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[uknsaunders]

Batsmen need to stop thinking about smashing it from ball one, in afternoon games - there is always more time than you think.

Totally agree and I think it's an experience thing. If you can chase 90 off 15 by thinking about it as maybe 4-5 an over off 10 and then 8+ for only the last 5, it does become more manageable. I try and hang in and take the game to the end if possible. Number of reasons, bowlers tire and under pressure bowl bad balls, field drops deeper and sometimes it only takes a little intent from the batsman for the wheels to come off the fielding side.

That said,  it's still more difficult to hit a ton in 40 overs compared to 45-50 overs. Even worse if you haven't picked up a bat for a couple of weeks, an issue for middle order batsman playing 1 day a weekend and perhaps missing games due to weather. Point I'm making is the opportunity to score a 100 is less than it was 20 years ago.

[jamferg]

0 hundreds at our club last year.  Although 6 in the 90 and a fair few 80s

9 hundreds in 2013

3 in 2012.



Last year was very very wet and pitches were bogs
2013 was one of the driest years I've played. And pitches were hard bouncey roads.

2012 was a very very wet season again.

This is the problem in sheffield / Derbyshire. very few covered wickets and they have been so wet as an opener you are just surviving for 20 overs.the ball regularly took large divots from the pitches . Only decent track ive played on in two seasons and we bowled out the opposition for 103 batting first. Raced to 57*. batting first id have had a good chance. .. always this season!

[edge]

We only had 2 tons last season at my club (our deck is crap mind), one in our seconds and one in a warmup friendly. Couple of 90s, one in the league and one by myself in t20 (got out in the 14th over to a grubber, was fuming). Although in fairness, think there would be a lot more if we didn't enforce retirement at 50 on Sundays, partly because that means you can't get one on a Sunday and partly because it removes the opportunity for players to get used to batting long away from league games. Imo 40/45 overs is plenty of time to get a ton though - given that you're aiming to score well over 200 as a team in that time, one player who bats the majority of the innings should at least be close.

[Buzz]

Its very interesting to see people "give up" after getting 100.

This is nuts - once I get to 100, I try to keep going - I really hate getting out...!

I also totally abhor the must retire at x score, batsmen must learn to bat time and Sunday is the best time to do that. I have only retired once in my career and that was in the 19th over of a preseason friendly when I had made 100...

remember in 40 overs there are 240 balls - an average hundred will take about 100-120 balls - especially on a Sunday, you just need to learn to manipulate the strike a little...!
As for a chase - I like to set myself 12 off each two over sets and try to hit a big over somewhere with about 15 off it...

[IWTUK]

2. Sunday cricket going from timed to overs - yes all Sunday cricket was a timed affair. Teams would be sensible and get through 16-18 overs an hour and if you declared 2 hrs 40 mins into the innings (on average) then you got roughly 45-55 overs of batting. 2pm start, tea by 4.45 happy days, back out by 5.20 for the oppo and another 20-25 overs, before 20 overs from 6.30 (in a nutshell). Most like minded clubs were sensible and it provided a great training ground for youth. Then along came wandering teams in particular and slowed down the over rate to 12/13 overs an hour. Start times moved 30 minutes earlier and eventually we started playing 40 overs an innings because some less honest teams bowled 36 overs in 3 hours. As with my point below, less overs = less chance to score a ton.

4. Modern techniques and t20 - provides a breeding ground for aggressive batsman and poor shot selection. The guys who use to nudge a 100 by accumulation seem to have gone out of the club game. Bowl 2 or 3 maidens and somebody will have a slog.

Thoughts?

I couldn't agree more Nick; as a veteran of over 35 years playing, I have seen a decline in the number of 100's scored. in my experience, Sunday games are now either 40 over affairs (which on the face of it should present ample opportunity at the top of the order), or are timed; but with many sides struggling to bowl what you would call a 'fair' number of overs in the time allocated.

Batting techniques have changed to me beyond all recognition (old fart comment!); it seems as if anyone under the age of  30 these days simply launches off from ball one. It can undoubtedly provide entertaining cricket (or a very short game!), but what I do personally see more and more is that it leads to increasing numbers of quick-fire 20's/30's/40's etc., with few people attempting to build an innings with a view of getting a large score.

[Seniorplayer]

Timed overs the good old days I loved the extra option of the draw of  in particular the last 20 overs it allowed the slow bowler the chance to hone his skills i used to bat at 7 on Sundays so I could  could learn how to play spin on on occiasions with nine fielders around the bat
Also the captains needed to use there cricket brains more.
IMO this form of cricket also gave more oppotunity  to score 100 regardless of batting first or second.

[Northern monkey]

If your not scoring Loadsa tons, then it's time for a new bat!!!

I got 4 last season, but played a lot more cricket than previous seasons
Must admit tho, there is a decline in decent openers batting through and scoring 100 plus these days

[Seniorplayer]

I couldn't agree more Nick; as a veteran of over 35 years playing, I have seen a decline in the number of 100's scored. in my experience, Sunday games are now either 40 over affairs (which on the face of it should present ample opportunity at the top of the order), or are timed; but with many sides struggling to bowl what you would call a 'fair' number of overs in the time allocated.

Batting techniques have changed to me beyond all recognition (old fart comment!); it seems as if anyone under the age of  30 these days simply launches off from ball one. It can undoubtedly provide entertaining cricket (or a very short game!), but what I do personally see more and more is that it leads to increasing numbers of quick-fire 20's/30's/40's etc., with few people attempting to build an innings with a view of getting a large score.

Good to read your still playing 2015 Will be my 46th season.

[WalkingWicket37]

If your not scoring Loadsa tons, then it's time for a new bat!!!

I got 4 last season, but played a lot more cricket than previous seasons
Must admit tho, there is a decline in decent openers batting through and scoring 100 plus these days

Just to confirm, was that 4 tons or 4 new bats last season?? 

[IWTUK]

Good to read your still playing 2015 Will be my 46th season.

Outstanding work; I can only muster a paltry 39! Love the game more than ever; ironic as I'm slower and 'lardier' than ever, but more importantly, scoring more runs than ever! Have a good season Sir!

[ProCricketer1982]

The number of 100's at my club has shot up massively.. I literally mean from 1 a season to 10 a season over the last 2 years. The number of 50's is also stupidly high, I mean, it's literally got to the point where if you aren't scoring a 50 then you have failed.


However, if I only include Saturday and national cup cricket then as a club we only scored 2 100's and none last year. If I include midweek tour games, sunday league, sunday friendly and T20 (cup and league) then it goes up to the amounts from before. The reason, sunday cricket is dying and dying badly. Teams rarely put out any decent bowling (a because bowlers can't be bothered to bowl both days and b) they want to bat..), so by the time they come on the batsmen have their eye in and can keep scoring quickly (unless the bowler really is a few classes above). 

40 overs is enough to score 100 but only really if you biff, the oppos bowl copious amounts of crap or can't stop a ball 1M from them. If you are playing against similar standard then I'd argue that 100's should be rare. Sundays at our club are becoming a joke because we have no decent bowlers playing and literally most of our first team batsmen, and older batsmen, who are plenty good enough to stay in and score at 50-60 SR but aren't capable of going faster (unless the bowling is that bad etc).. meaning we either score 300+ or barely scrape 220-3.

personally, I hate 40/45 over cricket as only the top 3 really get to bat properly.. the rest have to attack. Even that though with decks as they are and bowling standards dropping is becoming different, as teams just pack their sides fully of middle order stroke makers adn look to smash 300+ a game then just defend it. Hardly tactical genius but it's the cricket we have. some love it.

just my 2p's

at buzz, personaly on sundays once I get 100 I get out. Never retire but I might just miss the ball and let it hit the wicket to give others a go. Did it this year and when the statistician checked the scorebook later (their scorer did it)... found that he'd got it wrong and I had 99   ooopppps  my aim is 4 a year, only got 3 this year but got out intentionally twice to find out the scorers had messed up.   98 was the other one so should really have had 5. oh well. As I said, 100's for our club seem to be the norm rather than anything special, but down to weak sunday teams more than anything, not superior skill.

[Gingerbusiness]

The mindset of batting has changed IMO.

As a spinner I have always taken wickets but I find the number of batsmen willing to take me on has increased massively over the last 5 years.

The best batsmen I have faced, work the spinners around and never give you a chance. Only rarely hitting over the top.

I love bowling at the 18-24 range of batsmen because I know they would rather, on the whole, bat like Gayle or AB than Boycott.

The Wylie old foxes are still the ones who grind out scores with few chances - I have seen very few batsmen at any level who won't 'give' you a chance or two along the way, even pros.

[ProCricketer1982]

The mindset of batting has changed IMO.

As a spinner I have always taken wickets but I find the number of batsmen willing to take me on has increased massively over the last 5 years.

The best batsmen I have faced, work the spinners around and never give you a chance. Only rarely hitting over the top.

I love bowling at the 18-24 range of batsmen because I know they would rather, on the whole, bat like Gayle or AB than Boycott.

The Wylie old foxes are still the ones who grind out scores with few chances - I have seen very few batsmen at any level who won't 'give' you a chance or two along the way, even pros.

Agree that the good batsmen rarely go over the top but when I speak to a few of the guys all they want to do all the time is smash it over the infield. Unfortunately, the wickets are so good that they get awya with it on the whole. Just look at the scores batting sides are getting and the SR's

[WalkingWicket37]

Phil what you say about young batsmen is almost too true.

Last season we had a young left arm spinner take 4-fer in a league game, their number 9 comes in, who is about my age, and hits him for 6 first ball. From slip I just say "nice start, best keep your strike rate at that"
He grins and says "challenge accepted with these small boundaries" and plays big heave ho to give a skied catch next ball.

[Gingerbusiness]

Agree that the good batsmen rarely go over the top but when I speak to a few of the guys all they want to do all the time is smash it over the infield. Unfortunately, the wickets are so good that they get awya with it on the whole. Just look at the scores batting sides are getting and the SR's

True. That's one of the reasons I left the Surrey Champ years ago. As a bowler, why would you just want to play on a batting road all the time?! Neither good for your ability or self-esteem when it is so heavily weighted in the batsmen's favour - though I wouldn't advocate going back to uncovered wickets either!

'Flat track bullies' are becoming more and more common. Not that this is a bad thing but it seem all about the quick 30 than a big hundred these days. I'm only 31 but have been playing mens since I was 11. The chance has been dramatic.