Cover drive | Batting lessons

< 1 minute read All save the clearest technician must rein themself in when essaying a cover drive, lest they founder betwixt active and passive. Wise words and worth remembering when attemping this shot for this is almost entirely wrong. Should a delivery pitch six inches short of overfull and a similar distance wide

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On drive | batting lessons

< 1 minute read When playing the on-drive, always remember the following mantra. The batsman whose shoulder rolls counter-topwise places undue emphasis on hip position and will often play bethwart the intended line. Yes, of course we all know the dangers inherent in a counter-topwise rolling shoulder, but are we always aware of it?

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Square cut | Batting lessons

< 1 minute read A side-on game of angles, the square cut is to cricket what a near-miss on a red is to a bad game of snooker played by Pagans. Square everything. Square your footwork; square your bat stroke; square your follow-through. Should time allow, a counter-squaring of extraneous footwork will balance the

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Pull shot | Batting lessons

< 1 minute read Witness the greats play the pull shot and you will learn nothing. A good pull shot is played instinctively after careful deliberation and many hours of practice. Whether played off the front or back foot, your weight must be even, progressing and at once forward-moving and retreating. The central pivot

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Forward defensive | Batting lessons

< 1 minute read Bring the bat down, clean and true, angled topwards but vertically horizontally. Aim to strike the ball while moving into a stationary position. A good forward defensive stroke will be soft-yet-firm, played late at the earliest opportunity with supple hands that caress the bat handle in a vice-like grip using

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Backlift | batting lessons

< 1 minute read As the bowler runs in, lift the bat backwards in the direction of the stumps. Keep raising the bat until you feel glad. If you start to feel depressed and resentful, your bat is too high. Ensure your shoulder rolls counter-topwise at the moment the bat reaches its highest point

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Batting stance | batting lessons

< 1 minute read Space your feet roughly shoulder width apart. Stand side-on to the bowler on the balls of your feet but evenly balanced, pressing forward with your weight moving counter-crosswise while remaining perfectly still. Bend your knees to the extent that you feel euphoric. Try and project a high-minded yet magnanimous air

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