My Weekly training schedule is as follows:

Monday - Do at least 30 minutes aerobic exercise on treadmill incorporating sprints.
Do weights and core stability work. 4 sets until fatigued.

Tuesday - Do at least 30 minutes aerobic exercise on treadmill incorporating sprints.
Do weights and core stability work. 4 sets until fatigued.
Club training. Nets & fielding practice.

Wednesday - Do at least 30 minutes aerobic exercise on treadmill incorporating sprints.
Do weights and core stability work. 4 sets until fatigued.
Bowling practice. On my own go down to local nets and practice my bowling. Working on line and length. Try to bowl good areas and work on run up and pace. Also use this practice to try and develop different variations for my bowling.

Thursday - Do at least 30 minutes aerobic exercise on treadmill incorporating sprints.
Do weights and core stability work. 4 sets until fatigued.
Club training. Nets & fielding practice.

Friday - Do at least 30 minutes aerobic exercise on treadmill incorporating sprints.
Do weights and core stability work. 4 sets until fatigued.

Saturday - Club game.

Sunday - Rest day or Representative game.

Welcome Geraint, good to see another cricketer from Wales here.  

Thanks David, i guess you could call me a Welsh/Aussie at the moment playing cricket in the heat of country victoria!! lol

I must admit I'ma bit jealous. I would love to spend a winter down under playing. Maybe I will someday because I can do the site from anywhere.

I'll be personally very interested in your experiences. Please keep updating!

Update:
Goals and Aims
Score 400 runs
Take 15 wickets
Score consistently over 20
Score at least 2 50's

So far with only 3 games left until Christmas I have:
Scored 127 runs
Taken 21 wickets @ 13.04

I have scored over 20 in 4 innings but then seem to have a lapse in concentration and get out.

My goal for the remaining 3 games is to score 100 runs and take 5 wickets.

To achieve these aims I am going to participate in extra training against the bowling machine for one day a week to help improve my concentration levels. This day session against the machine will replicate a game day where i will bat against the bowling machine at various speeds and variations to replicate batting against fast bowling and spin bowling.

I will start the session by batting for an hour then have a drinks break, then i will resume batting for another hour and then take a 40 minute break just like you would for lunch in game. I will use this time to talk with my club coach who will analysis my performance during the session and point out any technical issues.

After this break I will then bat against the machine for another hour before a drinks break and then another hour before takin a break for 30 minutes to replicate the tea break. Once again I will use this time to talk to my coach who will analysis my performance during the two hour period.

Then after the 30 minute break I will bat for another hour before taking a drinks break and then bat for a final hour before finishing the session. Once this session is over i will sit down with my coach who will go over the whole day and analysis my performance over the whole day. We will then devise a plan for how I will use this practice in a game.

As for my bowling, I am not going to change much, I am just going to keep bowling in training and in my individual practice to reinforce the areas and lines i want to bowl in a game.

Once I get to the Christmas break I will sit down and review my ains and goals and then do more goal setting for the remainder of the season.

I have already achieved my one aim of taking 15 wickets by currently taking 21 with 3 games left before Christmas. Once Christmas is here i will look at how many wickets I have taken and the set myself a target to achieve before the end of the season.

At the moment I am thinking 40 wickets but could even increase this as we are playing two of the weaker sides in the competition after Christmas, however I am not going to get complacent and underestimate the opposition.

I will just see what my wicket tally is at Christmas and re-assess with my club coach.

Hi Geraint,

When I spent a summer out in Oz I had the same problem re getting out in the 20s. I think out there the best time to score your runs is after tea (assuming you're playing the grade format). Once the ball gets messed up and the fielders are tired it's a lot easier to score.

Another thing I found different was that the grounds were bigger and the outfields slower so I tried to run more aggressively and play it on the ground more (if you aim to do the first the second will probably come naturally just thinking about it).

It was all about the concentration for me - batting requires a different mindset playing the longer format. I found it quite hard to tell you the truth as I got impatient quite often and when I get like that I have a habit of trying to hit myself out of trouble!

Good luck with it all.

Naz

Hi Naz,

I agree with you that alot of it has to do with concentration, I think because back home in the UK we only play limited overs cricket we all tend to like getting on with it and don't like leaving the ball.

I've found out here that some bowlers tend to bowl the ball quite wide because it isn't called a wide unless its off the pitch in 2 day cricket. This tends to frustrate me quite alot. I do also find though that the Australians play the game in a totally different mindset too. They play good hard cricket and they aren't afraid to let you know about it!

The one way I'm trying to improve my concentration is by having longer sessions on the bowling machine and treating it like a session in a game. I will have who ever operates the machine(usually my coach) to bowl different lengths and speeds at me to replicate a game situation.

Plus I only get one chance when i'm batting against the machine so if I get out, my coach gets to bat. This helps me to concentrate and keep my wicket because it's very rare thats my coach gets out on a Saturday, let alone against the bowling machine!!

Yeah I did notice that too come to think of it. Do you think there is anyone you can get them to bowl to you? Maybe you could let them know about their "negative" line? Aussies don't like backing down from a challenge!

I think it's great you are working on your concentration by trying to replicate the game situations - that's exactly the right sort of practice to do in my opinion. Sounds like you have a pretty decent coach too!

Good luck and enjoy the experience - if you're anything like me it is one you will never forget!

Naz

p.s. how did you get on today??

Yeah the more i practice using the game situation the more confident i feel and also the more i concentrate, not that today it made any difference as we played on an extremely wet wicket with the track doing all sorts! We were the only game played within 100kms and got skittled for 80 odd. I only got 8 but my concentration level was much better than previous innings and i managed to bat for a sustained period of time with another batsman in order for us to put a partnership of nearly 40 on. Given the situation it was extremely well done. We ended up losing by 4 wickets but my concentration was alot better, hopefully with more practice now this week and plenty of hard work I will get even better results this weekend hopefully on a much better wicket!

With this week being the last weekend of cricket before Christmas I am going to work extemely hard on my concentration levels when batting by replicating game situations against the bowling machine and also using the training sessions with my club to help play some positive cricket. I am also going to help improve my concentration levels by using using talk and visualisation.

Once the game is over on the weekend i have 2 weeks off over Christmas to sit down with my coach and review the first half of the season as well as take a short break from training. I will also use this break to assess my goals for the season and then set myself goals to reach until the end of the season. However even though I will be taking a break from training it will only be a couple of days and then i will get back into practicing.

The main aim of the Christmas break for me is to help work on my fitness and try and get fitter so i can perform better for longer out in the middle whether it be with the bat or with the ball.

To help do this I shall be regularly running on the treadmill for periods of up to an hour a day. I will use the treadmill sessions to help build my aerobic capacity but also use it to incorporate sprints to replicate running a quick single or chasing a ball in the outfield.

I shall also be performing bodyweight exercises to help maintain my strength as well as doing weight exercises such as bench press, incline bench press, flys and lat pull downs to help improve it.

With the bodyweight exercises i shall be performing press ups, sit ups, squat thrusts, static abs, arm dips and pull ups. I am aiming to start with 3 sets of 15 reps and building it up from there to maybe 20 reps and 4 sets.

Once I start back training I will aim to work on my bowling and attacking the crease so I can bowl abit quicker and try and put pressure on batsman. I am also going to try and make the batsman play at every ball by bowling stump to stump but varying my line and length every often. The reason behind this is i can build pressure on the batsman and then try and induce an edge or a rash shot.

I am also going to try to be more postitve when I'm batting. I have found so far that I have maybe gone into my shell abit when I bat but I will work on it against the bowling machine and in training to be more positive and pick which balls to attack and which to defend. I have had a habit of getting tied down abit and playing a rash shot, hence I have been caught in all my innings apart from 2.

To help me achieve this I am going to try and get my coach to film me while I'm replicating a game situation batting against the bowling machine and then sit down with me and analysis my performance. Hopefully then I will devise a game plan to take into the second part of the season to help me accumulate more runs. Filming me will also help me see if i'm moving my feet enough to the pitch of the ball and if my technique is still sound or if I'm maybe getting a little bit lazy. If that's the case then I know I need to work on it more.

Getting filmed is a great idea.

Batted against the bowling machine yesterday and had a pretty good session. Hit the ball pretty well, concentration was good. Seems to be improving everytime I bat. My timing and foot movement was also good. The session allowed me to focus on playing positive cricket and work on attacking shots, with my coach setting me a target off 30 runs from 12 balls at times and telling me where the field placings were. This allowed me to work on innovative shots to beat fielders and get me to my target.

Club training tonight, so I will use this session to once more replicate match situations to once again play my shots and be positive. When I'm bowling I am going to try and maintain my line and length and attack the crease in order to make the batsman play every ball.

Club training went well last night.

My concentration when batting was really good and I hit the ball really well. I was able to watch the ball onto the bat and play my shots. I didnt hit the ball in the air unless I was hitting over the top and managed to time the ball really well. My footwork was also good and I didnt get bowled in the session. My main aim every session is not to get bowled as if I do it means my footwork is not quite right or I'm not watching the ball enough.

My bowling was also pretty good with me attacking the crease and bowling stump to stump. My lines and lengths were very good and I made the batsman play at every ball. Hopefully I can continue to take this into the game on the weekend.

However before the game on the weekend I have a 20/20 game tomorrow. In this game I am going to use it to play attacking positive cricket and hitting through the line of the ball when I'm batting, and when I bowl I am going to try and vary my pace to keep the batsman thinking but also bowl very full in order to keep the batsman on the front foot and keep them down to singles. My main aim when bowling in 20/20 is to bowl stump to stump and cut off the boundaries and build pressure on the batsman in order to force a mistake and either get a run out or get them to play a rash shot and get themselves out.

Love your work Leachy; keep it up. sounds like your in the 'zone'. Give us the scores when theyre in

20/20 went really well last night.

I opened the bowling and got 3 wickets in my first over. My first one was caught and bowled, then I bowled the number 3 batsman and then i got the other opener caught at mid off. I thought I bowled really well and bowled very good areas, especially as I only got hit for one boundary in my 4 overs. Also i thought i helped build alot of pressure with my bowling as we ended up having the opposition 8-40 before a few batsmen chanced their arms and got a few runs to get the score up to 100 odd all out.

Unfortunately I didn't get a bat but I am looking forward to another game of 20/20 tonight so maybe i will get to play some attacking strokes.

UPDATE

Before tonights game I'm going to have another session against the bowling to help build my confidence. However this session will be abit different to my usual ones as I will be batting against tennis balls.

This session is designed to help me against the short ball. One thing I've noticed out here in Australia is that the wickets are far bouncier and quicker than the wickets I'm used to playing on back home in the UK.

As a result I have struggled quite often against the short ball, not because I can't play the pull or hook shot but because I don't really have the confidence to play it. Due to this in some games I have had alot of short balls and sledging aimed at me until I've actually pulled or hooked them for four just to shut them up.

However hopefully this session will help me get more confidence against the short ball and not get so worked up that I have to play the shot if its not necessary. The one ball I really struggle to deal with is the short ball at my body. So to work on this I'm am going to have the bowling machine bowl tennis balls short of a length at me and I have to duck, weave and sway the ball.

This exercise will require me to concentrate immensely so all the exercises I've previously done will come into effect too as if I'm not concentrating I will get hit!!! This session will also help me work on my reaction times too.

The main aim of this session is to reinforce to me that if the ball is short i don't always need to play it as when you play the pull or hook shot you can't always be 100% in control of the shot. The last thing I want is to get caught pulling or hooking.

I like the way you are planning all this out session at a time. Keep us posted as to the results.

How is the fitness work doing?

Thanks David,

I'm glad you like what I am trying to achieve.

My fitness work is going ok but I really do need some help as I am not totally sure what strength training exercises would be best for an all-rounder?

I think I really need a plan that I can stick to, as generally I just do some bodyweight exercises and then weights on the bench press, bicep curls, flys and lat pull downs.

What do you suggest?

Just got in from my Twenty20 game. Once again wasn't required to bat as we only lost 3 wickets and today I was batting at 6.

I bowled first change and got 1-20 off my allocation which wasn't bad but I did tend to bowl abit too straight to the left handers. I will aim to work on this in training and try and develop a plan to bowl abit wider and maybe try to angle the ball across them rather than angling the ball into their pads.

Also in the game I managed to get a run out which was quite a crucial one in the game as they were getting on top of us and then their danger man tried to take a two to me at mid wicket. I'm not really known for my fielding but managed to run him out by 3 or 4 yards. We ended up winning the game by 7 runs. Doing this has helped my confidence alot as I do have it in me to be in the game when I'm in the field and not bowling.

I am looking forward to our game on Saturday now!

UPDATE

My session against the bowling machine was pretty good.

It was a good exercise to help increase my confidence against the short ball and also helped me watch the ball more and also increased my concentration. I managed to duck, weave and sway many balls and by the end of the session I felt quite comfortable.

I will repeat this session more and more as it helps reinforce that I don't have to play the pull or hook shot to every shot ball.

Massive question about fitness!

What you are doing is OK. I would switch to interval training 3x a week instead of 30 mins almost every day.

As for weights, you are on the right track. Certainly add more leg training - legs and hips are where the power comes from for bowling and batting. Try some squats, deadlifts, single leg squats, things like that. Start with a light weight and work on technique.

Bodyweight works well as long as you are overloading your muscles. That means doing more reps than before to see progress.

I would probably cut out the bicep curls and flys, they don't do much for your cricket. Try chin ups instead of lat pulldowns to hit biceps and lats in one go. Get a dumbbell and try a push press to give yourself some explosive power.

Re left handers - try bowling from wider on the crease. You could also come round the wicket which a lot of bowlers are now doing with good effect.

Good to hear you are going at things so hard (and to hear that you are taking a break at Xmas - you don't want to be burnt out at 22!)

Thanks for the advice David,

I will give the interval training a go instead of the 30 minutes on the treadmill as well as overloading on the bodyweight exercises. I will also give the chin ups a go instead of the bicep curls and flys and I will try and devise a leg workout too.

Thanks again

Thanks for the advice Naz,

I have tried bowling from wider of the crease in some games which seems to help abit. I will work on this in training so I can get it right.

As for bowling around the wicket I have never really been a fan, I used to have a coach who always used to say that you should always try and bowl over the wicket no matter what as you can use the angle across the batsman. Therefore I've never really tried, but I think I will try it in training and see how it goes. If it goes well enough then I will bowl around the wicket more often.

I'm really looking forward to the xmas break as I've played cricket constantly for 4 seasons now (2 UK summers & 2 Oz summers). Hopefully the break will help me refresh myself and give me sometime away to relax and then when I've had a short rest I can re-focus on my goals and go for them.

A pleasure leachy. Hope it helps.

Just saw that you played for Wiltshire - I have met the captain Bedders a couple of times. He is good friends with a really good mate of mine called Luke who also played a game for Wilts this year - do you know him?

That's a lot of cricket - am sure you will enjoy the break - few VBs should do the trick!

Best

Naz

Thanks Naz,

I think your advice will help me, I am just going to try and work on it and training and see what happens.

I only played for Wilts this year, previously I played for Herefordshire. Bedders is a really good bloke! I'm not sure if I know Luke. Did he play this year? I only played two games for them last season as I had alot of club cricket commitments.

Yeah it has been alot of cricket mate and i'm sure a few VB's will do nicely!!!

Who do you play for?

That's what training's good for (especially in Oz when you can count on people actually turning up!)

Yeah Bedders is a good guy. I hear he has just got a new job at Surrey which he must be pleased about! Luke played once to help out - he may 99 which is not too bad for a debut..

I play for Ealing in West London. We play in the Middlesex league and I play mainly 2s though have played 1s 2s 3s and 4s!

Yeah we have pretty good numbers turn out at training but we only have 1 or 2 left handers in our team.

I will work hard on it in training after Christmas now as its our last league game tomorrow and we got a 20/20 game Monday then hopefully 2 weeks off unless we make finals day.

Yeah he's just got a new job so don't know if he will actually play much now but there are a fair few guys who play throughout the year.

Sounds like you get moved about a bit in your side, i know the feeling as I regularly play 1sts and 2nds.

It happens to me too, I played 1st, 2nd and 3rd XI cricket last summer.

UPDATE

Fitness Training

Over the Christmas period I'm mainly going to work on bodyweight exercises as I'm going down to Melbourne for a week to watch the Test Match.

These bodyweight exercises will be press ups, sit ups, plank, side plank, squats and dorsal raises. I shall do these in a circuit training format where I will work for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds. I will complete the circuit twice a day.

I will always do skipping for 30 minutes everyday just to keep myself active and help be light on my feet.

In addition to this I will also go for a run every morning for about 30 minutes. Within this session I will incorporate sprints and steady state running.

The main focus of the Christmas break will be to refresh myself and have a break from the game in order to re-focus on my goals for the rest of the season.

I will update how I get on today in my last league game before Christmas and on Monday in our 20/20 game as well as reviewing my season so far and setting new targets and goals for the rest of the season.

Watch this space!

Great choice. Forget the dorsal raises they are bad for the back, try hip lifts instead:

http://www.pitchvision.com/5-simple-exercises-to-help-you-unravel-the-mystery-of-core-training-for-cricket

No worries David,

Thanks for the advice I will look at the link and also do hip lifts instead of dorsal raises.

UPDATE

Played our final League game of the year yesterday before the Christmas break. Unfortunately we lost by 15 runs. We lost the toss and had to bowl on an absolute road! I bowled first change and bowled my nine overs straight through. I ended up with figures of 0-40, however I did bowl alot better than the figures suggest. I bowled very good lines and lengths and only went for a couple of boundaries but didnt seem to have any luck. There must of been 5 or 6 balls that just went out reach of the fielders or just over their heads. It was very frustrating! I must admit though I was quite pleased with the performance I put it in and my confidence was pretty good.

I even tried my hardest in the field, attacking the ball at every opportunity and stopping quite a few drives fielding at mid on and mid off as well as cutting down twos when fielding deeper to the spinners and I also took a catch.

When batting, I felt really good and moved my feet quite well. The only problem was I got a pretty good ball and edged it to the keeper. I walked (which not many people do in this league) and looking back maybe it was a wrong decision as the umpire said after the game he didn't think I hit it! However I've always walked and probably always will.

I've now decide that maybe I need to get my feet moving abit better earlier in my innings. To help do this I am going to do some exercises with a tennis ball and a cone. I will place the tennis ball on top of the cone and stand in my batting stance a good stride away. Then I will step out to the cone and bend down to pick the ball up and then go back into my stance and repeat the drill but placing the ball back on the cone. The reason behind this drill will be to get used to moving my feet to the pitch of the ball and getting my head over the ball. I will place the cone in the off drive position, on drive position and also straight drive position to practice this drill. I will do this drill 100 times in each position and then progress to using a bat to hit the ball instead of bending down to pick it up. Then the next progression will be to have some one throw the ball to me so practice it again.

I will try and get some pictures up of me practicing the drill if i can!

Played 20/20 tonight but to be honest it was a pretty pointless game! I bowled 1 over and got 2 wickets and only went for one run.

I'm now at the point in the season where it is the Christmas break and as a result I have reviewed my season statistics so far and I am looking to set some new goals for the remainder of the season.

At the start of the season I set out to score 400 runs, score consistently in the 20's and also score 2 fifties. I also set out to take 15 wickets.

My statistics so far are:

I've scored 150 runs.
Haven't scored a fifty yet!
Consistently get starts but fail to convert them!
I have taken 26 wickets at an average of 14.62.

I am quite pleased with my performances so far but I'm not sure what goals I should set for the remainder of the season. I have 5 games left after the Christmas break before finals start. Two games are one dayers and the other three are two day fixtures, I'm open to suggestions on what goals I should set but will also sit down with my coach to hear his view.

What do you suggest???

I still haven't set my goals for the second half of the season yet but I have got two weeks to set them.

Another thing I am looking to do after the Christmas break is to sort out my nutrition right for cricket. To be honest my eating is quite poor as I only really eat one or two meals a day. Usually this involves eating some cereal for breakfast and then eating a pasta bake or lasagne in the evening.

How do you think I should improve this?

The fitness work is coming on ok and I'm looking forward to working hard and increasing the intensity over the Christmas break and then maybe even adding exercises to my original ones and also doing some more running drills with the interval training.

Here are my aims which I have set myself for the 5 games I have left after the Christmas break unless we make the finals. I will be trying my hardest to reach these goals and hopefully exceed them like I did with most of my goals before the Christmas break. I will also be trying my hardest to help my club get into the finals, this will be a hard ask as we've lost a few games lately. However we do play some of the weaker sides in the competition after the break including the two bottom sides in two day fixtures so hopefully we can get some outright victories.

My aims are:
Score 200 runs.
Score a 50.
Consistently score 30.
No ducks.
Take 15 wickets.

I believe these aims are realistic and I will work hard to achieve them and also supass them. If I bowl like I did before the Christmas break there is no reason why I can't take more than 20 wickets once more. I will be working extremely hard in training and in the games to achieve the best I can.

In the aims I have set I haven't taken into account that I am meant to be going to Melbourne and Bendigo to play country weeks. This is two week long tournaments where we play inter-association games against other leagues from all over Victoria. The Bendigo Country Week takes place towards the end of January and the Melbourne Country Week takes place the day after Valentine's day.

I will set goals for these tournaments separately because I don't know where I will be batting in the line up and also if I will bowl etc as we take a squad to these events. I will goal set for these when they are closer.

hi david,
i need you to help me with my goal setting.i play for my city and havent been able to get into the state side.i am a left arm spinner and need help with my goal setting

vamsee, email me.

Last few days have been pretty crazy as I've been in melbourne to watch the Boxing Day test but i have been completeing my bodyweight circuits as well as doing 30 minutes of skipping each day. Also been doing some interval training.

Haven't done any net practice yet as I still have a week or so before we start back up, but I will have a net in the next day or so just to get back into the swing of things and get the rust out!

Also I will be increasing the bodyweight circuit from 30 seconds per exercise to 45 seconds.

Had a net session last night with my coach and his younger brother. My coach bowls off spin and his brother bowls leg spin, they both can also bowl pretty handy medium pace too so it was a good session to try and get the feet moving as well as help my concentration and get the rust out of the system even know I've only had just over a week off.

The session went very well, I moved my feet well and my concentration was very good. The ball was coming out of the middle of the bat and my shot selection was correct. I also managed to watch the ball more closely, something which in the past few games has caused me to get out but obviously the break has done some good!

Got another practice this morning so we will see if it continues!

Just got in from my net session against the bowling machine today. I batted for about an hour and batted pretty well. My concentration was very good and I watched the ball onto the bat very well. My shot selection was really good and my footwork was extremely good. I didn't get dismissed and didn't hit the ball in the air once. It was a very worthwhile session.

I am looking forward to having another net session in the next few days before I start training with my club again next Tuesday. In the meantime I will also be continuing the exercises of hitting the ball of the cone to keep my footwork moving well.

Hi Mate - can you post any of the video footage on here so we can see you practicing?

Loving this log Leachy, keep it up.  How many games do you have left to hit your goals?

I can try and get footage of me training up on here if possible but it might be difficult.

In regards to how many games I have left I've got at least 5 games if we don't make finals and a maximum of 7 if we do make it. To reach my targets shouldn't be too hard but it does depend on how much time I get at the crease in games etc but I think 200 runs in 5 games or even 7 games is very achievable as it only takes two big scores to almost get to my target or exceed it. This is one of the things that is motivating me more and more as I know that a big score is just around the corner and I'm working ahrder and harder in training to help achieve this.

Haven't been able to have another session yet before training resumes on Tuesday but I have been doing the bodyweight exercises and also the cone exercises just to keep active.

I'm looking forward to training now on Tuesday and Thursday and hopefully might have a net session on Saturday too because we aren't playing until Sunday. Hopefully I can keep improving on the performances of previous sessions and then on Sunday get a big score if I get in!

I'm not so worried about my bowling as that seems to be ok and I will just continue to try and put the ball in the right areas in training and in games. Hopefully this will help me exceed my aims for wickets in the remaining games.

When are you back in Blighty Leachy?

I start back training tonight for my club, really looking forward to it as we have some very big games coming up. The season over here finishes in the middle of March then its on the plane and back to the UK to start training before the UK season starts with the first League game on April 25th.

Trained tonight and it went really well considering it was 40 degrees!!!

Hit the ball really well when I batted, and my balance, footwork and concentration was really good. It was a really good session and obviously the drills I've been doing on the cones have been helping alot. I will still stick to doing the exercises during the day as they are only going to continue to help me.

The bowling side of my training also went well even though I was experiencing some discomfort in my lower back. I'm sure it isn't nothing serious and it's just because I haven't really bowled much over the Christmas break but I will rest it tomorrow and see how it feels after training Thursday.

The discomfort in my back seems to have gone so I'm guessing it's nothing more other than just some stiffness. I'm guessing I will find out more tomorrow at training.

I've decided since I've now started back training and it won't be too long until I am back in the UK playing cricket again that I will change my fitness plan.

As a result I've decided that I will do bodyweight exercises 3 days a week, interval training twice a week and I will have a rest day the day after my game.

The bodyweight exercises I have decided to do are press ups, sit ups, plank, cook hip lifts, squats and squat thrusts.

The interval training I've decided to is -
3 sets of 200m (followed by 3 minutes rest)
4 sets of 100m (followed by 3 minutes rest)
5 sets of 50m (followed by 3 minutes rest)
10 sets of 25m (followed by 3 minutes rest)
10 sets of 10m (followed by 3 minutes rest)

I have decide to do my fitness on the following days -

Monday - Bodyweight Session

Tuesday - Interval Training (morning) followed by club training in afternoon.

Wednesday - Bodyweight Session

Thursday - Interval Training (morning) followed by club training in afternoon.

Friday - Bodyweight Session

Saturday - Club Fixture

Sunday - Rest Day.

This will obviously change once I get back to the Uk due to the fact that I train on different days and also play more fixtures. I will devise a schedule to deal with this closer to my return to the UK.

I’ve just got in from a 45 minute session of hitting the ball off the cone. I replicated different areas of the field such as mid on, mid off, cover and extra cover by placing coned zones.

The main aim of this session was to keep my feet moving and to keep watching the ball. However a big aim of this session was also to keep a high elbow and keep the ball on the ground by keeping my head over the ball.

I progressed through the session to eventually replicate using my feet to get to the pitch of the ball as you would against a spinner and driving the ball.

Overall I thought this was a worthwhile session and it also helped me to keep focused on the main aim of when I'm batting to keep the ball on the ground and keep my eye on the ball.

I did try to get some pictures up with this post but for some reason it wouldn't allow me to paste them. Hopefully i will be able to put some pictures or footage up soon.

Hi Leachy! Have a look at Batting Agilit Drill #1 from my articles. The video and coaching points should help you work at the areas of your batting you are looking to improve.

Balance is critical when moving so remember - try and keep your head as still as possible when you meet the ball. This should help you stay balanced whether you are taking a step towards a half-volley or dancing down the deck to a spinner.

Keep using the cones - thay are a great training tool!
All the best
JH

Just had another 45 minute session of hitting the ball of the cone before i go training in about two hours time. This time as well as working on my moving my feet and driving the ball I also incorporated playing the sweep shot off the cone.

The main aim of me practicing the sweep shot is because I tend to not roll my wrists and hit the ball down when I sweep the ball against the spinners. Instead I tend to hit the ball very square or in front of square but I hit it pretty far! So the main thing I was concentrating on was hitting the ball down and getting over the top of the ball. The session actually helped me quite alot and I will try and continue to practice this shot tonight at training against the spinners.

Overall the session was pretty good and I'm starting to feel pretty good about the way I'm hitting the ball and hopefully I carry on like this at training.

Cheers John!

I will have a look at the articles and keep using the cone. To be honest I always thought hitting off a cone would be monotonous and boring but it probably is one of the most essential coaching aids you need to develop as a player and playing shots. I love it now and I must admit whenever I have a spare half hour or so I'm out in the garden practicing on the cone and it's helping immensely with my batting at training.

Hopefully it continues!

Training last night went pretty well. I moved my feet well and watched the ball very closely. The cone exercises have obviously had a positive effect on my batting and I will continue to do these exercises whenever I get a spare moment.

My bowling was also pretty good, no discomfort in my back this time due to my coach helping me remodel my run up and although I found it quite difficult to begin with as I'm used to bowling off the wrong foot by the end of the session I was bowling very well so I will also continue to practice this at training and also in the garden at home every day until it becomes automatic.

Really looking forward to the game on the weekend now!!

Had an extra batting session in the nets yesterday and batted for just over an hour. Felt really good and my footwork was very good and I was hitting the ball very well. My head was over the ball and I was hitting the ball very well. My concentration was also very good.

Hopefully I can take this into the game tomorrow!

My first game back after the Christmas break had mixed outcomes. I bowled really well without much luck. I ended up with 1-32 from 9 overs but had 2 dropped catches off my bowling and also had a lot of runs go behind the wicket via the outside and inside edge of the bat! Saying that though I was pleased with my bowling performance as I was bowling at the end of the innings. I also managed to take a pretty good diving catch when fielding at mid off!

Batting wise, didn't go so good. I ended up getting caught at slip to a pretty decent ball for 1 but there is not much I could about it. I guess I will just keep working hard in training and in my spare time this week to put things right and make the most of another opportunity on Saturday!

In other news, I found out yesterday that I had been selected in the league representative side to go to Bendigo country week in a weeks time so it means I will be playing plenty of cricket!

Training last night went pretty well. I batted really well and my foot movement was really good. Also my concentration and shot selection were good and I was hitting the ball well. I just think I need abit more luck on a game day and a big score is just around the corner! Hopefully I can get it soon.

Bowling in training also went pretty well. I was bowling good areas and making the batsman play every ball. I must admit I did struggle to maintain my pace tho after about 6 or 7 overs as it was so hot! But even though I got fatigued I still managed a very good line and length. Hopefully I can maintain this line and length in a game and get the benefits! Also hopefully I will be able to maintain my pace for my entire spell in the one dayer this weekend.

Just thought I would update you on my progress with my fitness programme. It's going pretty well but I thought I would let you all know how many sets and reps I am doing for each exercise. I'm currently performing this session 3 times a week but I am thinking of increasing this to two sessions on the designated days.

My bodyweight session consists of

Press Ups 4 sets of 15 reps
Sit Ups 4 sets of 20 reps
Plank 4 sets of 30 seconds
Squats 4 sets of 15 reps
Squat Thrusts 4 sets of 15 reps
Cook Hip Lifts 4 sets of 10 reps on each leg

If I was to undertake this session twice a day on the designated day I would do it once in the morning and once in the evening.

In regard to the interval training that is going quite well too. I will look into increasing the workload in the coming weeks.

doing gym and core exercise from 1 year....................but my bowling pace is not increasing.what to do????

i have posted a reply in the "19 ways to be a healthy cricketer" article...that might help

General point here folks, if you have a question please post it in the right place. This is leachy's training log.

Hi Leachy. great to know there is somebody In Aus who is as or more committed to improving in cricket as me. I just wanted to know:

What club do you play for?
Is the league you mentioned in Bendigo only for seniors or also for junior clubs (I want to suggest it to the guy who runs our club so we can get all our teams, both senior and junior teams, in some similar league thingy). I guess it is a great learning experience.

I play in the Murray Valley Cricket Association for Waaia. It is just north of Shepparton. I don't really know much about the comps over here to be honest apart from that there is a country week in Bendigo next week and also a country week in Melbourne which the association also play in that takes place in February. I know there was a junior country week in my area a fortnight ago.

It is a great learning experience playing cricket in the country and I must admit it is quite similar to shires cricket which I played last winter in Sydney. There isn't a great deal of difference in the standard but i must admit it is far more enjoyable playing with the guys here in Northern Victoria. This is mainly because they play good hard cricket but also because they enjoy a few drinks after the games and also talk to you and make you feel welcome.

Hope this helps you!!

David has suggested I try these two power workouts on my designated bodyweight session days.

Workout 1

Warm up: do a range of active mobility exercises from here: http://www.pitchvision.com/cricket-warm-up-video (about 5-10 minutes should do it)

Follow this with 4 sets (with 2 warm up sets) of:

press up with feet elevated - maximum reps
barbell straight leg deadlift - 8 reps
Superset these together, so just finish the last press up then straight away start the DLs. rest for 1m between sets.

Then move onto 4 sets of:

dumbell spilt squat 8 reps
single arm dumbell row 8 reps
The weight should be enough to be hard so you cant do any more after the last one without losing form.

Stretch to cool down

Workout 2

Warm up: do a range of active mobility exercises

4 sets of:

Jump squat - 6 reps (start with bodyweight and focus on jumping high but landing softly)
Planks with 1 foot off the ground 30 secs

Then 4 sets of

Single arm dumbbell overhead press 8 reps
Chin ups max reps

Stretch to cool down

Alternate these workouts: 1,2,1,2 on mon, wed and fri.

I have not decided on what weights I will use for these exercises just yet but will decide in due course.

I will now conduct these exercises on my designated days and move my bodyweight sessions to the same days as my interval training.

Trained last night and I batted pretty well. My feet were moving nicely and I was timing the ball very well. My shot selction and concentration was also very good. I'm quite looking forawrd to getting some runs now on Saturday! Hopefully I can bat for a sustained period of time and get a big score. I just need to be confident. At the moment my confidence is good in training but not so good in games. Maybe I need to relax abit more? I'm not sure.

Bowling wise last night, I bowled pretty well once again. I just need to make sure I bowl the same areas in the games and I should get rewarded quite nicely!

Hope it goes well mate. You deserve it after the cracking effort you're making. Just dominate!

Naz

Cheers Naz,

Really appreciate the support! Hopefully all the hard work pays off for both of us!

I just had a 25 minute session of hitting the ball off the cone just to reinforce to myself that I need to keep my head over the ball and also to make sure i get my pitch to the ball. I hit them pretty well and overall I'm quite happy with my preparation for tomorrow's game. Now I am going to just relax and not put any pressure on myself. I believe if I don't pressurize myself I will just play my natural game and hopefully all goes well!

Saying that though, I am quite tempted to have a hit against the bowling machine at the club later on just because I love feeling the ball on the bat and also because I just love putting the hours in!

Enjoy it today mate. No fear!

I wish I could say I enjoyed it today but truth be told I didn't. This was because when we batted I didn't get in as we made just under 200 for the loss of only 3 wickets. So my main contribution for the game was in the field as I only bowled a couple of overs in the end when the batsman were going for the big runs. Unfortunately I had to bowl at a guy who was pretty well set and he decide to hit me for 13 off my first over even though I had him dropped in it too! My next over only lasted five deliveries as I took 3 wickets in 4 balls but the annoying thing was we lost the game! I really believed that I could have changed the game even more if I was brought on earlier.

Never mind though it's on to Bendigo now tomorrow for country week so I will just keep working hard and hopefully have some good performances during the week.

I will keep you posted!

Don't do the bodyweight stuff as well Geraint, that's too much.

It's VERY important you don't modify my advice without speaking to me first. I don't mind you making changes but we need to discuss it first.

How is the rest of the stuff coming on?

Just a word about motivation Geraint. It's true every player has his own agenda and on any given weekend, the chips may fall in such a way that you don't get to contribute as you would like. This is when you need to focus on another important areas of cricket development - being a 'Team Player'.
I am not saying you are being selfish in your approach if you feel disappointed that you did not get more of a go in what sounds like a rather crushing victory. But perhaps you should focus more on the good team performance, celebrate the good batting of your team mates, and enjoy the win.
Looking on the bright side and celebrating your team's and your team mates' successes are important habits to develop. There are very few games (if any) that a player cannot learn from.
Good luck in the cricket week! You should be nice and fresh compared to many of your team mates and oposition players so take avantage of that to score heavily and bowl some long, productive spells!
All the best!
JH

Well Bendigo country week went very well with my side winning every game and also winning the grand final! It was a great week and the cricket was very competitive. It was mentally draining and I must admit I found it quite difficult to pick myself up for the fourth game but I didn't have any problems being motivated for the final which was also against our local rivals.

Personally my week was beneficial even though I didn't get to bat because our line up was so strong. However I did bowl very well in the games I had to and I also fielded very well in every game played taking a few catches.

It was also very difficult to pick myself up for my sixth game of cricket in a row today. luckily we won the toss and my coach was pretty good and let me bat down the order as I had a big week, not to mention a long journey home last night celebrating! So today I batted at number 8 and even though I only got 11 I batted pretty well and hit a couple of boundaries but then I bottom edged a ball onto my stumps when trying to sweep a spinner. To be honest it was a poor shot and I lost concentration but I really can't use the excuse of the cricket week to justify my poor judgement.

Now I will just work extremely hard in training and keep practicing to sort out these flaws.

No worries David,

I won't do the bodyweight stuff with the power exercises. I must admit the power exercises are going ok but I am only using weights of 25kg at the moment for the barbell straight leg deadlift but I will increase the weight in time. Also with the dumbell squat and also the single arm dumbbell overhead press I am only using weights of 12.5kg each but once more theses will increase with time too.

Had our club training session last night and I must admit I found it quite difficult due to the current heatwave we are having!

It was a pretty light session with some work on the short ball against the bowling machine as well as a net against some net bowlers. We had the bowling machine set at 80mph and had it bowl tennis balls at us in order to practice the pull and cut shots as well as ducking and weaving out of the way. I must admit I did find it quite difficult to get used to the pace at first but by the end of the bucket of balls I was actually watching the ball very closely and pulling and leaving when necessary. Overall the session was a worthwhile one and it helped prepare for the net against the bowlers.
In this net I found batting quite comfortable as I was concentrating hard and moving my feet well and also playing my shots. It was a very useful training session and hopefully I can continue to build on this at training Thursday.

In regards to bowling I was down on pace after bowling for about half an hour in the heat but my line and length were still really good. I will keep working on my fitness and my water intake and nutrition to help me last longer in the conditions.

I have increased the weight of the barbell straight deadlift from 25kg to 35kg. The dumbell squat and also the single arm dumbbell overhead press are still at 12.5kg but I am looking to increase this to 15kg very shortly.

Good work in the cricket week! It's an interesting challenge you face as you are sort of going through your 'pre-season' as you finish up your season here. The last thing you want at this stage is an overuse injury or a loss in form due to fatigue so I would advise you to save the flat out bowling spells for games and limit yourself to form work in the nets. If you are going to bowl flat out for a portion of your net sessions, don't bowl more than 18 balls at top pace.
For form work, focus on your stock delivery - some guys use restricted sessions to work at variations, but this can cause alterations to your action that you don't need!
Make sure you head home in a few weeks with a really solid base for the English summer. Don't knock yourself about in the heat down there this week. Get to the pool! Stay cool.
JH

Cheers for the advice JH. Yeah it is quite strange coming to the end of the season here and then trying to prepare for the UK season. My main aims for this period is to just try and get some form and some good performances in now so I can take that into the UK season.

I will follow your advice in regards to bowling flat out only in games as the last three games I have are 2 day games so they will involve a lot of bowling! I will continue to work on a stock ball ans aldo try and get to the pool as it is extremely hot at the moment!

Staying cool would be a nice problem to have at the moment over here. January is cold!

Keep working on upping those weights. It's tough with dumbbells as they jump up quite a lot between weights. If you are "stuck" on a weight, go up to the next weight and do less reps. The aim is to increase each session by 1 rep until you get to the required number.

Currently this week is the hottest in a century in Melbourne! So no problem with the cold!

I am working hard on the weights and I do agree it is quite difficult with the dumbells as they jump up quite alot between weights. However I will keep doing them until I am "stuck" on a certain weight then jump up and decrease the reps.

Here's some pictures from a hitting the ball of the cone session lately.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3232971905/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3233821898/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3232972639/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3232972431/

Tried to upload photos onto the log but only the short cuts got pasted onto it so if you want to see what kind of drills I do don't be afraid to look! It's quite a basic drill but I find it very effective and do around 100 hits through mid on, mid off, extra cover and cover every day. It doesn't take too long to do and helps reinforce to watch the ball and also get your foot to the pitch of the ball.

Great idea leachy, I have a couple of suggestions to improve that drill even more. Check your email and I'll put my idea up on the main part of micricketcoach for everyone else.

No worries David, I look forward to reading your email and also seeing your idea up on the main part of micricket coach for everyone else to view too.

I have posted the technical stuff in the case study update for people who want to see what I mean. Click here.

Trained tonight in the blistering heat but didn't find it as difficult this time mainly because I listened to Hurls advice about not bowling flat out and saving myself for the games. Instead I bowled off 6 steps and concentrated on hitting the top of off stump every ball I bowled. Even though I didn't bowl flat out I did manage to maintain my line and length every ball and even pushed a few through as the session went on still bowling a very tight line. In addition to this I worked on my seam position when I bowl the ball and also bowled a few off cutters and leg cutters to good effect. I will probably keep doing this in training just to keep practicing and probably also bowl the odd one in a game.

In regards to batting, we again did batting against the short ball with the bowling machine and also had a net with net bowlers. I batted against the machine first and must admit I really enjoyed it as it made me concentrate extremely hard in the heat and also helped me feel more comfortable against the short ball, by the end of the short session I was pulling the pull really well and I do feel more confident about playing the pull shot in a match.

In the net with the net bowlers my main aim was to keep my wicket and play within myself. The main reason behind this is because we no longer cna reach finals and only have a couple of games left, the coach has told me I will have a chance to get a decent hit out in the last two games before I go home and may even open the batting. I don't mind this as it will allow me to spend more time in the middle and also it will test how mentally tough I am. I have opened previously back home with a fair bit of success as last season I averaged 90 opening the batting so hopefully I can do pretty well this time!

Anyway I will keep you updated as I sweat it out in the Melbourne heat wave!

Leachy

Good stuff Leachy....2 things

1.Thanks for advocating the batting tee,i am using it now and enjoying the hits and will hopefully reap the benefits.

2.Good luck in your up and coming matches.....dont overcomplicate things just watch the ball and bat!!!..you'll do well im sure.

CP

Cricket was called off today due to the extreme heatwave we are currently experiencing! It does seem abit strange to have a game cancelled due to heat where as I'm used to them being called off for rain!!!

The fitness work is coming on quite well even though I must admit this week has been a struggle especially with the interval training in such hot weather! However I am still working hard at it and hopefully will see the benefits soon.

Trained last night in the heat but it was a very worthwhile session.

Batted against the bowling machine and net bowlers and batted really well. The main focus of my session was to play within myself and leave the ball when possible but to also accumulate runs by working the ball around and punishing the bad balls. This is because I could be opening the batting on the weekend. Overall I think the session went very well as my concentration and footwork were very good and my shot selection was correct. I left quite alot of balls outside off stump (normally I wouldn't do this as I like to play my shots and accumulate runs quickly as well as feeling the ball on the bat!) and really good about my batting by the end of the seeion. Hopefully I can take this into training on Thursday and the game on the weekend if we manage to play as the heat is still extremely high so we are a fair chance to be called off.

My bowling throughout the session was also pretty good. My line and length were very accruate and I managed to bowl with abit more pace than usual even though I was only bowling off 6 steps (obviously the power sessions David designed for me are working pretty well!). This was evident when I bowled one of the guys 3 balls on the trot! Maybe if we play Saturday I wll get a few wickets?

The power sessions David designed for me are going very well. I'm still lifting 35kg on the barbell straight deadlift but in the next 2 weeks I am looking to be lifting 40/45kg. Also with the dumbell split squats and the single arm dumbell row I am looking to increase the weight to 15kg. With the single arm dumbbell overhead press I will be looking at increasing the weight from 12.5kg to 15kg in the near future or increasing the reps.

Just had a session of hitting the ball off the cone to help pass some time by in the heat. The main aim of the session was to try and not let my back leg collapse as David pointed out in previous pictures it has happened.

The session actually went pretty well and I found that I managed to control the shot more when my balance was better. In addition to this drill I have also been doing the batting tee drill David has sent me too. Although it is different trying to balance on one leg and hit the ball it was great fun and does help a lot as it emphasises on the balance issue when hitting the ball. I will hopefully get some pictures of me performing this drill too and show you what it’s like!

Here are some pictures from my session today and hopefully you can see my back leg does not collapse as much.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3251682403/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3251682633/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3252507706/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3251683003/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3251681471/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3251681683/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3252507050/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34801654@N03/3251681915/

Trained last night and the session went really well once more. Batted against the bowling machine and timed the ball very well and played some very good drives. Also left balls outside off stump and judged some balls to leave on length just to reinforce the job of an opener. My footwrok and shot selection was pretty good and I concentrated on timing the ball and trying not to hit the ball too hard. In the net against the bowlers my main focus was to work the ball around agaonst the medium pacers and to play positive against the spinners by using my feet to get to the pitch of the ball and also by playing the sweep shot.
Overall the session went really well and I just hope I can take it into the game on Saturday. However at the moment due to the forecast of a 45 degree day we will probably be called off!
Bowling went ok, was abit wayward down the leg side for some reason? Got a feeling it was because my front arm was dropping and I was falling away in my action abit. So need to work on standing tall when delivering the ball and not falling away. Apart from this I bowled well in parts and got a few wickets just need to concentrate when I bowl and stay upright!

Sounds like you are learning about your game - that is fantastic and will stand you in great stead when you get back home.
I think you should try and identify a few things you can get feeback from in a game to help you in the heat of battle. I would give this advice to everyone!

For instance, if the ball is going more to the offside than you intend when you play on the front foot (eg te ball goes to mid off when you are trying to hit it straight or when it goes to point when you are trying to hit to cover) your front shoulder is probably 'openning up' as you move to the ball. So tell yourself 'Shoulder to the ball!' for the next few balls. If the ball is going more to the on side when you play on the front foot (eg ball goes to mid on when you try to hit it straight or ball goes to square leg when you are trying to hit it through mid wicket) your head is probably getting to the outside of the ball. So tell yourself 'Keep your head on the inside' for the next few balls.
This is a simple way to the correct shapes when in the middle.
The same goes with bowling:

Problem Solution
Ball going down the legside stronger front arm - follow thhru straighter
Ball too wide on off side head still - right leg at target in follow thru
Ball over pitching more flick in wrist at delivery point
Ball too short take head towards target in delivery

These don't work in every case of course, but if you can find what generally works for you and employ that when things are going askew in games you will get back on track quickly.

Most players can identify what is going wrong and what needs to be fixed, but not being clear about how to fix a problem can be very damaging! Have a plan in place regarding how to fix problems before you get out in the middle! This can help you solve a problem before it impacts on your performance!

Hey Geraint! I am a bit concerned you have not posted since Feb 5th! I know the fires have been around Bendigo - hope you are safe. Thinking of all the people in Victoria who have been affected by the bushfires!
JH

Hey Hurls,
Luckily the fires have not reached us yet although there is one about 15kms away but hopefully the CFA put it out!

We didn't play again this weekend due to the heat once more which is very frustrating as I feel really good about my game and my confidence is pretty high. This only leaves 3 weekends of cricket left before I fly home with next weeks game becoming a one dayer now.

This means that this week in training I will have to work on a game plan to take into the one dayer with maybe not leaving so many balls but looking to rotate the strike and work the ball around for ones and twos while punishing the bad balls.
Hopefully if we manage to train this week and play next weekend I can put this plan into effect.

There is a cool change coming just hopefully it comes sooner rather than later!
I will keep you posted!!!

I've also taken your advice onboard in regards to the problem solution to my bowling and also when I am I openning up with my batting and will work on these things in training this week if we manage to train.

Just come in from a session of hitting the ball of the cone and I must admit it was abit cooler than doing it last week!

Overall this session was just a light session to keep reinforcing myself to get to the pitch of the ball and get my head over the ball. I hit the ball pretty well and will probably have another session later on today just to keep drumming it into to me!

Also I managed to actually film parts of my session today but I can't upload it!

Hi Leachy,

I have stayed up late reading your log...I admire your dedication to improving your cricket and I have picked up some things to try myself.

The filming helps...just using the movie mode of a compact digital is enough to see what you are doing (or not doing). I also have an old bat to use inside for 5 minutes in the evening for visualising what I should be doing for certain shots.

Up in Newcastle, NSW, whilst hot, we have been able to play recently, but I empathise with you (last year we were rained out a lot). Here is probably similar to where you are in country Victoria in terms playing hard but having a beverage afterwards. My club (University of Newcastle) has a Call of the Card at the end of the day where each grade (we have 5 gades) gives a recount of the ups/downs of the day's play, plus a newsletter every fortnight, which helps maintain the esprit de corp in the club. As a photographer (some my flickr shots have been used on pitchvision) and 5th grade captain, I try to take a few shots of the guys batting when I can...it adds to the newsletter and the guys appreciate an action shot of themselves.

On Learning: Even though I am not the best player (and have only been playing 5 years), being the 5th grade captain has taught me a lot about the game (good thing I like learning). So a suggestion would be to check out the possibility of vice-captain type roles when you get back to your UK club. That is how I wound up as captain (I think), by helping the previous captain do the admin/dogs body side of things (and being reliable), they gave me the gig. One thing I would recommend (in addition to all of the good stuff on this site) is to read Bradman's "Art of Cricket" book. Naturally, some things have changed since he wrote it, but it is a worthwile read.

If there is anyone else back in Blighty you know interested in a winter of cricket in Oz in an affordable beachside city, we would welcome them in Newcastle.

Good luck with your final few games,

PJ

Thanks for the comments PJ.

Yeah I find the filming helps to as you can see things that are slightly wrong or need to be worked on. I also do visualisation everyday just to keep drumming it into me that I can do it and I also use self talk to remind myself that I have been very successful in the past.

Yeah down here in country victoria it is a case of play cricket hard and then have a drink with your team mates and opposition after the game. I will be totally honest I would rather play country cricket than in the city because the blokes aren't as arrogant and they actually enjoy a chat after games and socialising. I found when I played in Sydney the players were quite arrogant and fancied themselves. To be honest they thought they were better cricketers than most of them were. The spirit in the clubs here is very good and I would recommend playing country cricket to anyone because it is a good standard too.

I would love to captain or vice captain my club but because we are quite a young side in terms of age and I've only played for the side for 3 years there are a few people in front of me to get the captains/vice captains role. Saying that though if the opportunity arose I would love to do it as I think i could offer alot with my experience.

Whats the standard like where you are??

I completed a cone session this morning and specifically worked on getting my head and shoulder over the ball when executing my drives. The main reason for this is because sometimes in games and in training I’m not getting my head over the ball and it goes in the air. Also I find that sometimes I open myself up when playing some drives and the ball does not go where I intend them to. Throughout this session I worked mainly on my on-drive because this is the shot I struggle most on. I find it quite difficult to stay balanced in this shot and so I worked on getting my head, front shoulder and foot in line with the ball and staying balanced through the shot while not letting my bottom hand come through and try and whip the ball.
I must admit the session went pretty well, there were a couple of balls where my bottom hand came through but by the end of the session I was much better. I also found that maybe my stance and back lift has an effect on my shots. My back lift leaves the bat pointing towards the slips and not in line with the wicketkeeper as most people’s probably do. As a result this could be why I struggle against the short ball and also with some of my drives especially as my bottom hand likes to take over. Also in my stance I stand very straight and with my feet in line with middle stump. So I decided to change my stand slightly and open my stance with my front foot in line with leg stump and my back foot still at middle stump. I must admit I found playing the on-drive a lot easier and also the other drives were better. I’m not sure if it will help me against the short ball but I’m sure I will find out at training tonight!
I’m really looking forward to training tonight and hopefully a game Saturday if it isn’t too hot! I’m once again going to work on playing within myself at training and leaving a few balls outside off stump, although seeing as Saturday’s game is now a one day game I might not leave too many but I will try! Also I’m going to work on punishing the bad balls and working the ball around although I’m not going to try to play a big shot to every bad ball. In regards to bowling I’m going to try and concentrate on getting my front arm nice and high as I don’t really use my arm as much as I should when I bowl. Also I am going to work on not straying down the leg-side like in the last session and keep attacking the off stump and just outside. When we do fielding at tonight’s session I am going to concentrate every ball and try and pick the ball up and get it into the keeper as quick as possible without fumbling the ball. I’m also looking to catch every ball that comes to me.

Mate...thanks for the advice on spin...it all makes sense just got to practice and practice now.Also its a bit of a mental thing with me as sometimes i want to just hit em....but as they say you cant score runs in the pavillion!!! Thus i will be more patience and milk em.

Hope you session went well and good luck in your one day game. With all the work your putting in you deserve some payback!!

Also you stated that you were not going to play a big shot to every bad ball which confuses me.My thinking is that if its a bad ball put it away but with as little risk to getting out......is that what you mean??

Later

CP

Training last night couldn't have gone any better!

Batted against the bowling machine and hit the ball very well. Even though I didn't leave any balls, I was very positive and worked the ball around as well as punishing the ball when it was slightly over pitched. I didnt hit one ball in the air and everything just seemed to click. My footwork was spot on, I got my head and shoulder over the ball and my concentration and balance were also extremely good. I will be honest it is probably the best I've ever batted against the machine. I was driving the ball very well and executed some very good on drives as well as playing some good cover drives and straight drives. Also worked the ball around off my hips and through mid wicket when the ball was abit too full or straight.

In the net against the actual bowlers I left the ball when it was on a good line outside off stump and worked the ball around well once again as well as driving the ball when possible. Also cut and pulled the ball very well. Just hope I can build on this now for the game on Saturday.

Also bowling went particularly well. I worked on staying upright and keeping my front arm nice and high when I delivered the ball and I must admit I bowled very well. I seemed to generate more pace and bounce than I have since I've been here and also had afew of the batsman in trouble because of it. Also because it was alot cooler at training last night I bowled off my full run up and tried to simulate match situations. I bowled full and straight and made the batsman play every delivery.

Fielding also went well as I didn't drop a catch. We only did cuts & pulls but I found myself fielding at 1st slip for the first part of the drill(somewhere I've never really fielded) but i must admit I really enjoyed it and it was very satisfying to take so many catches there. I now know what it's like when one of my team mates take a catch in there off me. Never know I might field there more when I'm home now, saying that though I enjoy fielding in the outfield too much!

Had a cone session again this morning just to reinforce to myself of the results of last nights good work and maintain that I get my head and shoulder over the ball. As they say practice makes perfect and there is nothing better than practicing everyday!

Hit the ball really well again in the session and my head and shoulder position were really good and I was very balanced. I'm really starting to feel confident about my game and in my ability once again which if I'm honest I've always had confidence within myself but never really shown it as clearly as i did last night. Hopefully I keep it up and get a big score Saturday if I bat. The coach said last night he was still deciding on the other opener for the weekends game so there is a chance it could me plus he knows how hard I'm practicing because I live with him! Saying that though I don't mind if I open or not as I'm feeling good about myself once more and I'm just looking for some solid performances with bat and ball before I head home in 3 weeks and then start training the night after I land and continue the good work!

I'm going to have another cone session this afternoon but this time work on the sweep shot and advancing to the ball because its a good idea to practice all the shots not just drives.

Just had a cone session this afternoon before training to prepare myself for in the nets. My balance is very good at the moment and I'm hitting the ball pretty well and maintaining my shape which is important. Hopefully I can continue this in training later.
I'm feeling very confident in myself and my ability at the moment so hopefully if we play Saturday I will get a big score.

My cone session yesterday afternoon on the sweep shot also went pretty well as I was working on hitting the ball down and making sure I stayed in control of the shot. Also when I was advancing to the ball my main aim was to maintain my shape and not get off balance. I feel I managed to do this pretty well and I'm looking forward to practicing these shots in training against the spinners tonight.

Fitness Update

I've managed to increase the weight on the barbell straight leg deadlift to 42kg and the weights for the dumbell squat, single arm dumbell row and also the single arm dumbbell overhead press to 15kg. I feel these exercises are really helping me and my bowling is benefiting as a result.

Just a quick update training was cancelled last night due to a storm hitting us. Not ideal preparation for Saturday's game but hopefully we will play!

Played yesterday and I can say I did pretty well. I didn't open the batting as expected but I did bat in the middle order. When I batted I played pretty well and got myself to 18 until i got bowled by a pretty good leg cutter. I wasn't too disappointed because I had got a start, just abit frustrated that I didn't go on! This is something I really need to start doing as I consistently get starts but fail to convert them!
When I bowled I bowled really well and ended up with 3-13 off 6.3 overs. I bowled with good pace and bowled a very good line and length. I was happy with the results and look to improving on them in training this week and in the final game next week. My main aim in the next game is to try and take 6 wickets because this would mean that I would have taken 40 wickets this season!

Trained tonight and had a pretty good session once more. Hit the ball really well and moving my feet well again. Concentration and shot selction were really good. This weekend signals the last game of the season over here for me then its into pre-season back home so my main aim this weekend is to get a good performance in and then build on it back home as this season I want it to be really good and get some good performances and results.

I will sit down after this game and review my season and then work on some goal setting for the UK season.

Trained last night and bowled really well. Bowled a good line and length and with good pace. Cleaned up a fair few of the batsman which is always good! I bowled really good area and made the batsman play every ball. Hopefully I can do this again on Saturday and pick up a few wickets.

When I batted I batted really well too with good foot movement and balance. Also the shot selection was good as I used the sweep shot to good effect against the spinners and also used my feet to the quicker bowlers changing the lengths of their balls into full tosses. Overall I was pleased with the session and I hope this weekend I can just get a few good performances behind me in preparation for the new season.

A very disappointing end to the season in Australia yesterday with the bat. Only made 16 yesterday and never totally felt comfortable on a seaming green-top. Played a couple of decent stokes and moved my feet pretty well but eventually inside edged a delivery onto the stumps when attempting a drive.
In all honesty this season with the bat has been very disappointing personally and probably the worst I’ve had for a long time. In terms of runs I scored just under 200 but the real disappointing thing is that I have got into double figures at least 9 times and failed to carry on and get a big score. This is something I seriously need to rectify in the UK season.
There’s not much more I can say to be honest, overall I’m really disappointed but the good thing is I have a chance to end the season on a high next weekend when we bowl. I can’t wait for the season to be over and have a couple of weeks off before the UK season!

Hiya mate,thats unfortunate. Keep your chin up and keep thinking positive.

I reckon with all the hard work you have put in you will be ahead of the game in the UK season and my money is on you having a really good season!!

Later

CP

Hey Leachy

I went through a horrendous season with the bat out in Australia. I then came back and had a pretty good season in the UK.

It's very different batting in Oz and alot of people struggle in their first season out there. Doesn't necessarily mean that there is anything for you to rectify before this summer.

Enjoy the break!

Naz

Hi,

I am a right arm quicky with a case of the yips, i have gone from being an opening bowler for many years with an average under 20 to the stage where at certain nets i cannot even let go of the ball. I steadily lost confidence throughout last year and have started to question if i will ever get it back. If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated, as you imagine everyone seems to be an expert on the issue and tells you to stop thinking about it so much!

john mate i had the same problem i was opening the bowling for my club and won got the most wickets for my team but this season i found that i didnt perform as well as i would have and i beleive that the recovery may occur if you have the hunger to want to have more. All you may need is time away from the game clear your head and train physicaly and put new weapons in your armary what i mean is different slower bowls and swing etc

i took a month of from the game and i didnt train either i put on a few kilos and was unsure about how i would go for my first game back i took for wickets and was on a hattrick but lol i bowled a no bowl =(

IF ANYONE CAN HELP ME WITH THIS LITTLE PROBLEM I AM SORE AS HELL AFTER MY WEEKLY GAME AND UNABLE TO MOVE WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD TRY DO?

Hi folks welcome to the site. Just a reminder that this is a personal training log and not  aplace to post questions. If you have a question please ask it in the main forum or click "ask a question" on the right hand sidebar.

Trained last night but it was very relaxed and more like a fun session without any pressure. Mainly bowled in the nets at some of the guys from the different grades and didn't bat because we are fielding this week.

Bowled really well with a good line and length and got a few wickets. Just looking forward to enjoying the last game in Oz and then taking a couple of weeks off just to relax with family and friends when I'm home before starting training again in preparation for the UK season.

Trained last night and it was abit more serious than Tuesday's session due to some of the lower grades preparing for finals. It was a good workout and I bowled for over 2 hours with a good line and length and also good pace. I bowled good areas and it was ideal preparation for the game Saturday where we are attempting to finish the season on a high by bowling the opposition out in pursuit of 262. Hopefully all goes well and i bag myself a couple of wickets.

I also had a bat against the net bowlers and the bowling machine and used this time to just reinforce to myself that I am hitting the ball very well and also moving my feet. It was a worthwhile session.

Finished off with some fielding practice which involved relay throwing and also cutting the ball off as well as catching. Felt a slight pain at the bottom of my back when I was fielding and picking the ball up to throw so need to be careful. Just going to rest today before the game and then have two weeks off before getting into training back in the UK after I land next week.

Well my last game in Oz ended with a win by 80 runs. We bowled the opposition out for 180 after posting 262 last week.
During the opposition's innings I bowled 8 overs and bowled with good control and pace. I was unfortunate not to take a wicket or two but only went for 17 runs off my 8 overs. My line and length were very good resulting in me bowling 3 maidens and I made the batsman play every ball. Also my pace was particularly good as the keeper was stood back 10-12 yards where as most of the season I have bowled with the keeper up to the stumps. This doesn't reflect the pace I bowl but mainly how accurate I am when I bowl. I have only bowled 2 wides all season and 1 was on the off side!

Overall not a bad season with the ball. I set myself the target of taking 15 wickets this season and I eclipsed this by taking 33 wickets an average of 15. So I must admit I'm pretty happy!!!

Main things to concentrate on now is to work on some goals for the UK season and also to take my form with the ball into the new season and to continue the improvement on the batting. I can see this season back in the UK being a very successful and hopefully it will be!!!

Training wise I am going to continue with the power sessions and the interval training but in reagrds to skill training and nets I'm going to take 2 weeks off just to relax and also spend some time with my family as I have been away from them for 6 months before going to pre-season nets with my club.

Time to pack for my flight home now so will keep you posted on my training etc once I land!

My flight from Oz back to the Uk was long and exhausting but it is worthwhile to be home.

I haven't really trained much in the past week but will be getting into it once again in a big way because I found on when I landed that I have a trial for Worcestershire on Saturday morning!

It's abit of a shock to the system but it is also a big opportunity for me to do well.

I will be training very hard this week and will also go training with my club Friday night so I feel best prepared for my trial.

Good luck with the trial and welcome back, let us know how it goes.

Cheers David,

Hopefully it goes well!

It's good to be back even if it is abit a cold!

Will keep you posted!

Good luck with the trial mate....impress the hell out of them!!

Later

CP

Cheers CP,

I will try my best!

Got club training tonight to work on a few things and prepare for it!

Hope your training is going well mate!

Good luck dude!

Trained with my club on Friday night and the session actually went pretty well!

Bowled really well with good pace and accuracy and bowled very good areas.
When I batted I moved my feet well and hit the ball very well. My shot selection was very good and I timed the ball very well.

Overall it was a good workout before my trial.

My trial yesterday went really well.

I was very pleased with my performance and even if I don't get through it was a good confidence builder before the season. It showed that I wasn't out of my depth with the other trialists and I am good enough to do well at that level.

I bowled really well and bowled a good line and length. I consistently made the batsmen play and worked really hard. My pace was good.

When I batted I got bowled early on but after that I batted really well and even though I did get hit in the shoulder from a bouncer (from one of Naz's team mates!)I remained composed and batted very well.

I am really looking forward to the start of the season now!!!

Mate well done! V pleased for you.

Who hit you on the shoulder??

Hi Geraint, well done on the worc trial. Did you have trials for herefordshire minor counties back before the 2007 season? Also did you play against them last year in a one dayer for wiltshire?

Nice one Geraint. Well done.

Cheers Naz, Dave and Opener 176.

Yeah I had trials for Herefordshire a few years ago and ended up playing a few games. Also played against them last season in a one dayer where unfortunately we were rolled!

Some guy called Gulsharan hit me on the shoulder Naz! But it was ok because I smashed all of them apart from that! lol

Hi leechy1, i am a 17 year old left bowler and had the county couch at are club training on sunday.

I am about 5'8 and a half and weight 8.5 stone, i am a little guy but can generate abit of pace and can swing it in after abit of help over the weeks. He told my im a raw talent but i don't know how i can improve to impress to get a trial. If there is any advice you can give would be great.

i also bat top order and working on my technique.

Thank Deano

Hi mate

Am surprised to hear he was there! Indoor nets are like that though - my mum could pin me with a bouncer indoors!

Go well bud

Naz

Though you had trials, im sure i recognised the name. Don't remember playing with you but remeber the game last year where we rolled you (wiltshire) at kington!

No I know he's not that bad - was surprised because he plays 3s/4s for us so just seems like a big step up for him!

I'm going alright thanks mate - training as hard as I can considering how much work I have to do.

Hope your preseason goes really well pal and let me know when you hear back about your trial.

Cheers

Naz

Hi guys,
Sorry I haven't updated for a while, I've been busy training and with work commitments.

Training is going really well and I'm focused on trying to achieve and exceed my set goals for the season.

My first game is on Saturday so that will hopefully be the start of a successful season!

Trained on Friday night and it went quite well.

Batting is going really well and I'm feeling good. I am moving my feet well and my shot selection is good still.
I'm just trying to stay in touch now ready for the season. I'm feeling confident and I'm really focused on achieving my targets and hopefully exceeding them.

Bowling wise, it's still going well. I'm working on a slower ball and concentrating on the areas I bowl. Hopefully I will get it right in the games.

The first game of the season went pretty well.

I didn't bat but when I bowled I bowled really well and claimed figures of 1-11 off 4 overs. If there was anything which I need to improve it's probably the length I bowled as I bowled abit too full. I will work on this in training in the coming weeks.

Training on Friday went pretty well in preparation of my second game of the season which is against UWIC. I batted well and my timing was good. Also my shot selction and foot movement were really good and I had good balance.
Bowling wise I bowled well once more and found abit of rythym and bowled good lines. Hopefully this will continue in the game.

The second game of the season served up mixed results. Once again we won the game but personally I had a mixed performance.

When I batted I felt pretty good and played well to gr then I decide to leaveet to 7 on a early season wicket which was doing a fair bit. However I then decided to leave a ball from a spinner which pitched a good foot or so outside the off stump and turned back to clip the off stump! Saying that though when we bowled there were similar balls in their innings.

Bowling wise I bowled pretty well, kept the ball pitched up and the only runs I went for were down the ground. In the field I fielded well and took a catch in the deep to dismiss their top scorer.

Overall, this preseason hasn't been too bad. My bowling and fielding have been very good and I will look to take this into the opening league fixture Saturday. Batting wise I also feel pretty good and just need to spend a bit more time at the crease!

I'm on holiday this week now so I won't be training much this week apart from my fitness work and plenty of swimming. I will also be doing alot of visualisation work and mental preparation for a tough first game of our league campaign.

Well yesterday was the start of the league season and it wasn't a bad start!

I was picked to play in the 2nds which was disappointing but I made the most of it and hopefully my performance will help me get back my place in the 1sts.

We bowled first and I bowled 10 overs and managed to get 4-33. It should have been 5 wickets but there was a dropped catch by the keeper! I was quite happy with how I bowled considering we played on an absolute road! My line and length was very good and I only went for 3 boundaries in my spell and 2 of them were in my first over. It was a solid start and I will look to build on this now.

Then when we batted I went in at 4 and saw the side home with 59 not out to win the game by 4 wickets. I was very pleased with my innings as I felt comfortable and didn't give a chance through out it. Also my shot selection and concentration was very good.

Hopefully this will be the start of a very good season!!

That is a cracking start Geraint, you could not ask for more really. Now await selection for the 1sts...

Cheers David,

Yeah hopefully I will get a few games for the firsts soon!

Played the 2nd league game of the season today and once again it couldn't of gone much better!

I batted 4 again and ended up 43 not out while helping the side score 259-5. It was a good innings again and I felt really positive. My feet were moving really well once more and my shot selection was very good. I didn't offer a chance through out my innings once more and rotated the strike well.

Bowling wise also went very well as I bowled 10 overs straight through and took 2 wickets for 17 runs. I bowled good areas and made the batsman play every ball and beat the bat on several occassions. Also my pace was pretty good even though I bowled up hill into the wind!

Now I feel like I am applying alot of pressure on the 1st team and I have to be picked soon as I am batting very well and also bowling very well. If not I will just keep scoring runs and taking wickets!

Good news I just found out I've been selcted in the 1sts for a game in the National Knockout tomorrow against Thornbury.

Hopefully I take the opportunity and get a good score!

Played in the 1sts yesterday but really didn't do much as we won by 7 wickets chasing 197 against Thornbury.

I did't bowl due to getting struck on the arm while fielding but I did field really well and take a catch. I was due to bat at 7 but wasn't required.

Overall it was a good day though as its always good to win a cup game!

Played in a midweek fixture for my old side last night just to help them out and have abit more time in the middle. Once again I batted pretty well and made 44. I got out with a few overs to go caught on the boundary trying to hit out as we were chasing the game abit. Overall though I batted well and my foot movement and shot selection was very good. Also I ran well between the wickets and rotated the strike which is one key area I am really trying to improve in my game.
Hopefully I will continue this good start to the season on Saturday.

Work has been hectic over the past couple of weeks and as a result my nutrition hasn't been great. However I have manged to keep up the fitness sessions and also been doing alot of mental work such as visualisation and self talk.

I feel pretty good good about where I am with my game at the moment and I've had a pretty good start to the season which I hope I can build on once more in today's game. Training has been going well and I had a hit in a midweek game too just to stay in touch.

Hopefully today I can get a big score today and take a few more wickets to put pressure on the guys in the 1st team.

Played third game of the season and the good form has continued!

Batted 4 again and we posted 288-7 with me ending up 67 not out. Once again I batted really well and didn't give an opportunity to get out. My foot movement and shot selection is really good and I'm timing the ball as well as I ever have. I rotated the strike well and ran between the wickets very well.

When we fielded I fielded pretty well considering I had batted for a while. Also bowled 10 overs and bowled really well by taking 4-20. This included getting hit for 3 fours so all in all it was a very good spell considering we were on an absolutely road! Also took a catch off my own bowling so not a bad day!

I honsetly think it's time I got a run in the First team now, but if I don't get selected I will just keep scoring runs and taking wickets!

Hiya mate your flying!!!!...Keep taking wickets and scoring runs and the 1s willhave to pick ya!!!

Keep going mate!

CP

Hope so CP just cant see it happening though!!

I had a goal of 400 runs for season and have 170 in 3 innings without getting out so may need to reset goals! Guess the next couple of weeks will determine that!

Played on Saturday in the 2nds once again and I put in another decent performance.
I wasn't require with the bat as we chased 212 with just 1 wicket down which was abit frustrating considering the form I'm in, however it was a good team performance and I contributed with the ball instead.
I bowled 10 overs at the end of the innings and ended up with 2-50 which was disappointing but I did only go for 3 boundaries in my spell. I bowled pretty well and my figures don't reflect the fact that I had a blatant caught behind and stumping not given when I bowled. All in all though it was a good performance and I am maintaining pressure on the guys in the 1sts so sooner or later I have to get picked if I keep getting scores and taking plenty of wickets.

Goal wise, I may have to re-assess them due to the fact I now have 12 wickets at an average of 10 in just 4 games and my target was 15 for the season. There is a good chance to try and take 30 wickets plus but at the moment I'm thinking of aiming for 20 and see how it goes. Run wise I am aiming for 400 but already have 170 in 3 innings so may increase this to 600 at the moment.

Personally, I've been struggling the past week or so to have a net and to do the fitness work due to work commitments, but saying that I do spend 8 hours a day carrying weights up to 30kg as part of my job. I'm looking to maybe change my fitness plan up a little and might introduce swimming twice a week in order to use one session as a recovery session and the other as a workout. I will have to speak to David about this though and see what he says.

To all the other guys, keep it going and keep working hard!

Hi guys, Hope all is going well with your season.

Personally the past few weeks have been abit off a struggle on the field as I've slipped into my old habits off getting a few runs and then getting out!!

In the past three games I've only managed 20 runs which is really disappointing seeing as in the first 3 games I managed 182! I seem to start off well and then get myself out. I've been bowled twice with both balls being half volleys and in the last game I got caught on the boundary when I hadn't really got myself in.
I still feel pretty good about myself and my game I just think I need to go back to basics and work abit harder at keeping my shot selection simple and keep a clear head.
Bowling wise I'm still going really well, I bowled 8 overs for 14 runs on Saturday and in the others two games I got figures of 2-22 off 8 overs and 1-41 off 10 overs. In this aspect of my game I just need to keep putting the ball in the right areas and more wickets will come. I've also been working really hard on a slower ball and I've used this to good effect in the past 3 games. Hopefully I can work on some more variations to keep the batsman guessing!

Fielding wise, I have also been doing pretty well taking two catches in the last game and also fielding very well in all situations.

The hardest part at the moment is getting time to train as work is taking over my life and not leaving me much time to have a net or go to training. I'm still trying hard though so hopefully in the next few games I can get back to my early season form, especially if I approach the game in a relaxed manner like the start of the season.

Anyway keep working hard guys!

Mate...hows things?...hows cricket going?

I know its hard balancing work and cricket.

I tend to feel better when i know whatever pressures i am under and however i perform on the cricket pitch,i prepared myself as well as possible given the circumstances. If you can say that then it helps keep things in perspective and should help cope with success or failure taking things in your stride and philosophically.

CP