Pitchvision Academy
Animated Fielding Drills Get Fit For Cricket


 Hi,

We are a generous lot here. Ask anyone.

Not only do you get piles of free stuff every week in this very newsletter, but this week we are taking it up a notch with a personalised eBook. Take a look at the article below for details on how to enter the competition and win a copy designed specifically for your needs.

Speaking of free, other articles this week include a guide to dropping players without ruining their confidence, tips on how to get promoted, fielding advice from Derek Randall and a simple way to bowl better.

Sometimes we amaze ourselves!
 
Have a great weekend,


David Hinchliffe



3 Ways to open the door of opportunity

What do you do if you are not getting the chance you deserve in your cricket team?

It's a problem that happens every week in club, school and university teams. A few talented (or well established) players hog everything, leaving others to fight for scraps.

I'm sure you have seen or experienced a situation like this:

James emailed me recently for help. He is a batsman with high hopes of being a 1st XI club cricketer here in the UK. However, he has joined a new club. The club have put him in the 2nd XI but so far he has not had the chance to score any runs thanks to low scoring games.

He feels he is better than some of the current 1st XI batsman but is frustrated that he can't get a chance in the top team.

I'm a 2nd team captain myself, and I have also experienced the frustration of being left out of the 1st XI in years gone by. In my mind, there are 3 things you can do as a player to deal with the situation:

1. Confess your desires

In my experience as captain, players rarely tell you what their ambition is. You have to prise their desires out of them with a crowbar.

It's certainly not a problem to find a player who seeks you out to say; "I want to be playing first team cricket". In fact, it's a refreshing change. I see my job as 2nd XI captain is to provide a stream of players ready to make the step up. Those players with ambition get priority.

So, tell your captain you are desperate for a chance at the next level and ask him what you need to do. If he is worth his salt, he will talk to the first team skipper in selection and they will work out between them the best way to give you a chance while not upsetting anyone else.

I know from experience in selection meetings that fringe players often get the nod based purely on their attitude to playing.

2. Practice harder than anyone else

It's no good just saying what you want. You need to prove it.

And the only way to do that is to practice harder and longer than anyone else.

Yes, it can be difficult if you have other commitments in life, but where there is a will there is a way.

It's easier for bowlers who can go to nets alone with a box of balls and practice bowling at a target.

But even for batsmen and keepers, it's not difficult to find someone who also wants to do extra practice. Good players are good at practicing so there will be a core who you can find will come to nets an hour early on practice day, or go down the ground on the morning of the match to feed the bowling machine to each other.

If there is genuinely no one else who wants to practice with you, it's probably time to move to a club who can provide that.

I'm not just talking about practicing your main skill either.

The best fielders always get the nod in selection when a choice is in the balance, so be as good as you can be in the field. How much are you practicing your fielding now? If you are not one of the best fielders in your club, you need to do more.

Also, you can do fitness training alone and the fitter you are the better you are. So as well as being the keenest to practice and best fielder, you should be close to the fittest in the club.

Anything else and your actions are not reflecting your ambitions, so how can you be taken seriously?

3. Stop the excuses

Finally, it's vital you know the difference between reasons and excuses.

Let me explain. Imagine you are a spinner and you are taking wickets in the 2nd XI but the 1st XI spinner is well established and doing a good job. In that situation you are unlikely to be selected for a good reason.

Now imagine you are a batsman and you are not getting many runs in the 2nd XI. You claim every pitch you play on is a minefield and impossible to bat on. That is an excuse because good batsmen are able to adapt to different conditions (and I doubt every single pitch is unplayable).

Reasons are valid and there is not much you can do about them. Bide your time, wait for your chance and be as prepared as you can be to take it when it comes (and it always comes).

Excuses are ways for you to blame someone or something else for your lack of success. Don't get caught in the trap of complaining without acting. We all get disheartened sometimes but the best players are the ones who put up with difficulties and take action to change it.

Because it's actions like training hard and talking to the captain that opens the door, not complaints about umpiring, pitches or otherwise. 



Discuss this article with other subscribers


Become a better fielder by learning from the best
 

Think of some of the best fielders who ever played the game.

Johnty Rhodes, Ricky Ponting, Colin Bland, Viv Richards...

And of course the Englishman who doffed his cap to a Dennis Lillee bouncer: Derek Randall.

What if you could sit down and talk fielding with one of these great talents and learn the secrets of how they turned themselves into exceptional fielders?

Access to their knowledge would make you a better fielder. And we all know how better fielders often get selected for higher honours purely because they can save runs and catch reliably.

With PitchVision Academy, you can do exactly that.

Derek Randall can't get round and have a chat with every one of the thousands of readers to this newsletter, but he can pass on his knowledge thanks to Fielding: The Derek Randall Way.

When you buy the course you get access to Derek's exclusive advice on fielding. Things like:

  • How to anticipate the way a batsman is going to play, increasing your chances of taking a catch or saving runs.
  • Easy ways to instantly improve just by learning how to be more aware in the field.
  • How to outsmart batsmen who are hesitant between the wickets

Derek has also put his favourite fielding drills down for the first time too, meaning you get to see animated and video versions of the drills that helped Derek become such a great fielder (and ones he still uses now with the next generation he coaches to this day).

All you need to do to get instant lifetime, unlimited access to all the drills, tips, advice and methods from one of the best fielders ever (and still a fine coach) is to enrol on Derek's course.

Good fielding gives you the edge, learn from the best, click here to become a better fielder.

 


Win a personalised cricket coaching eBook from PitchVision Academy
 

UPDATE: The competition is now closed. Please do not enter.

As I'm sure you agree, it's about time we ran another giveaway.

You see, we have come up with an idea for a new service to add to the PitchVision Academy on-line courses section, but before we start charging we want people to try it out for nothing.

What is a personalised eBook?

The service is a simple one but unique.

Everyone who wins in this giveaway will be supplied with a cricket coaching eBook (that you can download, read on your PC or print out) that has been personalised to their needs.

So say you are a fast bowler. The bulk of your eBook will be about fast bowling techniques and tactics with some fielding and tail-end batting tips thrown in.

But it doesn't end there.

Say you are a fast bowler who is quick but lacks control. The book will contain advice on how to maintain your pace while improving your accuracy.

On the other hand, if you are a medium pacer well known for being low on pace but high on miserly spells, the book will show you how to add a yard without losing your core skill of putting the ball on the spot.

We are able to cover every cricket discipline (Even all-rounders):

  • Opening batsmen
  •  Middle order stroke makers
  •  Tail-end sloggers
  • All types of seam and swing bowling
  • All types of spinner
  •  Wicketkeepers
  •  All fielding positions
  • Captains

We can even do a personalised eBook for coaches. So you can put your name down even if you have hung up your boots.

OK, I'm convinced, how do I enter?

We are expecting a big response to this service, so you need to do a little bit of work to get your book.

It's worth it though.
 
In your email please put:
  • Your name.
  • Your age.
  •  How long you have been playing cricket (and roughly how many games so far in your career).
  • What type and level cricket you play most often (for example in the UK it may be club 2nd XI, 50 over declaration games and regional rep under 17s, 50 over limited over games).
  • Your main disciplines and roles (for example, opening batsman or off spinner. If you have a specialist fielding position let us know and if you are captain also state it here).
  • Any technical, tactical or mental issues you have been having.

It would also help if you could provide video of you batting, bowling or fielding. Although that is not essential (don't email the video if you have it, just tell us you can provide one).

If you are a coach, just tell us what level and age you coach, and what your coaching plans are.

The more detailed information you give, the more likely we are to choose you.

We will select the best entries and contact you via email to let you know you have won.

There are no age or ability restrictions on entry.

The competition closes at midday BST on Tuesday 25th May 2010 so be quick. Any emails received after that date won't be accepted.

Just so you know the legal bit, the competition is being run by miSport Ltd and the judge's decision is final.

So what are you waiting for?
 
Get emailing and win your ebook!
 
UPDATE: The competition is now closed. Please do not enter.


Discuss this article with other subscribers
 


How deliberate is your bowling practice?
 

Recently I arrived early for a net session and a young left arm seamer was there alone bowling at the stumps.

I watched him for a few minutes and his length seemed to vary quite a bit. As I knew him quite well I wandered up and asked him where he was aiming to pitch the ball.


Read More...
 
How to drop a player
 

It has to be the worst job in coaching or captaincy; telling a player he or she is not in the side, sometimes when it's not even the player's fault.

But it doesn't need to be all bad.

If you handle the situation right, you end up with better players.

Each drop is different, and knowing how to adapt will allow you to give your players the best possible chance of bouncing back.


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.

 
Pitchvision
 

Take a tour
 
Want Coaching?
 

 
Send to a Friend
 

Do you have a friend or team mate who would be interested in this newsletter? Just hit "forward" in your email program and send it on.

If you received this email from a friend and would like to get subsequent issues, you can subscribe here.

Enjoy!

 
PitchVision Academy
 

irresistable force vs. immovable object

 
Thank you for subscribing to PitchVision Academy.
 
Read more at www.pitchvision.com
 
 

 



To unsubscribe eMail us with the subject "UNSUBSCRIBE (your email)"
Issue: 99
Date: 2010-05-21