Converting starts into big scores

We seem to have had a problem this season so far with our batsmen getting out when well set. It hasn't affected us too much in terms of overall scores but it has meant getting 300-350 instead of 500+ on a couple of occasions. Looking at the stats it seems that we have made just 4 centuries as a team with 21 half centuries which is a fairly poor conversion rate overall. Admittedly this includes a 99 and a 98* but even so I would like it to be more like a 1:2 ratio and so this is an area with room for improvement for sure.

spot on carrot no arguments from me on this one

Carrot - good points, well made.

Given the number of young (and therefore inexperienced) and attacking batsmen in the side, the issue of getting to fifty but failing to reach a ton perhaps isn't that surprising. However, it still happens too much. We were all out for less than 300 last week to a Glamorgan side fielding a second team seam attack - fairly dreadful!

I do think the problem is at least recognised which can only help. During the recent runfest at Whitgift, the Corporal commented on Hyphen hitting many boundary fours but no sixes which suggested a deliberate and responsible approach. We'll see.

I would also like to see our numbers 9, 10 and Jack hitting more thirties and twenties. Too many seem to do it against us!

As you say, we do have 3 very young and inexperienced players in Roy, Hyphen and Maynard so it is perhaps not surprising. The main culprit over a longer length of time seems to be Davies who has just 8 hundreds despite passing 50 on 32 other occasions.

I agree that Hyphen appears to have matured a bit this season, 3 fifties and a hundred with an average of 48 in the CC is an improvement, especially playing as an opener which seems to have been a success so far you would say.

I would also discount the various half centuries against Derbyshire. The strategy of scoring at a cracking pace with breezy innings' - and no doubt a good deal of risk taking - succeeded to perfection in a shortened match. If they had all dug we might well have passed 550 but with a scoring rate of say 3.5 an over the match would almost certainly have been a draw.

I too am impressed by the way that Hyphen has improved his batting consistency this season after the dodgy start in CB40. Agree with Carrot that Davies does seem to have some kind of block on getting big scores.