Taking risks when batting in Twenty20 matches

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< 1 minute read

England should have learnt a major lesson from their first two matches in the World Twenty20. Against the Netherlands, they thought they were the better team and thought that if they didn’t make any mistakes when batting, they’d win.

You don’t win Twenty20 matches by not making any mistakes. You’re far better off making a whole host of mistakes in pursuit of more runs. By and large, the runs gained will outweigh those lost through dismissals.

You can’t eschew risk when batting in Twenty20. It’s suicide through acquiescence. Against Pakistan, England aimed to go over the ropes a few times and got a decent total as a consequence. Lesson learnt?

DON'T BE LIKE GATT!

Mike Gatting wasn't receiving the King Cricket email when he dropped that ludicrously easy chance against India in 1993.

Coincidence?

Why risk it when it's so easy to sign up?

5 comments

  1. You’ve learnt the lesson KC, and I’ve learned it. Stuart Broad, who is ‘the most intelligent cricketer in the known universe’ has probably learned it, I don’t know about the rest.

  2. Stuart Broad didn’t look all that intelligent when he hurled the last ball for overthrows on Friday.

  3. Neither am I convinced that Stuart Broad’s run out option is the right type of risk for T20 in the circumstances, KC.

    Agree with the point re batting though.

  4. Fair point re Broad, Ged Ladd, but he needs the experiences through which to learn, innit? You can bet that will be the last time he chances over-throws on the last ball of a 20/20 world cup match against a team of part-timers dressed in orange. Lesson learnt!

  5. all this T20 nonsense is giving me a headache.

    is anyone watching the late-night bbc highlights? it’s insanely fast. they don’t pause after balls. it’s like watching continuous penalty shoot-outs.

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