How to build Long Innings?

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abhiscenter

abhiscenter

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How to build Long Innings?

Hello everyone,
I have been given a chance to open the batting for my team and I wanted to know how can I build long innings, if some suggestions like: what shots should be restricted in beginning and what style should I bat with, would be really helpful.
As i'll be opening, obvious thing will be that I will face swing bowling and bowlers will be fresh too.
so what important things should I remember all the time.
Please help me clear these doubts,
Thank you,
A.V
 
Re: How to build Long Innings?

I'm definitely no opening bat, but I've heard from a gun opening bat that you have to make the bowler bowl to you. I open the bowling quite a bit, depending on which grade I'm playing, but I always see batsmen just playing and missing at balls that they could easily have simply left. If a guy's bowling good outies on the spot, I reckon tuck away the drive until you see him off, but don't take that as textbook as I'm a bowler, but yeah, that's what I reckon for the first spell, or until you're settled.

In saying that, don't go overly defensive if that's not your style - play to your strengths.

Edit: Ah, just had a look at pitchvision, David's posted the article you need. Take a look at it:

http://www.pitchvision.com/dropping-anchor-how-to-play-a-long-innings
 
Re: How to build Long Innings?

I open for my team, I ussllay leave alot of balls early and score slow, but if its there to hit hit it.
 
Re: How to build Long Innings?

Do the simple things well and you won't go far wrong. Play to your strengths, run between the wickets well and conserve mental energy when not batting.

Keep calm - don't get dragged into the game that bolwers like to play. If you miss one or chase a wide one then forget about it and move onto the next ball.
 
Re: How to build Long Innings?

Take a look at http://www.bigcricket.com/forum/t63301/

...particularly:

Quote:

Have a look at:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Liz Ward
I am a great believer of playing oneself in, however, this should start long before you stand at the crease!

...when you walk in, off, on and straight drives are safe shots to play as the bat is behind the ball for the longest amount of time, compared to other shots. Play a straight bat with good technique whilst judging the correct length of the drive and you will not get out. Try to stroke the ball; not hit it hard at the beginning.

The flick off the legs is a safe shot for good batsmen to accumulate runs. The ball is outside the leg stump so you cannot get bowled or LBW. Again, stroke the ball.

Similarly, leg glances are safe against a fast bowler; use the pace of the ball to steer it towards fine leg.

If you are confident with the cut, it is useful to put away a bad ball against a fast bowler but do not use it early, on a wicket with uneven bounce.

Only use the pull to put away a bad ball from a spin bowler on a wicket with true bounce.

Leave the cover drives until you get your eye in and you are used to the pace and bounce of the pitch...

As grapedo says, in a 50 over game you have time to play yourself in... take it!

Also:


Quote:
Originally Posted by Liz Ward
It's personal... psychologically, outcome targets can be self defeating; other posts on this thread bear testament to that

In the perfect World, a batsman should be concerned about the way he is playing; stance and backswing (without getting these in order he/she cannot play any shot 'correctly'), relaxing into the movement, hand/eye coordination, timing, hitting the ball in the middle etc.

Playing the right shot for the ball; playing themselves in with the off, on and straight drives, flicks off the legs, leg glances, cut, pull and being aware of the danger zones - it's as much about knowing what to leave as well as how to hit the ones you want to ;)

Give yourself process targets and the runs will look after themselves.

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni did not think about the finished article when he painted the Sistine Chapel; it was about the subject, light, colours and personal flare. Each little process was conducted with great care and diligence, the end result is just that... an end result... but what a result! Look after the processes of batting and your end result will be a high score

As for not being settled until the ball hits the boundary... a single run for each ball of the over is far better than a 4 followed by a catch ;) You need to be content [settled] from the outset and everything will fall in place. Waiting for that boundary will make you uptight and tense until it comes, putting you at risk of failure.
 
Re: How to build Long Innings?

Im an opening batsmen and their are a few things I tend to do early in my innings.
-Dont be afraid to leave the ball early
-Play to your strengths, dont become too worried about 'norms' like playing straight etc. If your favoured shot is the pull, play it, if you enjoy the cutshot, play it. These are your strengths so use them
-Put pressure on the fielder early
-DO NOT GET FLUSTERED
-Play the ball as late as possible.
-Enjoy the challenge, you are facing the best bowlers, who are fresh, with the new ball so accept that occasionally you will cop a good one but when you makes runs it makes it even better

Enjoy it mate
 
Re: How to build Long Innings?

abhiscenter;374164 said:
Hello everyone,
I have been given a chance to open the batting for my team and I wanted to know how can I build long innings, if some suggestions like: what shots should be restricted in beginning and what style should I bat with, would be really helpful.
As i'll be opening, obvious thing will be that I will face swing bowling and bowlers will be fresh too.
so what important things should I remember all the time.
Please help me clear these doubts,
Thank you,
A.V
Click to expand...

keep it simple . make the bowler bowl to you . anything wide , leave . dont go hard at the pill early , let ball hit bat .
always be on the lookout for one's . attacking fields , lots of easy singles if you are prepared to look for them . rotating strike will ease the pressure on yourself and put the bowlers under the pump . never look to make something early , but if bad pill bowled must be positive and looking to score . that will put the fielding team under pressure and set the tone for the entire innings .

set small targets .
 
Re: How to build Long Innings?

I don't believe in building a long innings as such, I'd rather hit 20 off 2 overs than 20 off 10. It depends on your ability of course, some are plodders and get the ones and twos and keep the scoreboard ticking over that way others like myself like to play shots. I have played in all batting positions and I found opening to be great because the ball is new and hard and you just needed to get bat to ball and it would fly. I used a lot of angling the bat to get runs. But I honestly believe that the best way to play is know what balls to play and how to play them.. now you can go out there and leave all the balls outside off stump, but to me, their scoring opportunities. If the ball isn't on the stumps, you have a slim chance of being bowled, to me that's an advantage to you as a batsman... I think leaving the odd ball or two when you face a new bowler is ok, when your trying to get a feel of how fast they are or how they bowl, but to me anything not on the stumps is a free shot to score, back your ability, it doesn't mean you have to throw the bat around, you can be sensible about it and score one's, two's and fours. The only time I play defensive is when the ball is on the stumps, you have to respect a good ball and get behind it.
 
Re: How to build Long Innings?

Hey guys,
I really really appreciate your efforts in giving me some good replies, they are coming more than handy to me.

Regarding my current batting status, I have been struggling in the middle out there since I started opening the batting. I haven't been successful in making a big/confident knock yet and my top score has been just 10 runs.

Since I got opening position, I have been trying out lot of things. One of the coach told me to hold my backlift very straight such that it faces the keeper. I have been doing it in nets and games but its just not comfortable to me and I struggle in playing any sort of shot.The result of that has turned out that I totally lost my original technique that earned me an opening slotain. After the change in technique, problems like imbalance, misjudging the ball n mistiming it have occured.
And since last couple of days, when I was thinking about it, I felt that I should get back to my original technique which was very comfortable to me, and I even felt good when went to bat in nets.
Now my question is, should I stick to my original technique or should I keep using my new technique?
Thank you,
A.V

P.S: In my original technique, I had my backlift face 1st/2nd slip direction and I was holding the bat with a gentle grip aka soft bottom hand and a bit firmer top hand. My knees were bent a little and was standing straight.
 
Re: How to build Long Innings?

I agree with everything collingwood wrote, thats exactly my way of thinking, except I stay away from opening these days but have batted everywhere and prefer to swing the bat at anything outside off stump. Try to cover the line on anything close to the off stump and just watch it past the edge if its safe to do so but otherwise swing wildly :D

On opening and building a long innings, I found it difficult, facing the best bowlers you can really get bogged down quite easily and start to get a bit frustrated when runs are not flowing

I find it easier to build in the middle order as you always know there isnt long untill a worse bowler or a spinner gets a bowl and then you can look at scoring more freely, when the openers are on and the ball is doing a bit you think it will never end :p
 
Re: How to build Long Innings?

abhiscenter;376679 said:
Hey guys,
I really really appreciate your efforts in giving me some good replies, they are coming more than handy to me.

Regarding my current batting status, I have been struggling in the middle out there since I started opening the batting. I haven't been successful in making a big/confident knock yet and my top score has been just 10 runs.

Since I got opening position, I have been trying out lot of things. One of the coach told me to hold my backlift very straight such that it faces the keeper. I have been doing it in nets and games but its just not comfortable to me and I struggle in playing any sort of shot.The result of that has turned out that I totally lost my original technique that earned me an opening slotain. After the change in technique, problems like imbalance, misjudging the ball n mistiming it have occured.
And since last couple of days, when I was thinking about it, I felt that I should get back to my original technique which was very comfortable to me, and I even felt good when went to bat in nets.
Now my question is, should I stick to my original technique or should I keep using my new technique?
Thank you,
A.V

P.S: In my original technique, I had my backlift face 1st/2nd slip direction and I was holding the bat with a gentle grip aka soft bottom hand and a bit firmer top hand. My knees were bent a little and was standing straight.
Click to expand...

When your talking about your backlift, do you mean when your facing a ball and your either tapping the bat on the ground or holding the bat up? or do you mean when you go to play the shot?
I had to get the bat and have a feel for myself, I tap the bat on the ground and the back of the bat faces around 3rd slip....but when I go to play a shot, the back lift varies depending on the shot I play..if I'm playing an off side shot, the backlift points behind the keeper, but if I play on the onside the backlift might be pointed around 2nd slip...basically the bat goes in a straight line from backlift to follow through... but the direction is determined by where I want to play the ball to.
 
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