Australian Mens Test Captain Steve Waugh talks about the 3 P's of cricket - Patience, Pressure, and Partnerships.

Patience is very important in cricket. There are a lot of overs to be bowled in an innings. Sometimes a bowler is just too good for the batters to score runs from. Have patience. A new bowler must come on eventually.

Bowlers need to be patient also. Sometimes a batting side will crumble to be all out in 20 overs, but not often. Sometimes it takes an over or two to "work a batter out", to find their weakness. Junior cricket matches take all Saturday morning for a result, and the 14s and 16s matches go for two Saturday mornings. So be patient, and keep the pressure on the opposition.

So, how do we put pressure on the opposition?

Bowling a consistent line and length, and to your field will put heaps of pressure on opposing batters. It is difficult to set a field to random bowling. If we keep straying down leg side it is usually easy runs for batters - runs your team will have to score to make up. As a general rule, skippers or coaches should set an off-side field, so bowlers can concentrate on bowling at or just outside the off stump - every ball! Tight "line and length" bowling and good fielding creates pressure, and wickets will fall.

Playing proper cricket shots will result in more runs, more often, (because you play less risky shots, and wait for the right ball to attack) and therefore more runs to the team's total. Play proper cricket shots, don't just swing and hope. Be patient when batting. You don't have to belt every ball out of the park. Singles and twos add up if you stay at the crease. Playing proper cricket batting shots also puts doubt and fear in the fielding side.

We hear Test cricketers say how they like to "play straight" until they are "set", which for many of these players means they have 30 or even 50 runs in the book. Aussie Captains Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh for example rarely hooked a ball in some of their big innings. The very best batters play straight, and like to drive the ball (along the ground) straight back past the bowler, into the "V" between mid on and mid off. Don Bradman has always advised players to watch the ball and hit it into the ground. Sometimes we mean to hit it in the air - over a close-in field for example, but it is risky. About 70% of wickets overall are "out - caught", so Bradman might be on to something!

Partnerships win matches. When we think of partnerships we often think of batting partnerships. If one partner scores 30 while the other hangs around, gets a few runs and turns the strike over and they are together for 6 or 8 overs, well that is a strong partnership in any scorebook - junior or senior! It is about spending time at the crease together and working as a team of two. It is also very important for the "tail" to keep batting. Many games have been won or saved by a determined and patient "tail". Don't give in easily, even if you are the Number 11 this week.

Bowlers form partnerships too. How often do you see one bowler pinning an end down (pressure), while the partner snares the wickets? Well it all counts for the team effort, and cricket is a team game.

Bowlers are always in partnership with fielders - for example when bowling outswingers or leg cutters and a "caught behind" comes off! (Planning and Partnerships) Run-outs are mostly partnerships between bowler, fielders and keeper. Someone has to field and throw the ball in, and someone else has to catch and effect the run out - Partnerships and Pressure.

I think there is another P, and that is Play to a Plan

A good start is to a plan might be:

At coaching and training sessions, Club Coach Glenn Holdstock has attended so far this season, he is laying strips of masking tape on the pitch to direct bowlers to bowl "into the slot". You may have trained with Glenn, or seen tape on pitches and in nets that SHCC trains on.

Think of "the slot" in terms of a rectangular area the size of a smallish bath towel. In fact, some people place a towel on the pitch as a target to bowl to, and is referred to as "towel cricket" in coaching manuals.

"The slot" we refer to is between middle stump and maybe 20-40 cms outside off stump. Good length is anywhere in the slot between "just short of a length" to a "yorker". Remember to adjust for left-right hand batters.

The strategy behind "bowling into the slot" has three elements to it;

to focus on training our bowlers to bowl more accurately, more consistently to a good line and length, thereby minimise leg-side deliveries as well as sundries generally. The tapes provide a target area for younger players in particular to "pitch the ball up".

to give our batters better net batting practice by practising bowling more "good line and length" deliveries.

to help all players appreciate the tactical advantages of this type of bowling attack, of strong off-side (6-3 or 7-2) fields, and of consistently bowling to your field.

This strategy is being practised at training by all age groups, from under 10s right through to our open senior teams.

Match results and feedback from juniors and seniors show good results from this strategy.

So, if you see strips of masking tape on the pitch, leave them there and bowl between them. If there are none on your practice pitch or net, place some down, and practice bowling "into the slot".

To play good cricket, and especially "winning cricket", players need to practice and apply the basics. Whether you are a first year under 10, or an experienced senior player, or even (or especially!!) a Test player, the basics need to be practised and applied.

Well, what are "the basics" of cricket?

Let's start by recalling those famous words of Don Bradman, "and remember, always keep you eye on the ball". At Summer Hill C.C. we have taken that general advice a step further. We train to really watch the ball. How do we do this?

More than just keeping our eye on the ball, we have players practice "noticing the patterns the seam makes". Practice this, and you will be really watching the ball.

When preparing to take a catch, concentrate only on the ball and look to notice the patterns the seam makes as the ball comes to you. Watch the ball all the way into your hands. When batting, watch the ball from the bowler's hand, and notice the patterns the seam makes as the ball travels toward you. For most batting strokes you will be able to watch the ball right onto the bat. That's really watching the ball!

Watching the ball so closely that you notice the seam, can have an unusual outcome. For example, for just that brief moment of time that you are really focused on the ball (so focused you can see the seam) you may notice that you were not thinking about anything at all!! If you are really focused on the ball, there is no room for your mind to have doubting thoughts, or negative self-talk.

Really watching the ball is a powerful technique to improve you skills, and to give you confidence. Practice this technique, and talk it over with your coach and other players, and take it into your game.

I'm sure you are familiar with that well-known saying, "practice makes perfect". At Summer Hill Cricket Club we have been teaching something beyond that:

"Perfect preparation and practice, makes perfect"

It has a lot to do with Mark Waugh, and how he, and we, go about our training and practice sessions.

Let me explain. My yoga teacher told me that our brains don't really know what is good practice and what is bad practice; it just organises, so things get done. In other words, if you practice poorly, or practice using incorrect techniques, your brain will remember that, and bingo! you have a poor habit that can be hard to break.

If you are practising a skill, say catching, and you persistently do a "crocodile" technique, your brain will not know that this is an ineffective and sometimes painful way to catch a cricket ball. Your brain will have learnt long ago, "so this is how we catch ? Lock it in". Many of our first year under 8s and under 10s players have these kinds of habits, and it is our job as coaches and experienced players to help other players develop better habits. We all need to practice the skills and techniques as perfectly as we can - all the time and at every training session!

So, if you want to learn new skills and techniques, whether yoga or cricket, we should approach our training and practice sessions with a focus on good technique. For cricket, this generally means no more than having the eyes, hands and feet in the right position and always watching the ball. If practising catching, have your hands perfectly prepared, like a cup, and watch the ball all the way into your hands.

(Coaching tip: short, sharp sessions are better for young players' learning, than long, tiring sessions.)

Oh, the Mark Waugh bit. Sorry, I nearly forgot. Have you ever wondered why Mark is such a great slips fielder? One of the best ever in fact. Natural talent you think? There is a story about Mark Waugh and how he approaches training. When everyone else has finished batting bowling and fielding practice in the NSW and Australian squads and were packing up the kit, Mark would ask the coach to go out for just a bit more catching practice. Just another 10 minutes quality practice, one-on-one. Just another short, perfect practice session.

Mark Waugh was and still is so much better than almost everyone else, because he knew "perfect preparation and practice, makes perfect" and he practised that. Heaps.

I had an email from one of our junior coaches, who has seen the advantages of NOT training in the nets all the time. This reminded me of a discussion I had several seasons ago with several experienced SHCC coaches, who thought nets were limiting both valuable practice time and skills development particularly for younger age groups. Anyway, back to our present coach. He says the players are bowling well, and their fielding and catching have improved since practising more but, he asked, how batting skills could be practised "in the field".

Here are a few drills you might consider, which incorporate fielding practice as well:

The first rule of coaching - "make the training area and training routines SAFE".

The second rule of coaching - show the players what to do. If one player is good at something, have them demonstrate the good technique to the rest.

This form of open-field batting practice is particularly beneficial in that it gives new players and younger players a chance to practice hitting the ball with power.

1. Practice the pull shot by under-arming a full toss from 5 - 10 metres, aimed at the body, and have the batter hit the ball to a spread and staggered field from mid on to backward square leg. The batter can practice hitting to various positions, and practice "having a sense of control over the shot", and where he/she wants to place the ball.

Coaching notes - a) practice hitting solidly in the air by hitting catches to fielders some distance from the bat, and b) practice safe hitting by hitting the ball hard into the ground a few metres from the bat - like Steve Waugh!!!)

2. Practice the cut shot by under arming or lobbing a full toss outside the off side, emphasising the back foot work, and have the batter drive the ball square, and into the ground in front of the fielders placed a distance away. Avoid practice-hitting catches from this shot.

Coaching notes - back foot shots give the player more time, so batters need to "move feet and bat into position early, watch the ball all the way, and wait for it". One more trick; the cut shot is played by backlifting above the shoulder and hitting down on the ball, so the ball must be delivered waist height or slightly above.

To assist batters to hit the ball into the ground, place cones some 5 to 10 metres from the bat, and have the batter hit into the ground on their side of the cone, towards the fielders.

All back foot shots - remember to focus on the footwork; back foot back and across, and the bat come down from the shoulders - like an axe - to hit the ball

Practice rolling the wrists over the ball at contact, for the pull and the cut shots, so to hit the ball into the ground. Remember what Don Bradman said - keep the ball on the ground and you eliminate the most common form of dismissal

3. Practice the straight drive by placing the ball on a boundary cone, and practice hitting to fielders "up into the V".

Coaching notes - front foot next to cone, front knee bent, front elbow and shoulder pointing to where you intend to hit the ball, head and heart over the ball during the shot. Batters can play this from a static position and advance just the front foot, or practice the Victor Trumper approach and take a few steps to the ball. That will sort out balance and footwork!

If you prefer, the coach can deliver the ball to the batter on a driving length, but beware, it can come back at you, coach - with speed and unintended deadly accuracy! Safety first please!

Remember, short, focused, practice sessions are better than long drawn out sessions, so rotate players through the drills, hitting maybe a dozen balls each, then move on to the next shot, or go through again. Rotate players through different fielding placings as well, but be mindful of skill and proficiency levels.

There is no doubt among the old heads that most games are won in the field. Combining precise batting practice as part of a fielding drill will benefit all players, and provide more learning than a scrappy net session.

Good luck, and watch the ball.

It can be somewhat difficult writing on coaching for our wide age groups without the use of pictures so, players and coaches, here's another opportunity to practice your visualisation skills.

This week I have been asked to expand on a few batting technical points.

Last week we talked about practice drills that gave players valuable fielding and catching practice, while providing the opportunity for batters to practice (or indeed learn to play) particular shots with power, timing and flow. We talked about footwork, backlift and watching the ball. I would like to add further technical information, to do with the hitting end, arms, elbows and wrists.

The Pull and Cut are "horizontal strokes" meaning the bat is more or less parallel with the ground when playing the stroke. And generally speaking, when playing the pull shot, the arms straighten at the moment of contact, as you meet the ball in front of your body. The cut shot is played "outside off", and the elbows remain somewhat bent, like "number 9", but in the horizontal plane. In both the pull and cut, practice getting over the ball and rolling the wrist over the shot, to hit the ball into the ground (like Bradman and Waugh).

(Coaching notes: for cuts and pulls it is very important that the back foot movement and backlift start early, and the bat comes down onto the ball like an axe.)

The Drive is best played with bent elbows in the "number 9" shape in the vertical plane. The leading elbow (and front foot) should point to where you intent hitting the ball. Note the follow through should also be in the direction you have hit the ball. Play to hit through (not across) the line of the ball, and up into the "V" between mid on and mid off, or thereabouts. Balance and timing is critical. At the completion of a drive, the batter should look and feel balanced. This is something coaches should look for.

Next week, I'll talk about how "Catches win matches". Keep up the good work, and I'll see you around the grounds.

Last week I promised to talk about the old adage - "catches win matches". Several coaches have mentioned to me that they are focusing more on fielding practice in training sessions. One coach made a very interesting observation that I feel compelled to share with you. The team has been dropping around 8 catches per innings this season, and bowlers are now realising that this is seriously impacting on their efforts to win games for the team (it is also, they now realise, affecting their bowling figures!). They also realise that the most common form of dismissal - out caught - is virtually negated!

What to do? Well, cricket is very much a team game, and this team has just last week come to realise that catches win matches and lots of dropped chances put pressure back on ourselves. This particular team's previous reluctance to practice fielding and catching has caught up with them, and they are quickly coming to realise that this aspect of their game needs to improve - with more perfect practice. Every member of the squad can make a contribution in the field. Fielders are not plugs, just there to fill a hole in the field. Every fielder should understand that their fielding position has tactical importance to the captain, the bowler and the whole team's approach and confidence throughout the match.

Taking catches, effecting runouts, restricting runs by fielding well, making good returns to the keeper, backing up the throw every time, is to play Steve Waugh style pressure cricket.

Drills need to have several aims - to establish and build skill levels and confidence in the players, as well as creating confidence among players, and to develop understanding of the tactical nature of the game. A good fielding side has developed confidence in each other and in themselves, and there is no doubt about it, a good fielding side can control the game, and put the pressure right back on the batting side. Junior games in particular are won in the field.

Just look at how our national team goes about Test Match business in the field; the bowlers bowl to a plan (!!!), and the fielders take catches (because they do heaps of catching and fielding practice), and they control the game more often than not. This is how to play winning cricket. This is how you build winning teams. So, play and field as if, by some bizarre twist of fate, you are "subbing" in our Test Team. (Can you visualise that!!!)

Keep up the good work, and I'll see you around the grounds.

This week I would like to talk briefly about common threads that underpin most sports, and how our cricket skills can benefit from learning and borrowing and applying skills and techniques from other sports.

I was watching one of our junior teams batting last weekend and observed a player, whom I have known since his under 10 days, really batting confidently; moving his feet well, displaying good timing and solid technique. A joy to watch. Talking with the player after "stumps" it came to pass that he has been training in one of the popular martial arts. The player himself thought this martial arts training was crossing over into his cricket, and agreed that his footwork and general "speed" had improved this season.

Having dabbled in several of these arts myself over the years, I was reminded how effective other sports can be for our cricket. Indeed Bradman himself was reputed to be a very good dancer and a competitive wrestler, and I recall reading somewhere that he attributed his cricketing skills, in part, especially his quick footwork and quick hands, to his training in these other "sporting" activities.

Well, it got me thinking. So I went to the bookshelf and pulled out "Zen and the Art of the Sword". Not for everyone's taste I concede, but bear with me. I turned to a section on the importance of the technique, and re-read the importance of focus, balance and "quick hands".

How to bring this into our cricket training and play? About two seasons ago I attended a training session at the SCG with the NSW women's under 19 NSW squad, and we practised techniques for footwork, balance and quick hands, and how other sports can assist in cricket training.

The training drill was the old favourite; practising the front foot drive, but using balls placed on the ground in front of the batting player. It is done flat out - quick feet and quick hands.

1. Line up maybe 6 or 8 (or more) balls on the ground, in front of the player.

2. The player stands in the taking guard position.

3. The player advances the front foot (only) and drives the first ball, with quick hands, then steps back to "guard" position. (Note - it is the front foot that moves, in this drive)

4. Repeat step three, until all balls are dispatched.

5. Give next player a go, and so on through the squad. Repeat.

Tips: The balls can be placed anywhere in front of the batter, and about one step away. Batter will be stepping to the ball, and stepping back to guard, then stepping to the next ball, and back, etc. Practice hitting into the nets, or to other players, for ground fielding practice and squad involvement. Emphasising "step forward - step back" and "quick hands through the shot". Go flat out! Hitting all the balls one after the other, with fast feet and fast hands, and observe what happens in regard to technique, effectiveness, balance and breathing.

Have fun with it

Suddenly school is about to end for the year; it's the Christmas summer holidays, and the long mid-season break. For many of you that may mean gifts of new cricket gear, a new bat perhaps, to replace your old faithful that is now three sizes too small. It means watching international cricket matches on the TV. It also means plenty of time to spend in the nets with friends, siblings and team mates from the Club.

Being one of the "old hands" in Summer Hill C.C. a few thoughts came to mind about this cricket season ritual; the long mid season break. We have seen many of them, and know you and your parents have earned a break. For those of you lucky enough to get a new bat, take time to knock it in. Bats work better if they are prepared well, and this takes time and effort. "Knocking in" is done by banging a cricket ball all over the face and edges of the blade - thousands of times! You can also buy a ball on a stick, just for this purpose. If you have a bat that needs oiling, apply the oil in very light coats. Again take time with the bat, and make sure the oil is soaked in before banging away with the knocking-in ball. Look after your gear, and it will work better and last years.

When you get to the nets with your friends, remember what we said very early on in our coaching notes; perfect practice makes perfect. Use this valuable training and fun time to practice the skills and techniques that the professionals play, as seen on the TV. Watch the slow motion replays. Note how things look when they are done "right"; note proper foot work, head positions, hand positions and timing and balance. Listen to what the experts have to say about techniques. Note how plays "come off" when the players really watch the ball when batting, fielding or bowling (and note how disastrously thing go when players take their eyes off the ball). Look for learning experiences in every match you watch, and in every net session you play over the holidays, and come back keen and fresh to take on the competition in the "business end of the season". Merry Christmas and a fun filled summer holiday to all of you. See you next year.