>>>>>>>>>> CRICKET &. Review on Cricket

I think all of you know the game of cricket. Here are some tips to make you better at the game.

BATTING

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The grip, stance and back swing are crucial elements in the success of any stroke. Therefore the early establishment of a grip which allows both hands to work together effectively in both attack and defense, a stance which allows easy balanced movement following satisfactory sighting of the ball and rhythmic and consistent back swing which allows a consistent rhythmic bat action are essential.

GRIP

What is the ideal grip a batsman should have?

First of all the fingers and thumbs should be wrapped around the handle. The 'V formed by thumb and forefinger of each hand should be in line, aligned between the outside edge and splice of the bat. Correct positioning of the top hand may be achieved by aligning the knuckle of the index finger with the outside edge of the bat. A batsman should make sure at any point of time both hands should be close together. The top hand should rest comfortably against inside of the front thigh and the back of top hand faces extra-cover.

An effective method to have a flawless grip is to stand batters 'side on' to the bowler, with the bat resting against their front thigh the base of the bat should rest just behind the foot closer to the stumps of the batter. The hand closest to the bowler is then raised towards the bowler and then swung back to grip the upper section of the bat handle. The other hand is then sung back towards the stumps and brought back to grip the handle below the 'to hand'. Remember always the hands should be close together.

THE IDEAL STANCE

The batters head should be facing down the pitch with both the eyes level and should be relaxed and comfortable. The shoulder and chin should be in alignment. The knees slightly flexed and feet parallel to crease and comfortably apart to allow balance and easy movement.

THE BACKSWING

Both the eyes should be fixed on the ball. The left shoulder (in case of a right handed batsman) and elbow point towards the ball. The bat swings back above stumps with elbows kept clear of body- The head and body should be kept balanced and still and than follows a rhythmical swing of the bat.

THE GUARD

Batters should 'take guard' by making a mark which allow them to position their body in a consistent position in relation to the stumps this usually means that they can. In the stance, have their head over the middle stump which helps them to judge the ball coming towards them off the bowler?s hand. Batters usually ask for a middle stump, middle and leg stump or leg stump guard based on their reach to the ball coming towards them.

BASIC BATTINGTIPS

It is always said that a batsman playing front foot and with a straight bat gives the opposition only 30% chances of gaining his wicket and even lesser chances when the batter plays the ball on the ground. So, by playing front foot with a straight bat and by keeping the ball on the ground after stroking, the batsman 98% of the time is in control of the situation. The best way to always play the ball along the ground is to play inside the ''V'' in front of the wicket. What is the ''V? It is the area in front of the batsman between ''Cover'' position and ''Mid-wicket'' position. All the above was just the basics and always stick to it.

BOWLING

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Each bowler has his own style. But all bowling actions are preceded by a 'run up', which may vary in length, speed and angle of approach depending on the type of bowler. To enhance consistency, a bowler should always mark the run up to ensure a repeatable starting point.

All bowlers' run-ups should be SMOOTH, BALANCED, ECONOMICAL, RHYTHMICAL and CONSISTENT. As with all cricket skills, the position of the head is very important. Throughout the approach bowlers should try to keep their head as steady and level as possible.

TECHNIQUE

The side-on and front-on actions are still very much acceptable and should be encouraged. Most of the bowlers adapt to the side-on action and because this action is deemed the best as it encourages swing. The front-on action is also effective but it does not encourage swing. All bowlers should keep in mind that the bowling arm should not bend at the elbow at any point of time during the delivery stride. For effective bowling the bowling arm should graze past your ear. For fast bowlers in order to generate extra pace they should always start there run up with small strides and as they approach the crease the strides should gradually increase and it is also important the bowlers run in such a way in there run up that the heel does not touch the ground. This method also helps in generating

pace.

PERFORMANCE

For a bowler to perform to the best in matches it is very important to follow the above basics and techniques during practice sessions. Lot of bowlers take practice sessions too easy and relaxed. They tend to bowl from far ahead of the popping crease in the nets, which by cricketing law is called a ''NO BALL''. By doing this at the nets they are not able to bowl 'spot on' in a match right from the first over and this is when the batsmen take advantage resulting in the bowler demoralizing himself. In the nets the bowlers should always practice bowling to a single stump instead of three, this helps the bowler to improve on his consistency and accuracy.

INJURY

Fast bowlers are always more borne to injuries and there are various reasons for that. Leaving aside the reasons and to avoid injuries at early stages it is very important for the bowlers to follow the above mentioned BASICS and TECHNIQUES.

KEEP THE HIPS AND SHOULDERS IN LINE AND YOU WILL BE FINE:

TWIST THE BACK. AND IT WILL CRACK!

WICKET KEEPING

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Wicket Keepers are always known to be the best fielder in the side, simply because the wicket keeper is the main focus of a fielding team. And the opposition cannot over look a competent wicket keeper who enjoys this position. The wicket keeper is the one who concentrates more than anybody else on the field on every ball bowled to the batsman and when it is dispatched to the field until the ball returns back to his gloves.

TECHNIQUE

The wicket keeper should be crouched slightly to the offside of the batter. When keeping for spinners no part of the wicket keeper or equipment should be in front of the stumps. Weight of his body to be equally spread to both his legs and hands always kept relaxed. Both the palms should be facing the bowler with the gloves widespread and open. The body of the wicket keeper should rise from the pitch of the ball and watch the ball sink into his gloves with the head and the body behind the ball. He should always ensure his head should be

in line of the ball for a smooth and easy take.

Continued in Comments ................................................................................
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