In the Nets:

Last Friday I had a net session at the Leicester cricket academy with a coach named Carl. He started up the bowling machine at a steady pace of 60mph to break me into the session. The balls that came down were mainly full, or at least full enough to straight through cover with some straying onto middle stump which I whipped through mid-wicket or drove straight down the ground

After having done this, he quickly saw that after making my pre-movement or “trigger”, which is shifting my weight on my back foot with a small step backwards followed by a front foot small step forwards pointing my toe towards the ball, I am not so willing to press to far forward making me push at the ball or play back to full balls the means my knee is very locked up when I play a shot. He then told me to, after this press with my front foot, really try and get forward and bend my knee so I get right over the ball and if it is a short ball push off the front foot and play off the back foot. The improvement was unbelievable!

He then sped up the bowling machine and bowled shorter as I told him before the session of my trouble with picking up length, he then realised the on shorter balls I square up more where I should stay side on to play the shots, also that my back foot moves towards leg stump when it should go towards off stump which would enable me to play off my hip towards the leg side if needed.

Carl’s verdict of my performance was generally good, just saying that I need to after my front fott press, try and get forward to the ball with my pad rather than just jab at the ball locking my front knee.Also that on playing back foot shots, to stay side on and get my back foot across to off stump. As a result of this net Amir Mahmood of Kibworth decideed that I was good enough to play for the all english youths on monday at Kibworth against the all Asian youths.

Technorati Tags: cricket coaching, Cricket Nets

Posted on August 24th, 2008 by Nathan
Filed under: batting, cricket coaching