PERFORMANCE GUIDE alloutcricket.com aocdigital.com aocsubs.com PERFORMANCE GUIDE In this All Out Cricket Performance Guide we bring you a selection of coaching articles from previous issues of All Out Cricket magazine to help you improve and enhance your coaching sessions this summer. Here’s what you can find inside… BATTING • Mark Ramprakash – How To Bat (And Coach Batting) • Alex Lees – Opening The Batting In 50-Over Cricket • Nick Compton – The Mental Side Of Batting • Graham Thorpe – Grooving Your Technique BOWLING • Graeme Swann – The Classical Off-Spinner BATTING • Scott Borthwick – Leggies! The Principles • Tim Bresnan – Fast Bowling In One-Day Cricket • Oliver Hannon-Dalby – Moving The New Ball • Richard Johnson – Making The Most Of Training KEEPING & FIELDING • Paul Nixon – Standing Up To The Stumps • Chris Taylor – Fielding In The Ring • Ian Bell – Short-Legging For more articles like this head to www.alloutcricket.com or for the very latest tips from the top subscribe to All Out Cricket’s monthly magazine at www.aocsubs.com. MORE! Drills, advice and SKILLS video demos at PERFORMANCE alloutcricket.com SIDE-ON BACKLIFT GUARD… AND WHEN TO CHANGE IT EYES LEVEL I think it’s very important that players maintain side-on ANGLE AND HEIGHT shoulders. We see some players TO SEAMERS who slightly withdraw their I used to take middle as a guard and Supposing you have an front foot to ‘open’ their stance. I did that because I wanted my bat orthodox grip, the bat face Doing that just slightly can help to be able to come down on the line may open slightly when you you to get the bat at the ball, of middle-and-off to have access to bring it up. That means that and, whereas you might get the ball. If the ball was keeping low by the time it comes down it your front foot too far across against pace or there was inswing HOW TO BAT will be full on, flush towards to the off-side (and therefore I might shuffle a bit more towards the ball. It goes back over bring the bat across to the leg leg-stump – that would show more [AND COACH BATTING] UPRIGHT around off-stump. In terms side and risk getting out lbw) of my stumps but it allowed me to of height it might be just on this method can allow you to get my bat at the ball and hopefully top of the off-stump. You’re bring the bat down straight take out the lbw dismissal, which WITH MARK looking for these things to be KNEES at the ball. Some coaches could otherwise be a threat when BENT consistent and repeat. If you advocate opening up the front the ball is keeping low. If the wicket bring your bat up very high, RAMPRAKASH foot to face cover rather than is bouncy, it might be you have to you may lose control – there’s point, for similar reasons. get further over to the off-side to more that can go wrong. If get in behind the ball. A scorer of 114 first-class hundreds, you don’t lift it up and keep I’m big on being side-on Mark Ramprakash is now batting coach it on the floor, you don’t have because I think it helps you for Middlesex and England. Here he as much time to hit the ball because when the ball is released hold your shape (a side-on shows AOC how to build a run-maker. you’ve got to lift it up and then bring it down again. TO SPINNERS shape) whether playing off Against left-arm the front foot or off the back spin I would back foot, allowing the bat to come HANDS out onto leg-stump OFF-SIDE LEG-SIDE down the line of the ball. Each to open up the I’m quite keen that you keep your individual will have to find what off-side and play hands quite close to your body. We works for them, but in essence, with the spin. Then THE GRIP STANCE see some guys on the TV whose I’d be pretty much side-on from I knew that if the L hands get out away from their E I see a lot of young players who UPRIGHT my shoulders through my hips bowler followed me, G/L body. If they’ve practised and they have a poor grip – that puts As a simple start, I’d say: ‘Head up, eyes level.’ and down to my legs. he’s pitching outside E F feel they can be consistent, go for T them in trouble before they’ve If you can maintain a still head while the ball’s leg-stump which -AR it – I’m all for individual difference. started. being delivered and when playing your shot, gives me a free hit M - But in terms of orthodox coaching, SPINNE it shows us you’ll be well-balanced. We like FEET to leg. what I would advocate for I recommend an orthodox grip, to see the upper body upright so that there’s Mike Gatting would sometimes R youngsters is that having your R aligning the two ‘V’s of your less danger of the batsman ‘falling over’ to get his weight back on his heels For the off-spinner hands out away from your body hands down the shoulder of the off-side. to stop himself falling over, and it was the opposite. SPINNE could lead to problems. If they’re the bat. [IMPORTANT!] each individual will have his I would look to get FF- tucked in close, you can control the O own way of doing things. As an over to off-stump and bat face, playing the ball late, tight We see a lot of kids who have orthodox way of doing it, most again play with the KNEE BEND to your body, under your eyeline. that bottom hand much further A little bit of knee bend is very important. of your weight will be on the ball spin to the leg-side. round and become very bottom- That will allow players to move – and move of your foot – not on the toes or handed. You can see signs of quickly and athletically. Against quick bowling the heels, but on the ball. this in their back-lift – if the bat you need to be able to transfer your weight HOW TO TACKLE SPIN face is closed when they bring it either forward or back quickly. Think of it as back, it might well be that their being similar to the way a boxer would move. I want to make it difficult for the bowler to bowl his bottom hand is too dominant. This is particularly stock delivery, which is on a good length. So I don’t important in really want to be playing a forward defensive to a Whether they hold it at the England – because spinner. I want to be able to move him off that length. I DON’T WANT end or down the bottom of the sorts of To do that I’ve got to have quick feet at the crease; I’ve “ I’m not too worried about, pitches we play got to be able to get down the wicket quickly to get as long as they can present on, with the ball close to the ball, or push right back towards my stumps TO BE PLAYING the full face of the bat seaming and and watch the ball off the pitch. That takes practice. through the hitting zone, swinging around, A FORWARD bringing the bat back it’s important to A lot of players when they come down the wicket are straight and then delivering get forward, but of Against most bowlers my feet trying to hit it for six. That is a mistake – you don’t DEFENSIVE TO the bat face through the course against the would be shoulder-width apart have to do that. Yes, you come down with intent, and line of the ball. quicker bowlers you and I would advocate that for you have to have quick feet so by all means come A SPINNER have to be able to most batsmen and to most down with energy and intent. But if the ball’s not My grip was in the middle – with a little gap at push back as well. bowlers. Although of course, there to drive along the ground, you may defend it. each end, with both hands working together. there are exceptions. It’s still sending a message out to the spinner. 478 AOC | AOC PERFORMANCE | AUGUST 2014 GUIDE www.alloutcricket.comwww.alloutcricket.com | AOC | 79 5 p79-85_Performance_AOC118-jp.indd 78 24/06/2014 17:02 p79-85_Performance_AOC118-jp.indd 79 24/06/2014 17:02 MORE! Drills, advice and SKILLS video demos at PERFORMANCE alloutcricket.com In my 275 last year against Derby I was facing Mark Footitt and I drove him through straight mid-off for four as my off-the-mark shot. That’s memorable. It sets the tone in your own WHY AREN’T I SCORING AS QUICKLY AS HOW DO I BALANCE ATTACK AND DEFENCE? mind and the bowler’s – it says they’ve got to be on it or you’ll punish them. If you’re THE PROS? hitting the ball down the ground then In the first three or four overs I’m trying not to hit square of you’re in a pretty good place technically For 50-over cricket in the leagues, I think it’s a crossover the wicket with a straight bat.