Cricket Batting for Beginners

 

If you are right-handed, your left hand should be holding the end of the bat with the knuckles facing the bowler and your right hand should be placed above your left hand and hold the bat with

2 fingers and your thumb. While running, you can become runout as there was no protection for your wickets. Make sure your bat is as straight as possible at all times to maintain your body form. The batsman usually steps back and maybe stands on his tiptoes to raise his bat to the height of the ball.

Runs

You can make runs from running from wicket to another. A good follow-through is critical.

While batting

When the ball is coming at you and you have to hit it, always keep your lead leg in the front and swing your bat backward for momentum. Keep practising so that even if you miss the ball, you do not pop the ball in the air and get out easily.

Stay calm

Being nervous during the game can throw you out of focus and off your game. As the ball comes towards you, think about which shot to hit. This is known as shadow cricket. If the ball pitches at a sweet spot, you can drive to take long shots but if the ball pitches too high or low, take a defence shot. While doing this, try to move your strength from your body to the bat and keep your eye on the ball at all times. If the ball is low, step forward to hit it and if it is high, step blackboard.

Misfield - do not run if you feel it can be a close call. Move forward to make a full pitch.

Lead shoulder followed by front foot

While making the swing, begin with moving the lead shoulder first and then followed by your front foot. This will help you see your swing and help to make adjustments to your stance accordingly.

Practice batting with a tennis ball

If you want to practice your swing, pitch a tennis ball right in front of you and hit it with full swings. Keep your lead leg in the front and lead elbow facing the bowler. Feet 40 cm apart, parallel to the crease, shoulder pointing down the wicket and head facing the bowler is described as an ideal stance. This is one of the most important cricket batting techniques for beginners to remember and follow.

Swing the bat downward

Push your bat downward to hit the ball after it bounces. This is done to hit the ball as far as possible. However, in case of leaving a delivery, it's important to watch the ball closely to ensure that it does not hit his wicket, his bat or even his hands. Doing the swing will make your bottom hand grip better as your dominant hand will be on the bat.

Bat at waist height

Position your bat at waist height before swinging. Accidental contact could lead to him getting caught out.

Conclusion

These cricket batting skills can help you to become a great batsman. The exact position does not matter as you should be comfortable with your position and should be able to quickly move. This will make the ball go higher and longer.

Follow-through

You can refine your skills by following through with your swing. Make sure that you hit your ball short by concentrating on the ball. Make sure you wear gloves for batting and place your thumb in V shape. Keep the bat pointed up or down and parallel to the ground. Shifting weight enables you to adjust to the ball which bounces higher after the pitch and takes a longer time to reach you. You can prevent from becoming runout by remembering these points -

Teamwork - always make sure you and your running partner respect and listen to each other. Bend your knees a bit so that you can run after hitting the ball. In this position, you can easily make a defensive hit.

Swinging the bat

Tap the bat twice on the ground to indicate the bowler that you are ready to hit. Pick up the bat by placing your dominant hand above your non-dominant hand. Always practice regulating your breathing and visualize the trajectory of the ball. If the ball is fast and low, this means that it is mainly to hit your wicket and get you out. The important thing to remember about batting is to protect your wickets/stumps. According to players, the most important technique is - Watch ball early, play late”. A front foot shot addresses the ball that arrives between the ankle and thigh height.

A back foot shot is used to address a ball arriving between the thigh and head height. This will make your swings better. Shift your weight to the back leg so that you get the balance while taking a swing. Put your thumbs in the opposite direction along with your fingers. But, this shot is not to make runs or score high, but to protect your wickets. Bend your body with your hips, keeping your back straight. Keep practising!

There are however more complex techniques that include vertical bat shots, horizontal bat shots etc.

Hold the bat

Always hold your bat tight and firmly. This will protect you from getting out and help you make some good runs. Do not look at the fielder while running as it will slow down your peace.

Always listen to your coach and your team members.

‍Leave

A leave is usually when a batsman doesn't physically play or interfere with the ball as it passes him. Your shoulders shouldn’t drop and must be at eye level at all times.

Distance between the bat and the stump

Draw a line in your turf from the middle wicket. Sometimes, batsmen utilize the leave during the first few balls in order to judge the bowling before attempting to play a shot. When this happens, you have to hit a straight drive as a defensive shot. Front-foot shots are usually played when the ball is pitched up to the batsman and in the later is usually used bowling that is pitched short.

Grip and Stance

Grip is the way you hold your bat matters. It's a common conception that the bat should be raised as vertically as possible but there are suggestions from coaching manuals that it's more accurate for the bat to be slightly angled.

‍Forward and back‍

Depending upon the course of the ball, the batsman usually moves forward or backwards in his attempt to obstruct the ball. Once you see the ball coming towards you, look at its speed and the pitch. Make sure that when you lift your bat to hit the ball, your forearm should line up with your shoulder.

Eye on the ball

Always, eye on the ball. Below are some tips you can follow to perfection your batting skills -

Perfect your grip on the bat

Place the bat on the ground with its end facing you. This way there will be one person next to each wicket. This is called a back lift. This means that you should always watch the ball and then decide and play. If you move your head or shoulder, you can distract yourself from the ball. Wait for the swing and then move accordingly either by taking a small step back or front. Follow through with your bat to hit the ball as far as possible. While lifting your bat, it should point straight in the air and should come up till your back shoulder. Keep your eye on the ball as it can move straight towards the wicket or sideways. Be clear before you make the run.

Running fast - fast runs helps you gain more runs and gives you the chance to quickly run, turn around, and run back.

Look at the fielder - change your bat from right to left if the fielder is in onside and left to right if it’s on the offside. Try to block out all the excitement and nervousness coming from others and concentrate on the ball.

Practice in front of your mirror

Practising your swing in front of a mirror before practising with a ball will make you perfect. The opposite for left-handed batsmen. When the ball is about to be released, the batsman needs to lift his bat to play a stroke, after which he resumes into position to address the ball once again.

‍ Back lift

When the batsman lifts his bat in anticipation of hitting the ball, this action is known as the back lift. Drill work and playing with them makes you stronger and prepared for your big game. If the ball bounces early, then it is known as a short pitch.

Standing Sideways

Always stand facing the bowler with your feet shoulder-width apart. Distribute your weight equally on both your legs and look directly at the ball.

Basic cricket batting techniques for beginners that a batsman can do

Every batsman wants to know the batting tips and techniques to play well. If you follow the ball till it pitches, you can figure out the position you have to take to hit the ball. As you hold the bat ready, point your non-dominant shoulder towards the bowler and make sure to keep your eyes on the ball.

If the ball is aimed at the wicket

Make contact with the ball if it is aimed at the wicket. Draw the line using your bat’s end and make sure that the line is parallel to the middle wicket. Swing the bat to the side like a baseball bat instead of swinging it directly down. Do not tap excessively hard on the ground. Here are a few more cricket batting basics for every batsman out there:

Focus

As mentioned above, the focus is everything a batsman needs to hit the ball.

Choose the shot

Decide which shot to take according to the ball. It should be held in such a way that your wrist has enough space for easy movement.

The stance is the standing position of a batsman before a ball being bowled at him. Choose your direction and strength according to the pitch of the ball. This line is called a guard line. Hold the bat tightly, ready yourself and hit the ball.

The movement of the batsman for a particular delivery to a large extent depends on the type of shot that is being attempted. The bowler tries to aim at your wickets and so stand in front of them while covering half of the wicket to protect it from falling.

Reading the bat

Hold the bat horizontally away from the bowler and at your thigh level which is perpendicular to the ground. Hold the bat according to your comfort.

Facing the bowler

While batting, your non-dominant side should be facing the bowler. This is done so that your dominant hand pushes the bat with full force to hit the ball far and high and away from the bowler.

Feet should be at a comfortable distance

Placing your feet 1-foot separate from one another gives stability to your batting. That’s why to move your shoulder in front a bit and bend to keep your head and body straight throughout.

Move backward or forward

Move accordingly to the shot you wanna hit. Do not misjudge and run in confusion. If you are practising indoors, use tape to draw the guard line.

Tapping the bat on the ground line

If you tap on the guard line, this indicates the bowler that you are ready to bat. The strength will help you make a long and far shot.

Ready to hit

Lift your bat backward while going in for a hit. This cricket batting technique is the most common and is called a straight drive.

Short Pitch

Swing the bat to the side, if the pitch is short. There are different types of standard shots like the front-foot shots which are played with the weight on the front foot while back foot shots emphasis the weight on the back foot.