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[OllieWalker39]

Chaps,

Due to working shifts, I'm no longer in the 1sts and actually enjoying my cricket more in the 2nds. Much better team spirit so it seams like a good move. (Pun intended).

However, I'm fast becoming the master of getting a start when opening the batting. So far this season, I've amassed 150 runs in 5 innings... of which all have been circa 30 (excl. one run out on 15).

How on earth have I lost the ability to convert starts?

Any advice and tips greatly appreciated!

OW

[meats]

Becoming complacent playing at a lower level?

[OllieWalker39]

Seemingly... Getting caught more often which suggests so. Think the pitches aren't prepared as well as yesterday we played on a deck that has already seen 6 games... Seamers were breaking through the top.

[SLA]

May not apply to you, but with a lot of people who are good at getting starts and then get stuck, the problem is that they have a limited/idiosyncratic gameplan, that either works against some bowlers but not others, or works for a while until the captain figures it out and changes the field.

So for example, I know one bloke who is fine against pace but hopeless, totally hopeless against spin, so he might bat nicely for 12-15 overs and make 30 odd, and then the spinner comes on and he's toast. So unless the opposition don't have a spinner, he's pretty limited in the amount of runs he can score.

Another lad only has 2 shots, a cover drive and a sweep. He quite often hits 5-6 boundaries with these shots and gets to about 30 odd, and then the opposition put fielders to cut off his areas and after a few maidens he gets out trying desperately to play a different shot.

Other people simply get bored, or decide they're going to accelerate and overdo it.

[SD]

I have had the same problem this year getting out caught having made a start.  For me it seems to be a lack of concentration having done the hard work of getting myself in.  I made a conscious effort to really knuckle down at the weekend and converted a decent start

[stevat]

I have had the same problem this year getting out caught having made a start.  For me it seems to be a lack of concentration having done the hard work of getting myself in.  I made a conscious effort to really knuckle down at the weekend and converted a decent start

I'm the same. Realised after I get in, I start looking where I'm going to hit the ball, rather than focusing on point of contact and keeping my head position right. Sometimes you get lucky and miss it completely, mostly I catch an edge it seems.

[edge]

Seemingly... Getting caught more often which suggests so.

Definitely sounds like losing concentration as you start to relax into an innings - given you're opening I'm guessing when you're on 30 is around when the field gets a bit more defensive to you? Personally, I hit over the top quite a lot at the start of the innings, but if I keep doing that for 10 or so overs the field starts to spread a bit more, which is when it's easy to get caught if you carry on batting the same way. I find I get through that period most effectively by deliberately throttling back a little and hitting it on the floor or just chipping it to avoid holing out. The field's spread and I'm obviously fairly well in by this point, so run rate doesn't suffer if I do it well. Can then get more aggressive again later as situation or my confidence demands, but the focus on what I'm doing helps keep concentration and reduce risk. Makes it sound easy ha, I should remember to do it more often!

[SD]

I would also say that poor quality training both preseason and during the season hasn't helped.  Focussing on feeling bat on ball at the expense of judging what to play and what to leave alone

[Seniorplayer]

Keep doing what you do to get to  your  first 30 runs