Topic: Field positions for twenty : 20 games (Read 2525 times)

cesare_in · « **on:** April 20, 2018, 04:35:14 PM »

What fields do you set during different stages of the match?

Curious to understand what works and what doesn't especially in a 20- over game when things happen quickly.

alexhilly1492 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2018, 05:21:34 PM »

I may have to skipper some early season t20s so your thought would be good to!

meats · « **Reply #2 on:** April 20, 2018, 06:23:35 PM »

Below premier league/semi pro does it make much difference? The batsmen in the vast majority of cases won't use the crease to manipulate it into the gaps and the majority of bowlers aren't able to consistently bowl to a field.

For all bowlers after first 5 overs or so I'd have a deep square, deep mid wicket, cow, long off and long on. For a spinner I would chuck in a deep extra cover for the short ball outside off or the drivable one outside off.

It's unlikely you're going to see a ramp or reverse sweep etc and if you do chances are a straight ball will clean them up anyway as they'll repeat the shot regularly.

SD · « **Reply #3 on:** April 20, 2018, 08:31:35 PM »

As a general rule, I would say that in T20 games in amateur cricket the importance of a captain being able read a batsman's game - and to set the right field for that batsman - is even more important than in league games as when you drop below the professional game, batsman generally have fewer scoring shots and lack the ability to effectively manipulate the field. If you can read a batsman quickly, then you can block his scoring options and therefore force mistakes. Obviously those players that you have come across a few times before should be easier to set a field to, but in a cup format with a number of divisions' worth of teams involved, this becomes much less likely than in league games.

As such, I would say that it is difficult to have a pre-determinate field as it should really change for each batsman. I think that the most you can do before taking to the field is to make a decision as to how you are going to approach the innings. I play against a number of captains who take a defensive approach and use the fielding restrictions as a rule as to how many men to stick outside the fielding ring: i.e. as many as they are allowed at each point of the game and to protect the boundaries whilst allowing the batsmen to pick up ones and twos. I always prefer to attack at the start of innings and to each new batsman by keeping the field up and putting the onus on the batsman to take risks to get going.

I have found captaining in T20 games to be the most difficult format to captain in as there is so much happening in such a short space of time.

Silver Bullet · « **Reply #4 on:** May 06, 2018, 06:32:04 PM »

Quote from: SD on April 20, 2018, 08:31:35 PM

As a general rule, I would say that in T20 games in amateur cricket the importance of a captain being able read a batsman's game - and to set the right field for that batsman - is even more important than in league games as when you drop below the professional game, batsman generally have fewer scoring shots and lack the ability to effectively manipulate the field. If you can read a batsman quickly, then you can block his scoring options and therefore force mistakes. Obviously those players that you have come across a few times before should be easier to set a field to, but in a cup format with a number of divisions' worth of teams involved, this becomes much less likely than in league games.

As such, I would say that it is difficult to have a pre-determinate field as it should really change for each batsman. I think that the most you can do before taking to the field is to make a decision as to how you are going to approach the innings. I play against a number of captains who take a defensive approach and use the fielding restrictions as a rule as to how many men to stick outside the fielding ring: i.e. as many as they are allowed at each point of the game and to protect the boundaries whilst allowing the batsmen to pick up ones and twos. I always prefer to attack at the start of innings and to each new batsman by keeping the field up and putting the onus on the batsman to take risks to get going.

I have found captaining in T20 games to be the most difficult format to captain in as there is so much happening in such a short space of time.

I have captained in more than a 100 T20 games and in my opinion what you said above is the classic mistake most skippers make when playing T20. They think of protecting boundaries as defense and having close in catchers and stopping singles as offense.

In my view, that is completely wrong. T20 is a very different game. To me, a boundary rider in T20 is like having a first slip i.e. that's your best chance of getting an early breakthrough. I have gotten many an early breakthrough by having appropriate boundary fielders from ball 1 of the game. You attack by posting fielders in the area where the ball is most likely to go and in T20, that area is most likely the boundary. I also very much disagree with the notion of stopping singles. In my view, in the shortest format, a single is a win for the bowling team. I would love nothing more than giving up a single to a set batsman.

Gentlemen above posted a great field, with four boundary riders on the leg side and very wide long off. The caveat there is, that field only works if your bowlers know the right line to bowl to.

SD · « **Reply #5 on:** May 17, 2018, 10:51:36 PM »

Quote from: Silver Bullet on May 06, 2018, 06:32:04 PM

I have captained in more than a 100 T20 games and in my opinion what you said above is the classic mistake most skippers make when playing T20. They think of protecting boundaries as defense and having close in catchers and stopping singles as offense.

In my view, that is completely wrong. T20 is a very different game. To me, a boundary rider in T20 is like having a first slip i.e. that's your best chance of getting an early breakthrough. I have gotten many an early breakthrough by having appropriate boundary fielders from ball 1 of the game. You attack by posting fielders in the area where the ball is most likely to go and in T20, that area is most likely the boundary. I also very much disagree with the notion of stopping singles. In my view, in the shortest format, a single is a win for the bowling team. I would love nothing more than giving up a single to a set batsman.

Gentlemen above posted a great field, with four boundary riders on the leg side and very wide long off. The caveat there is, that field only works if your bowlers know the right line to bowl to.

I would maybe agree with you a few years ago when league cricketers first started playing T20 games and there was no reference point as to what a competitive score was at that level so most teams used the professional game as a guide which was always unrealistic (unless of course a team had a big hitting overseas who came off on the night). In those days you did see openers try to hit every ball into the car park from ball 1 which did make boundary riders a wicket taking position (albeit that every competition I have played in has fielding restrictions at the start of the innings so you could never set a field with 5 guys outside the circle from the start as you suggested). However, as the game has matured and people are more comfortable understanding what a par score is in league cricket, this approach has gradually died out and bowling sides have had to become more intelligent as to how they can take early wickets. My suggestion was simply that at the start of the innings, a captain should be looking to build pressure on the batting side and make the opening batsman play shots they are not comfortable with which usually involves risk. At the beginning of an innings I wouldn't be happy with giving the openers 6 easy singles an over against the front line bowlers.

I would agree with you that as the innings comes to a close, you would rather give away singles than concede boundaries, but this wasn't the point I was making.

mattcoll12491 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 18, 2018, 08:28:48 AM »

Long on, cow, extra-cow, deep square leg

blindowl · « **Reply #7 on:** May 18, 2018, 10:17:29 AM »

Played a match last week and the opposition basically had no one 'in the ring' for most of the match. Odd really because we trotted along at 7 or 8 an over for the first 10 or 11 overs with only 1 wicket down.
Unfortunately the plan to then aggressively bat the back half of the inning didn't quite come off but we still won with 110 off the 20. A couple more close fielders and Im sure we would have been severely restricted.

Silver Bullet · « **Reply #8 on:** May 21, 2018, 07:59:52 AM »

Quote from: SD on May 17, 2018, 10:51:36 PM

I would maybe agree with you a few years ago when league cricketers first started playing T20 games and there was no reference point as to what a competitive score was at that level so most teams used the professional game as a guide which was always unrealistic (unless of course a team had a big hitting overseas who came off on the night). In those days you did see openers try to hit every ball into the car park from ball 1 which did make boundary riders a wicket taking position (albeit that every competition I have played in has fielding restrictions at the start of the innings so you could never set a field with 5 guys outside the circle from the start as you suggested). However, as the game has matured and people are more comfortable understanding what a par score is in league cricket, this approach has gradually died out and bowling sides have had to become more intelligent as to how they can take early wickets. My suggestion was simply that at the start of the innings, a captain should be looking to build pressure on the batting side and make the opening batsman play shots they are not comfortable with which usually involves risk. At the beginning of an innings I wouldn't be happy with giving the openers 6 easy singles an over against the front line bowlers.

I would agree with you that as the innings comes to a close, you would rather give away singles than concede boundaries, but this wasn't the point I was making.

Maybe it�s a consequence of where we play, but in the leagues I�ve played in, the openers are always big hitters. I�ve gotten early breakthroughs consistently by having guys at long off and cow corner right from ball 1. In fact, just won the championship a couple of seasons ago by having thier opener caught at long off on the 2nd ball, then having thier captain and best batsman caught at cow corner off the last ball of the 1rst over.

Edit: forgot to mention, I did take fielding restrictions as a given. I typically take 5 in the ring in front of the bat, two in the deep, a slip and gully. Very rarely would I keep either a third man or a fine leg. Depending on the batsman, I might also bring in the deep guys. There�s no set formula, I believe in taking away the batsman�s go to shot. This won�t work as a universal formula, it works for my bowlers, but might not always be the best option.

SLA · « **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2018, 04:09:57 PM »

Its important to read a batsman's intention. Unless extremely confident, a new batsman will try to get off the mark with 1s and 2s, so try to force him to hit over the top. A set batsman will want to hit regular boundaries, so cut off his scoring areas and try to keep him off strike and he will get frustrated.

It helps if you have a bowler who can bowl to a field:

A seamer who can bowl a heavy length can get away without a long off - a 1-3-2-3 field would work
A bowler who can bowl tight at the stumps can get away without a cover point - a 0-4-2-3 works well here
A bowler who can bowl outside off can get away without a fine leg - try a 3-3-2-1 field

The important thing as a skipper is that you know what the bowler is trying to do (or if he doesn't know, tell him), and set a field accordingly. Nothing worse than a skipper setting an off-side field and the bowler deciding he's to going to try to hit middle stump

I guess the good thing about T20 is that although the game can get away from you quickly, equally a canny bowling change and a clever field can lead to a few quiet overs, a wicket, and you're back on top again.

Author Topic: Field positions for twenty : 20 games (Read 2525 times)

cesare_in

Field positions for twenty : 20 games

alexhilly1492

Re: Field positions for twenty : 20 games

meats

Re: Field positions for twenty : 20 games

SD

Re: Field positions for twenty : 20 games

Silver Bullet

Re: Field positions for twenty : 20 games

SD

Re: Field positions for twenty : 20 games

mattcoll12491

Re: Field positions for twenty : 20 games

blindowl

Re: Field positions for twenty : 20 games

Silver Bullet

Re: Field positions for twenty : 20 games

SLA

Re: Field positions for twenty : 20 games