Custom Bats Cricket Forum
General Cricket => Your Cricket => Topic started by: jjelricksmith on July 04, 2022, 12:17:06 PM
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Hi guys,
Does anyone have any tips on how to deal with form? I'm an opening bat who genuinely this year cannot buy a run and therefore have found myself down at 7/8/9. Before this season averaged 40 in league cricket over the last 7 seasons with a hundred a season. This year no idea what's happening but I can't buy a run, not that im getting to 20 and getting out literally even 1 run would be a good start. There doesn't seem to be any patten in dismissal, LBW a couple, caught behind a couple and bowled a couple some by spin some by seam. I've hit a shedload of balls and every net I just feel rough, played a few Sundays to get some runs and even then never felt 'in' even if I got to 50 and retired against some poor attacks. I've been bowling a LOT this year which might not have helped but have been taking a lot of wickets in those overs and what's kept me playing.
Does anyone have any tips on how to get out of this hole?
Cheers!
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May sound daft, but have you had your eyes checked recently?
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How many opening batsmen also bowl A LOT ?
It isn't possible to do everything, I used to keep and open, often sat and sun every week, I can't do it anymore, haven't got enough in the tank.
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May sound daft, but have you had your eyes checked recently?
This isn't daft at all. Going for an eye test tomorrow as this was suggested to me by other people.
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How many opening batsmen also bowl A LOT ?
It isn't possible to do everything, I used to keep and open, often sat and sun every week, I can't do it anymore, haven't got enough in the tank.
Yeah this is definitely a factor. My best years with the bat I've bowled awfully, best years with the ball I've batted awfully, like this year.
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Firstly, everyone has dips in form, literally everyone. Kohli has 70 international hundreds, and yet has averaged about 25 since 2019. It happens to everyone.
As someone who is guilty of massively overthinking, the trick is knowing yourself and what works for you. But most importantly, I think everyone is different. That's the difficulty in working out how to help someone who is out of form. But, most of the time it's all in your head rather than technique. If you were scoring runs at this level the past few years, which it sounds like you were, and nothing has changed physically (ie. your eyesight hasn't got significantly worse over the winter) then it'll be psychological. Unfortunately, sometimes this is harder to solve.
The other thing, based on your post, is that you might not be helping yourself by hitting loads of balls in the nets (especially if it's just a variety of bowling). It sounds counter productive to stop, but it clearly isn't helping and is actually making you feel worse. And it might even be engraining bad habits. So, stop doing it. Try something else. Everyone is different and nets aren't for everyone.
Some things that have worked for me in the past, but only after a lot of trying other stuff which had no impact:
- Focus on one shot you still believe you can hit well and score runs from. For me it's the straight drive. Have throw downs targeting just that shot, don't have throw downs where you're trying to play all around the ground. You'll go out a lot more confident knowing you can just wait for that one shot, and leave the rest. Remember, opening the batting, you should be aiming to bat through for 50 overs. Having one shot only at the start is fine, as long as you're still there to cash in later when you feel better.
- Remind yourself / recreate whatever you were doing last time you hit a big score. What routine did you have? Literally could be anything, I've even gone back to putting a particular album on in the car that I loved at the time I last hit a good score, and it genuinely worked. Like I say though, I am a massive overthinker.
- If in doubt, don't dig yourself a hole. Just deal in singles, don't try and hit it. Plenty of singles in the ring. Similar to first point, just make sure you cash in later down the line.
I have seen teammates play themselves back into form, and it works for them. They go out trying to hit every ball. Personally, it wouldn't work for me. But, everyone is different.
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May sound daft, but have you had your eyes checked recently?
Or this. Many less words than my response as well.
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This isn't daft at all. Going for an eye test tomorrow as this was suggested to me by other people.
I think I remember Trescothick had a massive uptick in runs scored after getting glasses, it makes a hell of a difference if you do need glasses or a new prescription.
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@Paese
Thanks for this mate, definitely think its a part of it. I've always been strong down the ground and off my legs and have let the bowlers come to me. Think this year I haven't been patient enough and have searched for runs which hasn't helped.
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I am an opening batsman, you may be overthinking when you are in crease. It happened to me few years back. The key is to clear your mind and focus on now. Don’t think about the season, just think and focus on present. Another thing that helped me was playing with straight bat and playing a little late.
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I’ve had issues in the past opening trying too hard to get that first run, then once that hurdle has gone I’m then worrying about the next run.
The past couple of seasons with regular games I’ve been a bit more relaxed and not overly caring about the next run. I still sometimes have a spell in the 20s where I just get a bit bogged down but I’ve learnt that I know I can get through that, just play the ball play it straight and wait for the bad one. I get stick sometimes from teammates for the amount of balls I face but I know if I can bat through I CAN pick up later.
So to summarise, I’d say just keep going and don’t focus on the runs as daft as it sounds.
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I used to get like this when I was younger and now that I'm older (39) and still open a dip in form feels doesn't hit as hard. By this I mean that whenever I was out of form and sometimes it was a long time I would be just like you and get down about cricket, I would also be dropped down the order. As an older batsman I know to just trust my process and trust my game. If it doesn't come off even a few games in a row I still stick to my process that has been successful in the past and know that the runs will return if I stick to my strengths.
As others have said it's mostly in the mind (unless you actually need glasses :D) and the worst thing you can do is over think things as this will make you question your process that has worked in the past and make changes or do things you wouldn't normally do. Shall I go into my shell and just spend time at the crease? Shall I come out all guns blazing and hit my way into form? These are all things that we try to get back into form but are unlikely to help.
If you don't trust your process and strengths you'll be forever searching for something that might not even help anyway.
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surely the solution (amongst most of the forum members) is to go out and buy a whole new kit stash. ive got a shed full of bats that didnt work so i bought a new one until i scored some runs
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surely the solution (amongst most of the forum members) is to go out and buy a whole new kit stash. ive got a shed full of bats that didnt work so i bought a new one until i scored some runs
This has been tried, since new bat purchased scores are 0,1,0...
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If it gets really bad I usually stick a new grip on, often does the trick.