There's also a call for more people to be there as well, so I'm guessing I'll end up bowling every 8 or 9 blokes, never developing a rhythm and bowling crap. Then I'll get 10 minutes of batting where everyone is just trying to destroy me because I'm a tail-ender - laughing their heads off. Ah well, see how it goes and take it from there.
By the end of February, things had changed for the better, yes there were virtually not net sessions, because added to the fact that the schedule was once every two weeks, we had half term and the school where the nets are situated were not available, so definitely no burn out to be had there by my reckoning! Then via 'Fakebook' I got an invite to go along to the Saturday morning nets with the Essex disability players via one of the lads Dads Paul Jones. A bit early for me with an 08.00 start, but 2 hours with an abundance of Essex coaches all chipping in and giving you some advice, it had to be done and over the whole month it's been great. In addition the group are friends with Boreham cc and they join in and yesterday I stayed behind for a 3rd hour and bowled and batted against them. They're in the new league we're joining so I'm getting to see the standard of players we're going to up against and it's pretty good.
By the end of February, things had changed for the better, yes there were virtually not net sessions, because added to the fact that the schedule was once every two weeks, we had half term and the school where the nets are situated were not available, so definitely no burn out to be had there by my reckoning! Then via 'Fakebook' I got an invite to go along to the Saturday morning nets with the Essex disability players via one of the lads Dads Paul Jones. A bit early for me with an 08.00 start, but 2 hours with an abundance of Essex coaches all chipping in and giving you some advice, it had to be done and over the whole month it's been great. In addition the group are friends with Boreham cc and they join in and yesterday I stayed behind for a 3rd hour and bowled and batted against them. They're in the new league we're joining so I'm getting to see the standard of players we're going to up against and it's pretty good.
Top-spinner and variations
There's a bloke on the Bigcricket who goes by the name of SLA and he bowls both finger spin and wrist-spin and recently he's been talking about the fact that last season he bowled using his variations all the time, not sticking to his stock balls, this is what he said...
"However, one thing I've tried to do this year is to approach bowling in a more positive, assertive mindset, and start mixing in variations from the off to try and immediately put the batsman under pressure. Partly because this is more fun for me rather than just trying to contain and waiting for a mistake.
Surprisingly, this hasn't led to me getting panned. Although there have been the odd additional poor length ball as a result, the additional doubt in the mind of the batsmen caused by the additional variations has generally made them more cautious about playing aggressive shots.
I'm actually trying to get away from the idea of stock ball + variations. Instead I prefer to think of being able to bowl 4 deliveries that I each bowl 25% of the time. I find this more fun, and it seems to be effective in confusing the batsman as to what is coming next".
Surprisingly, this hasn't led to me getting panned. Although there have been the odd additional poor length ball as a result, the additional doubt in the mind of the batsmen caused by the additional variations has generally made them more cautious about playing aggressive shots.
I'm actually trying to get away from the idea of stock ball + variations. Instead I prefer to think of being able to bowl 4 deliveries that I each bowl 25% of the time. I find this more fun, and it seems to be effective in confusing the batsman as to what is coming next".
http://www.bigcricket.com/community/threads/wrist-spin-bowling-part-five.57795/page-219
I like the sounds of this and it sounds like a tactic where as he says you're making the batsman aware of the fact that you have got variations in your armory that are going to make batting more difficult and potentially put you on top in the battle? Last year, one of the things I wanted was a decent variation, so I worked on my Flipper - a straight one and one attempting to release it with some off-spin. Over the summer it went okay, but rarely did I ever either out in matches.
7th Feb; First net of the year at Woodlands school in Basildon - Joe comes over to my net and bowls straight at my legs coming round the wicket and takes my knee out by hitting the inside of my right leg where there's no pads, everyone thought it was hilarious, but that might be me done for the season if its worse than it seems.
Bowled okay, beat the bat in some instances with first XI player, struggled with others - Alistair Hayton. When batting I came down wicket a la' Tammy Beuamont to some of the fast bowlers, one of the aggressive young players in particular who I had a lot of success against. The same kid thinks he can play spin and I got him at least twice, I should do a pitch map on him!
Paddock prep
Across the road from my house (If you're new to my blogs click here to see the background story) there's a grassy space we call the paddock where over the years we've practiced. Every year for the last 10 years or so we've prepped it and cut a wicket on it and I reckon I'll be doing this again for at least another year as it's where I practice.
Over the last couple of days I've made a start on this. I've hollow tined it. This is something I've not done before, so I'm looking to see how effective it is compared to not doing it. Both of us (Joe and I) bowl along an off-stump line, so I've only prepped the off-side of the strip to monitor whether it makes any significant difference. I'm hoping to see better growth of the grass and root development and as a consequence the surface holds together longer? I've been reading some wicket maintenance PDF's and there's a recommendation that the surface should be rolled at some point in Feb, so I'll get the roller out towards the end of Feb.
7th Feb; First net of the year at Woodlands school in Basildon - Joe comes over to my net and bowls straight at my legs coming round the wicket and takes my knee out by hitting the inside of my right leg where there's no pads, everyone thought it was hilarious, but that might be me done for the season if its worse than it seems.
Bowled okay, beat the bat in some instances with first XI player, struggled with others - Alistair Hayton. When batting I came down wicket a la' Tammy Beuamont to some of the fast bowlers, one of the aggressive young players in particular who I had a lot of success against. The same kid thinks he can play spin and I got him at least twice, I should do a pitch map on him!
Paddock prep
Across the road from my house (If you're new to my blogs click here to see the background story) there's a grassy space we call the paddock where over the years we've practiced. Every year for the last 10 years or so we've prepped it and cut a wicket on it and I reckon I'll be doing this again for at least another year as it's where I practice.
Over the last couple of days I've made a start on this. I've hollow tined it. This is something I've not done before, so I'm looking to see how effective it is compared to not doing it. Both of us (Joe and I) bowl along an off-stump line, so I've only prepped the off-side of the strip to monitor whether it makes any significant difference. I'm hoping to see better growth of the grass and root development and as a consequence the surface holds together longer? I've been reading some wicket maintenance PDF's and there's a recommendation that the surface should be rolled at some point in Feb, so I'll get the roller out towards the end of Feb.
Didn't get the roller out in the end, looking to do that around mid March, but I need to time it right though after some rain.
