Sidearm, Paddock and kids training

It did rain over night so I took advantage of the fact and had the roller on the paddock again. It looks like the layout of the Paddock is going to be exactly as it has been for the last 3 years, which means the batting area is going to be dirt, the rest of it seems to have recovered pretty well and come the Easter holiday might be fairly usable if the council get in there and mow it. It will benefit from some rain once it's been cut as that'll allow me to get it really smooth and flat. Overall I'm optimistic that it'll be usable for a few months.

Sidearm

We had the sidearm out today, both Joe and Ben didn't fancy facing it, but they were willing initially to give it a go with me. In order to protect the wet grass at the bowling end we deployed the heavy duty bowling mat for the first time and that looks very promising as a good solid platform from which to bowl off of, so that'll be used all summer to prevent ruts and loose material under-foot. Ben and Joe's use of the sidearm was a little below par, with Joe soon giving up with it and Ben following not long after. Ben at least was asking 'Well, how long have got to use it in order that I get good at it'? I think he wants to be able to use it, but gets frustrated by the fact that it isn't that easy. They don't seem to want to put the effort in over the longer term to get it sussed. He made the point that he'd learned some pretty difficult stunt scooter tricks by watching youtube tutorials and that I needed to show and tell him what to do and how to do it, but I couldn't... It's one of those intuitive things that you get a feel for with practice, every time I use it I get more accurate with it and once they'd given up I threw a few buckets of balls and was amazingly accurate. I've got it sussed now that I can use differing types of balls and differ the technique, but describing the subtleties in the technique for each ball is nigh on impossible, it's just something you feel.

I think we're going to have to change our practice regime in order that it includes a section of practice where they face the sidearm fully padded up, as I'm pretty certain it will be beneficial to them both especially Ben as he'll have to face some pretty fast bowling this season.

Kids Training

The training was different this week, no nets, so G-Man had them doing a series of different drills and then eventually they had a bit of a knock about. Both Ben and Joe took wickets and their mate Kieran probably made the biggest contribution to his side with the bat as the last man standing. Kieran with some guidance and encouragement could be a half decent batsman and he too might benefit from practicing with the sidearm. In Joe's U11 group as well, his mate Harry Hodgson is one of those kids with good eye/ball coordination and could easily improve in leaps and bounds as he get older and starts to listen to instructions and takes on board the theory and puts it into practice.

The Paddock

Here in the UK we're heading for a drought unless a lot of rain falls pretty soon, rivers and reservoirs are up to 50% down on capacity and this is before the summer even starts. We've had 2 consecutively dry winters, with very little in the way of rain and increase in colder snowy weather which only lasts for a week or so.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geoffreylean/100144383/drought-in-britain-whats-the-worst-case-scenario/

As far as the Paddock is concerned, what with the removal of the fence, I was in two minds whether I'd maintain it this year, but last week we had a bit of a knock about in there using the sidearm. I've said to Joe, Ben and Kieran that whoever bowls me out 10 times first will get a tenner and that's given them all incentive to pick up the sidearm and start using it therefore improving their accuracy with it and giving me the chance to face faster bowling. But interestingly, even though the paddock is in a real mess at the moment, the ball was coming through fine, so with a little rain today I took the opportunity to get in there with the roller and give it a going over. As I write it's raining right now and due to continue through the night, so it's likely that I'll have another go tomorrow and I may also seed it.

With regards the fence, I contacted the local council and they've said that there's a small chance that something may happen, so fingers crossed if they've got to spend money before their financial review and they're looking for projects to spend the cash on quickly, we may get lucky?

Slow start to early season prep

Haven't been on here much. Combination of still feeling a bit ropey, and work being harder than normal because of factors linked to the recession meaning I'm just knackered. But slowly I'm feeling better and a little fitter and I'm still chucking the ball around and flicking it.

Last night was a good night at nets, a relatively poor turn out, which is odd, because you'd think that we'd struggle to get sides out on the basis of the numbers that turn up at nets, yet in the summer I struggle to get a match in any team as you might record from the blog last year. But I bowled quite well causing one or two of the better batsmen some problems and one or two acknowledging that the bowling was good. The previous nets before last night were similar, although they were getting the ball away it was in the air - short cover, gully, point and Square leg all potentially places where the ball could have been caught, so overall I reckon I'm doing okay. Last night changes in pace did for a lot of them and I'd been watching some of the senior players bowling - one a finger spinner who bowled obvious big turning off-breaks and the other bloke just seemed to be dead accurate always on the stumps forcing the player to play the ball. I noticed the 2nd bloke varied his pace and length loads, bowling in a way that suggested that if you miss I'll hit the stumps, he bowled off of one or two steps and whipped all the balls in surprisingly fast for such a short run-in, but then out of no-where he had an effort ball that was just so much faster and either, right at the base of the stumps or in one case half way up the stumps. But both of them deployed the same approach - several balls at one speed and then one out of no-where much faster.

I'm noticing more that I'm resorting to a couple of tactics, both of which rely on fairly accurate bowling. I'm now starting with an off-stump line (Over the stumps) which has to be accurate - threatening the off-stump looking to see how they play the ball. I'm hoping that they play with a straight bat looking to drive me, but then dependent on what they do... if they're able to get the ball away I then change the line bowling over the stumps still - bowling a leg stump line a lot fuller. I find that this fuller ball mixed in with the normal deliveries seems to cramp them up and causes problems with the potential for close in fielders to take catches. The other tactic is similar but I go round the wicket and bowl right into the feet and again this usually catches out those that are not so adept on the legside. The blokes I play against seem to have the ability to flick the ball off their pads when it's bowled with some pace, but slower bowling combined with some dip doesn't seem to suit this approach and the ball ends up ballooning up for an easy catching opportunity for Square Leg. I'm in no way saying that these are going to work against really good batsmen, but 3rd and 4th XI players I may have a chance I reckon? It's going to be interesting this summer as my bowling with the new action is going to be far more threatening I reckon.

Update

Cor blimey, I was hoping to get a good start to the season, good levels of fitness and good start with my bowling, but it's all been put back as I came down with a horrible cold that took the best part of 3 weeks to shake off. Thankfully, the back end of it is fading now and I'm getting back into the swing of things and working on my fitness. I seem to recall a similar thing happened last year which meant that I was bowling poorly in the nets and I think that was remembered by the blokes that pick the teams and subsequently I hardly got a game at the start of the season last year. Whether that was the reason I don't know for sure but that's how it felt?

My Bowling

Potentially, with the new action pretty much in place now, I just need to get to full fitness and perhaps all I need to do is tweak my action a little. This Friday gone I bowled at nets and noted a few things that I wasn't doing. I'm not sure whether other people have the same issues, and it probably only affects the afflicted or those of us looking to improve to the extent that we go looking for variations or maybe over-analyse what we do, but, I find that I bowl with a check list in my head. I have a feeling that more naturally talented people just simply bowl and get the desired outcome. It may be the case that had I not gone down the learning the Googly too early
route I may have been one of those naturals? But having had the Googly Syndrome, I've had to re-learn the Leg Break and in doing so have disected it to the point ridiculousness? So now I bowl having to think...

Run up straight.

Come out of the bound with my foot landing sideway to get side on.

Cock the wrist.

Have the leading arm long and strong reaching up and out.

Rotate the shoulders and hips in unison - not seperated.

Get up on the pivot foot toes and rotate.

Keep the motion going forwards.

Keep my head steady and in alignment with where I want the ball to go.

Whip the arm over fast.

Flick the ball from the hand.

Bring the bowling arm down and past the hips through the fade out in the follow through.

If I get all that together it works well! Thing is if I just miss out on one of those components it doesn't work that well, but then if you're thinking through this lot too much it then screws up your rythym, so the whole thing is a bit of a conundrum. With lots of practice it does come together every now and then, but it relies on fitness to some extent.

Good session at the Rec

I've not been on here or anywhere of late as I've been ill (Bad cold). It's only today that I've felt half human again and what with the incredible weather we've been having - 18 degrees on Thursday and Friday here in the South East, felt that today was a good opportunity to get a session in over at the tennis courts. I'd emailed Franks Dad and made arrangements for them to join us and it turned out that it would only be Frank.

We had to walk over with all the kit as my cars busted at the moment, but we got over there only to be met by two sets of cricketers! In one corner a Dad with two small boys of about 6-7 years old and in the centre using our pitch marks the Sri Lankan bloke and his Chinaman bowling son. I've mentioned this bloke before in the blog, I said hello to him and ascertained that he'd only just beaten us to the wicket by a couple of minutes. We ended up setting up along one side as they practiced in the middle. Ben suggested after a while when it was obvious that we were hitting the ball through their practice area frequently, that I invited them to join in and I did so. He said he might do, and that they were going to finish up and go and do some fielding practice over on the grass and might join us later.

As they packed up the other little kids did as well and we were left with the whole space for ourselves. We played with our normal format but batted in pairs, so that we practiced working together in pairs looking to score the best partnership. Later in the session the Sri-Lankan bloke and his son came back, so we had - Kieran, the two Sri-Lankan's, Frank, Joe, Ben and me all practicing in match mode - all very cricket specific re-creating scenarios that they have to deal with in games.

Joe bowled really well, he's ditched spin bowling I reckon and I can't see him returning to it for a while if ever, which I'm not fussed about as long as he enjoys his bowling/cricket. He was bowling seam up and very accurately and bowling with some serious away swing to the right handers and in-swing to Frank obviously as he's a left-hander. He took Kierans wicket with a lovely ball that went straight through him with a little extra bounce and speed and just clipped the bails over the middle stump. Normally Kieran bats quite freely if on his own, but with the focus on winning within a partnership scenario, he seemed to have put pressure on himself. I batted with the Sri-Lankan bloke and we had the leading total and retired and Ben and the Sri-Lankan lad went next. Ben went in using the 'Eye in' bat and batted out of his skin! Front foot drives along the ground straight back past the bowler, Cover Drives in the gap between Mid off and Cover - superb batting and he even said himself... "I'm liking this bat Dad, you seen how I'm batting here?' They went on to create the highest partnership of 26. With Ben eventually losing his wicket prancing down the wicket to Frank for a stumping.

Frank bowled well, getting the ball to turn a lot, I strugglec against him, but most of the balls were outside the off-stump leg breaks and this scenario with all the time in the world there was no need to play the shots. What Franks needs to do there is pitch the ball on Leg Stump or just outside of Leg Stump - probably fuller with me as I'm no good at balls coming into the legs.

I bowled Frank with a double bounce Wrong Un which dismissed him hitting the stumps. This would be the first and only time I've got a ball passed him in this way, but he argued that it was a No-Ball, I explained the law...

6. Ball bouncing more than twice or rolling along the groundThe umpire shall call and signal No ball if a ball which he considers to have been delivered, without having previously touched bat or person of the striker,either (i) bounces more than twiceor (ii) rolls along the groundbefore it reaches the popping crease.

But I'm going to not claim the wicket as he may have not played it in the belief that it was a No-Ball before he even played his stroke, plus I wasn't happy with it as a delivery anyway!

Ben bowled the Sri-Lankan Dad with a beautiful ball that went righ through him to hit the top of middle stump, the bloke was impressed as well.

Frank was asking about the Wrong Un and I said to give it a go and see how it works out, but not to spend too much time on it. I also said to work on his Top-Spinner first as it'll help with the wrong un and getting that sussed without having to risk going too far.

Net news

I've been up to the in-laws who now live in Derby and live within spitting distance of 4 or 5 cricket pitches, in fact I think my Father in Law is going to join the club across the road from him so he can go and watch and drink in their bar! But, what with all these clubs around in the local vicinity, I was able to have a bit if a bowl at the facilities just outside of Ilkeston in Okawell drive. There's a pitch there (See below) based amongst a load of council facilities, including a sports hall, we discovered it because we'd booked to play badmintion in the sports hall. The two Badminton courts costs us £8 each for an hour and the bloke had to unlock the sports hall to let us in. He let us in and once in there was some kind of code system that would have allowed us to come and go, and then walked off an left us to it. This place was amazing! Ben and I had been to the Essex county Ford ground last Sunday for a strength and conditioning seminar and I was pretty impressed with their indoor facilities, but this place made the Essex Ford indoor facilities look like a dive. Once into the main hall it was enormous and all brand new, heated and empty. I wish I'd had my camera to show you how impressive this place was. It must have been around 4 wickets wide - 80 yards wide by about 6 wicket in length 100 + yards long - absolutely huge! It would be brilliant for indoor cricket. We ended up being in there on our own for in excess of 2 hours and no-one came in despite the fact that it was a school holiday. We eventually left at 5pm and as we were leaving 3 blokes turned up. Outside on the cricket pitches outfield were a few boys playing football. It was then that I noticed that round the corner of the sports hall was a load of nets. Before we left I went had a quick look at these nets and whether they were accessible and sure enough they were.

Bens Batting

Paddock

Pre Season Wrist Spin preparation

I hate this time of year, I reckon it must be my lowest ebb, my skins as pale as its ever going to be,, I'm probably physically weaker and out of condition more now than any other time of year and susceptible to colds and illnesses. Nets has started at my club and there's the possibility that I could turn up and get myself an injury through over doing it, potentially setting myself back several steps for the real start of the season at the end of March.

I've started training as you might have already noticed - nets and some practice outside where and when possible. The recent sessions have highlighted loads of issues, but primarily I'm just nowhere near match fit as such. On a more optimistic note the Strength and Conditioning seminar Ben and I went to kind of indicated that despite how I feel I'm in fairly good shape for an old bloke, so with a little work things should come together?

Earlier in the year I toyed with the idea of doing Yoga to explore the potential of being more flexible and I went to a local bloke near where I live. It was interesting and I came away with some really useful stuff on how to relax which I've adopted and do occassionally, but the Yoga part was very basic and I was able to do all the things that were set for the class with relative ease, whereas all around me the other people were struggling, so for now I'm going back to my usual regieme of stretches I've picked up on my surfing and cricket journey through life.

Good day for younger son Joe

Younger son Joe had a good session at his under 11 nets, which is a relief as after last week he wasn't that impressed and it looked as though if it had been followed up by a second session, we may have had cries of 'I don't want to go to nets -it's pointless'. But, this week it seems as though he's been bouyed by some success and he came home really enthused by the whole event despite it sounding as though it had followed the same format. This week the coaches were focusing on Front Foot Drives, and this is one of the strokes that I'm always trying to get him to use in our knock abouts in the Tennis Courts following up all the work that G-Man and others have been doing over the previous 2 years and the message might be getting through. Joe reported that they had been put into groups of 4 - one batting, one dropping the ball (2nd bounce drive) and the other two lads fielding. It seems that when Joe did it he was getting the ball past the 2 fielders consistently and then later in the session they were encouraged to drive the ball in a game. Joe seems to have set up a win by driving the ball well towards the end of the game and was more than pleased with the session.

Later in the day one of the coaches Neil said on his facebook page that the session had gone well and that he was optimistic that the U11's and the U13's look like good units again this year and that maybe we'll have another really positive year. I reckon he might be right and I'm looking forward to seeing how the year pans out and how both teams do.

Strength and Conditioning Cricket

You might be aware, but as well as writing blogs I write a lot of stuff on an Australian based forum and through the forum I've met some really good people, that have guided me through all my bowling issues and questions. Recently one of these on-line friends Liz Ward invited me along to go along to the Essex County ground today to a strength & conditioning seminar conducted and run by Core Cambridge additionally it offered a chance to catch up with Liz and other friends that I've made through posting on forums. I'm not a massive advocate of strength and conditioning because I normally associate it with having to fork out shed loads of money to go to a gym. This seminar was looking at ways of doing it with little or no equipment and incorporating it into cricket training programmes.

I took my older son Ben, who is by nature as a 13 year old boy, more interested in X-Box games and he came along begrudgingly. I didn't know what to expect and one of the main reasons I went was to meet up with my forum friends, but it turned out to be a very well conducted session which ended up highlighting several things about my own bodies state with regards to its condition. It turns out that I'm not as flexible as I thought I was, but to be honest looking around all the others I still looked to have been one of the most flexible in the hall! But, the seminar also offered solutions with a whole range of equipment-less exercises and drills to do to combat injury and build in strength and flexibility. What I was impressed with is the advice that I've had previously via the forums and Liz Ward, because when it came to the things that I'm already working with -core strength through the use of Planks and associated exercises it seems I was doing pretty well. Ben, despite his reservations about going said that he enjoyed it, I think he liked the fact that with some of the arm drills he was very flexible - out flexing many of the people in the room, but to get his attention and to keep him engaged for the best part of 3 hours is a testament to how good the seminar was!