The County Game, Where Next?
Sep 3rd
I thought I’d do a quick piece on my thoughts on the county championship. This is a follow on the post below concerning Boycott.
I’ll start this off by saying at the moment I can probably take or leave the county set up. There are too many meaningless games which drift into meaningless results. This goes for the limited over competitions as much as the four day game. I’ll concede that this year the County Championship has been better, with more results but some of that is down to the weather as much as the cricket. Regardless, it’s clear that in the present format something has to give, if only from a monetary point of view.
The county game needs to fulfil a number of roles, the most important of which is providing the national team with international quality players. However, they also have to ensure that cricket is seen by the masses. It is also vital that the cricket they play is entertaining and of a high standard – this in theory would go a long way to making the first two points happen. The game also needs to be self sustaining and able to provide for and develop/support grassroots cricket. A lot of needs there but ones which I feel are more than achievable. Whilst I’m not going to go into details on all of the above, I am going to concentrate on how I think the county system should be set up, so bear with me!
1st Class Structure
Currently there are 18 1st class teams playing 16 games. This means that in this format there are 64 days of cricket per team. A little too much I feel, especially when trying to fit everything else in. Reducing games to 3 days would be a backwards step, so the only real solution would be decrease the number of teams in each league.
For me, this co
uld be done by introducing a 3rd tier, so there would be three leagues of 6. This would mean each team would play 10 games or 40 days of cricket – a reduction by about a third. However, this may well provoke calls about the reduced earning potential, so is there another way?
Well, logically it would be to have leagues of 8 teams. This means that with the current format we’re 6 short. So, why not invite the best three minor counties and the likes of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands? This could have the benefit of covering more of the country with top level cricket as well as providing Ireland and co with a great place to learn the longer version of the game as well as keep talented players. Sure, it’s not ideal but it could give the game a little bit of a shot in the arm.
As far as three leagues would go, it would be a straight two up, two down system. This would hopefully mean fewer games are meaningless come the end of the season and the cream will rise to the top. There would be 56 days of cricket, which allows a vital 8 days of rest and spacing within the schedule.
My biggest worry here is whether or not it is sustainable long term. Ireland and co will eventually want to play tests and there would be more teams competing for cash. However, it would make the game more competitive as well as helping to promote the game.
It really is a toss-up between having 3 x 6 teams or 3 x 8 – both have their attractions and both their faults. Regardless, both open up vital space in the calendar and would enable England to schedule tests in the gaps.
Part Two Shortly…
Do England players need more time with their counties?
Sep 1st
In a recent interview, Geoff Boycott made a case for better scheduling of England and counties matches in order to allow players time to play for both. Now, I don’t always agree with the views of Boycott but in this case I think he’s got it spot on.
Boycott highlighted the poor form of a number of English batsman, not least Pietersen and Collingwood and linked it to the fact that they hardly, if ever spend time playing the county championship (something like 4 or 5 games combined for those two since 2006). One reason is the tight scheduling of tests in order to get 7 games in (plus the assorted limited over matches). The second is the ad-hoc nature of the four day fixtures, where games start with no real rhyme or reason, let alone pattern. The third reason Boycott highlighted is that even when there are gaps in the test schedule they rarely correspond with the four day game, so at best players get a single 40 over game or a couple of T20 hit outs – far from ideal.
The only real way for players to find form is to play. Nets are great but you can never fully replicate the experience of being out in the middle. Players tend to bowl within themselves or batsmen concentrate on one or two areas of their game, especially those areas they’re struggling with. At the same time, the best way to see if things they have been working on in the nets are having the desired effect is by having time out in the middle. You need the pressure, the atmosphere and most of the competition in order to fully test yourself.
So what is the answer? Well, it’s not an easy one but first and foremost common-sense has to come into the equation. A logical scheduling of the county fixtures would help. Something like:
County Championship – Mon to Thursday
Pro 40 – Friday
T20 – Saturday or Sunday
Having games running in the gaps between tests would also help as it is the four day game where players rarely appear. There would also need to be a liaison with the people who arrange tests but in this day and age, surely that is an easy thing?
One area where I can see issues could be with the dreaded player burn-out but again a sensible approach should be taken. If players need practice, let them play. If they’re tired then rest them. It’s not that hard, is it?
Batting:Back-lifts?
Aug 26th
I was watching a couple of players net today and whilst chatting to their main coach, we noted that one thing stood out for all them. Namely, they all had very different back-lifts when batting. We were not so much interested in the height of the bat but more as to where it was pointing.
Player A had what I guess you could call a text book back-lift. The bat was pointing somewhere towards 1st – 3rd slip, which is the common way to coach players currently.
Player B’s back-lift went straight over middle stump. No variation, always back to the same spot every ball. From what I believe this is what used to be coached and is the technique found in the old MCC coaching manuals.
Player C tended to break his back-lift into two distinct phases. The first phase saw the bat go up towards middle stump. The second saw him bring the bat almost behind him, so it was point over leg or just wide of leg.
Now there are obviously pros and cons for each of these methods. For example, the straighter back lifts are more conducive to playing off drives but have the tendency to make scoring in the mid wicket on the leg side more difficult. Same for the exaggerated back lift to leg stump – it meant the player almost had to bring the bat around and down when looking to play to leg but had a ‘natural’ angle for off side shots.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and in particular what you think makes the ideal back-lift.
Crictips Prize Giveaway!
Aug 25th
I’ll be announcing the first Crictips competition in the next few days, so stay tuned! It’ll be in conjunction with our sister site, BigCricket and New Holland Publishing.
August Fielding Drill – 3 Catches
Aug 22nd
Drill for this month is one that works on the various types of catches, whilst throwing in a bit pressure and fitness work. Equipment wise you’ll need 6/7 cones and plenty of balls. Stumps are optional but are useful to help the fielders focus on something when returning the ball.
Set-up is as demonstrated in the figure below – 3 stations which get narrower at the fielder gets closer to the feeder (marked with the C). Starting from the S, the player runs to take a deep catch – generally this would be a skyer although it can be flatter if needed. From there, they run into the next set of cones where they will receive a ‘stinging’ flat catch, typical of what you would get when fielding in the covers. Finally they move forward to the final station where a close catch is given. They then go around the feeder before rejoining the group for another go.
There are plenty of variations that you can use here to keep it interesting. It may be that instead of the close catch you get the player to run around around before they chase a high catch. Likewise, turn the middle catch into a high catch which they have to run forward or even dive for – how many of these do you see go to ground because the player is scared or lacks practice at them. A further change is to have the players taking 6 catches, moving through the cones so they come from both the left and right – again situations which may occur in a game.
To help increase the pressure, have two teams or even run two drills side by side as a race. If a catch is dropped then the player has to go back and start again or take on some kind of forfeit (press ups for example). It’s up to the coach what the focus is on here – more on catching or more on fitness but both will get some work. A further option is to use different types of balls – different colours or different materials. It may be that they have to leave yellow balls but catch red or something similar.
Batting Buddies
Aug 21st
I came across a quote from Alistair Cook where he mentions that James Anderson had dropped him as his batting buddy due to his poor form. Whilst the comment was slightly tongue in cheek it reminded me of a method which can be useful when coaching batsman but is often overlooked.
Batting partners are no big revelation, after all most batsman have other players who they enjoy batting with. This may be down to the fact that they are mates, that their styles complement each other (stone waller/big hitter etc) or even because they are players of a similar nature. Most often these partnerships are seen between the opening pair (which makes sense if you think about it) but throughout a team others will develop. However, what I’m going to talk about is pairing up for training or as Cook puts it, having a batting buddy.
What is a batting buddy?
Simply put it’s a partner who you train with. Generally, it will be a recognised batsman paired with a lesser one but it can also work with senior player taking on a more junior one.
The aim is for both of the players to help the other one out. This will be through feedback, reflection as well as the more usual netting/training. It may and probably will extend to giving throwing downs and helping out during 1-2-1 sessions.
Benefits
As I mentioned above the main benefit is that of giving a ’junior’ player a mentor. However, what tends to happen is that the senior player learns just as much as he starts to reflect on his own game or picks up tips/advice from the other player that he may not have considered, or in the case of some players, forgotten!
It can also have the advantage (especially in the case of junior players) of allowing them to settle into a team/squad quicker than if left to their own devices. A welcoming face on match day can be a great comfort to some, especially those that may be playing senior cricket for the first time.
They get to know another player as well as getting known themselves. The senior player should also get an overview of the ability of his partner which can lead to more opportunities to perform as some of risk of the unknown is removed.
Negatives?
As with everything issues can arise, as highlighted by the Cook comment that I opened this piece with. If it’s not players having a really tough time then it may be personality clashes or other flare ups. Some players may be more of a Boycott figure in that they enjoy practicing on their own and as such not suited to this but most people will respond in a positive manner. In any case, a lot of these problems can be stopped before they arise with a little bit of commonsense and monitoring by the coach.
Overall, I see batting buddies as a great idea. The positives vastly outweigh the negatives, not least in that it costs nothing to set up. Why not try it for yourself and see how you get on!
Cook – what should England do?
Aug 17th
If you’re an England fan then recently times have been pretty good. However, with the Ashes looming a few things are still not 100%. Of those the poor form of Alistair Cook is probably the most worrying.
His record of scoring barely 100 runs in the 7 tests this summer has led to many to call for his head and the England batting line up to be re-jigged. At the moment the England hierarchy have resisted these calls, continuing (at least public ally) to back Cook and giving him every opportunity to bat out of his poor run. The third test against Pakistan surely must be do or die for Cook, especially as the fourth test would give England a chance to give someone else a game in that position before (arguably) the real business of the Ashes begins.
For me, the Cook issue raises a few questions. Firstly, just what is the issue with Cook? Is he simply having a poor run (after all it happens to the best of them), not helped by testing conditions against a decent attack. Or, does the problem run deeper and as the likes of Boycott have suggested is largely down to technique? If it’s the former, then simply by the law of averages he’ll come good – something he’s had a knack of doing. Then again, if it’s the latter, papering over the cracks with a score at the Oval is not going to help and something more fundamental needs to be done. An added issue is that barely six or seven games ago, Cook was skipper and obviously being groomed to take over once Struass steps down.
Pundits have noted that Cook has an issue with his footwork for a number of years now, yet the problem persists. It’s not for lack of coaching but probably lack of time – the constant demands of being an international cricketer meaning that time to work on flaws is minimal at best. This brings the question of whether or not Cook missing the Ashes for a winter of remedial work is in the best interests of both player and country. Not least playing against the Australians is hard enough, even harder when your form is poor and your scrapping for every run. One winter of technique work could reap massive rewards for a player who is still three to fours away from the age when most batsmen are thought to peak. Failing that, England may have to rethink their order if they want to keep Cook in the side.
Most think that if a shuffle were to occur then it would be Trott moving to the openers slot with Bell coming in at three. I can’t say that I’m 100% happy with plan as I still think the jury is out on Bell and despite promise being shown over the past twelve months, for me, he still has mental weaknesses. I have little issue with Trott being moved up and Bell will surely come back in once healed. Morgan is looking safe at the moment but he does offer Cook a small glimmer of hope and a solution, that for me is workable. Namely, Cook comes in at six, where footwork is less important.
Looking further afield there are scant few names who could conceivably come into the side. Despite little being heard from Carberry this year, he must be in the frame as is Adam Lyth from Yorkshire. Another name to consider is Hildreth but he is more of a lower order bat and his scores have to be put in context as his home ground is the batting paradise of Taunton. Then again, do you really want to be thrusting largely untried players into the possibly the toughest cricketing environment out there?
It strikes me that England are somewhere between a rock and a hard place. Most of their success in the past year has come about from having a settled team, save for changes due to injuries. They are unbeaten in seven tests with a real chance of extending that to eight or nine but they know that the Cook issue is not going to go away. As one wag put it, if a certain ME Trescothick had been available for the past four years, would Cook even have gotten a look in?
Crictips – going forwards…
Aug 15th
As anyone who has visited here recently will have noticed there are a lot of periods of downtime. Basically, I don’t always have time to post up things, at least not on a regular basis. With this in mind I’m going to change the remit of the site slightly. I’ll still be posting as much cricket coaching advice as I can but I’m also going to widen the scope to general cricket thoughts.
By doing this it gives me more to talk about and means I can post smaller bits on a more regular basis. I’ll try to tie things in so they keep within the original spirit of the site and will keep the rants to a bare minimum! Saying that, as we move into winter the focus changes from coaching/playing to solely coaching so there should be more to write about on that front.
Equipment review – Sidearm
Aug 15th
Having ordered my Sidearm yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to find the postman bringing it up the driveway this morning – impressed with the speed of shipping, so thanks to the boys for getting it out so quickly.
As for the sidearm itself, well here are my initial thoughts:
Box – well made and nicely packaged. Created a decent impression from the off.
Sidearm – yes, as my g/f commented it looks like a dog catcher/thrower. However, it’s lot more robust, with the cup (where the ball sits) being bigger and obviously designed with a cricket ball in mind. The plastic itself seems well made and feels strong in the hand, however, the rubber on the grip looks a little rough and you can see where the moulding was attached. A minor gripe though and it doesn’t take away from the overall feel of the sidearm.
When it came to using the sidearm, there are a few things to note. Firstly, this is not something you are going to pick up and master straight away. It will take time to get used to and will need to be worked at. There is a definite ‘kick’ just before or as the ball is released which you needs to be allowed for – you can feel it and tend to go with it, either causing the ball to hit the ground quickly or to fly off. Saying that, the learning curve is quite quick and within 10/15 minutes it seems you can quite easily be giving decent throwdowns.
The one thing that caught me by surprise was the amount of power you can generate with it. The ball really does come out at pace and that was without me really giving it anywhere near 100% effort. It also seems ideal for fielding drills, with flat catches being given with ease and fairly realistically as to what you’d expect in a game. High catches and boundary work is also pretty effortless.
So far, so good and I’ll be looking forward to using it over the coming weeks. Hopefully I’ll learn some of the finer points to the art of the sidearm and will post up again if I do. For the time being I’ll give it an 8 out of 10.
