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[ca_gold]

The more I play T20 cricket, the more I find my technique digressing. In an effort to bat faster, I am constantly looking for a slog over cow corner or a slog sweep. The irony is, I have been relatively successfull at it, but I am afraid it is setting up some bad habits for when I go back to the longer format.

Have you guys experienced this?

[Simmy]

i bat no different in any format

play the good ball back smash the bad ball out of the park

[Simmy]

as long as you can score runs it doesnt matter.

my technique is terrible but seems to do the job

[ca_gold]

i see what your saying Simmy - runs are runs.

In my scenario, I put a lot of effort to get my technique as "correct" as I could. I've read Buzz's and Bob Woolmers coaching manuals over and over again. I implemented all those good things in the longer format, but it seems to go out the window when playing T20.

[Simmy]

depends how u wanna bat in the t20 mate

im a quick scorer  so i dont change my game but if i was a steady batter and needed to score quickly i guess id have to change. ive read buzz's book as well and he has given me loads of tips. but i still slog to cow across the line when needed. the problem u need to make sure is that u dont pick up any of ur t20 bad habbits and put them into the sat game

[trypewriter]

As a (cough cough) bloke of a certain age, I can remember when we used to play 20 over a side mid week league games. Back in the day if you scored 120 you EXPECTED to be able to defend it. We tried to score more quickly by turning 1s into 2s etc. but it was always good to have a guy in the team who could play big shots too. I think in both forms you play the ball on its merits, and if it wants a spank you give it one. However, a quick 30-40 can be very valuable in a T20 whereas you might b*****k a player for playing that sort of innings in longer format where he could have gone on to greater things by being a bit more circumspect.

[mr_wickets]

I think whatever format you are playing the basics stay the same. Keep still when making contact and don't loose your shape.

All I do in shorter games is play attacking shots at more balls. In a 50/60 over game I may let them go and wait for the bad ball to be bowled. In the shorter games I will play attacking shots to good balls knowing that as long as I keep my shape and don't play across the line all will hopefully be ok.

[alexhilly1492]

If anything Ive become more defensive, but mainly due to playing at a low level there are a lot of juniors in the side, and so they watch loads of t20 and that's how they play sop i always try to bat through and if i do i generally end up near 40, i bat at 4 and do score slowly but do generally accelerate in the last few overs, however on sundays i bat at 9/10/11 (i think that is far too low even though its a higher standard than i get on Saturdays, i used to open on sundays) which gives me the chance for a bit of aggression but i wouldn't say that i slog. My technique is most definitely based around keeping the ball out but if its there to be hit it will be or at least i try to :s the biggest problem i find is getting stuck in survival mode, rather than stay in but punish the bad ball.

[ca_gold]

interesting post alex. I bat at number four as well in T20's as well. But i always feel the pressure of scoring fast regardless at what point I come in - hence I basically adopt Simmy's approach of see ball hit ball. Any advice on how to deal with the pressure of run rate in T20s -  Tim/Buzz?

I always thought a good batsmen is a good batsmen, regardless of format. But having played a few games now I realize T20 is a different beast completely.

[fasteddie]

I've only played a small handful of games.

So far my technique has remained 'correct'. I'm not one for scoop shots, or hitting whilst standing on my head.
Fastedde(r)eddie has a nifty number of bizarre shots he plays.

Can't say it will effect my batting. Sadly it has caused me to bowl darts more and more. Rather than give it some air it can dart in more now.

[trypewriter]

I actually found I played straighter in the old version of T20. I've never been great at hitting em where they ain't, (I'm in awe of batsmen who can consistently place the ball) but trying to crack the ball back past the bowler was often doing just that as the fielders had been placed a bit wider.

[alexhilly1492]

interesting post alex. I bat at number four as well in T20's as well. But i always feel the pressure of scoring fast regardless at what point I come in - hence I basically adopt Simmy's approach of see ball hit ball. Any advice on how to deal with the pressure of run rate in T20s -  Tim/Buzz?

I always thought a good batsmen is a good batsmen, regardless of format. But having played a few games now I realize T20 is a different beast completely.

I have always found that having someone to bat through the innings and because we generally allow juniors to open I'm in early as they play very very rash shots and i feel if someone can bat through the innings then it people can build round one steady knock regardless of what from of cricket, Ive never felt pressured to score runs at any real Pace weather its 40 over cricket or t20, its something Ive been criticized for but the games we have won is where Ive batted like i feel comfortable hit 40 odd and defended the total where more aggressive batsman have been able to play around me and so as a whole the team have set decent totals, 140-160 but i deo think that it will vary from team to team and also depends on what bowlers you have in the side, we have a lot off allrounders so we bat deep which allows me to play that way

the situation will always dictate how we build n innings but if everything goes well this is how i feel games can be won

[alexhilly1492]

I also think every little detail is highlighted in T20's and so as much as one individual performance can win a game, a 60/70 not out or a 5 for, a very good and diciplined team performance can be also very very effective each bowler taking a wicket or two at vital times as well as the top 6 getting at least 20 with one or two pushing on, and if one batsman can bat through this will give the other batsman a licence to play a few more shots at "better" balls

Technique wise the best t20 players in the world still stick to basics, hit straight head still and have a solid base, a lot of players play "proper" shots mixed with innovation, like jos buttler vs SA last summer, in that over from wayne parnell, 2 huge bery straight sixes a pull for six with the 2 scooped 4's, everyone raves about the scoops but the 3 sixes were proper shots and arguably much more impressive

[Simmy]

interesting post alex. I bat at number four as well in T20's as well. But i always feel the pressure of scoring fast regardless at what point I come in - hence I basically adopt Simmy's approach of see ball hit ball. Any advice on how to deal with the pressure of run rate in T20s -  Tim/Buzz?

I always thought a good batsmen is a good batsmen, regardless of format. But having played a few games now I realize T20 is a different beast completely.

i bat 4 on a sat and i open in the t20..

in t20 you dont have to smash 4's and 6's all the time its just about rotating the strike as best as possible. and pushing the gaps!

you need a balanced batting order if you have people in your team that can do the damage and you are a steady away batter.. you need to push the 1's and the 2's and make the other lad play his game.

a well balanced team is like a well balanced sandwich if you pack it full of to much nice meat the base of the sandwich will crumble you need some stable layers in between 

[Manormanic]

I think the key thing when playing different formats of the game - indeed, when playing in a range of conditions and competitions as well - is to have a really good idea of your game mentally; by which I mean that you need to walk out to bat with a clear idea of what the match situation is and what you are looking to do, both short and long term.  If you have that ability, the majority of the rest of the game sort of clicks into place because, especially in amateur cricket wherein 20 over games are forced by the less conrete conditions to become something more than glorified range hitting practice, you use the same basic skills for all formats. 

Don't believe me?  You still watch the ball closely, play it on its merits (you have basically decided a natural variance on what  is deemed to have merit beforehand) and look to score in areas that you've predetermined based on your strengths, the pitch and match situation....