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[NT50]

Last weekend i was moved up from 7 to open the batting as our usual opener turned up late. At training it's been hinted at that i will carry on opening as he doesn't like opening up. (Not sure how relevant it is, but it's worth mentioning i'm a left-hander)

The problem is that i've only been playing for a year, and as a result have never really had any batting coaching. I've been told that i don't move my feet enough and rely on my hands to do all the work. When people tell me to get on the front foot, i don't really understand what it means in practice. Do i literally take my whole body forward so that i end up a few yards out my crease when i've finished my shot? And what's the technical reason behind 'leading with your head and feet' and letting the rest of you come with them.

I also find myself struggling to score on the leg-side. Anything that's on the stumps i can either block or drive through mid-on, but i miss out when it's above or outside leg stump. Other than being able to pull short balls from spinners, i have absolutely no shots from midwicket to square leg. As a result i try to glance anything down/above leg stump.

As well as my problems with feet/ leg-side shots, i'm also after some general opening advice. My captain has told me that if we're 20-0 off 10 overs, we've done a good job, but i don't really have an idea of what mindset to bat with. Do i look to block/leave and try and punish bad balls for a boundary, to pick up ones and twos or to just try and not get out?

Any advice is most welcome, thank you!

[edge]

From personal experience getting moved up to open - you've been moved up for a reason, so don't try and change the way you bat just because you're walking out first now! Youe captain will hopefully help by giving you an idea of what he wants, but you shouldn't change your attitude to batting too much. You'll be facing the new ball with the field in, so it's helpful to be aware that a loose shot is more likely to result in your dismissal, but at the end of the day you're still looking to get yourself in and then expand from there. Keep to your best shots, and if you go for a shot then fully commit so at least if you mistime it it'll make it safely over the infield, but play to your own strengths not your batting position. Then when/if you make it through some bowling changes, enjoy the fact that you're well set, the bowling should only get worse and you've got a lot of time left to bat, don't give it away and enjoy yourself! Hope that ramble makes sense and is vaguely helpful ha.

[ppccopener]

Yes agree with edge. Technical advic is all well and good but you have a lot of questions most of which you will find the answers to simply by playing and developing you own game. You don't say if you want to open or just got thrown in and didn't object.

I went from 7 to 1 also but that was 30 years ago, a captain showed faith in me and eventually I paid it back over the years.

Very important whatever natural game you have now do not change. Asking players to bat differently is something I hate at club level and it happened last Saturday in a match we lost! So it still goes on 

The most basic advice is watch the ball carefully, do not be afraid to play any shot you want and if the ball is straight try to get the kitchen sink behind it. Lean slightly forward and go towards the ball so your balance is not on your heels-but not too much you fall forward.

If your young and opening a lot will depend on others attitude, you need time to develop your own game.
I've found a strong mind, determination and lots of patience has helped.

As a coincidence my team is thinking of moving a youngster up to 3 from 7 and if he asks my advice which he may or may not I would say 'watch the ball, play as straight as possible and it you want to hit it then be positive'

You cannot beat just batting and learning as you go. If you want to do it....your halfway there.

Good luck

[ProCricketer1982]

Slog it.. seems to be what is being bred into people now.. tonk tonk tonk

[Buzz]

Lots of questions in here, lots of answers
http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=22148.0

And

http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=31279.0

[Calzehbhoy]

You're being asked to open because of the way you play. Don't change a thing, relax, be calm and be positive and runs will come

[Seniorplayer]

I am a left handed opener also and as an opener and it's a quite a specialised art  your mentality should be don't let the opposition make inroads into your batting with the new ball the first few overs leave what you don't have to play as the first job of an opener is to survive and see off the new ball  don't give the bowlers a sniff   See off the opening bowlers  dont worry about the score early on remember your normally  facing the fastest of the opposition bowlers  at there freshest with the new ball once you become acostomed to the conditions and the bowling you can become a little  more expansive in your shots  but after doing all the hard work dont throw your wicket away ideally create a situation for your middle order to score freely and if your opening partner is right handed even better as it forces the bowler to change his line when you score ones and threes which can distract him from his job of getting you out.

[Blazer]

It's 50 over cricket, get runs on the board while you can. Some days it's difficult and some days it is easy. Watch the ball, react to the ball and be field aware. Its advantageous being an opener as majority of your runs will be boundaries.

[Biggie Smalls]

I'll leave technical advice alone since I'm a right handed opener , but essentially don't change too much , just adjust your game as you learn what works for you ....and watch good players .
Preparation is very important for openers , you won't be sitting around waiting , you know when you are batting , so use that to your advantage.  For me , I'm  nervous , so like to get padded up early so I'm not in a rush . I hate throw downs , instead i visualize batting straight for a while . Then i like a laugh /chat to take my mind off things and I'm usually right to go . Don't second guess yourself on game day . The middle isn't the place to totally reevaluate your approach/technique.
Personally,  I try to avoid any directional thinking . No 'how quick am i scoring' , 'i need to play this shot' , 'i want to be at x runs after x overs' , ' i need to be not out after x overs' . I just try to bat with the same feel as my net/bowling machine practice , where I'm just trying to play each ball as best i can . Then wipe my mind after the ball is bowled and do it again...'rinse and repeat' ! The runs will come .
 Lastly , if you're playing limited overs cricket you cant leave balls forever , but leaving is still a good tactic in moderation as it makes bowlers change their lines to bowl more at you and then loose balls often follow ( which is probably handy for you if you tend to on drive and glance off your pads). Just remember that every ball you face early in the innings is one less opportunity the opposition has to use the new ball against a new incoming batsmen -and after all , your team mates in the middle order want to actually bat in the middle order ( they make their runs better against an older , lower bouncing , softer ball ),  not at 4-6 after 4 overs .

[InternalTraining]

I also find myself struggling to score on the leg-side. Anything that's on the stumps i can either block or drive through mid-on, but i miss out when it's above or outside leg stump. Other than being able to pull short balls from spinners, i have absolutely no shots from midwicket to square leg. As a result i try to glance anything down/above leg stump.

Next time you are in the nets, try an experiment: instead of standing side on, stand chest on with your toes pointing down in a straight line, as straight as possible. And, see how you fare playing shots on the leg side or even short balls.

 Practice leaving the ball. It will serve you well as an opener. Psychologically, it puts you in a position of choice rather than desperation. I open. I leave any ball on the offside that is too high or outside my line of vision (I don't reach for any balls  which eliminates edges to the keeper or slips) until ball gets less swingy or the first bowler is replaced. 

[Batbuddy99]

Don't think

That's what I have found works for me
Last year I went in thinking "I'm an opener I need to do this this and this", and I didn't do too well
This year I've just tried to imagine I'm in the nets, and I've dated much better so far.
Don't think, just bat

[Kulli]

Don't think

That's what I have found works for me
Last year I went in thinking "I'm an opener I need to do this this and this", and I didn't do too well
This year I've just tried to imagine I'm in the nets, and I've dated much better so far.
Don't think, just bat

I opened with out of our better batters last weekend (played county 2XI in NZ many moons ago) and that was almost exactly what he said to me. It's just a net in the middle with these guys here to fetch the ball for you. Didn't stop me prodding my way to 7 from 20 before nicking off a cut to the keeper, but that is how i bat in nets too

[Kulli]

I like that!

I think this has a lot to do with where I've been going wrong coming back in to cricket, coupled with not having a net for 2 months so I have forgotten how to just watch the ball and hit it without thinking about a million other things!

He then preceded to lacerate the first ball of the game through midwicket for 4 after it was about an inch short of a good length, but when you're that good that's what you do in nets too!

He doesn't even own a bat

[Coach]

There are obviously technical things that will help but I'd say the main thing that changes in opening the batting is a mindset shift, you have a lot more time. Depending on your format, i.e. fielding restrictions most teams will plan to have 1 of the top 4 bat through the innings, don't worry about starting slow you will catch up the longer you bat and the older the ball gets, the longer you bat the easier things will become. When the ball is new the bowler will always have more chance of bowling good balls and thats ok, look to rotate the strike where you can & make the most of bad balls.

[Nothing2SeeHere]

Enjoy opening the batting. Its good fun as you get plenty of time in the middle. I quite enjoyed opening when I had the chance even though it could be quite tiring going straight from keeping out into the middle again.

Work out where your batting strengths are and capitalise on them. Remember to play each ball on its merits - sometimes a bowler really will just bowl a good over but you can normally get the run rate back later on in the day.

I used to worry about facing the opening bowlers until I realised that coming in at the bottom of the order I was usually facing the opening bowlers in their second spell anyway so its not that much different. The big advantage for me is more that by the time the weaker bowlers come on you have had a chance to get your eye in - coming in low down the order you always feel you have to capitalise early and that can often go badly.