Wrist Spin Tactics - Pravin Tambe T20

Tactics/Plans

Over at one of my other blogs I'm slowly writing a post where I'm looking at tactics and plans, so at the moment that post is a bit disorganised and I'm still at the research stage. Last night I was researching Pravin Tambe and watching a Rajastan Royals match with Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he takes 4 wickets in his four overs.

Pravin Tambe has an interesting story in that he came from nowhere, progressing from being a club cricketer to playing for RR in the IPL bowling at the likes of Virat Kohli, AB Devlliers et al. Despite that massive progression he's done exceptionally well, partly due to the fact that it is T20 cricket and the batsmen have to go after the ball and score and the fact that he's been handled well by the captains seemingly.

Watching the Youtube video Tambe's spell is interesting because of the way that he goes about getting Virat Kohli's wicket. In the game Kohli is the only bloke that looks as though he's going to be able to put runs on the board because all around him the other players are falling for pitiful scores. On his side Tambe has the benefit of the fact that Kohli therefore is under immense pressure to score runs. Up to the point where Tambe gets the Kohli's wicket, Kohli has played Tambe fairly well, scoring singles and rotating the strike. Then Tambe does something very simple, not changing his action - so he runs in exactly the same as before, the bowling action effort is the same, but he does something quite obvious in one respect, especially if seen from the side, but from Kohli's position at the crease, possibly not that apparent...

He bowls from way back on the crease, so the ball pitches shorter and Kohli plays through the ball far too early and scoops it up for an easy catch at Mid Wicket. Very simple tactic and very effective.

Field setting for finger spinner Zulfiqar v Ian Bell in the 2nd test in the UAE England v Pakistan

Here's one for right arm finger spinners below, so maybe use full to Googly bowlers or Chinamen to consider? This was at a stage where Pakistan were in total control, so an aggressive field... There's a big gap at mid wicket.

Field Setting - Yasir Shah v Ian Bell 4th day, 2nd test UAE

Yasir Shah v Ian Bell - 4th day second test UAE 2015 - Field Settings

This field was set with England in a losing situation, so Shah was in a good position with support from the other end. England needed to score 491 with little hope of doing so.

Stuart MacGill field setting leg spin

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Click on the image below to go to the field setting...

Stuart MacGill v Pakistan Right-Handers at Rawlpindi 1998 1st Test.

 

Check out my other blog here - this is all about Leg-spin bowling and nothing else. Double click on the image below.

 

Field setting leg-spinner to tail ender observed as weak through the off-side.

When we practice currently we do so on a cricket ground with an all weather strip. It's usually my younger son and I we're primarily bowlers, so we're tail-enders. In order to make the practice more worthy we set out a field using cones, so if the balls in the air and it goes anywhere near the cones it's deemed as being caught. Bowling today I noticed with my initial field which was split 50-50 legside and offside I was carted primarily over the legside. Realising that my son is far better hitting the ball through the legside I then considered 'Angry Ranga's' field posted on Big Cricket here and then came up with my only slightly less radical approach below... Using this field below I managed to get my younger son out 12 times in 46 balls only going for 20 runs or so, most of the dismissals would have been catches.

So this field may be an option against a tail ender like myself or my son who struggle to hit the ball easily through the off-side and rely on scoring runs on the leg-side.

Check out my other blog here - this is all about Leg-spin bowling and nothing else. Double click on the image below.

 

How to put kids off of playing cricket

One of the best ways of putting kids off of playing cricket is to progress them up to adult games and make them umpire when they're not ready and you've got idiot adults batting. Somehow some adults don't seem to realise that teenage boys do not have the same skill sets as Marais Erasmus, Billy Bowden and Kumar Dharmasena, along with the years of experience and training. So if your captain for whatever reason and it's usually because the other adults haven't turned up because they're still hung over from Friday night or knew they were going to be S**t faced on Saturday and therefore declined to play that week, is forced to put a kid in the position of being umpire. Think before you start losing it when you're given out LBW...

1. The kids is probably totally intimidated by the situation in the first place because your team doesn't do in-house umpiring.
2. The kid isn't Billy Bowden.
3. The kids is surrounded by adults shouting in his face Howzat - who he doesn't know who probably look really aggressive and intimidating.
4. He doesn't have a 3rd umpire or a review system to turn to.
5. As far as he's concerned it did hit your pads - it looked that way.
6. He's not an expert in any way shape or form and might be completely intimidated by the whole affair. Think Fatty Batter and the explanation in that book why the author always preferred playing friendly games.

Finally this is not football, this is cricket, a gentleman's game, so if the kid or anyone gives you out, keep your mouth shut, accept your fate and walk away like a man and learn how to hit the ball cleanly rather than edge it onto your pads. I don't care if you've paid £12 to play and now you've got to spend the next 6 hours fielding or sitting watching other people score runs; or maybe in your mind -  lose the game. You are in a team with inexperienced players, kids trying to find their way, so the last thing they need is for you to turn round and glare at them swearing and cursing, claiming you hit the ball, standing there as if you're being paid to play and this is the death knell of your career because the selectors are watching, you're not Ponting or Bell, you're probably some bloke who's main focus in life is football. If you don't like it, stop playing cricket, sort your f****d up knees out, stop drinking beer and man up - go and shout and glare at other adults on a football pitch and stop bullying small boys if that's your thing. 

Kids are the life blood of a cricket team not arrogant has been's in their 40's who can't hit the ball any more (sober or hung-over). Back to the sheds mate and shut the F**k up.

Check out my other blog here - this is all about Leg-spin bowling and nothing else. Double click on the image below.