'unplayables'.
Only speaking from experience, I occasionally get bogged down with technique. Last season it took a 4th eleven player to tell me in a friendly match, 'sort your life out and hit the 'C-word'. It helped! Try not to overthink it and get on with it :-[
-
Totally agree Keiron. I think it's better to have a glass half full approach and be as aggressive as possible without taking unnecessary risks. You should always be looking to score, a negative/tentative mindset will get you out more often that a positive but considered approach.
-
i read Buzz's batting essay and it really helped me :)
the main thing for me is mindset. every ball i ask myself "can i score?" and if not, then i block/leave.
putting the bad ball away is crucial as it disrupts the bowler's rhythm.
learn to take singles off good balls to really frustrate the fielding team
and finally, know your game. if there's a shot that gets you out a lot, play it less. if you're really strong on a shot, play it more!