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[mohawks94]

Hi all,
Since I got peppered and bounced out by a left arm seamer early in my senior cricket career (about 5 years ago), I have tried out a few ways of taking on left armers, most of which have been disastrous (such as walking down the track to most balls to knock a bowler off their length). What I have settled on is a slight difference in my trigger movement, which for pace bowlers is back and across, and against spinners is across and forwards. As a right hander, I still move my right foot across as usual as against a right arm bowler, but I move my left foot less far across, leaving me with a more open stance. I find this allows me to free my arms more when a lefty comes over the wicket (my favourite shot is a cover drive hence my bias for this), and to allow me to play straight drives without my front foot getting in the way. With bowlers coming around the wicket, I think that I am in a better position to play straight again and off my legs, as well as from both over and around the wicket being able to play better off the back foot (my weakest shot is probably the pull) in general.
Does anyone do anything similar?  Or does anyone have any tips for playing left armers? I am about 6'2/3" so somewhat susceptible to bouncers, and since breaking a rib and tearing a chest muscle in my left side last year, I don't relish being hit much more.
Thanks in advance

[benny231]

Yeah I've always tended to open up my stance when facing Left-armers. I find that it makes it easier to access the ball as opposed to being more side-on and reaching round the front pad. I've always found that the best position to access the ball is one in which I can hit it straight back from where it came, hence opening the stance a little for the angle of the lefty.

[WalkingWicket37]

I just open my stance a bit more from the start and keep the same trigger.

As long as it's not swinging back into me I'm able to block the over normally. Left arm seamers shouldn't be allowed!

[mohawks94]

Cheers, its reassuring to know I am not the only one!
Back in the days when I was an opening bat in my early teens I made the mistake of nailing a left arm quick through the covers first ball in a school game, and went home with a few bruises and an inner thigh-guard high top of my shopping list!

[Seniorplayer]

Also align yourself with the angle of the ball, do not take to big a stride allow the ball to come to you, pick up your bat towards 2nd slip. Ensure front and back foot are pointing towards bowler. Practice driving the ball.

[uknsaunders]

As above, open stance to align yourself to the ball and place your front leg just outside leg in the stance. As the ball is released, make a slightly initial movement down the line and wait to see if it comes back in. If it does you have it covered, if not make a second movement towards the pitch of the ball. Be prepared to leave if it's slanting across. Since I use to bowl left arm over I know exactly what most are trying to achieve! I think with the short stuff it's better to pick a line and aim to get inside or sway out the way if it's off or legside of that line. Setup a bowling machine or get a mate to chuck some tennis balls down from over the wicket short to help you pick a line.

[Manormanic]

To be fair, if you've got a left arm quick who is quick enough to trouble you with the short stuff you'd prefer to wear a few bruises than have to deal with him sticking it in the business areas!

My one addition to the sage advice above would be to think very carefully about your scoring areas.  I find it easier to lay off the cover drives if the guy is bring it back in to me as I have such a small margin for error, whereas if it is going across I more or less ignore the leg side.

[uknsaunders]

Just to add to Iain's advice above. It's very much a risk/reward issue what shots to play. If I was bowling, aiming to bowl an inswinger then the batsman has opportunities against the ball that doesn't swing or doesn't swing enough, as you have to start it outside off to get bowled/LBW. The straight or cover drive are scoring areas IF you watch the ball carefully and don't push at the ball, exposing a gate in the process. Most legside shots are safe as long as you don't over balance.

The flipside is bowling an outswinger, I'm looking for the outside edge or even possibly off stump if the batsman plays across the line. I have to start it around middle and look for the angle and swing. This means the cover drive is a very dangerous shot to play as you might be using an open face + a balls path arcing away from you, equals big trouble. Likewise if I push it more leg stump, you could get a leading edge. As Iain says, you have to be very careful playing to leg. However, play straight and it's an opportunity to pick off the outswinger through the legside or straight down the ground if it doesn't move much.

Another thought on short balls, it might be worth looking at the bowlers action. Many left arm overs basically push it across you. They are open chest or the arm/back goes beyond vertical. The stock ball will always go across you and staying legside of the ball might be a first option. A more classical side-on left armer would get it to straighten back in or hold it's line. Getting inside the line would be the first option. Whatever you do, have a look at his setup first and have a think about what he is trying to do.

[petehosk]

I normally ask the umpire for middle.
But if left arm seamer, then I ask for middle and leg and then move my front foot an inch or two further to leg, so that I am side on to the bowler.
This works for me and allows me to better judge the line of the ball!
Everyone needs to find their right angles and their own method but it looks like opening your stance (to varying degrees) seems to work for most?

[mohawks94]

Tried out taking middle and off and using the same trigger as to the spinners to a leftie yesterday, faced 4 balls. One blocked to mid wicket, one straight down the ground for 1, another straight for 2, and then I turned the face of the bat just too soon trying to use the gap at mid wicket, with the ball swinging into me, little inside edge onto the base of off stump.  Batting in general felt a lot more natural than it has for a while, even if I wasn't peppering the boundaries as I normally would due to a horrific outfield!

[FattusCattus]

Sometimes things can be overthought.

The prevailing advice seems to be open up the stance a little and aim to play the ball back to where it came from.

[mohawks94]

Yeah, I just tried to put it back to the bowler, just messed up a clip to leg. Hopefully will get a chance to make up for it today, we have the first round of the Bucks Cup today, against a team I got a 5fer against last season, and we are short of batting so I should be up the order a bit.