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Cricket Basic Number 60 (Batting): Think Gaps and Singles

60. Push it into the gap. A batsman’s focus should be on placing the ball into the gap and scoring singles. Between balls don’t think, ‘if the next ball is a bad ball here I will hit a four through there’, think ‘if the next ball is a good ball I can defend it down there and get a single’. Hitting boundaries usually takes care of itself if you don't get out.

Cricket Basic Number 59 (Batting): Get Back to Where You Once Belonged

59. If there is a mix-up running between wickets go back to the end you just came from – most communication mix-ups happen as you are starting out for a run and involve both players heading in the same direction. If both batsmen know to return to their own end in a mix-up there is obviously less chance of them both winding up at the same end.

Cricket Basic Number 58 (Batting): Get Value from Running Hard

58. Run hard between the wickets. Turn 1’s into 2’s, 2’s into 3’s and 3’s into 4’s. Put the pressure on the fielders and the bowlers feel it too.

Cricket Basic Number 57 (Batting): Train Your Hand-Eye Coordination

57. For hand-eye training hit a golf ball against the base of a water tank with a wicket stump. Repeat if possible, otherwise simply try and play lots of hand-eye-ball sports especially table-tennis and squash and similar games that involve hitting fast moving balls. Even baseball, overall a much simpler game than cricket, can improve a batsman’s eye and a fielder’s arm.

Cricket Basic Number 56 (Batting): Be Sensible When You Slog

56. Tonk smart. When going for quick run scoring still look for the bad balls that offer the best rewards for the least risk. You may also want to take guard well outside of your crease and covering the stumps – this can lessen the chance of being bowled or LBW when you miss a ball slogging and it also puts pressure on the bowler to bowl a tighter length.

Cricket Basic Number 55 (Batting): Always Vary Your Footwork when Training

55. Keep moving your feet. When doing repetitive batting training, such as hitting a ball in a suspended sock or practicing against a bowling machine, continually vary your footwork - how far forward, back or across you get. Placing your foot, especially your front foot, in the same place every ball is a dangerous habit to get into and should be vigorously avoided. Instead vary the effective line and length of the ball and concentrate on getting into the right position for that unique delivery.

Cricket Basic Number 54 (Batting): There is only 'Yes', 'No' or 'Wait'

54. Only call ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘Wait’ when running between wickets - don’t get cute or call something else like 'go', ‘stay’ or 'don't run'. Call loudly and clearly.

Cricket Basic Number 53 (Batting): From Little Things Big Things Grow

53. Build scores and pressure with singles. Singles are the key to making big scores when batting in limited over matches with fielding restrictions. While it can be profitable to hit the ball over the infield in the early overs (when the field must be close), it is more import to then ‘milk’ the field for singles and twos (running hard) as soon as the fielders are placed back on the ropes.

Cricket Basic Number 52 (Batting): Get Tough - Duck and Sway

52. Learn to duck and sway when batting against short pitched bowling. This will give you courage and confidence when battling a very quick bowler or a dodgy pitch.

Cricket Basic Number 51 (Batting): Premeditating Doom

One of the most disastrous things a batsman can do is to premeditate which shot to play before the ball has even been bowled. Don’t premeditate what shot you would like to play or where you think the ball will be, instead be on guard against everything, expect everything, relax and concentrate on watching the ball. You should believe you can deal with whatever is bowled, be it a stock delivery or variety ball, a bouncer or a Yorker. Be prepared to go forward or back and across every ball. Be a leaf in the storm.