Top Tips

These tips are primarily for junior members but may be of use to seniors.

ONE TO ONE COACHING

BRINGING ACADEMY CRICKET TO BREDBURY

STEVE AMISON AND GEOFF MOUNTFORD ARE AVAILABLE FOR ONE TO ONE COACHING. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL COACHING SESSION THEN TALK WITH YOUR JUNIOR MANAGER OR IF YOU ARE A SENIOR PLAYER ASK GEOFF OR STEVE DIRECTLY. THERE IS A SMALL COST OF £5 WHICH WILL GO TO THE CLUB TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF NEW NETTING FOR THE NETS.

Regular tips for improving your game.

Ok, so can you play cricket any where? Well, you could use chalk on a wall for stumps, a ball, preferably soft, and a bat.
I remember playing with my brother in the front drive.
It wasn’t long enough so we used to run across the road to bowl the ball.
Hazardous if a car was coming! Mind you in those far off days there wasn’t as much traffic as now so it didn’t take as long as you think to bowl an over.
We used set up our own local rules such as if a window was broken we would both chip in to pay for it.
If the ball was hit into next doors garden (our neighbour was frightening as he used to shout at us) we would negotiate with each other as to who would go and fag the ball.
It was always me because I was the youngest.
I hated getting out so would not hit the ball hard but would defend it.
Later in life playing for the senior sides at Bredbury I became known as ‘Rigor’, Short for rigormortice, Why? my team mates reckoned that when I was batting I looked dead and rigormortice had set in.
I hadn’t lost that desire to stay at the crease. My defence was text book.
Playing cricket as youngsters helped us to develop our skills.
So whenever you can, get a bat and ball and enjoy yourselves playing this wonderful game.

BATTING

The Stance

The Backward Defensive Shot

BACK FOOT STROKES
A shorter length delivery will usually be played on the back foot.

The main back foot shots are:
Hook shot
Pull shot
Square cut
Back defence
The hook, pull and square cut are cross-batted shots where the arms are fully extended for maximum power.

The hook and pull are usually played to deliveries on middle and leg stump, while the square cut is played to a ball outside off stump.

The leg glance and drive can also be played on the back foot.

The Forward Defensive Shot

FRONT FOOT STROKES
A fuller length delivery will normally be played on the front foot.

The main front foot shots are:

Off drive
Straight drive
On drive
Sweep shot
Forward defence
The off and straight drive are played to deliveries which pitch on off stump and outside, while the on drive is played to a ball pitching around leg stump.

The sweep shot is played to a ball from a spinner pitching around leg stump and outside.

The leg glance can also be played off the front foot.

BOWLING