Cricket In England

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Andrew Bourne

Andrew Bourne

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Hi guys, just interested in hearing from a few of the English cricketers on the forum, i am looking at trying to get over to the U.K next cricket season... i was wondering if you would be able to help me out with any hints, tips or helpful pieces of advice that would help me on my travels, or even just places that i should go and see.
looking forward to hearing from some of you!

Note: the reason i ask in the spin forum is the guys in here usually give the most educated answers... and also i am interested to hear any hints on how to get wickets on English soil as a spinner as your wickets are much greener than ours and tend to be softer due to the amount of rain.
 
Andrew Bourne said:
Hi guys, just interested in hearing from a few of the English cricketers on the forum, i am looking at trying to get over to the U.K next cricket season... i was wondering if you would be able to help me out with any hints, tips or helpful pieces of advice that would help me on my travels, or even just places that i should go and see.
looking forward to hearing from some of you!

Note: the reason i ask in the spin forum is the guys in here usually give the most educated answers... and also i am interested to hear any hints on how to get wickets on English soil as a spinner as your wickets are much greener than ours and tend to be softer due to the amount of rain.
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Definately do a tour of Lords. Its a great experience,seeing the Long room the away change rooms and players balcony and loads more and its surprisingly cheap.
 
I'm not entirely sure where i will be staying/playing, a young guy that i played with in our younger years did quite well with the old actonians last season, and is thinking about going again next season, so i may be somewhere near that area if all goes to plan.
Not so much a surfer, but into anything sports related that uses a ball basically. football, AFL, volleyball (despite my height!) tennis, golf... any of those.
 
You can still turn it on soft english wickets, you just need to bowl a little bit quicker when the pitch is slow otherwise you will get carted all over.

Our pitches do actually vary quite alot, from soft slow turners to greasy green tops to more typical Aussie flat bouncy wickets.
 
interesting, thanks SLA... do you find more sidespin or more overspin is beneficial in your stock ball on the softer wickets...against the batsmen over there :)
 
Andrew Bourne said:
interesting, thanks SLA... do you find more sidespin or more overspin is beneficial in your stock ball on the softer wickets...against the batsmen over there :)
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I don't really get much overspin being a finger spinner. A combination of the two, I suppose. I find mixing in backspin can be quite effective as well.

I would say 50% of the games are on softish, dryish wickets with slow, low bounce and plenty of turn. Intelligent batsmen will play back as much as possible on the slow pitches and just wait for the ball to turn: so in general you need to push the ball through a little quicker to have a chance of beating the bat, with the occasional slower flighted big ripper as a slightly daring variation.

The other 50% are either on hard bouncy wickets that you would be used to, or on damp green wickets where the ball skids through - these are a challenge for the spinner as the lack of turn means you have to rely on beating the batsman with flight/drift/changes of pace.
 
thanks for the post SLA, interesting stuff.
In Australia particularly i know batsmen like to use their feet and get at the ball, will be an interesting adjustment if players are sitting on the back foot. May have to do some serious work on the flipper then if that is the case!
 
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