Playing across

[akkers]

Playing across

Youngsters are taught to play straight and into the Vs. Playing across the line of the ball is frowned upon.

However, when the pressure is on and runs are needed fast, the only way to get them is to play across the line. When the bowler is bowling a tight line and to the field, the only way to get runs is to play across the line.

What do people think about this? Is playing across such a bad thing?

 

[Virendersingh.berthwal]

Re: Playing across

It depends upon the need of hour.
Playing across the line is generally played during slog overs.
In 20/20 cricket it is more common.

 

[scorpsteals]

Re: Playing across

There are strategies to mess up a bowlers line.. take your stance out of the crease a meter outside/inside the crease.. dance down the track and sometimes act as you are coming down the track.. step down the track like Robin Uthappa does.. take an off stump guard alternate with leg stump guard..

 

[MV!]

Re: Playing across

It's all about risk assessment. Are there other 'safer' means of disrupting the bowler? What are the risks (and are they exacerbated by lateral movement, the slowness of the pitch, bounce, etc) and what are the possible rewards (not just runs; think upsetting bowlers rhythem, disrupting field placings, the intent and how that effects the opposition, etc)?

Like any shot, playing accross the line is more than acceptable so long as its done at the right time, and against the right ball.

 

[Slass]

Re: Playing across

You can still 'hit out' or 'slog' by using a straight bat. I tend to find when most players try to accelerate the run rate they try to hit the ball too hard, lose their technique, and worst of all lift their head. Best thing to do is to work on manipulating the field and hitting into the gaps picking up quick singles and two's (or as i like to call it noodle and nurdle the ball). Then put away the bad balls (they will come because the bowler will probably try something different to stop the runs).

A good piece of advice I got given is that the boundaries will take care of themselfs.

 

[AUSSIE_BOY]

Re: Playing across

runs can always be found... its just a matter of being patient....

if your team depends on you... and if u can play across the line without being suicidal then go for it... but look at your other options first.

 

[Slass]

Re: Playing across

I like your Signature Aussie Boy

 

[Tom123]

Re: Playing across

Once you've got your eye in you tend to find you can score runs anywhere. If you are prepared to take calculated risks then they are more likely to pay off when you have become settled at the crease and you are scoring quite freely. Towards the end of an innings i tend to plant my foot on or just outside off and try and hit the ball through mid-wicket or square leg if the ball is coming straight.

 

[mas cambios]

Re: Playing across

No harm in doing it but as others have said, weigh up the risks. It's a lot safer to work the straight ball to leg than a lot of other shots, but you have to be confident in your abilities and that the ball is actually 'straight'.

 

[Stumped]

Re: Playing across

i always find clearing the fielder helps!

or just taking a step inside the line pushing it off the legs or getting under it!

 

[Trumper]

Re: Playing across

I'd say you need to use a lighter bat say 2'5 or even 2'3 like the Don did to get enough bat speed and then play traditional cross batted shots like pulling from outside off..

No point having a 2'12 railway sleeper and then trying to "flick" across the line.

The heavier modern bats facilitate against shots across the line of flight (like pulls and hooks)..

I'd teach a young bloke to only drive the geniune half volley and hit everything else square off the back foot..

 

[DJ Rain]

Re: Playing across

I always make sure that if I am going to play across the line that there is a very little chance of me getting out. And one should note that nowadays with bowlers bowling at different length & speed almost every ball, it's quite hard to play most shots from the textbook.

 

[akkers]

Re: Playing across

So would you allow a youngster to develop playing across the line or insist that he desists prompto?

I believe that youngsters should play straight and mostly conventional shots. However, they should not be discouraged from playing across the line. Although there are risks involved, if they can master this, its an extra arrow in their armoury.

 

[MV!]

Re: Playing across

Batting, like bowling and fielding, is a form of expression. If a youngster has the capacity to play accross the line successfully (i.e has good hand eye coordination, gets his head and body in the right positions, manipulates his wrists at the right times), then stopping that is, as far as I'm concerned, unnnecessary and probably detrimental.

I believe that a coach should work to correct basic flaws in body position, weight transfer, etc., but not to curtail any juniors means of expression. Doing as much often takes the fun away from the game. Or turns them into bumbling messes obsessed with technical perfection (i.e. myself).

 

[akkers]

Re: Playing across

MV I agree with you there. I see so many youngsters who just play straight. In fact they play the straight drive like a robot. But then if they get a wide, short or leg-side ball they have no idea what to do. They cant play square cut or pull.

In fact we played a team recently which had a good batsman who batted wel against us and made his 30 to retire (you have to retire on getting to 30). I watched him bat and figured out that all he was doing was playing straight and nothing else. The next time we played that team, I instructed the bowlers to bowl a good length or short of a length to stop this batsman driving. Also we put a long-on and long-off. The batsman could not drive with the length and even when did manage to get a full ball, he dove it to lon-on or long-on. He collected a handful of runs and got frustrated and got out. His weakness was that he had been coached too much and coached only the drive. He had no idea how to cut or pull or anything else.

 

[Slass]

Re: Playing across

Akkers the main thing from what you say is that he has been coached only the drive. A good coach would coach a full range of shots. In fact the pull shot is one of the first shots I coach. However I would never coach somebody to play accross the line in an attempt to slog.

 

[Stumped]

Re: Playing across

I'd say you need to use a lighter bat say 2'5 or even 2'3 like the Don did to get enough bat speed and then play traditional cross batted shots like pulling from outside off..

No point having a 2'12 railway sleeper and then trying to "flick" across the line.

The heavier modern bats facilitate against shots across the line of flight (like pulls and hooks)..

Rubbish, i can flick and pull shots quite nicely with my Sapling "Railway Sleeper" it's only 3lb5ozs

 

[ag23]

Re: Playing across

IMO it is very necessary to have cross batted shots in the batsman's armory. In my mind slogging is also an art because you have to practice to be any good at it. If you are slogging rubbishly then you probably need some practice. Kids should be taught how to play cross batted shots but they should also learn when is the right time to use them.

 

[Slass]

Re: Playing across

Maybe I didn't explain myself properly. I would coach cross batted shots and apply them to correct situations. But in my mind the word 'slog' brings up images of head up, eyes closed, and swing the bat as hard as you can in an effort to hit the ball as far as you can. That is what I would never advocate and as I said earlier I would never coach. You can score quick runs more effectlively with proper shots used in the right way. And good person to watch at this is Michael Hussy.

 

[akkers]

Re: Playing across

In the Twenty-20 final at the Rosebowl today man-of-the-match Owais Shah hit 75 for Middlesex which included many sixes.

Believe it or not, most of the sixes came from shots that he played across the line!