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[littlemaster9]

I like taking a middle stump guard, and standing with an open stance. I find this gives me a good range of shots to choose from on both the on and off sides. I also feel that due to the open stance, I'm not caught playing around my pad as much, I start playing more with a straight bat.

[TangoWhiskey]

Sorry to drag up an old topic but I'm having a crisis of confidence regarding my guard.

I usually take middle and leg, mark the line then stand with my toes on the line I have just made. I have never thought anything of it until an umpire once told me that I looked like I was taking middle and leg and then batting on leg, I took guard again and he gave me middle and leg on exactly the same mark as I'd made before.

Was the umpire just a doddery old **** or am I doing it wrong? Are you supposed to put your bat on the line and take your stance around that or something? Thinking about it, I've never actually be told where to stand, I guess what I do is just how I have interpreted the concept.

[joeljonno]

The guard is so you know where off stump is and you stand in the same place every time.

Once you have your mark, it doesn't matter where you stand as long as you can use the mark to work out where your off stick is.


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[TangoWhiskey]

Well that was my reasoning, but this umpire decided I was standing in the wrong place...

[Seniorplayer]

I take middle stump but make sure I get across to cover off the off stump if I  need to once the ball has pitched.Very rarely get bowled as I always know where my stumps are which has an opener with the new ball flying around is the key to not getting out.
As a left hander If the right arm over the wicket bowler comes around the wicket i take guard as middle and off this effectively opens up the legside.

[TangoWhiskey]

Yeah but when you have made you mark, where do you stand in relation to it? Toes on the line? Middle of the bat on the line? Heels on the line?

[Neon Cricket]

I take middle and then stand with an open stance, I've found it helps me to actually use the bat instead of my front pad when playing straight...

Positioning wise, back foot is normally just crossing over the mark with my bat rested behind the foot on the mark itself (I bat right on the edge of the crease when the keeper is standing back)

[Seniorplayer]

Middle of the bat over the line bat raised  that way you only have to bring it down rather than pick the bat up then bring it down feet two feet apart always back foot behind the crease.

[KarlPennington]

I take middle. I've often thought about trying leg or 2 but when I get out there I always default to middle. I do also have a problem with playing round the front pad though. I've only ever got LBW twice (usually bowled) and both times I'm convinced it was going down leg.

I tend to take my guard if I'm on strike at the beginning of each over until I have some runs on the board. I think it's just a nerve thing, like if I get on strike during an over early in my innings I always ask the umpire how many balls to come. I don't benefit from this in any way apart from feeling like I'm in control.

[edge]

Toes on the line of course.

Wouldn't worry if the umpire thinks you're standing further to leg than you are - gives you a much better chance when it comes to LBW decisions!

[ProCricketer1982]

Personally take middle guard.

Back foot toe on middle, just behind the line. Front foot outside he create on leg stump. Bat taps down on middle/off stump. Very rarely lbw (4 times last year but I did hit three of them so it was poor umpiring) so seems to work and means you can leave well and force bowlers to bowl at the stumps and into your zones

[Seniorplayer]

Sorry to drag up an old topic but I'm having a crisis of confidence regarding my guard.

I usually take middle and leg, mark the line then stand with my toes on the line I have just made. I have never thought anything of it until an umpire once told me that I looked like I was taking middle and leg and then batting on leg, I took guard again and he gave me middle and leg on exactly the same mark as I'd made before.

Was the umpire just a doddery old **** or am I doing it wrong? Are you supposed to put your bat on the line and take your stance around that or something? Thinking about it, I've never actually be told where to stand, I guess what I do is just how I have interpreted the concept.

There are no hard or fast rules when taking guard as long as the guard you take enables you to knoW where your stumps are so you know what balls to play and what balls can be left when playing defensive shots.
It's a personal choice my advice would be: Select the guard that best suits the way you play.

[GarrettJ]

best policy is to hit the ball

[shamelessshaun]

I take a guard of middle and have slight trigger that takes me across to middle and off whilst remaining slightly open, enables me to get front pad comfortably out of the line of off stump and opens up most of the ground for scoring. Just make sure I don't miss a straight one or the Vampire will pull his trigger and fire me.

[Cin88]

Personally, I take middle, but apparently I stand outside leg a lot (according to a few of the senior players). My major problem comes from facing left handers, I can't get any shots going against them.