Coaching Profile:
Sonny Day-Tennant
BATTING
Front foot play:
Try to relax hands a little more (have them working together) and play the ball in your area, i.e. under your eye line rather than too far away from your body out in front, as that will present an increased likelihood of playing away from your body and chipping balls up.
Work with a comfortable stride out towards the ball when playing front foot, ensuring front foot/leg leads out and establishes a strong position to hit from, with head and overall weight transfer just a split second behind to time the ball. Balls on leg stump and angled in towards the legs aim to get as straight as possible (first instinct) which then makes it possible to work hands across the ball to go squarer leg side if/when realising the ball is unlikely to put you in any danger of LBW (balls hitting pads in stance – aim to hit down the ground towards mid-on, balls brushing legs or wider go squarer towards midwicket/square-leg/fine-leg. Identify areas of weakness in the field to pickup easy runs (weak links, fielders slightly deeper where you can work 1’s/2’s).
Tactical Approach:
If the game situation dictates you don’t have to go searching for runs, then use overs to your advantage. Be content to work 1’s/2’s etc and wait fr a bad ball to come along, building your innings (setup building blocks – get to 10, then 20, then 30 and so on….that doesn’t necessarily mean through boundaries; you can score ten runs in 2-3 overs going at a single per ball remember). Once getting a start, stay switched on and try to remain relaxed…let runs find you rather than you looking to force things. Once runs become a necessity then play positively, not recklessly unless you have no option.
Front foot play:
Try to relax hands a little more (have them working together) and play the ball in your area, i.e. under your eye line rather than too far away from your body out in front, as that will present an increased likelihood of playing away from your body and chipping balls up.
Work with a comfortable stride out towards the ball when playing front foot, ensuring front foot/leg leads out and establishes a strong position to hit from, with head and overall weight transfer just a split second behind to time the ball. Balls on leg stump and angled in towards the legs aim to get as straight as possible (first instinct) which then makes it possible to work hands across the ball to go squarer leg side if/when realising the ball is unlikely to put you in any danger of LBW (balls hitting pads in stance – aim to hit down the ground towards mid-on, balls brushing legs or wider go squarer towards midwicket/square-leg/fine-leg. Identify areas of weakness in the field to pickup easy runs (weak links, fielders slightly deeper where you can work 1’s/2’s).
Tactical Approach:
If the game situation dictates you don’t have to go searching for runs, then use overs to your advantage. Be content to work 1’s/2’s etc and wait fr a bad ball to come along, building your innings (setup building blocks – get to 10, then 20, then 30 and so on….that doesn’t necessarily mean through boundaries; you can score ten runs in 2-3 overs going at a single per ball remember). Once getting a start, stay switched on and try to remain relaxed…let runs find you rather than you looking to force things. Once runs become a necessity then play positively, not recklessly unless you have no option.
