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[richthekeeper]

a slight twist on the opening dilemma - i've been opening for years and am more than comfortable against the quicker bowlers. I've got a method for spin which mainly involves trying to milk singles and hit the bad ball, which is all fine.

however the challenge is being able to push the run rate up late in the innings. yesterday i got to 66 in 35 overs - mainly being starved of strike by the oppo captain - but pretty much ran out of steam at that point and would have struggled to convert that 66 into 100 in the last 10. i know as an opener i've basically done my job, and the lads who came in lower down put on 60 in the last 10, but i'd love to know what people's tips are for upping the rate later on

[petehosk]

Well, opening the batting and the fact that I am not the best batsman means that I don't often have the chance to push on later in the innings!
But on the odd occasion that I have got past the 30 over stage, I feel that the only thing extra you need is fitness.
I just feel that if you are knackered by the 30th over then you will either lose concentration and play a very tired shot. Or you will go for a big shot and not have the energy to give it 100%. So I guess this is where your fitness comes in and has to be at a decent level! I think the fitter you are, the better concentration you will have and the sharper you will be. And the rest should take care of itself! 

[jonazax1717]

a slight twist on the opening dilemma - i've been opening for years and am more than comfortable against the quicker bowlers. I've got a method for spin which mainly involves trying to milk singles and hit the bad ball, which is all fine.

however the challenge is being able to push the run rate up late in the innings. yesterday i got to 66 in 35 overs - mainly being starved of strike by the oppo captain - but pretty much ran out of steam at that point and would have struggled to convert that 66 into 100 in the last 10. i know as an opener i've basically done my job, and the lads who came in lower down put on 60 in the last 10, but i'd love to know what people's tips are for upping the rate later on

interesting this question as i no many other people struggle with this as the game as become more faster Paced , and more bigger hitters down the order, pressure to get on with it  , so  im sure you play a fairly decent standard , are you a power hitter , just having a  go a range hitting at the club nets can be quite useful  , but if its not your game try to Target the areas where the Field is up ( sounds very simple but is quite difficult ) and manipulating the field will then hopefully bring more scoring options , some people will target one bowler, A lot of Openers my have strategies  , e.g i will target spinners because i think i have better chance of mistiming it and i can still clear the rope , with pacers i just try to take runs where Possible as i am weak on my legs 

[Calzehbhoy]

Agree with @petehosk , a lot of it will come down to fitness and also hydration levels. As a drop in both can have a major effect on concentration levels.

[Biggie Smalls]

Ive struggled to change gears on a few occasions . You open the batting against a top notch attack , you counter it with disipline and doggedness . Sometimes , getting out of that mindset once you're well into your innings , and playing freely , can be hard . I try to ask myself every 15 overs or so 'what gear am i playing in'? and 'can i go up a gear now'? It seems to help me , awareness wise .

[richthekeeper]

that's good advice - I'm usually happy to just survive through the first ten overs which is fine if you're setting a total but not always the right way to chase down a big score.

in the past i've experimented with moving round on the crease to create opportunities for the shots i want to play. if i'm trying to engineer a shot it's either a straight drive or a clip through midwicket, so i might need to move outside off to play those shots if the bowling is wider. i'm much less good at stepping away to play through cover so it's a higher risk shot to create.

[JK Lewis]

I have always preferred to open the batting and I think there are many good reasons to do it. There is rarely a queue for the job, so your skipper and your team mates will be grateful to you for stepping up, and will usually make allowances for a volunteer opener that they might not make for others. In particular, you have the opportunity of time. In the club cricket I play (40-50 overs), openers are not expected to score quickly, and if one considers the primary function to be to see off the opening bowlers, it can be that you are either 20* or 40* off 15 overs and neither will be seen as a problem. Once you get in, your scoring rate will increase naturally, if you get out you will still get respect for stepping up against the best bowlers and the new ball.

From a technical perspective, the key adjustment I have made in recent years is to take a Middle-and-Off guard. As an opener one is always facing the new ball, so swing either way is generally less of an issue. Facing standard medium/fast seam bowling, taking Middle-and-Off enables me to get comfortably inside leg stump deliveries, allowing me to score all around the wicket more freely. I have struggled with leg side shots in the past, but now I am considerably more confident at gliding or turning the ball between Midwicket and Fine-leg. Once I get in, this begins to include deliveries on Middle-and-Leg or Middle, which has the added benefit of frustrating seam bowlers.

You should note that I am Right-handed, for a left hander the adjustment may open up your leg stump too much to the natural line of a Right-arm over bowler. Best to try in the nets first, to see if the guard suits you.

[JK Lewis]

One other recommendation, is to bat as far out of your crease as you feel comfortable. As an opener you will generally be facing the best bowlers the opposition can offer, so you need to make their life as awkward as possible. Most will be quick enough to ensure the wicket keeper stands back, so there is no danger of being stumped.

The distance from popping crease to batting crease is 19 yards 12 inches, but opening bowlers will tend to pitch the majority of their deliveries into the 8 yards or so in front of the batsman. By taking a decent step forward, you already own 1 of these yards, so stealing 12-24 inches inches more of this space reduces further the area they have to bowl into. Bowlers like to get into a rhythm, and attempt to dictate play to the batsman. You can upset their control by changing their expectations of what is a good delivery, and what becomes a half volley.

[Biggie Smalls]

I have always preferred to open the batting and I think there are many good reasons to do it. There is rarely a queue for the job, so your skipper and your team mates will be grateful to you for stepping up, and will usually make allowances for a volunteer opener that they might not make for others. In particular, you have the opportunity of time. In the club cricket I play (40-50 overs), openers are not expected to score quickly, and if one considers the primary function to be to see off the opening bowlers, it can be that you are either 20* or 40* off 15 overs and neither will be seen as a problem. Once you get in, your scoring rate will increase naturally, if you get out you will still get respect for stepping up against the best bowlers and the new ball.

From a technical perspective, the key adjustment I have made in recent years is to take a Middle-and-Off guard. As an opener one is always facing the new ball, so swing either way is generally less of an issue. Facing standard medium/fast seam bowling, taking Middle-and-Off enables me to get comfortably inside leg stump deliveries, allowing me to score all around the wicket more freely. I have struggled with leg side shots in the past, but now I am considerably more confident at gliding or turning the ball between Midwicket and Fine-leg. Once I get in, this begins to include deliveries on Middle-and-Leg or Middle, which has the added benefit of frustrating seam bowlers.

You should note that I am Right-handed, for a left hander the adjustment may open up your leg stump too much to the natural line of a Right-arm over bowler. Best to try in the nets first, to see if the guard suits you.

So Mr S.Smith   when does your New Balance sponsorship expire ?

[JK Lewis]

So Mr S.Smith   when does your New Balance sponsorship expire ?

Ha ha, if only! That ship has sailed, some time ago. 

[Biggie Smalls]

Ha ha, if only! That ship has sailed, some time ago. 

It's ok , that mob from j.k.lewis cricket seem to be looking after you with some nice sticks . 

[JK Lewis]

I'm back at home now so a final two-pennorth on opening. Hope I'm not boring you @NT50

If you open regularly, you need to be ready to accept that you will sacrifice personal achievement for the good of the team. You will have some great days, but you will also have regular failures - ducks and single figure scores. At pretty much every level, over a season, openers will average 5-10 runs fewer than players who regularly come in at 3-5. But, you tend to get more innings, and more potential time at the crease, so you take your 30 average in order to allow the middle order to prosper.

Bearing this in mind, it is important to focus on wearing out the bowlers and softening up the ball. Opening bowlers can rest and come back, but the ball never gets better. The league balls we use generally lose their shine after 15-20 overs. Anything I can do to reduce this is good for the team. I work hard to hit the ball as often as possible, and as hard as possible - on defensive strokes as well as when attacking. I never use a bat with a scuff sheet because they're too smooth. Instead I roughen the face of my bats with 40 grit sandpaper every couple of weeks.

I like it when the skipper wins the toss and bats. You go out in the sunshine, heat of the day, against the best bowlers, at their freshest, with the new ball. When you bat 1 and make a score in those conditions, it's the best feeling in the world. Good luck.

[tom line]

I'm in the same boat as opening this season for the first time, what I've learnt so far is you've got to fundamentally enjoy it l, if you don't enjoy it, it's pointless you doing it, relish the challenge. Also, accept you won't hit every ball and then bowlers are allowed to bowl a ball too good for you, just forget about it and move on to the next ball, but also take breaks and use up time. Don't just face ball after ball with no breaks take walks to square leg or look around the field. Finally play cleverly, properly look at the field know where your gaps are and how you can safely rotate the strike rather than hitting boundaries, important to know your get out of jail shot to get a single and get down the other end

[Biggie Smalls]

Those last two posts really sum up the attitude of an opener ..... the things we need to pride ourselves on , performance wise . It's about small victories that build into benifits , not just for your own innings , but also , for all the batsmen to follow . You play and miss well ( yes , there is such a thing - not pushing/fishing at the moving ball , but just 'see the line , play the line' ) , that's a win . You defend the ball through a rough centre square , that's a win . You nudge a good delivery for a single , that's a win . You leave a dangerous delivery , that's a win ( that's also wasted effort from a bowler with limited energy reserves ) . When you appreciate that these things are valuable little acomplishments you will always find it easier to bat long periods .
Also , reiterating what j.k said about openers averaging less etc - that's true , and that's ok . We do the tough initial stretch and pay a slight numerical penalty , so remind yourself that , although other batsmen might not always tell you so , most do appreciate what you do ... and try to be kind to yourself when assessing your own performance - put it into the aforementioned context .

[edge]

@JK Lewis I love the roughing up the bat face haha! Such an off-the-wall idea, maybe a specially rough scuff sheet should be a Lewis Cricket option