Bowlers That Bat At No. 10 & 11 Section.

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someblokecalleddave

someblokecalleddave

Well-Known Member
I couldn't bring myself to post this in the batting section as I certain don't qualify for the description of being a batsman and felt that realistically I'm a bowler (Although some might even dispute that) who has to try and bat a bit when it gets desperate - think Monty Panesar a few tears ago before Cardiff and the Ashes. So the question is - if like me you are about as use a one legged bloke in a bum kicking competition, this might be an opportunity where we can help suggest ideas where we might be able to improve our PB's and maybe be find a way to get into double figures. Any suggestions?

My biggest bugbear are Off-Spinners, they always get me within a matter of an over or so.
 
someblokecalleddave said:
I couldn't bring myself to post this in the batting section as I certain don't qualify for the description of being a batsman and felt that realistically I'm a bowler (Although some might even dispute that) who has to try and bat a bit when it gets desperate - think Monty Panesar a few tears ago before Cardiff and the Ashes. So the question is - if like me you are about as use a one legged bloke in a bum kicking competition, this might be an opportunity where we can help suggest ideas where we might be able to improve our PB's and maybe be find a way to get into double figures. Any suggestions?

My biggest bugbear are Off-Spinners, they always get me within a matter of an over or so.
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Confidence mate. I bat at 9-10-11 and have top scored once this year and 2nd top scored twice and I although I don't reckon Im a complete mug with the bat I never really scored many runs. This year I have changed my attitude from one of survival to taking the attack to the batsman. I used to just sit back and let the bowlers just bowl good line and length until they got me. I don't slog I just change things like where I bat in my crease. Either a long way out of my crease to try and make half volleys, rarely bowlers notice this. Also batting out of the crease one ball, back the next, out again. Just to change things up and not let the bowler get his rhythm. The other one is charging. Not rediculous charging but just taking one pace forward just before they are about to bowl but making sure they see it but also once taking the step you are very still and ready for the delivery. Most of the time I just block when I charge. Its not that delivery that I really want to attack. Again its just about throwing them off and getting them to bowl more bad balls in the rest of the over. A lot of bowlers take it as a personal insult if you charge them too and that means you might get more short stuff which I like because square cutting is my favourite shot.
I reckon with offies is to leave the crease and get to the pitch of the ball. You just play into their hands staying back, and once again your taking the attack to them and forcing them to think. (Not every ball of course)
I have been practicing all this a lot in the nets too so it makes it a lot easier to do on a saturday. The other thing is your a 10-11 so if it doesn't come off who cares!!! No one expected anything of you anyway. Thats the advantage of 10-11 you can play with a carefree attitude and its a lot more fun trying to attack(with proper cricket shots, not slogs) than getting a 12 ball duck after blocking out 11. I have really started to enjoy the psychological(spelling??) battle a lot more too.
 
Yeah I think you've hit the main point on the head, usually I'm No.11 and I'm there pretty much straight after No.10, but I kind of give the No.10 a little too much respect e.g. kind of assume that he's going to hit more runs than me, so go about my business working to get him on strike and then find normally they're throwing the kitchen sink at everything and I end up with 2, 3 not out, while in between me getting him back on strike, he's been hapharardly hitting 4's and 2's. I played with my son at the end of the summer against seam bowlers and we did well as we were both working with each other just trying to glide the ball past the fielders behind either side along the ground and that worked well. But the other points make sense and it's pretty much what I try and do, although last summer I opted to play off the back foot to the Offies and that was a disaster. I'll try smothering it this year and see how that works.

Anyone else any other ideas or wants to reinforce what Ben's said?
 
Don't over complicate things - keep it simple. Learn a small number of shots and try to play them as well as you're able to. I suggest one straight bat, one cross bat and a solid defence. The straight bat shots are somewhat adaptable in that once you have the basic movements you can get probably 'improvise' for different lines/lengths. Get the basics nailed down, good set-up, grip, back swing etc. Keep the head still and bring the bat down straight (not out to in or pushing at the ball).

All told, the biggest issue novice batsman have, young and old, is judging length and deciding whether to go back/forward. Time spent on that will help as will learning to judge line.
 
Richard the Third said:
Don't over complicate things - keep it simple. Learn a small number of shots and try to play them as well as you're able to. I suggest one straight bat, one cross bat and a solid defence. The straight bat shots are somewhat adaptable in that once you have the basic movements you can get probably 'improvise' for different lines/lengths. Get the basics nailed down, good set-up, grip, back swing etc. Keep the head still and bring the bat down straight (not out to in or pushing at the ball).

All told, the biggest issue novice batsman have, young and old, is judging length and deciding whether to go back/forward. Time spent on that will help as will learning to judge line.
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It's the length that causes the problems, as you say being the No.11 means the opportunities to bat are few and far between, like tonight as there was only 3-4 of us in our net tonight it just seemed to be the perfect opportunity to have a decent bowl and get a bit of rythmn going, so I didn't bat.
 
Unfortunately, it's a bit of a no win situation. As you say, nets tend to be the preserve of the regular batsman with tailenders granted a 5/10 minute smash at the end, often when bowlers have gone into silly mode. Failing that, you have to shell out and get use of a bowling machine which is far from cheap.

If there are a few of you who are like minded and want to improve then there are things you can do to help each other but it is a group rather than solitary task.
 
Slightly off topic I just had a look around some of the other comments you've made elsewhere with regards the state of this forum and its goals and you didn't seem that impressed. I then did try and PM you, but having written the message it then blocked me, which was a pain. You comments to the blokes that run this forum were pretty scathing, but to some extent true, but do you not feel that this section of the forum is pretty healthy? I've looked around at a fair few other forums and they're pretty dead when it comes to asking questions and chatting about wrist spinning and there's cetainly no-one out there that is credible that will ever chip in and make a valid contribution. Surely it's the nature of forums that the topic is discussed and solutions to problems can be resolved through threads like these? All it needs is one or two blokes that have some experience and a willingness to write and answer questions and make suggestions as in the case of this one and it generates some interest. You've only got to do a few searches using key words in google associated with wrist spinning and leg-spinning (one and the same) and you're either going to find links back to here or something I've written and all my stuff states at some point I'm no expert and that I'm just trying to learn. So, is this thread that bad? If it is where else would you look without having to dip your hand in your pocket and pay some obscure supposed professional spin coach?
 
I'll concede that some elements of the site are good but many are not. As someone who has followed the coaching areas since they were simply cricket, I have to admit that I was not in favour of the move over here which is why I largely stopped posting. In another world/time/place I would actually separate them to different sites where the coaching forums could have the focus and attention they deserve with suitable link ups and support. Sadly, it seems the people in charge here could not give a rats arse, save for lining their pockets with intrusive advertising.
 
Yeah - I'm with you on that, I was a big fan of Simply cricket and David Hinchcliffes forum before that and with each stage it did feel like each move was for the worse, but I've got used to it and as you can probably see this area here seems to be populated with a good bunch of blokes willing to put the time in to discuss the topics in a sensible way. You sound like a bloke who knows his stuff, so it'll be good to have you chipping in as well, so - hope you stick around.

For some reason there does seem to be more people on here at the minute in our area asking questions and making contributions which is always good.
 
Time will tell if I continue to contribute. More so lack of then anything else but we'll see. The reason this area appears to be busy is simply because there is little else of worth on the site. The Australian club sections would be better off situated on facebook. I'm convinced it is the same two or three people just talking to themselves through different log ins. Other areas are dead as other forums do them better or have more features with which to retain members.
 
Richard the Third said:
Unfortunately, it's a bit of a no win situation. As you say, nets tend to be the preserve of the regular batsman with tailenders granted a 5/10 minute smash at the end, often when bowlers have gone into silly mode. Failing that, you have to shell out and get use of a bowling machine which is far from cheap.

If there are a few of you who are like minded and want to improve then there are things you can do to help each other but it is a group rather than solitary task.
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I've got two young sons that are 12 and 9 and needless to say, year on year they're getting better and faster, so that'll be my longer term solution. I'm looking forward to the new season and how my older lad does, he won bowler of the year at his club for his age group and he's got a lot bigger and stronger since September. We've got our own nets set up in a paddock across the road from our house, it's just difficult to get the bleeders off the Xbox and other distractions and get them bowling properly and I have to watch that I don't over-do it and turn them off of the sport. Although tonight the older one seemed really chuffed that his sports teachers at school had said today that they'll soon be starting cricket sessions at school, so it was good to see his enthusiasm.
 
Kids are kids, some are really keen others less so but that doesn't mean they won't want to play. As long as it is competitive and they feel like they are getting somewhere then most will stick at it. You find it is the ones who either never get a game/fair chance or who have talents elsewhere that drift away.
 
Richard the Third said:
Kids are kids, some are really keen others less so but that doesn't mean they won't want to play. As long as it is competitive and they feel like they are getting somewhere then most will stick at it. You find it is the ones who either never get a game/fair chance or who have talents elsewhere that drift away.
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You mean 'Football'.
 
Rugby, football, martial arts, swimming, opera, music etc. We've had them all over the years and have lost some talented players but the appeal of being a big fish is a lot greater than being a bit part.
 
Richard III ! Although I see your House of York fascia, I suspect you are Plantagenet through and through. I am intrigued... what could possibly have effected this transformation from the SC days?

Of course, you know the next move... Check Mate!! May I just request that when you make it, you let me know?
 
Dave, do you know what your club's 9th/10th wicket partnership records are? In my team they're fairly low (25-30ish) so I find that's a good target for me to aim at when planning an innings. The plan never comes off, of course, but having it means I'm more patient.

As for off-spinners, I'm sure you'll be able to work out of they're getting drift and dip or not, I don't think too many club level off-spinners spin the ball enough to regularly beat the batsman in flight. If it's not drifting, why not try coming down the wicket, taking it on the full and smacking them out of the attack?
 
Spiderlounge said:
Dave, do you know what your club's 9th/10th wicket partnership records are? In my team they're fairly low (25-30ish) so I find that's a good target for me to aim at when planning an innings. The plan never comes off, of course, but having it means I'm more patient.

As for off-spinners, I'm sure you'll be able to work out of they're getting drift and dip or not, I don't think too many club level off-spinners spin the ball enough to regularly beat the batsman in flight. If it's not drifting, why not try coming down the wicket, taking it on the full and smacking them out of the attack?
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Mate! You don't know how bad I am - but yeah I'll try some of this out. I seem to do okay in the nets with the Offies, but don't seem to be able to convert it to a match situation. Clube record for 9th and 10th I don't think I want to depress myself by looking!
 
Does anyone use one of those training bats and are they affective? We've just cut an old bat down and the improvement I can see in my son within a couple of hours looks very promising and even I've suddenly seemed to have got better too. What's that all about - do they work?
 
Good for hand-eye coordination, more chance of finding the middle in a match. Often helps if they are as heavy as a normal bat, I know guys who get a 3lb (or more) Kashmir bat and then cut the willow down from there. Always good to practice with!
 
Tumo said:
Good for hand-eye coordination, more chance of finding the middle in a match. Often helps if they are as heavy as a normal bat, I know guys who get a 3lb (or more) Kashmir bat and then cut the willow down from there. Always good to practice with!
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I guessed that half the reason I was doing okay with it was that it was that much lighter, might have to consider looking out for an old heavy bat then?
 
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