Batting Drills

[TonyM]

No gawd bless yer! No, the nearest thing I get to that would be watching some of the better batsmen training my son and then me asking them questions on his behalf as such. I think such privileges are only reserved for the first and second XI's, a forth team player such as I would nevr get such an opportunity or it would be exceptionally rare. On the odd ocassion one of the better blokes my have a word with you briefly, if he was umpiring and had been watching me batting, but, certainly nothing as formal as you've suggested.

Dave, is there no one in the 4ths 'working their way down' so to speak? An older player who used to play at a higher standard who is now just looking for a game on a Saturday afternoon? Many of the 4ths/3rd teams I come up against have a number of this type of player (including many coaches) combined with a healthy smattering of juniors getting their first taste of adult cricket. I would say most of these senior players see their role as helping with the juniors development whilst also getting a game themselves.

SLA, appreciate what you are saying, but there 'should' be better opportunities at larger clubs (easier for players to 'find their level' / more scope for moving up a division or two on a taster basis / probably more coaches in and around the club). I think the problem is overcoming cliques which can form in larger clubs which then tend to block some of the natural opportunities and create 'clubs within clubs'. Do you have any experience of tie ups between clubs on a parent/feeder basis? I have tried to sell this to the two clubs I am involved in (coach at a larger club, play at a smaller club) but the larger club just cant open itself up to the idea there is more to gain than lose by co-operating

 

[SLA]

Dave, is there no one in the 4ths 'working their way down' so to speak? An older player who used to play at a higher standard who is now just looking for a game on a Saturday afternoon? Many of the 4ths/3rd teams I come up against have a number of this type of player (including many coaches) combined with a healthy smattering of juniors getting their first taste of adult cricket. I would say most of these senior players see their role as helping with the juniors development whilst also getting a game themselves.

SLA, appreciate what you are saying, but there 'should' be better opportunities at larger clubs (easier for players to 'find their level' / more scope for moving up a division or two on a taster basis / probably more coaches in and around the club). I think the problem is overcoming cliques which can form in larger clubs which then tend to block some of the natural opportunities and create 'clubs within clubs'. Do you have any experience of tie ups between clubs on a parent/feeder basis? I have tried to sell this to the two clubs I am involved in (coach at a larger club, play at a smaller club) but the larger club just cant open itself up to the idea there is more to gain than lose by co-operating

Funny you should mention it, we have a good relationship between another club I play for who are exclusively a midweek friendlies team. We run the Saturday Squad and the juniors, they do the midweek fixtures, and we combine forces for fortnightly Sunday games. If we're short a few of them help out, if they're short a few of us help out. They organise winter nets, we organise Spring nets, this kind of thing. Any good players join them and they get persuaded to play league cricket with us, any "beginner" cricketers join us and they get given a few midweek games for us to have a look at them.

I just don't see the advantage of having more than 2 Saturday teams - you need a second ground, which doubles maintenance costs, the playing squad becomes cliquey and fragmented, and there is no continuity from one week to the next.

 

[someblokecalleddave]

Funny you should mention it, we have a good relationship between another club I play for who are exclusively a midweek friendlies team. We run the Saturday Squad and the juniors, they do the midweek fixtures, and we combine forces for fortnightly Sunday games. If we're short a few of them help out, if they're short a few of us help out. They organise winter nets, we organise Spring nets, this kind of thing. Any good players join them and they get persuaded to play league cricket with us, any "beginner" cricketers join us and they get given a few midweek games for us to have a look at them.

I just don't see the advantage of having more than 2 Saturday teams - you need a second ground, which doubles maintenance costs, the playing squad becomes cliquey and fragmented, and there is no continuity from one week to the next.

I think you've got it there SLA, our club has two pitches, 4 saturday league teams and friendly teams as well. The first and second XI's are pretty much a tight knit group of younger blokes and the 3rds and 4ths are blokes like me, the ex 1st's and 2nd's and the youth players on their way through to the 1st and 2nds. People like me get shifted back and forth between the 3rd and 4th XI, but because of the size of the club this seems inevitable.