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What do you think when you bat ?

M

Mighty Dragon

Juniors
Messages
229
What goes through your head as the bowler is running in, or between deliveries. Obviously this will vary on the situation etc but normally, what's your mental game like?

Do you have any special routines, or use self talk?
 
Manu Vatuvei

Manu Vatuvei

Coach
Messages
16,922
I played cricket for a long time and I'm not kidding when I say my main thought was usually "don't get hit, don't get hit", and I was thinking of ways to avoid any bouncers. Secondary behind that was "don't get out, don't get out", or "don't take any risks, don't take any risks". This only changed somewhat in my last year of First XI when the opposition were pretty ordinary and I started playing a few shots.
 
Timbo

Timbo

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
20,279
I try and psych myself up...I went through a period of about two seasons where as the bowler came in 'you're a better player than him' ran through my mind on a continuous loop.

Let me assure you-The bowlers were DEFINITELY better than me! :lol:
 
Twizzle

Twizzle

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
151,698
Definatley

Concentration is very important when you are batting.

My mantra is some thing like "he's not gonna get me out" or "don't get out"

I'm not worried about getting hit by bouncers, they wanna bowl short to me, they can go and fetch them.

Not being disrespectful to TH, some guys dont play short bowling that well. I don't play cut shots thay well either.

As long as I am there for the next ball, that always my aim. You cant make runs if you are back in the pavilion.
 
knights04

knights04

Bench
Messages
3,569
I usually think how many balls will I face before I'm out and most of the time it would be 3-4 balls. #-o
 
K

Kasper

Bench
Messages
3,362
Early on in the innings as the bowler is coming in I am thinking just get your body behind it or leave the wide one. I usually pick a spot on the pitch and if it is there or wider I let it go...early. Though I am also looking for anything short or over pitched to get out of the blocks.
 
Manu Vatuvei

Manu Vatuvei

Coach
Messages
16,922
Not being disrespectful to TH, some guys dont play short bowling that well. I don't play cut shots thay well either.
Click to expand...

I don't think I ever got out to a short ball in my life. My back foot defence was also pretty solid. Fact is that little hard red ball always scared me sh*tless but I was really too good off the back foot for my own good.
 
R

Red Bear

Referee
Messages
20,882
At first dont get out
then get to ten
then keep going
and i usually have a song in my head as well between balls. For one entire season it was genius by frenzal rhomb.
 
Bazal

Bazal

Post Whore
Messages
100,928
Early on, I just concentrate on getting the shots right, coaching myself in my mind "Back and across...front foot to the pitch..straight bat" simple things like that. After I'm pretty set I'm constantly reminding myself to "pick your ball, block or leave the good ones...don't get out unless he gets you out..." Between balls I usually hum a song, think about work or girls or whatever, anything but the game, just so that my mind gets a break from concentrating. Like Thierry, I can't stand short balls at the body, ibut it's not so much they scare me, I just can't play them....I can't hook for sh!t, and I can't even play the pullshot very well. Offside is my go, anything at the body makes me freeze up a little.
 
Manu Vatuvei

Manu Vatuvei

Coach
Messages
16,922
lol, my post wasn't supposed to be taken seriously (despite it being the truth). Fear and paranoia are my primary motivations in anything I do. I'm actually ok on the pull and probably scored better through the leg-side than the off.
 
S

SirShire

First Grade
Messages
5,412
I dont think. I just watch.

If you have the strength to focus completely on the bowler and the delivery, and nothing else, you will make runs every time.

It worked for me. I kept my eyes on him and thats the only thing I focused on.
 
PARRA_FAN

PARRA_FAN

Coach
Messages
17,287
I always used to bat down the order at 9-11, I used to think to myself "block it, block it" then I'd sometimes get a lucky nick and just run hard. Then they put the fielders in close and I get caught at silly. :(
 
T

thuganomics

Coach
Messages
13,035
You just have to concentrate. Pick out the wide balls that you can cut etc. And dont swing at every ball unless neccesary. Keep eyes on ball and make sure you keep a steady strike rate
 
S

SirShire

First Grade
Messages
5,412
thuganomics said:
You just have to concentrate. Pick out the wide balls that you can cut etc. And dont swing at every ball unless neccesary. Keep eyes on ball and make sure you keep a steady strike rate
Click to expand...

I used that technique to perfection.

Anything that was wide of off used to get swapped to the ropes nearly every time, and anything too short was pulled to the ropes. I could make a decent shot out of most type of deliveries, and still can. Any thing tossed up can get driven. Its all about picking the bowling well. And as you get better and learn to read spin, you can learn how to cut really well, and play the mad shots like Hayden used to, when he toup get down on his knees as if to slog/sweep only to tap it/guide it through the gaps. Magical stuff.

As thuga said, if you watch the bowling and concentrate only on that, you are set.
 
Azkatro

Azkatro

First Grade
Messages
6,905
I never really think of anything. It's unusual. Occasionally I might think between deliveries that I need to score quickly or keep it on the ground or whatever, but when I aim up and the bowler approaches, it's pretty much just blank. If I start thinking about stuff then I usually make mistakes. A lot of the time I'll actually have a song in my head while the bowler's approaching, but that doesn't distract me for some reason.
 
Johns Magic

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
Just before they release the ball, I envision throwing down an outrageously fast one. Then when they actually bowl, the ball seems slower, and thus, I feel like I have alot of time.
 
Iafeta

Iafeta

Referee
Messages
24,357
Setting targets etc. for mine was only an in between overs thing with the other batsmen. I reckon thats somewhat of the problem for teams chasing big targets in unlimited overs cricket, they start to think of how many runs there are to win. The scoreboard takes care of itself largely, unless you put too much pressure on to change it yourself, and then usually you'd do it by adding another slash in the wickets column.

Whilst on strike, between deliveries I would think of something completely out of left field. Like for example how much everyone at work would love to bone the Brazilian chick. Take my mind completely off cricket. I would loosely concentrate as the bowler ran in, then when he got close I'd look at his hand see if I could pick up the grip and then just WATCH THE BALL. Natural instinct takes over from there, and then its between balls time again to think of boning or something else unrelated to the game. If you concentrate too hard for too long, you'll find it hard not to get mentally tired during a long innings.
 
Briza

Briza

Juniors
Messages
1,615
As an opening bowler I'm a bit of your classic "bunny", although I do have a 47* to my name :mrgreen:

I basically play every ball as it comes, if it's on the stumps block it, if it isn't - smash the hell out of it!
 
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