In the 2017 BBL, it was found that the better the fielding side, the better the league position. We finally had proof that catches (and saves and run outs) win matches.

But does this apply to cricket outside the pros?

The five year old shocked me.

Picture the scene, you are coaching a group of keen 9-11 year old players.

You tell a 10 year old to drive, and you ask him to demonstrate the shot. He shadows it perfectly. Excellent.

You do some drills with a tennis ball and, with a little effort, he hits it back straight. Now we are talking!

You finish the session with a soft ball game: He swipes at the first half volley and tries to put it over square leg.

Sigh.

Pakistan won the Champions Trophy. They did it, in the words of one supporter, with "no home cricket, no money, no structure. No problem!"

After decades in the game, coach Vic Williams has been recognised by the Coach of the Year panel. He is the latest coach of the month.

The panel are constantly hunting for coaches who are doing great work under the radar. Vic is exactly that type of coach. Well-known in the Queensland, Australia coaching setup for his skills, he is not a household name around the world. Yet he has been tireless in his efforts.

How easy is it to "just bat" in nets, and not be as engaged as you would in a game?

If you want to bat with power and timing, make sure you play your shots with both feet on the ground.

Holding the ball cross seam is horrifying to swing bowlers, but vital on good batting days.

The basics of batting against spin are different to the basics of batting.