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[no1northernbloke]

Suppose this topic is linked to another one I've just posted on kit and how the quality of it affects your play....

I've played first team cricket for around 20 years. I know how I play, where I'm strong and what I need to do to get me in the right state of mind before going to bat. Getting into the right state doesn't always happen though - I like to relax and chill out before going to bat, to ponder. I can't do this if people are constantly talking to me, asking questions etc

I've always thought it strange how people bat differently when there is pressure about. You'll see most people looking a million dollars when there's nothing to lose, but put some pressure into the situation, a bit of chat and we all feel it. You get tighter, play less assuredly, second guess yourself etc.

There are also times when I bat that I'm personally not that bothered and I have to try and get myself into a different frame of mind. Be it reacting to a fielder or bowler I have to get keyed up otherwise I've got no chance. Likewise there's times I've been batting and it's been awful, playing and missing, no timing, edges between slips and so on. I've made a conscious decision to go after the bowler and it's worked and I've made some decent runs.

My point is this. I'm still the same batter. The bowler is still the same. Nothing really has changed apart from how I approach the game and bowling. Most of us, if not all of us could improve how we do substantially by improving how we 'talk to ourselves'

Now I don't class myself as an outstanding batter, but in those 20 years I've scored around 12000 league runs in Prem and Div 1 cricket. I still sometimes think to myself, 'he looks a bit sharp' 'I won't be able to pick him' even when I've played against them before and have handled them ok.

Just wondering how you all approach the game from a mental perspective, how you react to pressure and how you change your state whilst batting.

[Red Ink Cricket]

I relax before i bat, chat with the lads, laugh and joke but do keep an eye on the game. I bat 3 so find its useful to know what type of bowling i could be facing pretty soon.

I love pressure. I sometimes find that i relax too much when there isnt any. Ive never worried about what speed a bowlers bowling or how much he turns it. If i get a good one theres normally very little you can do.

my mindset for a weekend tends to be the same but midweek i open so things change. I always take the strike so have nothing to go on unless i know the bowler. For me midweek its a case of watch the first few and see what happens. look to put pressure on each bowler. again a bit of pressure is good. gets you focused.

[Buzz]

in club cricket, if you can get this right you will get a serious score every week!

[Manormanic]

Good question that!  For me, the big thing is that it be competitive - I find that that is all I need to get myself keyed up and into the right mindset; conversely, it means that when we're playing a nice bunch of lads on a Sunday who happen to be not that good, I can't really make myself care about it. 

Everyone has their days - I reckon a working life makes it really tricky to be "in the zone" the whole time and there will be weeks when your preparation scuppers you before you even start.  Positive mental images can counteract that - the time you got 50/100 against this mob, or how well things went in a net even, can help with that...

[legger123]

When I seem to walk to the crease on a Saturday for my first team, I always seem to be under a bit of pressure, through quick wickets falling or runs required with little wickets remaining. However my approach is always the same, I seem to get myself in, and help my team to recover to what seems to be close to winning. However I seem to get so close to finishing the game off, I get a bit ahead of myself and end up getting out, thankfully when i've got my team close we've gone on and completed the win. Something I'd like to do this season is to go on and finish the games!

[mad_abt_cricket]

For me, I always ask this question to myself...

"Why I play Cricket ?"

The answer to it is the "Joy" it brings to me every time I am in the cricket field. I try to keep reminding myself to enjoy the time I am spending on a cricket field. Specially while batting, it helps me to keep off too many thoughts about the next delivery.....

[ianbuchanan]

Agree with Buzz here...

Funny how the oppositions behaviour can play with your mind though...

e.g. When the bowler throws the ball at you for no reason, and the next ball you get out after scoring 82 off 69! He wound me up and it worked...

[Joe]

I do not watch the game, and try to get completely relaxed. If I watch, I get worked up and nervous and either get out or lockdown and score 10 off 20 overs. I stay calm and happy and go in with a very relaxed mindset.

[richthekeeper]

I open the batting for my club's 2nd team. I usually go out with the attitude that there can't be much pace or they'd be in the 1st XI. We normally find that teams only have 2 or 3 strong bowlers, so there's no problem being 20/0 off the first 10 overs. We know we can score runs off bowlers 4, 5 and 6 later on.

In my team the top 3 batsmen are all quite defensive, while the middle order of explosive players stretches from 4 to 10. We know that if we set a strong platform in the first 30 overs then we can really hurt teams late on, but if the top 3 get out cheaply then a collapse is often to follow! It's important to know your job in the team, I believe.

[Johnny]

I open the batting for my club's 2nd team. I usually go out with the attitude that there can't be much pace or they'd be in the 1st XI. We normally find that teams only have 2 or 3 strong bowlers, so there's no problem being 20/0 off the first 10 overs. We know we can score runs off bowlers 4, 5 and 6 later on.

In my team the top 3 batsmen are all quite defensive, while the middle order of explosive players stretches from 4 to 10. We know that if we set a strong platform in the first 30 overs then we can really hurt teams late on, but if the top 3 get out cheaply then a collapse is often to follow! It's important to know your job in the team, I believe.

Couldn't agree more -  far easier to score at 6-7 an over for the last 10-15 overs when you have 6-7 wickets in the hutch. What you're describing above is exactly the same in our teams.

[richthekeeper]

Saying that Johnny, we often play against teams opening with one genuine opener and one pinch-hitter. When this is successful it really takes the momentum away from the bowling side and makes us change our plan of attack.

I've considered the idea of doing the same; as our middle order is so deep it wouldn't hurt to promote one of them to opener. Of course, it's not always going to work and the guy coming in to pinch-hit needs to know that he's not failed the team if he doesn't score big runs.

[uknsaunders]

I'm in favour of pinch hitting only when you have the player to do it and accept it won't come off every time.Key point is they are both openers. You need good reflexes and technique to open the batting and it isn't something everybody likes.We generally play with an aggressive opener and a more solid bat in weekend games.

[Simmy]

i simply dont change my game...

if i bat 4 or if i bat 8.

if we need 10 an over or if we need 2 an over

i dont change the way i bat at all,

im a very agressive batsman if the ball is wide of the stumps i will try and hit it,

if its on my stumps i will play the ball on length if its full it goes if its short it goes simples.

this is why im a good batter but not great because i dont change my game, my 1st team captain allways tells me if i change my game i could open the batting but i cant resist trying to smash the ball as far and as hard as i can

[Johnny]

i simply dont change my game...

if i bat 4 or if i bat 8.

if we need 10 an over or if we need 2 an over

i dont change the way i bat at all,

im a very agressive batsman if the ball is wide of the stumps i will try and hit it,

if its on my stumps i will play the ball on length if its full it goes if its short it goes simples.

this is why im a good batter but not great because i dont change my game, my 1st team captain allways tells me if i change my game i could open the batting but i cant resist trying to smash the ball as far and as hard as i can

Not wanting to sound like I'm an amazing cricketer (cos I'm not), but I think this is one of my strengths. I've spent a lot of time batting in the top 3, where you have plenty of overs in front of you and the time to build an innings, but also batted at 6 quite a bit.

6 can sometimes be more of a challenge, as either the team's innings has built a good momentum, in which case you need to get going quickly and make sure you keep the tempo up, or the team has lost 4 early wickets and you still need to make sure you use up your allotted overs.

6 can also mean sitting with your pads on for 40 overs and ultimately feeling like you didn't get much of a game something I did far too much of last season... hoping for a top 3 slot again this year

[ProWannabe88]

My problem is purely concentration between deliveries and playing each ball on merit rather than thinking about scoring every ball. The last year and this winter I've started chewing gum, wearing a lid every time I Bat and between deliveries I step away from the stumps and just adjust my pads or gloves etc. Never used to do this but it seems to help me get in the zone and concentrate more. With regards to pre innings I tend to watch each bowler to see what they are doing but just chill with the lads and enjoy the banter. However if the bowling looks reasonably good, quick or were just not scoring then the cap or lid goes on tI'm f and they leave me be to switch on.