Batting

Practical instruction in batting is more advantageous than in either of the other departments of the game, but nevertheless a great deal of information can be gleaned from books. In fact it is essential to examine the theory of the art in order to get a good foundation for thoroughly acquiring a practical knowledge of batting in cricket.

The work of the batsman is first to defend his wicket, and then to hit the ball to the field so as to make runs. What with the speed of the ball in its delivery and the uncertain rebound from the “pitch,” occasioned by the bias imparted to it by the bowler, the task of the defense is no light one.

With the number of men in the field, their combined action with the bowler in strategic play, and their individual skill as experts in their several positions, the batsman is entrenched with difficulties in the way of run getting which requires no small amount of practical experience and good judgment to overcome.

Six Batting Tips

There are hundreds of different batting tips in the game of cricket which can all potentially improve your batting and run scoring ability. Here are six cricket batting tips that you should find useful in helping to improve your batting

1. Keep your eyes level. That is to focus on a particular spot and watch the bowler as he makes his approach. It's been shown that having your eyes level helps speed up your reaction time, as it makes it easier for the brain to process the incoming information.

2. Move from the shoulders towards the line of the ball. With this action the rest of your body will follow naturally and will help to ensure that you are inline with the ball.

3. Play each delivery based on its length. If the ball is short, even if it's in line with the wickets, it should be hit away as far as possible towards the boundary. The same principle applies with full deliveries and half volleys.

4. Keep your eye on the ball. One of the most important things is to watch the ball from the bowlers hand in run up all the way to the bat. (This ties back to 1. above). By watching the ball in the bowler's hand you can see what the bowler may be trying to do with the ball. Try to identify which is the shiny side or rough side, so you can determine which way they may be trying to swing the ball. The same applies with spinners; but also make sure you closely watch the wrist movement to determine the type and direction of spin.

5. When batting against spinners, try doing an initial 'forward press', making an initial half-step on to the front foot as the bowler bowls. This will give you a good base to play from and help give you quicker feet.

6. Keep your balance. It is essential to maintain a solid base when batting and to be in a solid position when you play the ball. If you watch for example Brain Lara play a cover drive, he has a solid base from which he plays the stroke; he is perfectly balanced.

I hope that you have found these tips useful and will put them into practice. Please drop me a line and let me know how it worked out for you. You can find more tips like these from Cricket Secrets Revealed.