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[Manormanic]

Drives me mad - the worst offenders at our place have to be warned once every over come what may!

[The Palmist]

and the fun begins when we have a lefty-righty combo. It amazes me to see that some fielders just don't see the need to move.

[tate035]

and the fun begins when we have a lefty-righty combo. It amazes me to see that some fielders just don't see the need to move.

This just comes down to lazy fielding some umpires don't even bother to move either!

[Dhiraj]

This just comes down to lazy fielding some umpires don't even bother to move either!

It is within umpire's right to move or not to move for a left-right combination.
I believe in our umpiring course we were told that these days the square leg umpires are called non strike umpires

[uknsaunders]

I personally adjust my position according to the shots played by batters and encourage team-mates to do the same. No point standing outside ropes to someone you know can't hit that far and same time no point staying in too close when the guy been tonking all day long.

Many batters in our league are quite limited in their range of strokes so I try to judge by their swings or what they are attempting to do and anticipate my fielding position. My captain appreciates this but sometimes bowlers have no clue.

You would think most decent cricketers would do both of these things wouldn't you? Had a leftie yesterday who pretty much his everything down the ground in an arc from mid-off to cowcorner, then tickled the odd ball off his pads. Wasn't difficult to put 2 or 3 men out and leave some gaps elsewhere. Nope nobody apart from me spotted it or was remotely interested, even told the VC but with no luck.

I tend to look at grip, bat swing and then shot range (which takes a few overs).  Some guys can be frustrated or contained very quickly, others less so and the decent ones not at all. However, at the lower levels it makes a huge difference setting the right fields and guys paying attention.

[fros23]

Sounds like you've got a few Abids in your team then Nick, he still keeps wandering around wherever he feels like it!

[Karl_27]

Yeah but surely the closer you get the more you close down the angles meaning that you can cut off more? Im sure some pro came out with that statement and I agree.

Then if the batsman feels that he wants to go over the top back your bowler to be good enough to not allow him to be hitting them high risk shots easily. Or a simple in out field counteracts this and not the usual ring fields which are set far too often.

[uknsaunders]

Yeah but surely the closer you get the more you close down the angles meaning that you can cut off more? Im sure some pro came out with that statement and I agree.

Then if the batsman feels that he wants to go over the top back your bowler to be good enough to not allow him to be hitting them high risk shots easily. Or a simple in out field counteracts this and not the usual ring fields which are set far too often.

To some extent you are right, a man in closer can cut down more shots. However, this relies on great reflexes from a near stationary position (as you simply don't have time to take more than a half stride either way). I'd even go as far to say an extra 10-15 yards allows you cut off balls you couldn't do normally as you are on the move with the extra time.

In out fields or a staggered inner ring can do both jobs. Say your extra cover is closer in, you can drop your mid-off/cover slightly deeper because the batsman has to pause until the ball clears the short extra. I did something similar in one game, by accident than design, with a extra/point in much closer and the cover/mid-off/backward point deeper. Caused havoc for the batsman as they were never sure of the quick single or the ball beating the field. Helped I had a good bowler bowling at the time. The problem with doing that is when the batsman is happy to hit over the advanced positions or the outfield is lighting quick and the ball needles through the gaps created by staggering. More a ploy for a slow deck where shots aren't timed or go in the air for short distances.

[Simmy]

or on other hand.... the Asian lads who play for headingley apart from 1 of them just seem to do what they want.

move to where they want to stand not where they have been put.

very very annoying

[uknsaunders]

or on other hand.... the Asian lads who play for headingley apart from 1 of them just seem to do what they want.

move to where they want to stand not where they have been put.

very very annoying

who stays where they should, certainly not Ifti lol!

Nah the 2's use to be worse. Apart from Fletch keeping and Smyth being immobile, nobody ever stayed for too long in the same place. Gazzard use to need a tow truck to get him away from short extra, precisely where I didn't want him.

[mr_wickets]

As a bowler you hate it when people move themselves. With the dry weather the outfield is rapid so fielders are on the edge of the ring for a reason.

However as a batsman I love it. Have them back, play with softhands and run a few quick singles, get them wound up so they come in then hitting boundaries becomes much easier. Force them back again and do the same thing. Unless it's hit straight to them you can get away with it if you're quick between the wickets. 

[The Palmist]

As a bowler you hate it when people move themselves. With the dry weather the outfield is rapid so fielders are on the edge of the ring for a reason.

Some of our bowlers take it as a matter of personal pride to move fielders back when they have been hit a few times. I find it very funny when some of them shout "catch it, catch it" irrespective of where they have been hit, whether to a fielder or in gap. I think they want us to believe that they made the bastman play that shot. It does annoy me and it is hard keeping calm in such moments.

Some of the bowlers shout almost after every bowl. Very distracting for fielders.

[uknsaunders]

had a keeper who did that, could be 10 yards away from it and no chance and he would still have a go at me for missing a chance. That kind of thing turns the fielder into a nervous wreck, if it's not done in jest.

[The Palmist]

had a keeper who did that, could be 10 yards away from it and no chance and he would still have a go at me for missing a chance. That kind of thing turns the fielder into a nervous wreck, if it's not done in jest.

I have come so close to shouting something back along the lines of "that was a crap ball"

[uknsaunders]

you should. If I bowl a crap ball I expect it to go for 4. If the fielder bails me out I appreciate it.

Too many deluded bowlers in club cricket (rant coming). They bowl 1 or 2 balls an over that will hit the stumps and then believe they are unlucky when they go for 8 an over. Had a lad yesterday who's action needs work at the release point because the arm/body fall over and the ball doesn't go in the same place twice. Played with him in 2 games and it's wides galore despite being sharpish. The VC yesterday thought he was bowling well, I said "how do you work that out when he bowls 2 straight balls an over!". I might of come from a different era but 30 years ago I'm sure more bowlers bowled straight, and to their fields.