Cricket Practice - Another Nail in the Coffin

I was leafing through some old the Cricketer magazines, like you all do I'm sure, when I came across an article in the October 2011 edition (pictured), of relevance to one of my familiar themes.

It is all very well for one to criticise things that they see as flawed, however without then going on to say what should replace those nonsenses, leaves your criticism hollow.

I have been unable to find the article online, so will reproduce here. It is accredited to Crispin Andrews in the 'Expert Eye' column, page 24, for any subscribing hoarders out there, just in case you do not believe me. To be clear, I am not making this up!!!


Expert Eye

If you want to improve your game then forget about nets, throw-downs and fielding drills. Instead juggle, play on the Nintendo Wii and hold a pencil in front of your nose until your eyes hurt.

Last year Zoe Wimshurst, a visual performance coach, tried out some of these ideas on the Leicestershire squad. Over a six-week, pre-season period, 24 first teamers and Academy players worked on not just batting, bowling and fielding, but on improving their eyesight.

"So many decisions a cricketer makes are based on information coming to them through visual signals," says Wimshurst, who also works with the British Olympic team and runs her own consultancy Performance Vision. "The quicker those signals come in, the more time the player has to make a decision and get their body into the right position.

Wimshurst tested the players' visual skills and then split them into four groups. The first did practical visual training: juggling and kicking balls simultaneously, catching a ball with an unpredictable bounce to help reactions and moving pencils towards their nose to strengthen eye muscles. The second group used an online vision trainer that helped Clive Woodward's England win the Rugby World Cup in 2003 while the third played Mario and Duck Shoot on the Nintendo Wii. "All these help players scan ahead, get both eyes working together and assist peripheral awareness," Wimshurst says.

The fourth group did only additional cricket drills. When tested again, this group had improved it's visual performance and cricket skills least. The winners? Those pencil pushers, although the Nintendo boys ran them close.

The batsman Jacques du Toit from the pencil group, is convinced the sessions helped. "My peripheral vision improved, no doubt," he says. I can keep a clear picture of fielders without having to look up at the last moment ans take my eye off the ball."

So the next time some well meaning psychopath requests some laps of the park to 'warm up', tell them you are working hard staring at a pencil thank you very much.

Further corroboration  that orthodox training methods are very limited comes from this site which I shall let you peruse at your own convenience. In a seemingly decent piece, some quotes may appeal to the teenager in you, I've picked out my favourites:

" if you want to improve your cricket, you need only concentrate on six inches"

"cricket is a mental game"

"What is so surprising is that despite the fact that everyone knows cricket is a mind game, most players and teams practice their technique, but spend little or no time developing the mental skills "

"Once you have mastered the skills of cricket..."

"you need to be sufficiently aroused to perform at your best. But if you become too aroused, your performance will suffer and you'll start to make mistakes"

"Cricketers often allow their arousal level to become too high"

Dunfermline Knights v Holy Cross - Division 1, Saturday 26th May

Holy Cross 211-7 (50 overs).

Dunfermline Knights 212-4 (48.4 overs).

It's a hard knock life we live

Like a cricket team going to an away match, the 1st XI travelled to McKane Park in Dunfy on Saturday to challenge former National League side Dunfermline Knights in East League Division 1. The sky was blue, the sun was hot and the pitch was flat with a bit of grass that looked like it might give the bowlers some grip. A brisk easterly kept a lid on the true heat for most of the day blowing directly across the pitch and proceedings were overseen by two neutral umpires.

McOscar driving

Heated discussions took place pre-toss in the visitors dressing room as the Skipper insisted on batting, whilst his VC preferred putting the oppo in, skittling them, knocking off the runs and getting back on the road quicksharp.

McOscar defending

However the umpires coin awarded the decision to our hosts and the gentlemen with the local knowledge asked us to bat!!! A strange innings then ensued. Mahzer & Fraser led the Cross assault screaming to 24-0 after 3 overs on a pitch of little bounce. Pretty soon the Knights bowlers adjusted their radars and a period of bowling at the stumps contained a spell of 43-6 from the next 17 overs taking the visitors to 67-6 after 20. Then the recovery totalled 144-1 in the last 30 overs.

Probably the source of Shifty's finger injury

Fraser (11) was first to exit missing a straight one. Ellis (6) was next oot to a mildly contentious LBW (aren't they all?). E.C. Smith (1) followed soon after misjudging and playing over a yorker. Bonfield (5) kept the collapse going by edging one onto his pads and swallowing another LBW. Archer (Golden) didn't hang about at all on his first league knock falling to the same fate as Smith, nonetheless it was lovely to see him take part in his first Cross Collapse. Somewhere in amongst all that Owais (10) tried to clobber one a bit too far away from his body and it was taken nicely at extra cover. So there we were at 67-6 and in deep doodoo.

That said, we've been talking up, if not actually utilising an unfathomably long batting order this season. McOscar was joined by the skipper (a couple of tons as an opening bat) while Trewartha (sane), Gaware (mad) and El Presidente (unpredictable) lurked in the hutch. After a mini recovery and some nice shots from both swordsmen, Russell (12) was deceived by a quicker ball and bowled off his pads with the score on 96 in the 27th over.

McOscar lofts one straight

When the wickets were tumbling, the fielders, as you'd expect, were chirping with some gusto, but things were quietening down somewhat and were soon to become quieter still. McOscar was compiling a magnificent innings using his feet with eloquence and his bat with panache. Pretty soon Trewartha got his eye in too and Crossers began to hope 150 would be possible, then 180, then maybe even 200. But this pair just kept going, Gary was finding the extra cover boundary in particular with some sweet lofted drives whilst Simon was skipping freely down the track to despatch the fading bowlers to the boundary of his choice. Both remained unbeaten, McOscar never looking in trouble for an inspiring 109 and 40 for Trewartha that says to the skipper he's ready to move up the order.

Trewartha through cover

Tea was taken and I'll take this opportunity to commend the fantastic hospitality. From the fridge in the changing room to the majesty of the guard dog to the jam on the scones, we were looked after as well as we have been anywhere.

Big dug!!!

So with full bellies and gladdened hearts we took to the field for Dunfermline's innings with no shortage of confidence. The hosts weren't holding back though and quickly reached 21 before Bonfield enticed their lefty opener to mis-time a drive that Ellis pouched low at mid-on. This caused some damage to the paw of Ellis and he had to leave the field for a few overs to seek a replacement digit. The hosts continued apace reaching 55 before the busy number 3 arrived, splatted a couple, then left again when the rebuilt Ellis accounted for his wicket. Next over McOscar (replacing Bonfield) trapped the other opener at the 'LBW end'. At 55-3 after 16 overs we were right back in it. Davidson & Wilkinson then began to bed in and stop the rot. At Drinks, the hosts lagged a little behind the required run rate at 90-3 but it was anybodies game.

More offside show-offery

In the first over after Drinks Dougie shelled a c&b chance and not long after Shifty had to relinquish the gloves due to a "crunchy" finger injury. He was subsequently hidden at backward square leg and, as sure as night follows day, one was hit right down his throat (as they say) but his 9 good fingers couldn't compensate for the crunchy one and another chance was carpeted. Elsewhere Vikram's legendary groin began to play up restricting him to just 4 miserly overs.

Centurion

The two Dunfermline batsmen kept things ticking along nicely, the Cross bowlers never quite being able to string together enough good balls without the odd loose one thrown in. Needing 12 from the last three overs the home side looked for the finish allowing Bonfield to bowl Wilkinson round his legs for 57. Then in the 49th over Davidson (89*) picked out McOscar at Cow but once again the the ball was spilled and any slim chance that remained was gone as the hosts thundered past our total with a maximum the very next ball.

Trewartha 0-47, Bonfield 2-44, McOscar 1-41, Ellis 1-36, Russell 0-27, Gaware 0-11.

Back in the Green Room some of our newer recruits were treated to some of the legendary tales from yesteryore as King Coco recounted shenanigans from a small hamlet just along the east coast from the days when he worked as a lifeguard and gave more than just the kiss of life to bathers. We were also treated to accounts of both times he's combusted on the field of play. Later, the newest club legend made an appearance in his finest Saturday night attire on a brief break from the end of season rugger club dinner being held next door.

Caption competition...?

Standards

An open letter to all Crossers.

Gents,

My patience has finally snapped and I feel I must make this plea before it’s too late (especially given Broonster's snide reference to this matter in his recent match report). Over the last few weeks I’ve noticed a worrying lack of focus and commitment amongst Crossers, combined with the longstanding technical issues that have afflicted the club since the 1950s. As a club we MUST raise our standards: otherwise what’s left of the club's reputation will be lost. Some of the complacent chatter at yesterday’s game (especially from Mr Admin and Ziggy) suggested that they simply hadn’t grasped the seriousness of the matter. As for the attitudes expressed by the likes of Smudger, pvb and Coco, well words fail me - but they are surely clear evidence of the tide of relativism sweeping this club and this nation.

If anyone needs assistance with these matters feel free to contact me.

Otherwise PLEASE follow these instructions at ALL times: (and please do NOT accuse me of 'stirring' it).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvYymrCn4g

and here:

http://tinyurl.com/6txrb




If you can’t remember all this, remember the maxim: ‘rich with plenty milk’.