This afternoon was Ben and Joe's first practice session of the season with their team Basildon and Pitsea. The venue the same as last year - Fitzwymarc School in Rayleigh. It doesn't look as though the team has changed much for their age group apart from a handful of smaller boys. Ben was in a net with Ryan, Steven, Anthony and Harrison and Joe was with a bunch of random kids whose names I don't know as yet. They all bowled fairly well, Ben bowled okay, but we'd had a practice beforehand in the street so he should have done okay. Ben's in a transitional stage at the moment where sometimes he bowls straight and other times he bowls Leg Breaks neither with any great conviction. But what was good was his batting, as I've said loads of times before, he doesn't seem to take any notice of me - but today he was actually doing the things I've been telling to do over the last few months and he batted quite well keeping the ball off the stumps with the exception of one that was bowled by Ryan.
Reg suggested that we go home and get Ben to bat between two chairs a couple of thousand times, which I tried but again it all goes wrong because it's me telling him how to do it and he just doesn't want to know. The little bit that we did do though made absolute total sense and it looks like such a good idea to force the drive shot and make become a natural instinctive action. I'll have another go at another time. I might try it wit Joe?
