by Richard Pybus
(Question from Paul, Brisbane, Australia )
Graeme Smith: Leading with Intent
Hi Coach, I recently coached a rep team who had 350 plus scores made against it in 3 consecutive matches with 2 batsmen passing 200 in 2 of those matches.
I ran out of ideas as to how to dismiss or restrict the scoring. Do you have any ideas or plans how to go about this remembering we dont train together as its a one week comp.
Hi Paul, yes its really tough when the wickets are either very flat or your bowling is too thin on strike power.
The good news is there is help ! In the way of solid game strategy.
Firstly, begin with the goal for the competition. Personally, for me, the goal is to go there and win it, everytime ! If I have a weaker side then the goal is to set realistic performance goals and then tick them off as we achieve them.
It is essential to do your homework on the conditions you are going to play in and the opposition your going to face.
This gives you the right information to do your squad selection.
Knowing the combinations you need for specific competitions is the first step in your game strategy.
You need wicket taking bowlers, it’s no good selecting safe medium pacers, strike bowers, I always look for speed, swing and spin.
I learnt with Pakistan, you want to be able to open up the game right through the innings. Ideally you want five wicket taking bowlers … this is probably a stretch at rep level, but rather be bold than safe. If you don’t have enough strikers, then make sure you have variety and bowlers who can hold the game, then you can build your attack around your wicket takers.
Your bowling sub team, five bowlers, one which is an allrounder would be fantastic, including finger and wrist spin. In an ideal world your spinner can strike as well as hold the game. Otherwise, strike bowling quickies whose workload you can manage.
Six batters who can build competitive totals, your top three is the key, setting up the middle order, you don’t want your number four opening the batting each game.
Central to your game strategy is to identify the key stages in the days play; the opportunity presented by the new ball, the fall of a wicket and breaks in play. These are all the times when batters are vulnerable, so you need to make sure your strike bowlers are fresh for these opportunities.
When the partnership is formed, the ideal is to have one striker with an attacking field and a holding bowler at the other end, with a slightly more defensive field.
You cannot have runs flowing from both ends, you will have no control of the game, so read these situations and monitor them via the run rate. Balance this with the quality of the batters and the playing surface.
When the partnership is formed, look for your bowlers to put maidens together and for the bowlers to work in partnerships to create pressure.
Observe the batters scoring tendencies and make sure you have good feedback for the captain and fielders at the breaks in play. Challenge them to read the game and close down the batters rotation areas, make your cricketers do the thinking, but do your homework before and during the game to support your input.
If the batters are scoring at a high strike rate, you have lost control and then the captain and bowlers need to make sure you are controlling one side of the field. Do this at all times, but most importantly when the scoring rate is too high, make the batters hit into one side of the field and into the sweepers if they pierce the inner ring. The goal of this is to specifically get control of the run rate again.
I’m not a fan of negative cricket, you need reward for your skills and the risks you are willing to take with an aggressive mentality, but you have to get control of the run rate if you have lost it.
Once you have it under control, then the goal is to sit on the batters with pressure bowling and high quality fielding, at the fall of a wicket always attack the new batter.
Keep an offensive mindset, the Captain has to be aggressive if he wants to win games.
Preparation is everything for championships and tournaments, do your homework pre-tournament and prepare to win! Know your opponents, their strengths and weaknesses and build your strategy accordingly.
Best wishes Coach
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About Richard Pybus
I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.