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[sanredrose]

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.

When you take the stance, your body weight is balanced on both feet. When you are about to play a shot, your hands in diamond shape goes back (backlift), while you shift the balance of your body weight towards your front leg and lead with your head. You lead with head to watch the ball clearly, bring down your arms in diamond shape and play the shot when the ball is right under your eyes. You don't move from the crease when you lead with your head. You move from the crease only when you want to get down the wicket and strike the ball. Procedure still remains the same ... backlift, lean with your head forward, shift the weight to front foot and connect the ball under your eyes.

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 mid wicket to square leg. As a result i try to glance anything down/above leg stump.

I am a right hand batsman, most of the time i face right arm fast bowlers - so the natural angle of the ball is pitched on middle or leg stump and its likely drifting down. So as a right hander my first option would be to glance it, second is to pull if its of proper height, third would be leave the ball go down as a wide and fourth would be to move a little towards leg-side and go for an on-drive/mid-on area.

If you are a left hand batsman facing right arm fast bowlers most of the time, its likely that they are pitching outside leg stump or on the leg stump and bringing it in. Here the ball is not drifting in towards your stumps. Its natural that your first shot is an on-drive/mid on. I don't see this as a problem, i rather think its good. Picking a wrong ball to play a leg glance will result in LBW. If a left arm bowler is coming over the wicket or right arm bowler around the wicket with the ball pitched on middle or leg, then a leg glance would be a good option. 

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?

From your captains statement i can infer two things, first he wants a stable opening pair in the first 10 over to see off the new ball threat and second he has confidence in your abilities to defend the ball properly and he is convinced that you have right temperament to hold one side of the wicket.

Scoring runs should be part of your natural game. Immaterial of which position play, if you don't play a natural game then it will only bottle up pressure and result in unwanted dismissal. I prefer to play ground shots and i generally spend some time in the first few overs judging the bowlers line and length, getting to know the pitch, pace of wicket, outfield conditions etc. I generally take first 4-5 overs to settle down and start scoring in next 5 overs. My team plans to reach 30 to 45 runs in the first 10 overs of a 40 over game, where first 5 overs will be like 10-15 runs and the second 5 overs would be 15 - 30 runs. Once you spend time in the middle and get a hang of things, you can always make up for the slow run rate in the first few overs. Losing wicket in the first 10 overs is inevitable, but if you can reduce that occurrence, then it provides a base for middle order to launch the attack when they come in ...

Most important of all - be confident and don't stray away from your natural game.

[sanredrose]

@NT50 - I have tried my best to explain in previous post. But a visual aid always helps. Check this source link => http://www.wikihow.com/Bat-in-Cricket

[Seniorplayer]

Justin what's the thinking behind roughing up  your bat face  is it to reduce the the shine on the  new ball  quickler

[JK Lewis]

Justin what's the thinking behind roughing up  your bat face  is it to reduce the the shine on the  new ball  quickler

Yes, that's my theory. Shine is an arms race! I figure that every time the ball comes off a rough bat face it will help me and hinder the oppo.

[JK Lewis]

Justin what's the thinking behind roughing up  your bat face  is it to reduce the the shine on the  new ball  quickler

Obviously, this has to be kept within reason, so as to not contravene Section 7a of Law 6. I'm not looking to cause massive damage to the ball, just trying to balance the application of sweat at the other end.

[smilley792]

Yes, that's my theory. Shine is an arms race! I figure that every time the ball comes off a rough bat face it will help me and hinder the oppo.

I have a similar technique. It involves hitting the ball into car parks, fences and metal poles as hard as I can........ get rid of that shine!

[richthekeeper]

i just love the different approaches in this thread. opening is often a war of attrition - our primary job is to protect the middle order from those naughty opening bowlers with their shiny new ball 

[Seniorplayer]

Yes, that's my theory. Shine is an arms race! I figure that every time the ball comes off a rough bat face it will help me and hinder the oppo.

I am going to do this  now where did I put that Rasp file