Pitchvision Academy


Hi,

There is a bowling bias in this newsletter, with another priceless tip from Nathan Bracken for swing bowlers, and a power partnership of Mark Garaway with Muhammad Haroon covering the spinners.

Plus we look at the growing influence of the IPL and Twenty20 on the game at all levels. Does it change the way you coach or play?

Have a great weekend,



David Hinchliffe



Swing Bowling Tip: How to Outsmart the Batsman

  

This is an exclusive preview of Swing Bowling Masterclass from Nathan Bracken

Swing bowling is about more than just tearing in and bowling as fast as you can. You need a more tactical approach.

In games you try and run the same routine and thought process from ball to ball. To me, it was understanding who I was up against. Different players played things differently.

As you walk back you think, "I'm bowling to a Herschelle Gibbs. I don't want to give him room outside off-stump, I want to stay nice and tight". Whereas you look at some other players and your line to outside off stump. For example, Paul Collingwood is going to look to try and hit on the leg side.

It's up to you as the bowler to work out the best way to bowl.

So, for the guy who is strong on his legs you try and make him hit through the off side. Make him do something different. The line you bowl changes the whole way a player plays you. If you bowl with their strength, they're going to sit back and find it easy.

Once I have decided my plan for that ball at the top of my run I just run and bowl. Have confidence in what you do and keep repeating it.

Changing plans

Sometimes you can be bowling well but the plan just isn't working. You also need to be flexible and aware enough to know when to change.

As a bowler you start to know if the bat is getting on top or he's finding it comfortable. That's when you call the captain over and say, "Hey, is it worth looking at this, is it worth looking at something else?"

Sometimes the captain says, "No, let's just keep going and see how it goes." And that can be effective sometimes. I know I've been in game situations where I've been at mid-on or mid-off, or I've been bowling and we had a little meeting, we decided to stick with it a bit longer And two balls later the plan worked perfectly.

That's a hunch thing, you can't really work that one out. But then other times you sit there and know it isn't working. You can have to confidence to say to the captain it feels too easy for the batter.

That's when you need your Plan B.

It might be you shut him down, get him up the other end and keep him away from the strike. When you look at the explosive players like a Chris Gayle it's so much safer to drop the fielder out, bowl that ball and let him get up the other end.

Just let him sit on a little bit longer that he's not facing balls, he's not hitting boundaries. He's getting that pressure building up, and then you'll get in your results that way.

So, for every batsman on the other time, work out a couple of plans and then go and make sure that you can bowl to that plan. As a swing bowler, it's your best chance of getting wickets.

Get more videos, worksheets, training tips and swing bowling advice with Nathan Bracken by clicking here.



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Spin Mentor: How to Spin the Ball More
 

You know that I always am looking to get better myself so I can help players. Recently I have spent time with Muhammad Haroon who now acts as one of my consultants at Millfield School.

Haroon has helped our spinners to spin the ball hard, deceive the batters regularly and has given them unrivalled confidence.

Here are some of his secrets:

What is the action for?

Approach, the action, the hips and shoulders rotating, propel the ball to the other end of the pitch.

It's not the fingers and wrist!

Many spinners use their digits and wrist to help with the propulsion process rather than allowing them to be the final piece in the chain which puts revolutions on the ball. The fingers are solely used to add as many revs on the ball as possible.

The "spiniest" part of the finger

Check your spinners grip.

Do they make contact with the seam on their primary spinning finger with the pad of their top joint or the side of the top joint?

(Finger spinners spin the ball off the index finger top joint, wrist spinners spin the ball off the ring finger top joint)

If it is the pad, then get them to hook their finger slightly and use the side (more bony part) of the finger to be in contact with the ball.

The top joint then is utilised rather than being dormant.

If you are coaching young players then ensure that the balls that they are using to practice this skill are small enough that they can feel this grip position on the ball. Even if that means that they practice some of the time with balls which they won't use in matches, you will be promoting good finger mechanics that they will be able to access once their fingers grow as they mature.

Spread your fingers

Haroon encourages finger spinners to have a good gap between the spinning and supporting finger. This will take some time to get used to, yet will force the spinning finger to become more dominant and therefore have more impact upon the revolution production process.

Patience is required here as initial results may lack accuracy. Stick with it. Spin is a long term project!

Spinners mature later than seamers

Look at the best spinners of all time; their journey from novice to elite is long and therefore, the patience of those around them (captains, coaches, parents) needs to reflect and respect this fact.

a coach needs to accept that there will be bad days when it doesn't come out well. But eventually the bowler will develop the confidence to spin the ball hard, deceive the batter through the air with curve and dip and then off of the pitch through break.

They will bowl full tosses and drag downs. Keep encouraging the bowlers to spin it hard. Patience is a virtue, especially when working with young spinners.



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Cricket Show S4 Episode 17: Tendulkar's 40th Birthday
 

Series 4 for the best cricket coaching podcast continues apace with Burners joining Mark Garaway and David Hinchliffe.

The team tackle issues from big to small; from Tendulkar's big 40th birthday to the tiny sized but massively useful noteboard. We also follow up on Chris Gayle hitting through the line.

We also look at coming back into cricket, and the use of heavy cricket balls to help with bowling speed.

Click play in your browser or download the show to listen now.

 

How to Send in Your Questions

If you want to win a cricket coaching prize, you need to send in your burning questions to the show. If your question is the best one we give you a free online cricket coaching course!

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This is show number 210.



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The Verdict: Was it LBW?
 

If you want a controversial subject look no further than Leg Before Wicket.

Every batsman at every level feels he has been triggered. Every bowler at every level has had times when the umpire "must be blind".

But as polarising as it is, it's not easy to don the umpires coat and decide on LBW. As a recent video on the PVA Interactive page showed.

The video - of a batter at Lord's indoor school - has over 170 replies on facebook with people giving their opinion.


Read More...
 
Can the IPL Help you Become a Cricketer?
 

In the 2012 IPL, something quiet happened that may be the start of a revolution in cricket: A revolution that will see many aspiring youngsters become cricketers via a completely different route to the old ways.

S Thiyagarajan is not a household name. A second division club cricketer in Chennai who never played first-class cricket.

He also won an IPL contract for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012 via trials.


Read More...
 

About PitchVision Academy
 

Welcome to this week's guide to playing and coaching better cricket.

I'm David Hinchliffe and I'm Director of the PitchVision Academy team. With this newsletter you are benefitting directly from over 25 Academy coaches. Our skills include international runs and wickets, first-class coaching, cutting-edge research and real-life playing experience.

 
Bracken
 

 

 
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Issue: 253
Date: 2013-05-03