Batting

To all present and former players.

What shot do/did you like playing and what in your opinion is the hardest to play?

For me, the cut shop was by far the easiest but did enjoy blasting one through the covers when I timed it right.

The most difficult for me was the clip off the legs as I was caught and bowled a few times after a leading edge.

cover drive for me, its the shot i play best.

Never was much of a batsman...best description of me would be a lower order slogger.

I found the clip off the legs a difficult shot, also, although I was fairly adept at just dropping it behind square in order to take a single. Never any good at getting a good enough connection for it to head toward the boundary, though.

My favourite shot has to be that of all lower order sloggers...the mow over cow corner!! Simple because I didn't have the technique to play many other shots!

Most difficult I'd have to say is the cover drive, requires far more timing and finesse than I ever possessed.

Yes, the cow corner shot was one of my favourites.

Cricketfan

You must have been a good player. Most of my drives went in the air but more often than not wide of cover.

stella

im a bowling all rounder, im not bad i have hit 2 hundreds but primairly a bowler, but im captain of my side

Nice work, Cricket.

I have no tons but have a couple of Fifers.

im loving being skipper, missed out on promotion by 6 points in my first season as captain..

i love playing cricket lol

Beyond a couple of saturday league games I only really played in work T20 matches, which is about my level in terms of ability with the bat! My bowling was always decent, decent pace and accuracy, with a tendency to drop it short a little too often for my liking (which was suitably punished in the saturday league games).

However, regardless of ability I just absolutely loved playing cricket, it truly is a fantastic game.

However, regardless of ability I just absolutely loved playing cricket, it truly is a fantastic game.

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Absolutely.

I do miss the dressing room and the Stella's after a game.

Favourite shot was always the cut - usually hit just backward of square, although I did like sometimes to be a bit more careful and play as a late cut also. Only problem is that I tend to over-play it a bit to balls that are a bit close (I'm short, so can play back comfortably to back of a length balls).

Also like playing a lofted straight drive. Never though could get very good at driving towards extra cover.

I hit a perfect one bounce four straight back over the bowlers head once, however I will not claim it to be a lofted straight drive as it was more of a humongous swipe after waltzing down the track.

No points for artistic impression in Cricket

Fists

I was born and brought up in Yorkshire - there's a genetic predisposition for a high left elbow

Ha, very true.

A way to get me out as an opposition captain is simple. Stick 2 men on the cow corner boundary, put a deep leg slip in to stop my 'get out' single off the legs and have one man out on the boundary stopping me scoring a boundary off any wide of off stump that I can throw my arms at.

Do that and you have me nullified, making it purely a matter of time before I whack one up in the air, or get stumped.

Pull shot was my best shot and being quite small I could play it even to balls that were not genuinely short. Driving through the covers was always the most difficult shot for me to play.

Straight Drive,The Pull,The On Drive

When I play, if I get anything full I will just have a huge swipe at it and I connect quite a lot at that length. My flick of my pads if my favourite shot and I have hit a six off it and that was my favourite shot ever! I also love the huge lofted straight drive, I get most of my runs that way. Anything back of length that isn't wide I have no idea what to do with it!

I am a bowler but I can play a few delightful shots but I can also look very ugly at times.

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:Straight Drive,The Pull,The On Drive

Are they your favourite shots?

Another delivery that I had problems with was a ball going down leg.
My head use to fall away and the bat wouldn't even connect with the ball on most occasions.

Stella wrote:

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:Straight Drive,The Pull,The On Drive

Are they your favourite shots?

Yeah against a quick.
When a spinner comes on to bowl I love to dance down the track and smash him over his head or slog sweep over cow corner.

Stella wrote:Another delivery that I had problems with was a ball going down leg.
My head use to fall away and the bat wouldn't even connect with the ball on most occasions.

Same here

My best shots probably the pull, had it down to a tee last season. The most difficult for me is the cut.

Missing the straight one is my speciality, that and the "angry swan" (flapping around wildly and being in danger of breaking someones arm)

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:

Stella wrote:

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:Straight Drive,The Pull,The On Drive

Are they your favourite shots?

Yeah against a quick.
When a spinner comes on to bowl I love to dance down the track and smash him over his head or slog sweep over cow corner.

I was never keen on spinners, good ones anyway.
Too much time to think.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Missing the straight one is my speciality, that and the "angry swan" (flapping around wildly and being in danger of breaking someones arm)

I mastered that years ago. I am now concentrating on my rueful walk back to the pavilion, shaking my head with the hard-to-master "how did I miss that expression?". It is tough work.

Do we have any bat throwers amongst us?

I must admit that I did occasionally.

I throw my helmet more. Easier to get more velocity and distance on for me.

I don't play much anymore at all, mainly coach.

Best shot = pull-shot.

Hardest shot to play = on-drive. I have actually seen very very few people who can play a good on-drive.

For some reason I could never play the square cut either (actually I know the reason, it's cos I got too front-on, didn't twist my shoulder back yada yada).

Most good batsmen struggle with balls down leg (by which I mean around a foot outside leg) as the ball's outside their eye-line. So maybe there's hope for some of you.

Stella wrote:Do we have any bat throwers amongst us?

I must admit that I did occasionally.

I have been known to throw everything at various times. Having once nearly broken my helmet by kicking it violently (in fairness I was in by half a yard...) I now restrict myself to throwing gloves. When coaching I have been known to utter the odd expletive or occasionally kick a chair.

Javelined my bat once in a fit of rage, got fined as a result because I damaged the square...

Most good batsmen struggle with balls down leg (by which I mean around a foot outside leg) as the ball's outside their eye-line. So maybe there's hope for some of you

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All hope has gone

I suppose the best way to play it, is to move your leg into line and then play towards mid wicket but easier said than done.

Stella wrote:Most good batsmen struggle with balls down leg (by which I mean around a foot outside leg) as the ball's outside their eye-line. So maybe there's hope for some of you

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All hope has gone

I suppose the best way to play it, is to move your leg into line and then play towards mid wicket but easier said than done.

Yeah open your stance slightly, aim mid-wicket and turn wrists on impact which should send the ball fine anyway. Easier said than done indeed (I honestly just leave them now).

Mike Selig wrote:

Stella wrote:Most good batsmen struggle with balls down leg (by which I mean around a foot outside leg) as the ball's outside their eye-line. So maybe there's hope for some of you

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All hope has gone

I suppose the best way to play it, is to move your leg into line and then play towards mid wicket but easier said than done.

Yeah open your stance slightly, aim mid-wicket and turn wrists on impact which should send the ball fine anyway. Easier said than done indeed (I honestly just leave them now).

The tendancy is to put your weight onto your right side when the ball is delivered, so leaving them alone sounds like the best plan.

Hook or pull for me. Seeing the bowlers face when it flys over the boundary is a great feeling.

favourite shot the cover drive, love playing it. Hardest definitly the on drive.

I have been known to throw my helmet and gloves if im annoyed with myself for getting out

I've never batted in a helmet.
Probably to do with the level that I played at, as I never faced anyone that quick.

I normally hit the ground with my bat when I get out.

As a bowler, and a no.10/11 my best shot was advancing down the track to the spinner and missing the ball

Ha, I'm similar GG.