Today’s article is a guest post from personal trainer Brian Wardle.

Look at all the top level athletes in the world in any sport.

They all have something in common: a well developed backside.

By this I'm referring to the glutes, hamstrings and lower back. These muscles (and the hip extension movement they control) are important because the stronger they are the better they allow you to:

My cricket club has a big game this Saturday.

We are up against the top of the league; a side with an impressive bowling attack. We are still in the hunt for promotion so a result is crucial.

I hope no one form the opposition reads this because I’m going to give the game away as to how we are going to win...

Our main batting strategy is to target their weaker bowling so we can either put up or chase down a score.

We often consider the leave to be the absence of a shot. The bowler bowls; the batsman leaves; nothing happens.

In fact, it’s far more important than nothing because it tells you a great deal about your approach to batting.

When the ball is left, the bowler feels she is not doing her job; to make the batsman play. So she straightens her line and the ball can be worked easily into the leg side.

It’s no secret that in the effort to squeeze every drop of talent from themselves – and gain a lucrative IPL contract – professional cricketers are turning to protein shakes and creatine.

It makes sense to look after your body when it’s your livelihood.

But does the average club player need such attention to detail?

Supplements are simple, cheap and effective for most everyone.

This is a special field setting for a particular type of seam bowler: One we set up to give a prize away here.

The bower in question has a unique style in that he bowls wide on the crease and gets plenty of seam movement.

He mainly plays 50 over club matches with draws possible, bowling in the middle of the innings or towards the end.

Sometimes as a spinner you wonder if it’s all worth it.

Your well planned stock ball is thumped by a slogger over deep midwicket and your captain puts his hands on his hips as if it’s somehow your fault.

And there are still 4 balls left in the over.

It’s enough to drive anyone to bowling miserly medium pace.

Except you are not like that; you love the challenge of bowling spin.

It’s quite the feat of fielding skill and power to slam the ball into the keeper’s gloves from the boundary edge. But in real life, there are precious few who have such a bullet arm.

But it’s not just about covering a bad arm: the relay throw is also a tactical fielding technique.

As you know, a relay throw is any throw where two fielders team up to return the ball to the stumps.

It’s been a while since I asked for your help in return for some online cricket coaching; but now the time has come again.

I need your help with setting a field for another new player in my team. Yes, this is a real life problem.

Like last time with our left-arm spinner, we have a new bowler.

What is the best field for a medium pace seam bowler in a club league match?

Ninjas were the greatest warriors in the history of the world.

They were the original results guys: they didn’t care if their methods appeared unorthodox or devious because they got the job done.

They did it so well that at the time it was assumed they had supernatural powers.

It’s this extreme level of skill combined with the philosophy that “anything goes” that made the ninjas such a force in feudal Japan.