Have you ever been on the losing side, thrashed by a wide margin?

You don't have to have played cricket for long to experience that moment: The slow realisation that your opponents are clearly better than you and there is nothing you can do to prevent inevitable defeat.

In recent years a new criticism of a player has entered the vocabulary of cricket: That of 'slavishly following the coaching manual'.

They have a perfect off drive that goes straight to mid off every time: A great shot for none. They are typified by slow scoring and a lack of power in their shots. They may even be described as a player from another age.

The great thing about declaration cricket is it gives you the opportunity to risk losing in order to win. Yet captains all over the world from the village green to Test match regularly ignore the bit of advice I picked up on Twitter last week.

You have to feel a bit for Samit Patel. He was dropped from the England squad because of "a failure to reach an acceptable level of fitness". International cricket has realised the game requires athletes who are cricketers, not just cricketers.

This edition of Umpires Corner in association with the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring covers some more tricky questions of the Laws.

Many times on the pitch (and after the game) we have come to discuss whether a controversial situation should be allowed or not.

There are precious few players with a deep enough understanding of the laws for our arguments to be resolved, but many times it's the players who also act as umpires.

Gary Palmer, the PitchVision Academy batting coach, continues his series on the techniques of some of the England team.  He has some ideas for positive changes that will benefit Kevin Pietersen's performance. If you would like coaching from Gary, check out CCM Academy.

I have had a few questions recently regarding easy ways to develop power in both the upper body and hips: key areas for all cricketers. So here is the circuit i am currently using. It also develops strength in the core.

You have been practicing your catching like always before play. You stroll onto the field focused and confident that today you will catch everything that comes your way.

This edition of Umpires Corner in association with the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring covers some more tricky questions of the Laws.

At every level of cricket there are the practisers and the non-practisers. Both jealously guard their methods as right for them, but which way will get you more runs and wickets?