When do you have to choose?

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23hammy23

23hammy23

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For starters I'm 14 and I may as well cut to the chase... when do you have to decide what way to go in cricket?

For example apparently I'm a fairly good batter. This year I've batted at number 5 and retired on 52*, at number 3 and retired on 31* and opened with retired on 22*. My strengths in batting are definitely my off drive, pull shot and I use my feet really well to spinners.

My bowling is probably my strongest point. I open the bowling and get a lot of out-swing. I can pitch it up to yorker length and even bowl bouncers. I also have a fairly good slower ball and am just starting to get a lot of in-swing. Apparently I'm the fastest bowler in my comp at the moment and was leading wicket taker last season. Although this may sound great I will be very lucky to get to 6 foot going by my parents height.

I also keep and have been told I'm a pretty good keeper. I can keep up to the stumps to fairly quick bowlers and last year in seniors kept for 68 overs on a tiny ground with a shocking pitch and didn't let a bye through. According to a lot of people I'm a very good fielder and can catch almost anything doesn't matter how hard it's hit. I can also throw from the fence to the pitch and fairly accurately on pretty much any ground I've been too.

Can you please tell me what you think I should go with or do you have any advice? Would be much appreciated. Thanks :)
 
Quick answer, you do not need to choose at all... you're an all rounder ;).

Wait two years until you sprout. You will find your body may choose for you. As for your height, I am 5'5" and my husband is 5'9" (on a good day :D), both our sons are 6'. It depends on your lifestyle and nutrition :cool:.
 
also when you listen to interviews of most young county/state/international players they usually started out as one thing, and ended up another. if youve got talent then youll get spotted, and once youre in an academy you can pretty much develop into whatever you want with high quality coaching. most players seem to "specialise" between about 16-20 years old. but i know players that were fast bowlers that couldnt really bat until their early 20's, then suddenly something clicked with their batting and they ended up being an opener at 25 and not bowling at all.

if you enjoy every discipline then keep doing everything. it can only ever help your all round cricket skills. at some point you probably need to have a speciality if you want to excel at one thing, rather than be good at everything. but ultimately an all-rounder is more useful anyway, so being a good bowler AND batsman can sometimes get you further than being a great bowler OR batsman.

Liz makes a good point about physical development probably choosing for you. e.g. if you have a sudden growth spurt and end up being 6'5" then fast bowling will probably be the way forwards lol.
 
Sounds like you could develop into a solid all-rounder. At 14 I think you're still too young to choose one or the other.

Give them another 3-4 years and you'll naturally gravitate to one or the other (that's if you don't stick with both).
 
You sound like a very decent player! How much do you enjoy bowling compared to keeping wicket? Difficult to do both to a high standard. Be ambitious, keep practising hard, take opportunities that come your way and see what happens.
 
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