Custom Bats Cricket Forum
General Cricket => Cricket Training, Fitness and Injuries => Topic started by: NT50 on May 14, 2017, 05:50:47 PM
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Last weekend i was moved up from 7 to open the batting as our usual opener turned up late. At training it's been hinted at that i will carry on opening as he doesn't like opening up. (Not sure how relevant it is, but it's worth mentioning i'm a left-hander)
The problem is that i've only been playing for a year, and as a result have never really had any batting coaching. I've been told that i don't move my feet enough and rely on my hands to do all the work. When people tell me to get on the front foot, i don't really understand what it means in practice. Do i literally take my whole body forward so that i end up a few yards out my crease when i've finished my shot? And what's the technical reason behind 'leading with your head and feet' and letting the rest of you come with them.
I also find myself struggling to score on the leg-side. Anything that's on the stumps i can either block or drive through mid-on, but i miss out when it's above or outside leg stump. Other than being able to pull short balls from spinners, i have absolutely no shots from midwicket to square leg. As a result i try to glance anything down/above leg stump.
As well as my problems with feet/ leg-side shots, i'm also after some general opening advice. My captain has told me that if we're 20-0 off 10 overs, we've done a good job, but i don't really have an idea of what mindset to bat with. Do i look to block/leave and try and punish bad balls for a boundary, to pick up ones and twos or to just try and not get out?
Any advice is most welcome, thank you!
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From personal experience getting moved up to open - you've been moved up for a reason, so don't try and change the way you bat just because you're walking out first now! Youe captain will hopefully help by giving you an idea of what he wants, but you shouldn't change your attitude to batting too much. You'll be facing the new ball with the field in, so it's helpful to be aware that a loose shot is more likely to result in your dismissal, but at the end of the day you're still looking to get yourself in and then expand from there. Keep to your best shots, and if you go for a shot then fully commit so at least if you mistime it it'll make it safely over the infield, but play to your own strengths not your batting position. Then when/if you make it through some bowling changes, enjoy the fact that you're well set, the bowling should only get worse and you've got a lot of time left to bat, don't give it away and enjoy yourself! Hope that ramble makes sense and is vaguely helpful ha.
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Yes agree with edge. Technical advic is all well and good but you have a lot of questions most of which you will find the answers to simply by playing and developing you own game. You don't say if you want to open or just got thrown in and didn't object.
I went from 7 to 1 also but that was 30 years ago, a captain showed faith in me and eventually I paid it back over the years.
Very important whatever natural game you have now do not change. Asking players to bat differently is something I hate at club level and it happened last Saturday in a match we lost! So it still goes on :)
The most basic advice is watch the ball carefully, do not be afraid to play any shot you want and if the ball is straight try to get the kitchen sink behind it. Lean slightly forward and go towards the ball so your balance is not on your heels-but not too much you fall forward.
If your young and opening a lot will depend on others attitude, you need time to develop your own game.
I've found a strong mind, determination and lots of patience has helped.
As a coincidence my team is thinking of moving a youngster up to 3 from 7 and if he asks my advice which he may or may not I would say 'watch the ball, play as straight as possible and it you want to hit it then be positive'
You cannot beat just batting and learning as you go. If you want to do it....your halfway there.
Good luck
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Slog it.. seems to be what is being bred into people now.. tonk tonk tonk
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Lots of questions in here, lots of answers
http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=22148.0 (http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=22148.0)
And
http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=31279.0 (http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=31279.0)
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You're being asked to open because of the way you play. Don't change a thing, relax, be calm and be positive and runs will come
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I am a left handed opener also and as an opener and it's a quite a specialised art your mentality should be don't let the opposition make inroads into your batting with the new ball the first few overs leave what you don't have to play as the first job of an opener is to survive and see off the new ball don't give the bowlers a sniff See off the opening bowlers dont worry about the score early on remember your normally facing the fastest of the opposition bowlers at there freshest with the new ball once you become acostomed to the conditions and the bowling you can become a little more expansive in your shots but after doing all the hard work dont throw your wicket away ideally create a situation for your middle order to score freely and if your opening partner is right handed even better as it forces the bowler to change his line when you score ones and threes which can distract him from his job of getting you out.
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It's 50 over cricket, get runs on the board while you can. Some days it's difficult and some days it is easy. Watch the ball, react to the ball and be field aware. Its advantageous being an opener as majority of your runs will be boundaries.
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I'll leave technical advice alone since I'm a right handed opener , but essentially don't change too much , just adjust your game as you learn what works for you ....and watch good players .
Preparation is very important for openers , you won't be sitting around waiting , you know when you are batting , so use that to your advantage. For me , I'm nervous , so like to get padded up early so I'm not in a rush . I hate throw downs , instead i visualize batting straight for a while . Then i like a laugh /chat to take my mind off things and I'm usually right to go . Don't second guess yourself on game day . The middle isn't the place to totally reevaluate your approach/technique.
Personally, I try to avoid any directional thinking . No 'how quick am i scoring' , 'i need to play this shot' , 'i want to be at x runs after x overs' , ' i need to be not out after x overs' . I just try to bat with the same feel as my net/bowling machine practice , where I'm just trying to play each ball as best i can . Then wipe my mind after the ball is bowled and do it again...'rinse and repeat' ! The runs will come .
Lastly , if you're playing limited overs cricket you cant leave balls forever , but leaving is still a good tactic in moderation as it makes bowlers change their lines to bowl more at you and then loose balls often follow ( which is probably handy for you if you tend to on drive and glance off your pads). Just remember that every ball you face early in the innings is one less opportunity the opposition has to use the new ball against a new incoming batsmen -and after all , your team mates in the middle order want to actually bat in the middle order ( they make their runs better against an older , lower bouncing , softer ball ), not at 4-6 after 4 overs .
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I also find myself struggling to score on the leg-side. Anything that's on the stumps i can either block or drive through mid-on, but i miss out when it's above or outside leg stump. Other than being able to pull short balls from spinners, i have absolutely no shots from midwicket to square leg. As a result i try to glance anything down/above leg stump.
Next time you are in the nets, try an experiment: instead of standing side on, stand chest on with your toes pointing down in a straight line, as straight as possible. And, see how you fare playing shots on the leg side or even short balls.
Practice leaving the ball. It will serve you well as an opener. Psychologically, it puts you in a position of choice rather than desperation. I open. I leave any ball on the offside that is too high or outside my line of vision (I don't reach for any balls which eliminates edges to the keeper or slips) until ball gets less swingy or the first bowler is replaced.
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Don't think
That's what I have found works for me
Last year I went in thinking "I'm an opener I need to do this this and this", and I didn't do too well
This year I've just tried to imagine I'm in the nets, and I've dated much better so far.
Don't think, just bat
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Don't think
That's what I have found works for me
Last year I went in thinking "I'm an opener I need to do this this and this", and I didn't do too well
This year I've just tried to imagine I'm in the nets, and I've dated much better so far.
Don't think, just bat
I opened with out of our better batters last weekend (played county 2XI in NZ many moons ago) and that was almost exactly what he said to me. It's just a net in the middle with these guys here to fetch the ball for you. Didn't stop me prodding my way to 7 from 20 before nicking off a cut to the keeper, but that is how i bat in nets too :)
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I like that! :)
I think this has a lot to do with where I've been going wrong coming back in to cricket, coupled with not having a net for 2 months so I have forgotten how to just watch the ball and hit it without thinking about a million other things!
He then preceded to lacerate the first ball of the game through midwicket for 4 after it was about an inch short of a good length, but when you're that good that's what you do in nets too!
He doesn't even own a bat :(
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There are obviously technical things that will help but I'd say the main thing that changes in opening the batting is a mindset shift, you have a lot more time. Depending on your format, i.e. fielding restrictions most teams will plan to have 1 of the top 4 bat through the innings, don't worry about starting slow you will catch up the longer you bat and the older the ball gets, the longer you bat the easier things will become. When the ball is new the bowler will always have more chance of bowling good balls and thats ok, look to rotate the strike where you can & make the most of bad balls.
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Enjoy opening the batting. Its good fun as you get plenty of time in the middle. I quite enjoyed opening when I had the chance even though it could be quite tiring going straight from keeping out into the middle again.
Work out where your batting strengths are and capitalise on them. Remember to play each ball on its merits - sometimes a bowler really will just bowl a good over but you can normally get the run rate back later on in the day.
I used to worry about facing the opening bowlers until I realised that coming in at the bottom of the order I was usually facing the opening bowlers in their second spell anyway so its not that much different. The big advantage for me is more that by the time the weaker bowlers come on you have had a chance to get your eye in - coming in low down the order you always feel you have to capitalise early and that can often go badly.
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a slight twist on the opening dilemma - i've been opening for years and am more than comfortable against the quicker bowlers. I've got a method for spin which mainly involves trying to milk singles and hit the bad ball, which is all fine.
however the challenge is being able to push the run rate up late in the innings. yesterday i got to 66 in 35 overs - mainly being starved of strike by the oppo captain - but pretty much ran out of steam at that point and would have struggled to convert that 66 into 100 in the last 10. i know as an opener i've basically done my job, and the lads who came in lower down put on 60 in the last 10, but i'd love to know what people's tips are for upping the rate later on
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Well, opening the batting and the fact that I am not the best batsman means that I don't often have the chance to push on later in the innings!
But on the odd occasion that I have got past the 30 over stage, I feel that the only thing extra you need is fitness.
I just feel that if you are knackered by the 30th over then you will either lose concentration and play a very tired shot. Or you will go for a big shot and not have the energy to give it 100%. So I guess this is where your fitness comes in and has to be at a decent level! I think the fitter you are, the better concentration you will have and the sharper you will be. And the rest should take care of itself!
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a slight twist on the opening dilemma - i've been opening for years and am more than comfortable against the quicker bowlers. I've got a method for spin which mainly involves trying to milk singles and hit the bad ball, which is all fine.
however the challenge is being able to push the run rate up late in the innings. yesterday i got to 66 in 35 overs - mainly being starved of strike by the oppo captain - but pretty much ran out of steam at that point and would have struggled to convert that 66 into 100 in the last 10. i know as an opener i've basically done my job, and the lads who came in lower down put on 60 in the last 10, but i'd love to know what people's tips are for upping the rate later on
interesting this question as i no many other people struggle with this as the game as become more faster Paced , and more bigger hitters down the order, pressure to get on with it , so im sure you play a fairly decent standard , are you a power hitter , just having a go a range hitting at the club nets can be quite useful , but if its not your game try to Target the areas where the Field is up ( sounds very simple but is quite difficult ) and manipulating the field will then hopefully bring more scoring options , some people will target one bowler, A lot of Openers my have strategies , e.g i will target spinners because i think i have better chance of mistiming it and i can still clear the rope , with pacers i just try to take runs where Possible as i am weak on my legs
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Agree with @petehosk , a lot of it will come down to fitness and also hydration levels. As a drop in both can have a major effect on concentration levels.
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Ive struggled to change gears on a few occasions . You open the batting against a top notch attack , you counter it with disipline and doggedness . Sometimes , getting out of that mindset once you're well into your innings , and playing freely , can be hard . I try to ask myself every 15 overs or so 'what gear am i playing in'? and 'can i go up a gear now'? It seems to help me , awareness wise .
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that's good advice - I'm usually happy to just survive through the first ten overs which is fine if you're setting a total but not always the right way to chase down a big score.
in the past i've experimented with moving round on the crease to create opportunities for the shots i want to play. if i'm trying to engineer a shot it's either a straight drive or a clip through midwicket, so i might need to move outside off to play those shots if the bowling is wider. i'm much less good at stepping away to play through cover so it's a higher risk shot to create.
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I have always preferred to open the batting and I think there are many good reasons to do it. There is rarely a queue for the job, so your skipper and your team mates will be grateful to you for stepping up, and will usually make allowances for a volunteer opener that they might not make for others. In particular, you have the opportunity of time. In the club cricket I play (40-50 overs), openers are not expected to score quickly, and if one considers the primary function to be to see off the opening bowlers, it can be that you are either 20* or 40* off 15 overs and neither will be seen as a problem. Once you get in, your scoring rate will increase naturally, if you get out you will still get respect for stepping up against the best bowlers and the new ball.
From a technical perspective, the key adjustment I have made in recent years is to take a Middle-and-Off guard. As an opener one is always facing the new ball, so swing either way is generally less of an issue. Facing standard medium/fast seam bowling, taking Middle-and-Off enables me to get comfortably inside leg stump deliveries, allowing me to score all around the wicket more freely. I have struggled with leg side shots in the past, but now I am considerably more confident at gliding or turning the ball between Midwicket and Fine-leg. Once I get in, this begins to include deliveries on Middle-and-Leg or Middle, which has the added benefit of frustrating seam bowlers.
You should note that I am Right-handed, for a left hander the adjustment may open up your leg stump too much to the natural line of a Right-arm over bowler. Best to try in the nets first, to see if the guard suits you.
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One other recommendation, is to bat as far out of your crease as you feel comfortable. As an opener you will generally be facing the best bowlers the opposition can offer, so you need to make their life as awkward as possible. Most will be quick enough to ensure the wicket keeper stands back, so there is no danger of being stumped.
The distance from popping crease to batting crease is 19 yards 12 inches, but opening bowlers will tend to pitch the majority of their deliveries into the 8 yards or so in front of the batsman. By taking a decent step forward, you already own 1 of these yards, so stealing 12-24 inches inches more of this space reduces further the area they have to bowl into. Bowlers like to get into a rhythm, and attempt to dictate play to the batsman. You can upset their control by changing their expectations of what is a good delivery, and what becomes a half volley.
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I have always preferred to open the batting and I think there are many good reasons to do it. There is rarely a queue for the job, so your skipper and your team mates will be grateful to you for stepping up, and will usually make allowances for a volunteer opener that they might not make for others. In particular, you have the opportunity of time. In the club cricket I play (40-50 overs), openers are not expected to score quickly, and if one considers the primary function to be to see off the opening bowlers, it can be that you are either 20* or 40* off 15 overs and neither will be seen as a problem. Once you get in, your scoring rate will increase naturally, if you get out you will still get respect for stepping up against the best bowlers and the new ball.
From a technical perspective, the key adjustment I have made in recent years is to take a Middle-and-Off guard. As an opener one is always facing the new ball, so swing either way is generally less of an issue. Facing standard medium/fast seam bowling, taking Middle-and-Off enables me to get comfortably inside leg stump deliveries, allowing me to score all around the wicket more freely. I have struggled with leg side shots in the past, but now I am considerably more confident at gliding or turning the ball between Midwicket and Fine-leg. Once I get in, this begins to include deliveries on Middle-and-Leg or Middle, which has the added benefit of frustrating seam bowlers.
You should note that I am Right-handed, for a left hander the adjustment may open up your leg stump too much to the natural line of a Right-arm over bowler. Best to try in the nets first, to see if the guard suits you.
So Mr S.Smith when does your New Balance sponsorship expire ?
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So Mr S.Smith when does your New Balance sponsorship expire ?
Ha ha, if only! That ship has sailed, some time ago. :)
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Ha ha, if only! That ship has sailed, some time ago. :)
It's ok , that mob from j.k.lewis cricket seem to be looking after you with some nice sticks . :)
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I'm back at home now so a final two-pennorth on opening. Hope I'm not boring you @NT50
If you open regularly, you need to be ready to accept that you will sacrifice personal achievement for the good of the team. You will have some great days, but you will also have regular failures - ducks and single figure scores. At pretty much every level, over a season, openers will average 5-10 runs fewer than players who regularly come in at 3-5. But, you tend to get more innings, and more potential time at the crease, so you take your 30 average in order to allow the middle order to prosper.
Bearing this in mind, it is important to focus on wearing out the bowlers and softening up the ball. Opening bowlers can rest and come back, but the ball never gets better. The league balls we use generally lose their shine after 15-20 overs. Anything I can do to reduce this is good for the team. I work hard to hit the ball as often as possible, and as hard as possible - on defensive strokes as well as when attacking. I never use a bat with a scuff sheet because they're too smooth. Instead I roughen the face of my bats with 40 grit sandpaper every couple of weeks.
I like it when the skipper wins the toss and bats. You go out in the sunshine, heat of the day, against the best bowlers, at their freshest, with the new ball. When you bat 1 and make a score in those conditions, it's the best feeling in the world. Good luck.
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I'm in the same boat as opening this season for the first time, what I've learnt so far is you've got to fundamentally enjoy it l, if you don't enjoy it, it's pointless you doing it, relish the challenge. Also, accept you won't hit every ball and then bowlers are allowed to bowl a ball too good for you, just forget about it and move on to the next ball, but also take breaks and use up time. Don't just face ball after ball with no breaks take walks to square leg or look around the field. Finally play cleverly, properly look at the field know where your gaps are and how you can safely rotate the strike rather than hitting boundaries, important to know your get out of jail shot to get a single and get down the other end
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Those last two posts really sum up the attitude of an opener ..... the things we need to pride ourselves on , performance wise . It's about small victories that build into benifits , not just for your own innings , but also , for all the batsmen to follow . You play and miss well ( yes , there is such a thing - not pushing/fishing at the moving ball , but just 'see the line , play the line' ) , that's a win . You defend the ball through a rough centre square , that's a win . You nudge a good delivery for a single , that's a win . You leave a dangerous delivery , that's a win ( that's also wasted effort from a bowler with limited energy reserves ) . When you appreciate that these things are valuable little acomplishments you will always find it easier to bat long periods .
Also , reiterating what j.k said about openers averaging less etc - that's true , and that's ok . We do the tough initial stretch and pay a slight numerical penalty , so remind yourself that , although other batsmen might not always tell you so , most do appreciate what you do ... and try to be kind to yourself when assessing your own performance - put it into the aforementioned context .
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@JK Lewis I love the roughing up the bat face haha! Such an off-the-wall idea, maybe a specially rough scuff sheet should be a Lewis Cricket option ;)
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The problem is that i've only been playing for a year, and as a result have never really had any batting coaching. I've been told that i don't move my feet enough and rely on my hands to do all the work. When people tell me to get on the front foot, i don't really understand what it means in practice. Do i literally take my whole body forward so that i end up a few yards out my crease when i've finished my shot? And what's the technical reason behind 'leading with your head and feet' and letting the rest of you come with them.
When you take the stance, your body weight is balanced on both feet. When you are about to play a shot, your hands in diamond shape goes back (backlift), while you shift the balance of your body weight towards your front leg and lead with your head. You lead with head to watch the ball clearly, bring down your arms in diamond shape and play the shot when the ball is right under your eyes. You don't move from the crease when you lead with your head. You move from the crease only when you want to get down the wicket and strike the ball. Procedure still remains the same ... backlift, lean with your head forward, shift the weight to front foot and connect the ball under your eyes.
I also find myself struggling to score on the leg-side. Anything that's on the stumps i can either block or drive through mid-on, but i miss out when it's above or outside leg stump. Other than being able to pull short balls from spinners, i have absolutely no shots from mid wicket to square leg. As a result i try to glance anything down/above leg stump.
I am a right hand batsman, most of the time i face right arm fast bowlers - so the natural angle of the ball is pitched on middle or leg stump and its likely drifting down. So as a right hander my first option would be to glance it, second is to pull if its of proper height, third would be leave the ball go down as a wide and fourth would be to move a little towards leg-side and go for an on-drive/mid-on area.
If you are a left hand batsman facing right arm fast bowlers most of the time, its likely that they are pitching outside leg stump or on the leg stump and bringing it in. Here the ball is not drifting in towards your stumps. Its natural that your first shot is an on-drive/mid on. I don't see this as a problem, i rather think its good. Picking a wrong ball to play a leg glance will result in LBW. If a left arm bowler is coming over the wicket or right arm bowler around the wicket with the ball pitched on middle or leg, then a leg glance would be a good option.
As well as my problems with feet/ leg-side shots, i'm also after some general opening advice. My captain has told me that if we're 20-0 off 10 overs, we've done a good job, but i don't really have an idea of what mindset to bat with. Do i look to block/leave and try and punish bad balls for a boundary, to pick up ones and twos or to just try and not get out?
From your captains statement i can infer two things, first he wants a stable opening pair in the first 10 over to see off the new ball threat and second he has confidence in your abilities to defend the ball properly and he is convinced that you have right temperament to hold one side of the wicket.
Scoring runs should be part of your natural game. Immaterial of which position play, if you don't play a natural game then it will only bottle up pressure and result in unwanted dismissal. I prefer to play ground shots and i generally spend some time in the first few overs judging the bowlers line and length, getting to know the pitch, pace of wicket, outfield conditions etc. I generally take first 4-5 overs to settle down and start scoring in next 5 overs. My team plans to reach 30 to 45 runs in the first 10 overs of a 40 over game, where first 5 overs will be like 10-15 runs and the second 5 overs would be 15 - 30 runs. Once you spend time in the middle and get a hang of things, you can always make up for the slow run rate in the first few overs. Losing wicket in the first 10 overs is inevitable, but if you can reduce that occurrence, then it provides a base for middle order to launch the attack when they come in ...
Most important of all - be confident and don't stray away from your natural game.
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@NT50 - I have tried my best to explain in previous post. But a visual aid always helps. Check this source link => http://www.wikihow.com/Bat-in-Cricket (http://www.wikihow.com/Bat-in-Cricket)
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Justin what's the thinking behind roughing up your bat face is it to reduce the the shine on the new ball quickler
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Justin what's the thinking behind roughing up your bat face is it to reduce the the shine on the new ball quickler
Yes, that's my theory. Shine is an arms race! I figure that every time the ball comes off a rough bat face it will help me and hinder the oppo.
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Justin what's the thinking behind roughing up your bat face is it to reduce the the shine on the new ball quickler
Obviously, this has to be kept within reason, so as to not contravene Section 7a of Law 6. I'm not looking to cause massive damage to the ball, just trying to balance the application of sweat at the other end.
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Yes, that's my theory. Shine is an arms race! I figure that every time the ball comes off a rough bat face it will help me and hinder the oppo.
I have a similar technique. It involves hitting the ball into car parks, fences and metal poles as hard as I can........ get rid of that shine!
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i just love the different approaches in this thread. opening is often a war of attrition - our primary job is to protect the middle order from those naughty opening bowlers with their shiny new ball :D
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Yes, that's my theory. Shine is an arms race! I figure that every time the ball comes off a rough bat face it will help me and hinder the oppo.
I am going to do this now where did I put that Rasp file