84. Shot selection is the key to being a true batsman. To make runs and minimise your chances of getting out always be patient. Wait for the bad balls, they will come, even in Test cricket, they will come. Don’t expect a bad ball the next ball any more than a good ball but do be ready to put it away if your eye is in and the ball is there to be hit.

69. Watch the ball hard so that you can read the ball in flight. Learn to be able to immediately classify and react to what type of ball has been delivered by watching the ball intently in flight – read the spin, watch the seam. (One way to practice this is to bat against someone bowling a variety of deliveries over a sheet or some sort of barrier that prevents the batsmen seeing the bowler’s action.)

68. Visualise your shots - get in position and picture the delivery and your movements in your mind (but don’t premeditate; let the ball decide the shot). Mental rehearsal will prime your muscle control and can make a real difference when you are under pressure. Only visualise and rehearse shots you can play and would play if the ball is in the right slot.

67. When batting, try and observe and exploit the gaps by knowing which opposition fielders are left-handed and which are right-handed. Pay special attention to positions where run-outs typically originate from: point, cover, backward-square and mid-wicket fielders.

66. Know your enemy as your friend. All batsmen should understand the principles of swing and spin bowling. Learn to judge the likelihood of what a bowler is bowling by their grip on the ball when running in and from their delivery position and action; then watch the ball out of the hand and trust your judgement. If you pick it, play for it.

65. Pick your fielders. When building a partnership both batsmen should try and discover which fielders are the good fielders (fast, clean, good throwers) and which of the others may be exploited for extra runs.

64. Don’t go the tonk too soon at the end. When batting first in a limited overs match and trying to score quick boundaries at the end of the innings you must first ensure that your team bats for all the available overs and is not prematurely bowled out. Try and hit boundaries in the least protected areas of the field and let the ball determine the shot. However, still assume you are going to lose a wicket every over when slogging at the end. This means you should never start going the tonk unless you have one wicket in hand per over left.

63. Learn to cut. The cut is a classical and rewarding shot that all batsmen should be adept at. The cut is a great value shot because most good bowlers focus on the off-side so balls ripe for cutting can be expected more often than, say, half-volleys on leg-stump. The cut, if played to the right ball, can be well controlled, is not too risky to execute (make sure your bat is light enough), uses the pace of the bowler (so doesn’t have to be hit too powerfully) and is quite place-able.

62. When batting and playing a shot on your front foot, always play straight. Get your foot as close to the pitch of the ball as possible, point your foot where you want the ball to go and track the ball with the point of your front shoulder. Play straight down the line of the ball. Even if you roll your wrists on contact to place the ball on the leg-side still keep the bat coming through straight.

61. Wear a helmet, especially in the nets. Top-edges hit more batsmen in the face than fast bowlers. Batsmen even get hit in the head running between wickets by fielders’ throws. You will get used to batting in a helmet, just be patient, concentrate on your batting routine and watch the ball. Aside from protecting your head, wearing a helmet will also increase your courage to play shots like hooks and pulls and give you confidence with last-split-second evasion. Make sure you use a helmet that fits correctly - and do the strap up properly!