gundalf's cricket blog

[edladd]

You've certainly been busy considering it's off-season. Glad to hear that the leg-break is coming back. Sometimes it is the best option to take a break if your action isn't working properly, it lets your brain "reset" back to what feels natural. Can be frustrating when you are trying to bowl through the problem.

What's up with the "back and across" thing? Is it something that is getting you in trouble, like out LBW a lot? I know over here in Ireland the pitches are rarely good enough to justify a big step back and across - ball just doesn't get high enough.

[gundalf7]

last friday
no practice in the week due to being snowed under with uni work, working. Had a decent indoor practice batting against spin off about 18 yards. Batting actually looked better than it has, hit some beautys at the end of the session when i'd got my eye in and was hitting some monster lofted straight drives. Bowling was ok, nothing special but pretty consistent.

last sunday
seems I've aggrevated my old right knee injury hobbling around for most of the day, not sure why I still decided to go to cricket practice really, strapped my knee up heavily and went anyway. Was apparent from the start I couldn't run in and bowl my leg spin as the rotation was screwing up my knee. First hour was awful bowling off no run up with barely no turn and no pace. The next 15 mins though were quite decent as I experimented a little and got a nice mix of off breaks and leg breaks that the batsmen weren't picking and I must have got a wicket nearly every ball, though by the end my knee was getting worse so I decided to have a go at medium pace for the last 20 mins. Surprisingly after a couple of looseners I started to look pretty decent bowling line and length just outside off and got some nice inswing occasionally with the traditioal outswing grip.

Tuesday
Weather is awful had a little bowl yesterday as my leg felt alot better, was ok but had to do without runup as there is moss growing on the tarmac which is nearly like ice when wet. Again the bowling was ok bowled for about an hour, not sure what to make of my bowling at the mo. Today again I had 15 mins till I slipped and the windball slipped out my hand and nearly ended up in the doors greenhouse, not sure if i'll get that back.

Friday
With most of the day off I decided to have an experimental net session, had a little go with the knuckleball again, may develop into something but probablly not. Had a little go with the carrom grip again still haven't quite got it right though a couple looked good. Tried some doosras as well didn't get one to turn the other way with 2 different methods, maybe my arm is too straight. Near the end of the session I tried a few balls that I haven't tried for ages round googlies, reverse flippers and some cutters with the spin bowling action. Maybe will revive quite a couple of these as they look quite promising. Went to the indoor practice in the evening bowled 10 mins of leg breaks while we were waiting for everyone to arrive. In the end most of the lads wanted a 5 a side football game instead so we had a kickabout instead.

Sunday
Felt alot better this week, loosened up with some medium pace for half an over and then started bowling my spin. Again it was alright and nothing special. The accuracy and turn were consistent though not great. Had a few flippers work and the googlies but the action and grip especially just didn't feel right. Not sure why but there just doesn't seem that zip out of the hand and the follow through in my action was vertially non existant so something is wrong. Finished the net by having a go with a new idea of trying to combine a bit of pace and spin with a fast leg break action, not sure how effective it was as I was bowling to a leftie and only bowled and over but got a little bit of turn which would be enough to take the edge of a bat at a good pace. I did have a bat in between the bowling and batted ok. Seemed a little stuck on the front foot but unable to get forward. Somehow I didn't hit one back foot shot while I was batting maybe the back and across trigger movement is a good idea for me. I hit some decent shots though the face of the bat was a little too open alot of the time. 2 other problems is the length where I keep playing back when I shouldn't seems to be a big problem espcially from around the wicket/ left arm every ball I get it just seem the go through me and I really don't know why. Only other problem was picking up the ball as I tried really closely watching it all the way for a couple and still couldn't pick it up right red ball out of a red brick wall is really not good.

On the whole I think i'm probablly getting better but need to try and get more consistent batting and bowling especially, hopefully I can get a long net session wednesday.

edladd the thing is I don't actually go back and across at all until I started watching the coaching videos but then the ball never hits my pads in line with the stumps as I think i'm probablly standing just outside leg stump though I tend to be improving a lot with glances off my pads anyway.

[Virendersingh.berthwal]

Hi Matt,

Good post.
I think to do the same and update my blog on day-to-day basis.
Will good to see the progress done in the nets.

Also u have written about ur knee injury;please take care.
R u concerned about ur batting and what is ur batting position..Does ur team expects more of it or u want to improve..
Keep practicing and work on ur fitness.

Virender

[gundalf7]

hi virender I am pretty concerned about my batting as I seem to improve for a while then it goes back to sqaure one. Last year I was batting at a postion of 10 mostly for the uni 2nds and 11 for my club.
I'm hoping to make the uni 1sts for next season but the way my batting is at the moment I probablly won't as to make the team i'll have to bat at 8 or 9 and be bowling at my best. It would be better for my local club if I improved too as I should get a fair bit of 1st team cricket anyway for them as well.
I could probablly do with getting a bit fitter as well really though as i'd probablly class myself as unfit especially as I don't exactly live healthily being a student.

The main problem with my batting seems to be getting my footwork going to begin with, a consistent grip as I seem to alternate between either hand gripping too much and finally following the ball after it pitches especially needs a bit of work.

[gundalf7]

not been great on the cricket front for me lately
last wednesday- alright practice damp again. ball hasn't been coming out right for weeks now and my knee doesn't seem 100%. Had a decent bat without pads against some soft balls accuracy was pretty decent. Learning a fair bit more about spin on a wet surface seems to be helping me a bit might be useful in the early season next year.

last saturday- with my leg spin being a bit inconsistent lately I decided to try and see how good my seam bowling was. Started quite well getting a decent pace, then tried to push myself a bit and started to bowl quicker than I have before for a few balls, except then something in my back went I had to spend the next hour flat on my back.

last Sunday- still went to net practice, the part of my back thats now just a bit sore seems to not be effected bowling spin, didn't risk a bat though. The leg break is still only coming out right about 60% of the time, and i'm bowling about 2ft to full at the moment and getting charged a lot beacuse of it, couldn't bowl the googly tonite at all maybe to do with my back. On the good side by my slider and my full backspinner are really coimg along nice as is are the flatter and quicker trejectory balls.

Wednesday- damp practice, I was the only one who turned up for any sort of practice had about 2hrs of attempting leg breaks but its just not working and now even my wrist and shoulder are starting to feel bad and blisters on all my fingers from attempting off spin and leg spin.

Sunday- wrist is making a weird clicking noise everytime I try and bowl a leg break or googly. only 7 of us turned up for practice so we only used one net, I went back to bowling seam up got some nice inswing going but the outswinger is still completely elluding me even though I seem to have tried everything, it should be easy as I have a side on action which is vertially the same as brett lee's. Bowled an over in the net of leg spin just before I batted a little slower than normal but the first couple were great the first one turned an absolute mile. Tossed in 2 googlies which were perfect though a bit slow but the last ball again was a leg break that came out the hand wrong.
Less said about the that batting the better, thought I was improving lost count of the amount of times I was bowled and could barely hit a ball. Everything was wrong couldn't get my feet to move at all, didn't seem to be picking the ball up at all and had no judgement of length at all.

Overall the cricket seems to be going downhill, maybe I just need a break as the amount of little niggles i've had lately I think may be my body's way of telling me. A month's break over christmas would probablly help me recover a bit and be fresh for the new year.
With the leg spin it may slightly be to do with practicing in the damp so often is effecting my grip, may need to try from scratch. Will actually have an indoor practice game this week after missing the last 2. Batting wise I'm not sure what to do seem to be alright at times without pads but against quicks or with pads on its beginning to look like i'm even worse than chris martin, lol

[someblokecalleddave]

Gundalf - I reckon you need to make a decision - Seamer or Spinner. There is only one decision to make and I can't believe that you're mucking about with the other option. England needs spinners and you need to carry the flag otherwise it might go into decline like it did in the 70's and 80's.

Sounds like you need to have a break, let your body fix itself over Christmas, you might find that coming back to it after a break it may all make sense again?

[gundalf7]

hi dave, yeah i'm definitely a spinner at heart and will continue to be so, I only seem to bowl seam when the spin falls apart it seems easy to fall back on. I will be cutting down the bowling to about an hour a week probablly and maybe stopping completely for a few weeks till the new year.

last tuesday-
great practice started inconsistent but after 10 mins or so my rhythm and everything was back, was bowling all the variations with good accuracy felt really great.

friday- last indoor practice of the year a grand total of 3 of us there. We all had a bat and bowl, my rhythm is still back bowling big leg breaks, googlies, sliders, flippers and the rest everything just feels right turning it well, consistent and it just comes out without even trying feeling very positive. Batting still questionable am alright against spinners who don't turn it alot, cross batted shots especially through the on side are looking better, sweep and reverse sweeps I hit beautifully tonight. front foot shots just aren't there, think something is wrong in my technique, will need to have an in depth look in the new year at everything.

sunday- last net of the year.
only bowled tonight, still was good but not great. Had alot of trouble gripping the ball especially early on, I think my hands had dried out a bit too much in the cold. Googlies were on fire tonite though, bowled one of our best batsmen a left hander round his legs, lol. Rhythm was good but the grip let me down a bit tonight or I could have been on top form.

tonight- another practice at home, was below freezing tonight and by the end of the practice frost everywhere. Again in pretty good form though I bowled off only 1-2 paces with not much speed due to the slippy floor. Still was very positive the leg break and googly are definitely there along with the toppie, reverse flipper and the slider and flipper are definitely getting better. Lower back is feeling a little sore again though may need to keep an eye on that.

On the whole the leg spin is back and feeling good though I still feel I need a bit of rest. On the batting front i've found out my grip is wrong again so for the new year will probablly be setting out to start from the basics again with the batting and build up gradually for the season, may well do a bit of "sock cricket".

[someblokecalleddave]

I'm impressed you're still getting outside and you're up there in the frozen wastes of the north! I think I've called it a day now till after Christmas some time with the intensive practice. I've got a few mates that are up for a bit of a knock about every 2 weeks and I reckon if we do that I'll probably work on my batting and only do a little bit of light bowling. I've found that if I don't do something for a while and then go back to it I seem to suddenly improve quite a bit sometimes. Besides I want to give my arm a bit of a rest. Where do you do your nets and surely if there's only three of you turning up isn't that costing someone a lot of money?

[gundalf7]

luckily we have nets run by the university in our uni's sports hall so its paid for by our student union, so it doesn't matter how many turn up really. Yeah I think rest helps everyone as your body isn't made to bowl and even if it becomes a normal thing your body still needs rest. Looking forward to being refreshed for the new year and hopefully a big year of cricket.

Looks like my place in the university 1st team is a bit 50-50 at the mo, as there is another really decent leg spinner who bowls a bit like kaneria. He's got a good leg break and alright googly and top spinner but watching him bowl he can be a bit predictable, easy to pick as well. So I probablly have the edge on him on the bowling as I like to change my pace alot as well. Trouble is he's an alright batsman as well so will be a decent fight to see who gets in the team as the team only want to field 1 specialist spinner and 4 seamers for bowling and the rest of the spin will be by our part timers.

[someblokecalleddave]

Is there not enough of you to create a 2nd XI?