BASICS OF RUNNING BETWEEN WICKETS

An often overlooked aspect of batting is how much you make the ones and twos count. Here are the basics of running between the wickets.

Running between the wickets has never been more important. It has been a part of cricket since inception. However, at the beginning and for a long time thereafter, it was considered to be a mediocre player’s way of scoring runs since it was assumed that good batsmen would bisect the fielders and find the fence easily. With limited overs cricket both ODI’s and T20’s where every ball must count, good running has become a must have talent. It rotates the strike, reduces the pressure of hitting boundaries and does not let the bowler settle into a line and length. Want to master the art of running between wickets? Here is where you start! Backing Up

The non-striker must start moving when the bowler lands his back foot in the bowling stride. The bat has to be held in the hand closer to the bowler and your body must be facing the bowler so that you are aware of his movements. However, it is important to back up only to the point you can return easily if required, unless it is a do-or-die situation. Calling

Who: For strokes in front of the wicket, the striker will call for the run. However, when the ball goes behind the wicket or at a place where the striker cannot see the ball, its the non striker who calls and the batsman responds. For the second run, the person running towards danger, that is in most cases towards the wicket keeper should call for the run.

It is important to remember that since the striker hits the ball and he is the best person to know the angle, speed and the distance on the ball.

How: If any of the batsmen wants to refuse a run, he must do so before setting off – loud and clear. There are only 3 universal calls with clear meanings:

Ye s: Run No: Don’t run, or stop and run back Wait: Means go as far as you can without falling short if you were to run back. Use this if you want to check if you were able to pierce the gap in the infield.

Don’t use any other words or a combination like “wait no”, “wait on”, “stop”. Your current team mates may understand you, but if you progress to a better team, chances are you will be misunderstood. And that may cost you a career. So follow the right habits.

Setting off

Run the fastest while taking the first run. Your first few steps set the speed for the entire run.

 While you run, keep your head down and stay low in the position of a sprinter  Hold the bat across your body and pump your arms.  Your feet must be behind your centre of gravity to help you accelerate with your lower body muscles propelling your body.  Take short fast steps  The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Hence make sure you run parallel to the pitch.

Hitting the stride

Within a third of the pitch length (about 7 yards) you will be at maximum speed.

 Pull your head up and be aware of the ball / fielder  Take longer strides to minimize effort  Maximize arm speed with the bat across your body

Grounding

For a quick single,

 Keep going with long strides.  Bend forward and slide the bat in. Try to keep the bat as much parallel to the ground as possible. This minimizes the chances of it bouncing in the air if the ground is uneven or getting jammed if the ground is soft / wet.  If you are sliding, your slide must land the bat about a foot before the crease, not too early nor too late.

If you intend to run another,

 Slow yourself by sinking your hips and sitting back. This will lower your centre of gravity.  Turn sideways facing the ball  Slide the bat over the line in classic sideways position  Push off hard with the back leg (the one near the crease) and set off as explained earlier

Bat Position

 While running, change the hand in which you hold the bat so that you can touch the bat down and still keep an eye at the fielder without turning around. If you keep looking at the fielder while you run, it will slow you down.  Run your bat parallel to the ground or press the bat lightly down.  Earlier coaches used to advice sliding with the edge of the bat. However, with more and more players sliding, coaches prefer to slide with the bat face down to minimize chances of the bat jamming in.  Use the full handle while sliding to gain those precious few inches.

Judgement

Judging whether a run is on is a skill acquired with practice. You must consider

 both you and your partners running prowess,  fielders’ agility and throw  situational need.

And all this is to be judged in a split second. An alert mind will always take better decisions. While batting with tail-enders, it is usually the batsman who makes all the running decisions.

Misfields, dropped catches are tricky situations where the mind is not focussed on running. It is best to avoid a run unless there is no risk, or the situation is compelling. Co-ordination between two batsmen

Running between the wickets involves two different batsmen. Each batsman has his own speed, own sense of judgement and own understanding of the game. To improve your running between the wickets it is important to have a good rapport with the other batsmen. Of course, misunderstanding can happen, especially if you are playing in a noisy stadium, however, a good rapport helps you predict your partners call.

Some golden rules of running

 Never stop while running and give up. You would just boost the confidence of the fielding team by doing that.  Be careful when bowlers bowl from the wrong side  And finally, no means no. If the opposite batsman has refused a run, there must be a reason to it. Don’t take the run.

Happy Running!