This is my third season of playing cricket (I'm 27), and at the start of it I averaged 4.3 and my top score was an all-slogged and edged 18. Got some professional coaching at the start of the year, hell 4 leather G1 and even lifted some weights (balls did I keep that up), came into this season with the aim of scoring a 50, which I realised was aiming high but I thought was possible. I scored a 26 and a 34 at the start of the season and then my instinct for defense left me and I went back to my old ways and scored 5, 4, duck, 2, then two weekends ago my girlfriend came to watch me for the first time, having heard me on about cricket for years but having never even seen a cricket match before, scored 8 and then missed a misjudged sweep off middle and off and got bowled.
This week the gf came again along with both parents and was determind to score and I got 35, new high score. Came off annoyed I hadn't made it a 50 but come Monday morning I'm really pleased with it. Last week I was thinking - maybe that's it, my little flash in the pan off the back of the coaching and I'm back to being a bunny, but this has proved it's not, I can actually scored again and again with a bit of application, and there's about 7 games left to get that 50, I'm determined to get it.
It was that sweep I shouldn't have played off the stumps the week before that made me realise what I needed to focus on, shot selection. Face a few balls of a new bowler to see what they're doing, and then get one or two options in your mind. If he's medium pace bowling full my options are drive him if he's too wide and put him back over his head if he's too short. To offies it's cut the short ones and sweep the leg-side ones. And if I don't see those balls I'm looking for - defend, and with that attitude I can bat out 12 dots and not feel any pressure from the scoreboard, because I know the balls weren't there, and as soon as they're there, I'll hit them.
I got out after losing concentration and missing a full toss from the leggie I was trying to work to midwicket and should've driven, it's the concentration that's going to stop me if anything. I need to put more energy into focussing intensely on every ball. It feels great to know that's the thing that's holding me back and I can finally know it's not my technique or self-belief.