A.B. de Villiers: Master Strategist
 |
Sir, can I have some batting tips to score boundaries without forcing my shots. Regards Akash
Hi Akash, I am going to explain the simplest way to score boundaries when batting. Lets take a step back from just looking to score boundaries though, you’ll understand why as you read on.
The goal of batting is to score runs, so lets look at the best batting strategy to achieve your goals.
You establish your innings by setting goals and working through them, first to get off the mark, then to get to five, then to ten and so on, this is how we roll our batting strategy out.
A.B.de Villiers has become one of the masters of this in recent years. He understands the bowlers strategy and plays with it, let’s have a look at the game plan.
Bowlers initiate play by bowling to the batter, the bowler wants to control line and length so that he can create pressure with the goal of dismissing the batter.
The batter’s goal is to manipulate the bowlers line and length to create space on the field to score.
The simplest way to do this is to rotate strike, when you disrupt the pattern of the bowlers over by rotating strike, it doesn’t allow him to achieve his goal of creating pressure.
In a normal cricket match, the bowler wants at least four dot balls per over in succession. These balls you haven’t scored off are to create pressure, with the goal of bringing an error in judgement from you, leading to you getting out.
When you rotate strike, bowlers get frustrated and try things in the over, they lose their lengths and try to bowl you out. Your batting partner and you can capitalise on these mistakes from the bowler. You’ll get half volley’s and short balls.
A.B. de Villiers is superb at rotating strike and then he capitalises on the bowlers errors when they lose focus and their lengths.
So be patient, set out your strategy and manipulate the bowler.
Practice Drill 1: Practice playing tip and run in the nets to the good balls the bowlers bowl, this is what you are going to do in the matches, so simulate it in the nets.
Practice dropping the ball in front of you, on off and leg side, behind and in front of square when you do throw downs with the your coach and friends.
Simulate working the ball into space so that you can do it in the game when the opposition bowlers are bowling well.
Practice Drill 2. Practice your key boundary strokes: cut, drive and pull so that when the bowler loses his length and line in the match you can automatically put the bad ball away.
The art of batting is manipulating space on the field, not hitting boundaries, boundary balls come from bowlers who lose their focus. Remember, you control the game, not the bowler.
Happy Batting, best wishes Coach
About Richard Pybus
I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.