Custom Bats Cricket Forum
General Cricket => Cricket Training, Fitness and Injuries => Topic started by: Buzz on November 11, 2010, 12:28:47 PM
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OK boys and girls - I have read a few threads where people have mentioned scoring a hundred and a few more from people who haven't scored a hundred, so I thought I would start this topic for people to compare tips on how best to get yourself in a position to score a hundred, from a mental preparation and thought process during your innings point of view.
Having the technique to score 100 in an innings does pay a part, however I have seen people with shocking technique score hundreds, so largely it will depend on whether or not is it "you day". However this thread is here to help you make it "your day" more often.
I have scored the odd hundred here and there (nothing like as many as Graeme Hick or Mark Ramprakash) so will be adding my thoughts later on... but first, while I get on with some work - I would be interested in other peoples views.
As with all "advice" what works for some people will not work for others.
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Hmmmm.... Luck is all important in most of the hundreds I've seen....
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I've just scored the 2 ..
one in a sunday league game shocking standard of cricket in my eyes i got dropped 3 times and managed 121 no out..opening the batting and just went after everyball bowlers where poor so was easy but had allot of luck
2nd one sunday again but this time playing for the 1st 11, in a cup match.
Went in number 3, and managed 122no...
i know u said about tips to get to 100 buzz
but everytime i play cricket its just a simple game!
in my standard of cricket u get maybe 1 bad ball an over if your lucky.
so you just have to make sure that 1 bad ball gets hit for a boundary...i usually look scrappy for my 1st 20-30 runs but once my eye is in and I'm used to the pace of the pitch i just go nuts.It defiantly is a confidence thing tho, now my game is not to bat all day and get 100 I'm usually used to score as many runs as i can in a short as time possible. so i will try and fire off a quick fire 50 then once am there just to keep hitting as much as i can till i finally get out...
on this 122no i just couldn't get out i grafted a hard 50 then i thought right 50 up i will just go and chase and hit everything so i did. then i ended up with people shouting from side lines all the way simmy etc so i new i was close i wanted to know what i was on and i was on 92... so from the 92-100 was my boringest cricket ever i was just taping the runs and going steady. then once i hit the 100 i was going nuts again lol.
im a very agressive bats man and i allways bat with the same style anywhere i bat.. maybe if i changed my game alittle bit i wud get more 100's etc
i strugle with when the field is pushed out i still think i can hit boundries then i get caught and im out.. if i lernt to work the ball in the gaps etc for 1's i would think i would score alot more runs.
fitness is an issue for me as well that i really need to work on
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Got 2 hundreds
I would say the best thing is to play to your strengths. Now I'm no good at hitting 6's when I want and when I try I often get out that's why I got both hundreds and only one six (a waist high full toss). Luck is important as I was dropped on 75 for my first 100 and 56 on my second.
Playing within yourself is the main point I think.
My favourite 100: http://bradleystokecc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=10892568
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The good hundreds i've seen, the batsman has paced his innings very well, accelerated at the right times and generally batted most of the innings.....
I've seen hundreds where the guy has tee'd off from ball one and also hundreds where the batsman hasnt played an attacking shot for at least 5 overs, I think you need to decide your game plan and stick to it
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Best tip is to be smart about make the opposition put the field where you want it by taking singles but put the bad ball away pretty basic I know but works for me
Plus I'm the opposite I never like to know what I am on I count to 1 then that's it lol
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Theres nothing worse than seeing a guy on the opposition make a ton, knowing you have more ability than them whilst only making 20 odd in the previous innings...... GRRRRRRR
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Concentration. A hundred generally doesnt come off 30 odd balls, unless you are something else! So concentrate all the way and focus. Switching off, even for one ball can cost you your innings on 0 or 99 doesnt matter how good form you are in etc you have to keep working till you get there. If you work, get yourself in, theres no reason why you can't score one every week, it's just about not giving it away
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To score a hundred is a fine achievement at any level. I have seen guys score lucky fifties, but to score 100 is an effort, no matter the level.
In all the tons I have scored, there have been a few common themes. All bar one have been scored with a gradual progression and acceleration throughout the innings - the other I just had one of those days where everything clicked (the first 50 came off 29 balls). Concentration is really the key, and the realisation that once you get to 40/50 then generally you are in, and unless you get a great ball, the only way you will get out is if you make a mistake.
Once you get to 90 try not to fall into the trap of changing the way you are playing just because you are close to a hundred. Try to relax and just continue to play. Forget the scoreboard. You have got to 90 - the runs will look after themselves.
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Some excellent thoughts - keep them coming
And Simmy - there is a lot to be said for keeping it really simple and playing to your strengths.
My thoughts are coming in a while, but having drafted a few pointers, it is turning into a dissertation and may completely overcomplicate batting :o
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I'm looking forward to your in depth thought Buzz. A lot to learn from it :)
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I've only hit the one hundred, where I was pretty lucky (dropped twice before i got to 20), but myself and a mate then added 265 for the 2nd wicket :P
I'm really interested to hear peoples thoughts as I've missed out on 3-4 hundreds that I could have hit... The main coach at my club says I should aim to bat all 45 overs and forget about the rest of the team, and his theory is that if I stay in for around 30 overs I would have reached 100......
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The only times I have ever scored a reasonable amount of runs have been when I have gone in and played "sensibly", basically accumulating rather than trying to slash and burn and score quickly. And usually when I've had at least 15 overs available to bat in.
48* came from just that scenario. Hit the bad ones, play sensibly and not try and hit the ones going straight at my stumps out of the ground. Carried my bat, and I suspect that the best way to score a hundred is to do something similar, and unless you have excellent hand/eye co-ordination and/or a terrible bowling attack, accumulate, and avoid giving chances.
An old pro we used to play with always said "sixes are mis-hit fours. It's much harder to get out when you hit a four".
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Buzz will you be including knowing your strike rate and knowing roughly how long you will need to bat to reach the magic number
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not try and hit the ones going straight at my stumps out of the ground.
this is all good and well but..
i usually judge a good ball on length as well as line..
if a ball is full weather it be on any of the stumps i will most likely drive it.
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Obviously there are a lot of variables involved, but fron the ones Ive scored or seen I have never witnessed someone score a ton by playing outside of their natural game. When they arrive they are usually within the confines of an individuals gameplan, whether a nurdler or a big hitter, and as such should represent repeatable milestones.
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this is all good and well but..
i usually judge a good ball on length as well as line..
if a ball is full weather it be on any of the stumps i will most likely drive it.
Which is fine. When the red mist descends I miss as many as I hit!
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Buzz will you be including knowing your strike rate and knowing roughly how long you will need to bat to reach the magic number
Almost certainly - anyone would think I have discussed this with you before...!
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In all runs i hit, I know exactly what i am, I am aware of where the weak parts to a field is, Either the old me, Or the lads with a poor throw,
In the 100's i have hit they have been where i have batted for the entire 50 overs of a match from opening, I am a very much a slow and steady batsman who likes to score runs gradually with the odd boundry thrown in, Very rarely will i ever hit a six, So i have to make sure that my 4's are well hit,
I find reaching 10 runs is my first stepping point, Once i hit this marker i aim for 25, Then the 50 runs,
Once i have hit my fifty i reset my score, as i am only half way to my goal of scoring that ton, And i always know that the second 50 is going to be the hardest due to physical reasons and the fact the bowling team will have an idea on my strong shots and plug gaps to stop the runs,
One thing i would recommend is to never let the pressure get to you for not scoring, I once hit a 100 without scoring a run from my first 45 balls, But managed the 100 from 163 balls,
I still have the bat i scored my first ton with a DF that is framed in my house, as a keepsake.
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Great topic Sir Buzz! I'm really interested in this; looking to reach the hundred mark once next year! I keep throwing my wicket away in the heat of the moment; missed lots of chances IMO... :|
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Ive scored 7-8 not really sure,
I don't think you can plan how to play when batting, I mean we all know are strengths and limits, but in the end its all about making are teams win, so you have to play the scenerio, as all mine are in limit overs cricket, Ive normally got up to around 50-70 nurdling and playing proper shots before looking to blitz it in the last five,
I think you just have to play to your strengths and concentrate, play the scernerio and just hope that the days yours and you come away with 3 figures
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I am so unfit, I am steaming out my (No Swearing Please) when i reach 30
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the key is not to think to much and over complicate things..... see ball hit ball in the way that you play
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First thing is you need to be in the right place. Rarely do people score 100's batting 5 or 6, especially in some leagues where it's 45 overs a side. If you don't bat in those positions then you're talking 1 in 30/40 chance at most. Bat top 3 and you'll get plenty of opportunities - however, you'll need a few more favours. A good deck, quickish outfield, small boundaries are a big plus. A (No Swearing Please - ok I'll use rubbish) bowling attack really helps and a poor fielding side is pretty useful as well. Add these factors together and you have a chance.
From a batting point of view, you have to hang in there and concentrate. Plenty of times I've scratched around for 10-15 overs before finally finding my range and accelerating. However, you sometimes have to play through periods of slow play and good bowling to reach the promised land. Patience is key. Mentally most people have their own techniques, mine is to concentrate on the team performance rather than my own ie. how are the team playing - 4 an over is pretty decent in overs 1-30, maybe it needs a push after that, it just keeps me ticking over and focussed.
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Ok , here goes, these are just my thoughts and as with all things, take what works for you and ignore the rest. I might give an update in a day or so...
The most important thing is that you buy a £1000 bat, if you have that you will score a ton every time you walk to the crease...;)
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Some of the points here have been raised above, but repetition isn’t always a bad thing, What UKNS has said above, I haven't mentioned, but if you want to be a serious batsman in league cricket, try to get youself batting in tthe top 3...
Firstly, before you go out to bat, work out how long it will take you on an average day to score 100 runs – for me my average run rate is about 90 runs per 100 balls (90/100 = 0.9). On this basis I will need to face about 111 balls to score a ton in league cricket (100/0.9). In overs terms assuming an equal strike rate (which never happens but park that for the moment) you then have 111/6 =18.5, 18.5 x 2 = 37 overs.
Given the maths above, mentally I need to be able to bat for at least 35-40 overs to score 100. Knowing that is the first step. To bat for 40 overs you are looking at being at the crease for 2½ hours, typically. Obviously in Sunday cricket, or lower standards you can accelerate the times and runs per ball, but the message is, are you prepared to bat for 2½ hours? If not, you either need to get a shift on and take more risks or rely on it being your lucky day.
Mentally if you are ready and you mind is clear enough you have already taken the first steps.
Next, before you go out to bat make sure all your equipment is comfortable, if you aren’t comfortable you will lose concentration early in your innings, which is bad news.
Then you are walking out to bat – the first 5 overs are the hardest for a batsman, (ignore the state of the game for a moment) You need to play yourself in, only play low risk shots accepting that it is always nice to get an early boundary to give you confidence. If you do get a rank bad ball early on, commit 100% to smacking it, don’t have a waft. Running well between the wickets also helps get the blood flowing and your feet moving when it is you are on strike. Really look to rotate the strike so the fielding side are pushed onto the back foot (sorry for the clichés, but they work).
Also be aware of where the fielders are standing or where they have been moved to, if the bowler is bowing to a 7-2 offside field, it is likely he is trying to move the ball away from you on a full length – so sitting on you back foot looking to work the ball through the leg side won’t be a low risk shot and also be weary of the outside off stump waft... i try to encourage players, especially early on to “keep your shape” stay playing shots under your eyes early on and keep it really simple.
After about 5 or 6 overs, you should be into your innings – possibly on 10 to 15 or maybe you have got a bit of a flyer and are on 25 plus. At this point be warned it is easy to feel "in" when you aren't quite there yet and remember most time a batsman is out he has given it away playing a bat shot, rather than being got out by the bowler (thus spoke a batsman!!)
By this time you are in for the long hall – break your knock down into 5 over bursts, pick up the boundaries and play your own way. Don’t panic if the ball is doing a bit, keep calm and wait for the bad balls, at most levels of cricket there are two four balls every two overs.
The important think by this stage is that you are in your own “bubble”, I don’t think too much about what is being said to me, either “instructions” from the wicket keeper or “advice” from the slips, I just try to keep my mind clear and think about respecting the bowler and watching the ball.
After about 15 overs you team mate are giving you a polite ripple and you wave back, while there is always one shouting “Double it up fella”. You are mentally all ready for that. Don’t think about your own runs, the easiest think is look at the total and work on getting your team into a good position at this point. It will take your mind off your own innings and Cricket is a team game after all...
At some stage you are likely to lose your concentration, for some it is around 35, for others around 60, or it can happen around a break in play, such as a drinks break, but it does happen. To try to stop that, you need to stay in your bubble – think Jonathan Trott still marking out his guard after he has won the match!! I think the example of Jonny Wilkinson taking a penalty or conversion is a better example usually. Don’t be afraid to take a couple of overs to “play yourself in” again if you feel like your concentration is going, it will come back pretty quick.
Usually you will need some luck, sometime you wont, but if you get some, double your efforts not to give it away.
Not giving it away is a massive deal by this stage in you knock, after 25-30 overs you are heading towards the “zone” you are on about 80 and right on top. At this point, trying to farm the strike is my usually tactic – slightly selfish I know, but unless the other batter is smashing the ball everywhere, you are the in form player and will score runs the fastest so it is a legitimate thing to do.
As a rough rule of thumb if there are no scoreboards on the ground sometimes it is good to know what you are on – look at the total guess what proportion of runs you have and take 10-15 from that usually gets you pretty close.
Either way – you are heading towards the 90’s. Try not to change how you have been playing but for the last 10 runs, bat them as if they are your first 10, go back to “keeping your shape” running the singles hard and committing 100% to going for the shot.
Then the big moment arrives. Well done. But DONT GIVE IT AWAY!
Once you get to about 110 you are suddenly in the zone – where every ball can be deposited anywhere at will, in fact you will feel like the bowlers are actually bowling where you want them to – when you get to this point if you give it away, you have let your team down. Concentrate doubly hard and as Goochie says “Make it a BIGGY”
Obviously there are loads of other factors – the different bowlers, the different match situations, the different types of match, a decent oppo skipper who can try and get you off strike... but the principles are there.
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Lovely speach Buzz but I dont think you need to do all that, Just bat, play to your strengths, no need to over complicate things that much
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Only scored one hundred so not sure qualified to comment but my thoughts on that was hadn't got a 50 for a while so release of getting to 50 then pressure is off & relax & enjoy yourself, play your shots(your own style as thats whats got you there) but be prepared to guts out sticky periods & take it easy those last 10-15 runs to get over the line.
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Have somehow made 2 in my short career, both times i batted sensibly up until 50 and then let loose.
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Buzz good to see you had replied to this post by the time i got home..... mind you you did have plenty of time ;)
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Lovely speach Buzz but I dont think you need to do all that, Just bat, play to your strengths, no need to over complicate things that much
Fair enough, these are just some of the things I think about when I am batting, alongside where the fielders are, who is bowling, their bowling style and where the "high %/low risk" runs can come from, how the player at the other end is doing - and it all differs as to whether I am setting a target or chasing a target.
It may well be that I think far too much and don't allow myself to just let it happen - but this is what I have found helps me, I suppose I would classify myself as a more "intense" style batsman - more of a Mark Ramprakash than an instinctive player.
But the more I have worked at it and the more I think about what I am trying to do the more consistent a player I have become.
Aweful lot of "I"'s in that.
As always, if you don't like it ignore it and if you do, take the bits you like... :)
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Agree with Buzz people will tell you a lot in life, you have to take the best bit of each persons advice and combine them!
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Agree with Buzz people will tell you a lot in life, you have to take the best bit of each persons advice and combine them!
Totally agree.......
i've noticed alot of people are saying it depends if its your day or not, i think by taking all this into account you will find its 'your day' more often than usual.........
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Nobody has included "don't run out of partners!" Or in other words, manage the strike.
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I think buzzes point about high% risk and low % risk runs is important as well,
I also think singles are crucial in any innings, you have to be looking to rotate the strike every ball
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I tend to think of it in a similar way. Play your low risk shots early doors, ie. cut for me, tickle off the legs, poke for one etc. Then gradually expand into the riskier shots as you pick up the pace of the pitch and identify the bowlers are doing with the ball. I see too many batters go for expansive shots early on and ruin a nice knock.
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Hello. I thought I would drag this topic up - because of this article about Sehwag on Cricinfo today - Talking about how Viru wants to bat more time - etc - you will see he has clearly been reading this forum...!! ;)
Beware of Sehwag 2.0
http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/current/story/502010.html
To intimidate people, Al Pacino's character in Scarface made them "say hello to my little friend". Somehow six other words from Virender Sehwag, which sound completely non-violent by his standards, are having similar impact in the cricketing world. Cricket's Tony Montana just said, "I want to bat 50 overs." It is a simple thought, something every opening batsman says by rote, but when Sehwag says that it becomes scary. When Sehwag says he wants to bat 50 overs, you shudder when you think what if he actually bats 50 overs?
What if the man - his average innings lasts 32 balls but he has still managed to score more than 7000 runs at a strike-rate over 100 - decides to try and play anything close to 150 deliveries in a match? What if he regularly starts lasting till batting Powerplays? Before today, while batting first, Sehwag had faced 100 balls only on two occasions. What if he starts doing it more often? He has never stayed not out batting first. What if he does that often in completed innings?
Today Sehwag gave a glimpse of the possibilities, and on evidence the bowlers need to be afraid. Very afraid. It was fitting that the new Sehwag came out in the same country where four years ago he was trying to figure out just what his role was as a batsman, when he was a confused man after being dropped from Tests, a format in which he has never merited a drop. That was soon after the World Cup debacle. On that tour he got off to two starts, but threw his wicket away on both occasions. Four years on, now one of the most feared batsmen in Test cricket, Sehwag's intentions of making a larger impact in ODIs too have begun in Bangladesh.
The ease with which Sehwag did it today made it seem like all he had to do was tell himself he needed to bat longer. You could see he was fighting boredom in the middle overs when all that was available was singles. He even went 30 balls without a boundary, considered the oxygen of his batting, but that had little effect on him. You could see from his itching to hit that he still didn't think spinners ought to bowl in international cricket, but he showed restraint when Abdul Razzak came on to bowl in the fifth over. He played out four dots in that over before taking the single. Razzak's time would come later. The first time Sehwag tried to clear the infield today was in the 15th over, a six over cow corner to reach his fifty… off Razzak.
All this after he had got the World Cup off to a smashing start, with a punch through the covers first ball and a drive for four through the same region in the same over. You watched with interest just how he would rein himself in after such a start. How would a batsman who knows no boundaries limit himself? Not that he hasn't done that before. He did so to save the Adelaide Test, but then he had a challenge in front of himself, a larger cause of drawing the Test. He did that during a chase in Dambulla last year, scoring 99 not out when every other batsman failed under the lights, but then the conditions provided that extra challenge.
One-day cricket on flat tracks, like today, doesn't present that kind of multi-faceted challenge. It was the kind of track and bowling where the only man that could have got Sehwag out was Sehwag himself. He wasn't going to do that today, not until he had reached the back-end of the innings. In the middle overs, he fought the boredom with chips over extra cover for twos. He stayed alert to quick singles; on one occasion he ran a bye, and then the overthrow off a ricochet off the stumps when the ball had hardly gone far.
Once he reached that back-end, once he called for the batting Powerplay in the 35th over, every bowler bar Rubel Hossain - who used the bouncer well on a slow pitch - got the clip. Shafiul Islam was swung for six over long-on. Razzak he treated like a club bowler, leaving his crease every ball, and then deciding which boundary to clear. Powerful shots, late-cuts, lofts, all came back.
With the World Cup upon us, so is Sehwag 2.0. If he can continue doing what he did today, more games will be decided by the end of the first innings.
When asked about his innings, Sehwag termed it the most satisfactory "as far as overs are concerned". It was obviously a conscious effort to play a longer innings, and take fewer chances. One of the bigger challenges of such innings is the middle overs, when fields are spread. Sehwag said his plan was to concentrate on taking singles. "It was easy for me to rotate the strike. I think I hit a six on 49, and after that till 75 or 80 I was just rotating the strike because I knew I had to play 30-40 overs, and if I do that I would get a hundred. Still my strike rate was more than 100."
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Buzz have you been coaching Sehwag behind my back ?
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where else did my Sehwag bat come from? ;)
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Loads of you will have witnessed Sachin and Andrew Strauss' hundreds on Sunday - I think it is worth adding some stats on these knocks to this page as they were both master class innings on scoring big, first when setting a target and then when chasing. Fortunately Oliver Brett has done the work so I don't have to.
The run graph comparison is very intersting looking at how Sachin started slowly then got his eye in (or changed his bat to one that wasn't knackered...) where as Strauss chasing got the momentum going and maintained it through out the chase
Strauss and Tendulkar in perspective
(http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac151/buzzrockport/fix_tendulkar_strauss.jpg)
By Oliver Brett
Although neither was involved in the enthralling finish, Sachin Tendulkar and Andrew Strauss provided two of the most exquisite centuries seen in World Cups when India and England played out their tied match in Bangalore on Sunday.
With the help of the "wagon wheels" provided here, showing each player's scoring areas - and a graph comparing their rate of scoring - their innings can be analysed more closely.
Tendulkar's was his 47th one-day century, but only his second against England, and he began steadily as he crafted an imposing target for India's opponents.
With his partner Virender Sehwag burning a trail at the other end, the 37-year-old waited patiently until the ninth over, soon after the departure of Sehwag, to hit his first two boundaries.
He got them off consecutive balls, identifying one of his favoured areas behind square on the leg-side for neat deflections.
From that point on, he picked up the pace of his scoring, dominating the big partnership for the second wicket with Gautam Gambhir.
Two sixes cames off Paul Collingwood, the first an eased, lofted straight drive, the second smashed with similar elegance over midwicket. And there were three sixes off Graeme Swann: two over long-on, the other a slog sweep over deep mid-wicket.
As the Tendulkar wagon wheel shows, none of his 10 fours was hit in front of square on the leg-side, partly because Strauss ensured he often had two people posted on the ropes in that region.
But the other regions are all studded with fours, as England's bowling force - in theory strengthened by the addition of Michael Yardy - was run ragged.
When England began their chase of a monstrous-looking target of 339, Strauss was quick out of the blocks because his team simply could not afford to get behind the asking rate of almost seven runs an over.
A leg-glance and a booming square cut gave him two of the 18 fours he would accumulate in all in the very first over of the chase, and he was off and away.
While Tendulkar's rate of scoring accelerated sharply from a steady base, Strauss cruised along at something close to a run a ball throughout the innings, taking in the rapid opening stand with Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott's brief stay at the crease and the really big partnership of the innings with Ian Bell.
Not traditionally someone who plays attacking shots down the ground, he stuck to the areas he knows best - square of the wicket and behind square - with only four scoring shots, each gaining him a single, coming in the mid-off region.
It was only when Bell, who defied his critics with some lusty blows of his own, cramped up in the latter stages of the chase that Strauss's smooth rhythm was also stifled, and the two men fell off consecutive balls.
Statistically, the Strauss innings was superior to Tendulkar's, both in terms of runs scored (158 to 120) and strike rate (108.96 runs per 100 balls to 104.34).
In truth however, it would be curmudgeonly to say the England captain produced the better innings. In keeping with the result of the match, let's call it a tie.
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This is from Justin Langer on Cricinfo today
Do you agree that during the Ashes that there were some technical faults among the batsmen, especially edging balls they could have left?
Everyone can keep developing their technique, but my experience would tell me that if you're edging balls or getting bowled a lot, it tends to be that you're not watching the ball as closely as you should be. And if you're not watching the ball closely, it's generally that you're down on a bit of confidence or you're distracted. That's what mental toughness is about, having 100% attention on the next ball bowled to you. That process is critical. If you get the processes right, I'd suggest that most of those guys, with the techniques they have got, wouldn't be nicking them. They wouldn't be getting bowled or lbw because if they have got a really strong and positive mindset, they'll move quicker, they'll pick up the ball earlier, their feet will move quicker into position, and they'll invariably be hitting the ball more in the middle of the bat. There's always that question - is that technical or is that mental? I would suggest, at that level it often looks like it might be technical, but with these guys who have made a lot of runs before, it's usually that they're not quite clear in their minds.
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hello, having not scored many runs since my first game I thought i would re read this and then, given the high score thread, I thought I'd give it a bump for new members.
it is worth reading a few of the differet comments and look for little bits to help you.
I've been a bit guilty recently of over complicating my batting - writing a batting book may do that to you! so don't try to take everything on.
you may thing it's still all hillocks which would also be reasonable!
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My main tip would be don't chip the ball straight back to the bowler on 97 when you are approaching your maiden ton.
Only wish I had took that advice! Still haven't got one :(
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This is from Justin Langer on Cricinfo today
Do you agree that during the Ashes that there were some technical faults among the batsmen, especially edging balls they could have left?
Everyone can keep developing their technique, but my experience would tell me that if you're edging balls or getting bowled a lot, it tends to be that you're not watching the ball as closely as you should be. And if you're not watching the ball closely, it's generally that you're down on a bit of confidence or you're distracted. That's what mental toughness is about, having 100% attention on the next ball bowled to you. That process is critical. If you get the processes right, I'd suggest that most of those guys, with the techniques they have got, wouldn't be nicking them. They wouldn't be getting bowled or lbw because if they have got a really strong and positive mindset, they'll move quicker, they'll pick up the ball earlier, their feet will move quicker into position, and they'll invariably be hitting the ball more in the middle of the bat. There's always that question - is that technical or is that mental? I would suggest, at that level it often looks like it might be technical, but with these guys who have made a lot of runs before, it's usually that they're not quite clear in their minds.
exactly what i needed to read buzz. thanks for the quote.
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Here is an article from Martin Crowe on Kiwi's and hundreds, but there is something for everyone here... follow the link for the stats and pictures
Why can't New Zealand score more hundreds?
Misguided coaching, bowling-friendly conditions and players' attitudes haven't helped
http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/581892.html
In Wisden and on ESPNcricinfo, it clearly shows that the greatest century-makers in Test cricket are the Indians and the Australians. The West Indians have a representative in the top ten in Brian Lara, and recently, through Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, the South Africans and Sri Lankans are acknowledged right up there alongside the best. No other country is represented in the 30-plus century club.
The Pakistanis' best is Inzamam-ul-Haq, on 25 hundreds, while England's most prolific are the old-timers Wally Hammond, Colin Cowdrey and Geoff Boycott, all on 22. But as we know, Alastair Cook, on 20 currently, will surely smash that and climb into the top echelon.
New Zealand is the only one of the eight main Test-playing nations not to have a player score over 20 hundreds; their highest is 17, while 12 is the next best. In fact, only three players are in double figures in terms of century count. Add to that the fact that New Zealand is the only established nation that's yet to post a triple-century, coming agonisingly close with a 299, when yours truly had a brain fade.
So why have New Zealand been so poor compared to the rest, and why is it seemingly getting worse? As each series goes by, New Zealand give the impression they won't improve anytime soon on this front.
To me, the art of scoring a hundred is to keep it dead simple: bat in tens. Greg Chappell quietly said this to me once, and it resonated loud and clear. By scoring in small incremental blocks of ten runs at a time, I was able to maintain concentration, not worry at all about the nineties (it was only another block of ten), and ultimately carry on a lot longer after the century milestone was reached.
I believe for Test teams to truly compete, they need at least two players consistently scoring hundreds every three to four Tests. From 1985-94 I managed 16 hundreds in 50 consecutive Tests (following my first relatively unproductive 20-Test apprenticeship and before a limp seven-Test finish), so it can be done, but it can't be done alone. With John Wright, John Reid and Andrew Jones playing well for a period, I was in really good company, and it proved partnerships mean everything. In contrast, when Lara was in full flight, he did it alone, and so West Indies began their dreadful slide.
To try to understand why New Zealand have underachieved in consistently scoring Test hundreds, it needs to be acknowledged that this is a rugby-mad country, and mostly all major grounds and stadiums are geared for the All Blacks to win under lights.
Even with the advent of portable pitches, batting in New Zealand has always been regarded a challenge for most batsmen - hosts and visitors alike - as the pitches, coupled with English-type weather, have made run scoring rather difficult at times. Ask Garry Sobers, Viv Richards and Sachin Tendulkar, to name a few over the decades, and they will confirm this.
Some would say that the hosts should be used to the conditions and ought to be able to develop the appropriate game to prosper. I agree, and my personal adjustment was to shorten my backlift significantly so I could adjust better to the inconsistent bounce and movement, swing or seam. By shortening my backlift I scored less quickly but managed to stay at the crease longer. This later also helped combat reverse swing.
Through the last century, New Zealand batsmen played only about five or six Tests a year, about half of those on bowler-friendly pitches at home. For a long time, getting into a habit of scoring big hundreds didn't come about because of limited opportunities, to add to the poor conditions for batting.
However, during the late 1970s and early 1980s, through the exposure gained by the likes of Glenn Turner, Richard Hadlee, Geoff Howarth and John Wright, who all became full-time professionals and played regular county cricket, the new doctrine was to "up performance" and take on the world. This included players being selected and expected to score big hundreds and take five-wicket hauls - which Hadlee excelled at. Contributing to team victories became a necessary goal for the individual within the team ethos, and this requirement was passed down sternly and clearly to youngsters entering the dressing room. Standards were set high. I became addicted to the mantra of "We are better than they are."
Because of my personal drive and obsession with scoring Test hundreds through the 1980s, as New Zealand got better and better, I felt responsible for passing the baton to new players when we entered the 1990s, post-Hadlee, and so I approached Stephen Fleming and Nathan Astle with confidence that they would carry it on.
Instead, I struck an odd resistance. The new breed simply didn't feel the need to set the goal of scoring hundreds for the team. Of course, they wanted to score them, but they didn't want that "extra pressure" of being seen to seek them. Hadlee and I had talked openly and publicly about setting and chasing goals; the downside was that it seemed to turn others off. These new players chose to play for the team and the occasion, to be ultimate team men and not seek individual milestones. It sounded admirable, and it was, but on the other hand the team needed big hundreds and it needed them consistently.
In his defence, Fleming had just became New Zealand captain at age 23, and his sights had been dramatically adjusted from being a batsman learning the craft of succeeding at the highest level to leading a young, impressionable and highly talented team. Overnight his focus had switched to a new responsibility.
And leadership he showed, so much so that he became New Zealand's greatest captain and man manager of all time. He instilled in his team the mantra called BTB (Better than Before), a reference to topping the efforts of the '80s. And so a new attitude was born.
Fleming's team played well for a good period, rising to No. 3 in the world in 2001-02, but they couldn't sustain it. The hundreds weren't there often enough, and gradually a pattern emerged. The conversion rate from fifties to hundreds got worse. Fleming himself, despite his strong hand at the helm, secured a return of only nine hundreds and 46 fifties in 111 Tests. He was way too good to finish with numbers like those. Yet, contrastingly, while not able to convert often enough, he was able to play some extraordinary innings in becoming the only New Zealander to post three Test double-hundreds.
During this time, in 1998, the New Zealand board set up an academy in Lincoln. Coaches and professors from Victoria were flown in. But any hope that the next generation would be given assistance and expertise on how to post world-class scores soon fell apart. It was an outstanding disaster.
Biomechanics became the new buzzword for New Zealand's finest batting talent. The theory passed on was that hand speed and power efficiency "through the shot" was everything. Out the window went footwork, body position, soft hands and hitting the ball late below the eyes. In came heavier bats, high backlifts, minimal footwork and going hard at the ball.
The net result was faster strike rates and shorter stays at the crease. For a whole decade this theory was passed down to the next line of coaches, and from them to young players, who were too frightened to disregard the instructions thrust at them.
One who did ignore the tripe being coached was Ross Taylor. They say his natural stance and backlift are still the same as they were when he was playing school first-XI matches. He followed his own natural instincts and method, and didn't buy the wares of con artists selling their unproven bullshit to unsuspecting victims.
Dozens of talented batsmen were tried through this crazy ten-year period, including Craig Cumming, Matthew Bell, Michael Papps, Gary Stead, Craig Spearman, Jamie How, Mathew Sinclair, Hamish and James Marshall, Lou Vincent, Aaron Redmond, Peter Ingram, Tim McIntosh, Peter Fulton and others. One player who did well during this time came from a background of bowling spin and batting No. 11 - Mark Richardson. He missed the biomechanics batting clinic and thankfully became one of New Zealand's finest opening batsmen from sheer self-sufficiency and attitude.
That was then, this is now. New Zealand Cricket still hasn't settled on a basic batting method to adopt. The proper coaching methods must be reintroduced and embraced at all levels, first-class cricket must be reinstated as the priority format, and batsmen need to clearly set the goal that hundreds matter.
I believe there is a possibility that a present-day player or two will hopefully pick up the baton and run with it. That potential may well lie with Kane Williamson and Taylor, both of whom I regard highly as batsmen, especially as century-makers.
As the story goes, Williamson, before he left school, had notched up 40 hundreds in all forms at all levels. That's mighty impressive, suggesting he has an insatiable appetite for the ton, knows how to get it and wants more. So far in his 16 Tests he has scored two, which is a steady start, given he is 22. It's also time for the apprentice to become the master over the next phase and increase his ratio from one every eight Tests to one every four. He simply has to set his goal and his stall and get it done. No more pussyfooting around the crease, messing with backlifts and techniques: he must settle, aim and fire.
Taylor, on the other hand, has seven hundreds from 41 Tests, one every six Tests. He does possess the ability to do a Sehwag and rip out a triple-ton one day. As captain, he must demand more of the same of what we saw from him in the recent Bangalore Test. In that match he came out swinging, and the aggression paid off in the first innings. New Zealand need him to lead the way in the next period.
Taylor and Williamson can show the likes of Martin Guptill and the next generation how setting a big goal, then scoring a big hundred is not only helpful to a team's cause but is also personally satisfying and universally accepted.
Just ask Sachin.
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i should of read this thread as i got out on 96 other day lol
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Just found this article on cricinfo - it is from the guy who runs pitch vision - some of the stuff he has blogged I have found a little uncomfortable with - (which doesn't make them wrong...!)
This however is something that I wholeheartadly support and worth a read... (stuck it in this thread as it is vaguely relevant!)
Technique is a myth
David Hinchliffe
November 12, 2014
http://www.espncricinfo.com/thestands/content/story/798683.html (http://www.espncricinfo.com/thestands/content/story/798683.html)
Technique is a myth.
For every technical perfectionist, there are many more who defy the copybook. Even Bradman, with his unusual backlift, was no stranger to the unorthodox. Yet you could argue that he is the greatest sportsman of all time; certainly the greatest batsman in the stats book. Bradman is far from alone. If I were to ask you to name the technical masters you could give me a list of grand heroes: Dravid, Boycott, Gavaskar and so on. Yet if I asked you to name some greats regardless of technique your list would likely be much longer.
You might argue that within this elite group, there are similarities. All great batsmen watch the ball with a still head. All great bowlers have exceptional balance. The variations are fine, but the core is essentially the same. There's a fair chance you were told these by a coach or heard it from a TV commentator with first-class experience. Reliable sources everyone, so why would you think otherwise?
Except, the more we look into technical elements scientifically, the more we see that even the core of skill has variation between individuals. Some people are moving at the point of delivery. Some people are not watching the ball closely. Some bowlers generate pace with horrible actions. These are tested and proven facts.
It makes sense when you think about it. Cricket is played by the imperfect mess that is a human being. Each one is genetically unique from height to physical strength to preferred hand and eye (yes, we all have a stronger eye). We all move differently and think differently. From that primal soup of genes, we are thrown into a culture that influences us further. To expect a boy growing up on the streets of Mumbai with a tennis ball to have the same method as a girl from Surrey with hours of formal coaching at a club is ridiculous. And, isn't that the joy of cricket anyway: It can accommodate every type of person from anywhere in the world? Not many sports can offer the same inclusiveness, even at the highest level.
I'm a coach for my day job and I was brought up on "proper technique". You play straight. You bowl side on. You iron out flaws in players who are doing it incorrectly. As the years passed I began to soften to what was correct. I started to realise that there is scope for variety, scope for what works for an individual. Then one day I realised that there was nothing left in the correct column any more. Everything was open to negotiation. Coaching was no longer about correcting technique, and all about helping the player find his or her best technique. Sometimes - most of the time - that means shutting up and letting the players work it out for themselves. That takes a heck of a lot of confidence because on the outside you look like someone who knows nothing and has nothing to say. In fact, you know that a player will understand himself far more that you will ever understand him. It's your job to help accelerate that process. That's why mystery spinners appear most often from cultures where there is little formal coaching. Players have to work it out for themselves and are never told they are doing it wrong. The ones who do that best end up playing Test cricket, often out of nowhere.
There is still a role for the coach at every level. Learning happens faster with someone to guide you. It's just that the modern coach has a different approach. Players are given challenges to complete and asked to work out the answer for themselves. For example, trying to hit a ball through a gap in the covers is totally different from being taught the proper way to cover drive. One makes robots, the other makes runs.
A world with flexible technique is a fun world to watch as well as coach. Bowlers and batsmen who are different are much more watchable. Imagine a team of technical grinding batsmen and right arm medium-fast bowlers. Now throw in someone like a Pietersen, who has a crazy uncoachable technique and approach to batting. Add a Narine with the ball and equally individual method. Now we are having a good time. For this reason I'm glad the idea of technical perfection is dying. Cricket is all the better for variety at every level. So, the next time your team's coach - or your son's coach - is quiet instead of prescriptive, or doesn't just run a net and bark instructions, give him a nod of silent recognition that you understand.
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David Hinchliffe is director of coaching for PitchVision Academy. He has been a cricket and athletic development coach for over 20 years with experience in England, South Africa, India and Australia. He is interested in all aspects of playing better cricket from drills and methods to new technology and research across many fields. He leads a team that writes and talks daily about playing and coaching issues here.
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Few years ago a young player asked me how he could score a century i gave him the advice which was given to me which was your way son the club coach who was in ear shot heard me came over and gave me an earful along the lines that I was wrong.
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Few years ago a young player asked me how he could score a century i gave him the advice which was given to me which was your way son the club coach who was in ear shot heard me came over and gave me an earful along the lines that I was wrong.
Different things work for different people - this has worked for me - I believe it helps to have a plan and helps to understand what it takes to score runs so you are prepared before you start batting.
Many people just like to walk out to bat and to not think about things. Batting is about finding a successful method that works for you and committing to it.
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I agree with this. My old coach was a tall, thin, angular, inscrutable man who preached calmness at the crease. He talked about not berating yourself after playing a bad shot, about re-setting oneself for the next delivery and starting again.
This good advice didn't lead me to scoring a century, but it did stop me calling myself an 'enormous tw*t' frequently whilst at the crease.
I wonder where that angular, inscrutable coach is now?
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I wonder where that angular, inscrutable coach is now?
I hear he is slightly rounder and spends his time in Canary wharf having to earn money to pay for his family's excesses, rather than coaching feline batting techniques...
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Surely he only has such a large family due to his own 'excesses'? :D
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I think one major point that hasn't been mentioned yet - apologies if it has - Is the 50 to 100 mark (moreso when you have just passed 50) You hear lots of comments banded about such as "great knock, now start again!" and "you've done your job now enjoy it!" - both of which I believe are completely counter productive to pushing on to 3 figures. Once you have got to 50 you haven't done your job, you have got passed the sticky first hour, your eye is in and its now time to make hay whilst the sun shines and take your team from a decent position to a commanding one. This leads me nicely on to the other comment that gets my goat - advising the in-form batsman to "start again", why? surely the worst thing to do would be to start again, just continue to do what you have done to get yourself into that position. Things are getting easier and will continue to - allow nature to take its free flowing, run scoring course. Do not change your mindset or try 're-setting!'.
You also encounter different hurdles in your second fifty to your first. Your first 50 is all about getting the feet moving, getting your eye in, adjusting to the pace of the wicket, shutting out the odd comment from the slip cordon and getting used to facing bowlers you never have before. Your second 50 is avoiding complacency and/or fatigue induced mistakes (be it mentally or physically). So in essence your first 50 is a battle against outside influences , your second 50 is an internal battle.
If you get 50, short of a jaffer or running out of runs to get - the only person stopping you doubling up is yourself.
This is of course just my opinion - for what its worth.
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@Karlo84 interesting points you've made there bud.
When I made my first 50 we were chasing, they're clapped me but I didn't think "that's my job done" but I thought "great, now to win the game" I ended 66* and hit the winning runs, and didn't want to throw it away once I got to the milestone.
Last season I was guilty of complacency, I got a To 50 having been at the crease for only 7 overs. I raised my bat then got cleaned up next ball trying to hit a Yorker into the next county, I'd decided as the bowler was running it it was going :-[
On that occasion I just laughed and waited for the inevitable stick I was about to receive :D
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Some great points that have been made here. When I scored my only ton, my or match mesh consisted of 1 double yoker egg and 1 triple yoker egg. The odds of which are billions to one! I was then late to the game as my missus had not put the sat nav charger back in the car so it ran out of battery and I had no idea where I was going.
When I came in we had lost a few quick wickets so I was batting to use the overs out initially. I think being forced to play a more sensible style innings allowed me to get myself in without playing too many risky shots. When I got to 50 and with overs running out I pushed on as my eye was now in. I managed to reach the magic number with an over to spare.
It's rare when I bat at 5-7 that I am afforded the time to build a big innings, when it does happen it's usually on a wicket that's doing all sorts or the bowlers are well on top. Normally I come in trying to up the rate or get some quick late runs.
Luck certainly plays a role whether that's time, conditions or the opposition along with staying focused and playing correctly.
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Some great points that have been made here. When I scored my only ton, my or match mesh consisted of 1 double yoker egg and 1 triple yoker egg. The odds of which are billions to one! I was then late to the game as my missus had not put the sat nav charger back in the car so it ran out of battery and I had no idea where I was going.
When I came in we had lost a few quick wickets so I was batting to use the overs out initially. I think being forced to play a more sensible style innings allowed me to get myself in without playing too many risky shots. When I got to 50 and with overs running out I pushed on as my eye was now in. I managed to reach the magic number with an over to spare.
It's rare when I bat at 5-7 that I am afforded the time to build a big innings, when it does happen it's usually on a wicket that's doing all sorts or the bowlers are well on top. Normally I come in trying to up the rate or get some quick late runs.
Luck certainly plays a role whether that's time, conditions or the opposition along with staying focused and playing correctly.
I think you're forgetting something else that happened before the game?!?!
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Oh you have to get a lucky handshake too...