Print

[Twelfth Man]

I'm hoping some of the more experienced coaches or cricketers will be able to help me with this. I want to improve my game by minimising the dot balls and turning them into singles, this way improving the scoring rate as well as mine plus putting less pressure on me. Does anybody have tips to help or any batting drills that would help me with it?

With spinners, a coach has a drill where you have a set of 20 balls and you have to either hit it to deep square, down the ground to long off/on or through the covers to the boundary rider. Could there be a similar drill for a seamer? Thanks for any help in advance

[beaver5]

Try speed dating!!!

[shazz]

Try speed dating!!!

As pure nonsense as this is he's right! When you bat against a seamer or sidearm, try and go 'round the clock' just manipulating the ball all around the ground, from mid-on, 360 degrees around. Then do the same drill as for the spinners, My favourite area is to run one down to third man simply by playing late and straight.

[smilley792]

When I was an u17 our cash had a bizarre thing to a) teach us to make quick singles, and b) help us stop quick singles.


End of every training session we'd have a double wicket. With strange rules.
You had to run every ball no matter what!
Only way to score runs was to say "run" or "no run" as you ran the single.
If you judged correctly you got 1 run!
If you judged incorrectly you got -1 run
If you hit a boundary you got -1 run
If you was bowled you got -1run
Run outs did not count. But the fielder got +1 to his batting score.




We was then taught in games to shout "yes" and "wait" so we didn't get confused and just run when a player shouted "no run"

[Twelfth Man]

Will give the manipulating a go of round the clock! I'm doing more 1-to-1 sessions with my batting with mates so any specfic drills that are possible would be easier

[edynamo]

Drop me an email pal and can send you some drills!

[tate035]

Drop me an email pal and can send you some drills!

Would it be possible for me to have a look at those for my son

[RoyalParkReds]

As someone mentioned above, use the whole 360 of the field. ( well not 360, you probably don't want to hit it to keeper, but you get the idea.) Remember if a ball is slightly too straight, all it takes is a slight turn of the bat face and you can get a single instead of hitting it straight to mid on or mid wicket.

Also, this is something I do, instead of seeing where the fielders are when you have a look around, look at the gaps in the field. Subconsciously, you hit it there more. 

[Leddster138]

Practice hitting behind square. Cuts, late cuts, guides, leg glance etc. Some of the best players in the world will go behind square to rotate the strike. It's more often then not the only place with a man on the boundary and if they aren't then you just need an alert batting partner as he'll be running to the danger end.

[richthekeeper]

the key to running singles is decision making. you need to be able to instantly recognise when you can pinch one, either because the fielder is a little slow or because you've managed to get it into a gap.

make sure you check where fielders are and watch which ones are sharp, which hand they throw with, if they routinely fumble or use long barrier.
communicate with your partner so he knows you're looking to take more singles.
put the pressure on the fielder - if you haven't guided it nicely into his hands at a comfortable pace then chances are you can make it to the other end!
keep an eye on the bowler. if he follows through well down the wicket and doesn't return to the stumps, you're only racing against the direct hit at his end. at your level of cricket, are the fielders good enough to hit?

as you can see all my points are about observation and concentration, not technique. even without changing the way you bat you can gain at least a run every over by improving your running.

[cricketbadger]

I think a lot of it depends on your partner at the other end, if they are prepared to push the singles, back you up, and have the confidence to take fielders on and the odd risk.
I've played a few games this season where I have batted with someone younger or similar age to me, so fairly quick, and we have pushed singles and ran 2's and 3's, but theyn they have got out, and been replaced by a more senior player, who isn't as likely to push the 1's with you, or even run 2's and 3's
This becomes a problem in a run chase, I was forced to try hit boundaries then off decent balls, my scoring rate slowed and eventually I got myself out playing an ugly shot