How to Time a Cricket Stroke
Batting is a matter of ‘timing’ rather than brute force. Timing a ball isn’t a mystery, but a skill anyone can improve – even if your name isn’t David Gower.
Steps
- Point your elbow at the bowler as he runs into bowl. This encourages you to play straight. You should aim to ‘rock the baby’ with your elbows as you drive the ball, rather than slogging across the line.
- Pick your bat up high as the bowler prepares to bowl. A high, straight back lift allows you to generate bat speed as you hit the ball.
- Begin the downswing of the bat much slower than you think you should. This stops you playing at the ball too early, makes you watch the ball longer and means that you’re accelerating the bat through the ball as you hit it. Sloggers swing hard and early, meaning they hit the ball too early and too slowly, spooning catches in the air.
- Lean into the ball as you hit it, so the whole weight of your body is transferred into the ball. Bend your front knee as you play the ball and point your toe in the direction that you want to hit it. Pointing your toe at the bowler, as ‘golden age’ batsmen did is still a good idea.
- As the ball hits the bat, and not before, uncoil your wrists to add punch to the ball. This does not mean hitting everything to leg, you can throw your wrists to the off side as if you’re playing a hockey shot.
- When cutting or hooking the ball, make sure your arms are fully extended. A cramped shot creates a catch.
- Hit every ball along the ground, except an attempted hook or straight drive for six.
Tips
- When assessing the field before taking strike always look for the gaps, never at the fielders. You’ll subconsciously hit the ball into the gaps as a result.
- Use your feet against spinners in defence as well as attack. You’re much more likely to be stumped by inches than by yards.
- Remember that no matter how tired you are, the bowlers and fielders are feeling worse. If you feel your concentration slipping, call for a drink, remark your guard and survive to the end of the over.
- Have a word which you say to yourself as the bowler is about to deliver to turn your concentration on. ‘You’re not going to get me out’ or ‘now’ or ‘be first’. Turn your concentration off between balls and when not on strike. No-one can concentrate for two hours non stop.
Warnings
- Don’t premeditate a shot, you can premeditate attack or defence as a principle, but never the actual shot to be played.
- Don’t be riled by ‘sledging’ – the bowler always has to return to his mark so silence on your part always wins.
- Don’t try to change your technique in the middle of an innings. Always work on something different or constructive in the nets – instead of trying to slog everything – but stick to what you know in a game. If you’re never reverse swept before then a cup match isn’t the time to first have a go.
- If you’re going to flash then, of course, flash hard!
