Diary of a Vegan Cricketer (Week Eighteen)

I have another C this week – calm! Played a couple of games this week, had a net session, didn’t pick up a golf club, and had a tea with labels for a variety of dietary requirements.

2024 Season Week Eighteen: July 29th – August 4th

About a month ago I was playing alongside a Premier Player from one of the Yorkshire Leagues and they were saying that their batting improved once they understood how to remain calm at the crease. I figured at the time there was something in this and have been mulling it over for some time. Commentators on TV regularly say players need to take their time (even in frantic short format games) and that players that look ‘organised’ tend to do well.

I have spent way more time coaching this last 12 months than working on my own game. Not for the lack of trying to weather and finding a reliable and useful training partners has been an issue, one which is hopefully starting to be resolved.

A week or so ago I was doing some coaching and we were talking about the need for a consistent set up routine, the benefit (or not of a trigger) and how to organise your time at the crease and to take the match situation into account, but not be rushed by it. I summarised our chat by saying “be calm” and the lightbulb went on! I realised a) what the player meant by being calm and that b) I was being anything but and had slipped into some bad habits! Basically I haven’t been keeping my head level so have been falling over the ball (LBW/Bowled) and getting outside the line (dragging balls across from off to on). For me the trick is to keep my hands high, which basically means baseball style stance (which I sort of dislike) and to get lower by bending the knees (with a wider stance) and opening the front foot to and lean forward: I am in effect the old Harry Brook!

I have only had a couple of innings to try this out and whist I have not set the scoreboard alight, I have felt more balanced, comfortable and in control and am starting to strike the ball better. Combined with my ever improving body I am feeling more positive than for a long time and hopefully can play a dozen or so games before the end of the season to get some runs and take some momentum into the off season.

Over at Church Eaton the 2s skipper has broken their thumb and is out for at least a month so I will be captain until he returns which gives me the opportunity to focus on my batting, limit my bowling as am trying to do less so can start rehab early, and I do enjoy working with the youngsters. The 2s are a great bunch of old and young, experienced and inexperienced, talented and willing and if we could get consistency of availability/selection and a core of established players to support the youngsters and develop our cricketing brains we would do well. Maybe a challenge for next year, but only if everyone wants to buy into it!

The charity game (above) was a great day, and one that I was really pleased that NBCC could support. Shared a few ‘tricks’ to keep the game ticking over: 30 0vers split into 2 x 15 had been agreed before which was a great plan as stopped new players getting bored.One experienced batter holding up one end to keep the scoreboard ticking over and to play shots to fielders that otherwise would have been left of blocked, one experienced bowler at one end to keep the ball in play and allow batter to get ball on bat, rotating the field round one position every over with a new player bowling one over in rotation.

And the tea (funded by the ECB) had labels for the various diets (and we hadn’t been asked) which was very welcome.

No golf on Thursday because of a funeral and other things took precedent over the driving range but hopefully back on it this week