That catches win matches is a very old saying and this is very rightly said. Many times in a cricket match, the fielding level of teams is the determining factor in the outcome of a match. A team may have the best batting line up, have the world’s deadliest fast bowlers and spin bowlers, but if the fielding of the team is not up to the mark, winning can be an impossible task. The whole team could be playing well and a misfield from a fielder could suddenly demoralize the whole team. Cricket is a team game and every member of the team must give his best if the team wants to win a match.
Fielding in a cricket match is all about anticipation. Better the level of your anticipation is, better will be your resulting fielding effort. Remember a good fielder is one who is comfortable in fielding at any position, be it the boundary or the slip cordon. Cricket fielding tips are capable of giving you proper fielding guidance if you follow them seriously.
Fielding in the boundary can be very tricky if you do not have the right amount of concentration. The boundary is the nosiest area in a cricket field and any lapse can prove to be fatal to the team. If you are fielding in that position, never be distracted by the noise and bantering from the crowd. Cricket fielding tips suggest that your sole aim must be to follow the movement of the ball and anticipate in advance where the ball is likely to end up.
The golden rule of taking catches while fielding is not to celebrate too soon. Remember what happened to Herschelle Gibbs, when he started his celebrations a bit too early after taking the catch of Steve Waugh in a crucial world cup encounter. South Africa was knocked out from the tournament and Australia went on to win the trophy, all because of a missed catch. Remember to secure the ball in your hand for enough time before you start celebrating. Never get carried away when you have taken the catch, even if you have caught the world’s best batsman for a duck.
Following the cricket fielding tips are crucial while fielding at any position in the cricket field. While fielding at close in positions like slips, gully and short leg, make sure that your stance is proper. Keep a proper distance in between both your feet so that your body weight is divided evenly. Rest lightly on the balls of your feet so that you can easily maneuver yourself to the direction in which the ball is going past you. Remember, that catches should always be taken with soft hands. If you are a close in fielder, never neglect to wear protective gears like helmet and pad. Remember injuries sustained while fielding can turn to be life threatening for a player.
Always be alert while you are fielding, be it at any position. This is a golden cricket fielding tips, which will surely lead you to succeed in the cricket field. If you are fielding in the deep, take care to avoid the sun. Wear protective sunglasses to keep away the sun while you are running to take a catch. Remember the outcome of a match depends on the way you field for your team. Catches really do win matches.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Cricket Batting Tips: The Sweep Shot And Reverse Sweep
The sweep and the reverse sweep are two batting shots which are not commonly used, especially the reverse sweep which is rarely used. However both shots can be used in certain batting situations and are an effective way to score runs and keep the score board ticking over.
There is a high element of risk with the sweep shot, so good judgement and excellent timing is essential. Avoid playing the sweep and reverse sweep early on in your innings especially to straight deliveries, as it is not a good idea to play it until you have your eye in and know how the pitch is playing and what the bowler is doing. As for example, if the ball stayed low it would be quite easy to misjudge and get out LBW or bowled which you definitely want to avoid, so be patient and play yourself in first.
The sweep and reverse sweep are both cross batted shots and should ideally be played to slow deliveries which are of a good length and not too full. To play the orthodox sweep shot, first wait for the ball to be released before making any movement – DON'T PREMEDITATE THE SHOT!
Once you have determined that the ball is there to play the sweep shot to, move your front foot as far down the wicket towards the pitch of the ball as you can. As you are moving forward bend both knees simultaneously so that you whole body is low down, let your back knee touch the ground to act as an extra base of support. Try to stay balanced and relaxed. Bring the bat down from the off side and across the ball towards the leg side and aim to hit it either in front of or behind square leg. You can roll your wrists over the ball as you hit to help keep it on the ground. Aim to have your arms fully extended when you contact the ball.
To play the reverse sweep, get in to the same position as for the orthodox sweep, however this time, bring you bat down and across from leg side towards the off side, so you are aiming to hit the ball through the gully area. This shot requires very good coordination and timing as you have to twist the bat round so that the bat face faces the off side at the point of contact without altering your grip.
Common problems:
-Premeditating the shot- deciding to play the shot before the bowler has bowled the ball. Wait until the ball is released from the bowlers hand before deciding to play the shot.
-Playing the sweep too early in the innings before getting your eye in. Wait until you are set and know how the pitch is playing and what the bowler is doing before attempting the shot.
-Trying to hit the ball too hard. Good timing and technique is better and more effective as you need to reduce the risk as much as possible.
-Playing the shot to deliveries which are either too full or too short, so good judgement of length is required.
Remember that the sweep and reverse sweep are quite hard shots to master and carry quite a lot of risk, so make sure that if you intend to use them, practice the shots in the nets and in training to get a feel for the shot and so you know when to play it; so that when you come to use them you are confident and skilled enough to do so.
There is a high element of risk with the sweep shot, so good judgement and excellent timing is essential. Avoid playing the sweep and reverse sweep early on in your innings especially to straight deliveries, as it is not a good idea to play it until you have your eye in and know how the pitch is playing and what the bowler is doing. As for example, if the ball stayed low it would be quite easy to misjudge and get out LBW or bowled which you definitely want to avoid, so be patient and play yourself in first.
The sweep and reverse sweep are both cross batted shots and should ideally be played to slow deliveries which are of a good length and not too full. To play the orthodox sweep shot, first wait for the ball to be released before making any movement – DON'T PREMEDITATE THE SHOT!
Once you have determined that the ball is there to play the sweep shot to, move your front foot as far down the wicket towards the pitch of the ball as you can. As you are moving forward bend both knees simultaneously so that you whole body is low down, let your back knee touch the ground to act as an extra base of support. Try to stay balanced and relaxed. Bring the bat down from the off side and across the ball towards the leg side and aim to hit it either in front of or behind square leg. You can roll your wrists over the ball as you hit to help keep it on the ground. Aim to have your arms fully extended when you contact the ball.
To play the reverse sweep, get in to the same position as for the orthodox sweep, however this time, bring you bat down and across from leg side towards the off side, so you are aiming to hit the ball through the gully area. This shot requires very good coordination and timing as you have to twist the bat round so that the bat face faces the off side at the point of contact without altering your grip.
Common problems:
-Premeditating the shot- deciding to play the shot before the bowler has bowled the ball. Wait until the ball is released from the bowlers hand before deciding to play the shot.
-Playing the sweep too early in the innings before getting your eye in. Wait until you are set and know how the pitch is playing and what the bowler is doing before attempting the shot.
-Trying to hit the ball too hard. Good timing and technique is better and more effective as you need to reduce the risk as much as possible.
-Playing the shot to deliveries which are either too full or too short, so good judgement of length is required.
Remember that the sweep and reverse sweep are quite hard shots to master and carry quite a lot of risk, so make sure that if you intend to use them, practice the shots in the nets and in training to get a feel for the shot and so you know when to play it; so that when you come to use them you are confident and skilled enough to do so.
Finally, A Cricket Equipment Review Site Worth Talking About
With the continued growth of the number websites on the internet in the last few years it’s not surprising that a lot of these don’t meet the demands of the users as webmasters and business owners seek to make easy money.
For example there are a number of cricket review sites on the internet which appear to be ‘spam’ sites with nothing more than ‘sponsored listings’ and no reviews. This is just one problem experienced by many cricket players searching the internet for cricket equipment reviews.
There are a lot of review websites out there on the internet but very few of them focus specifically on cricket equipment, therefore they lack detail and often have very few reviews which leaves users engaged in a perpetual search for the information they want and need.
However many webmasters and online business owners are finally waking up to the fact that website visitors want high quality content and not just a bunch of junk links. For example the release of cricket-equipment-reviews.com has been met with praise and relief as it provides a place for all cricketers to congregate and to read and post reviews without having to waste time trawling many different websites.
The site allows users to register and suggest different types of cricket equipment for review under eight different categories, as well as post their own reviews of the cricket equipment which is already listed on the website. This is exactly what many of website users and especially cricketers have been waiting for and need, as it allows cricketers to read reviews of new and old products alike and make informed decisions before making a purchase.
Thus the onus is now on the business owners to make the extra effort and change their focus back to the user and not on making a fast buck.
For example there are a number of cricket review sites on the internet which appear to be ‘spam’ sites with nothing more than ‘sponsored listings’ and no reviews. This is just one problem experienced by many cricket players searching the internet for cricket equipment reviews.
There are a lot of review websites out there on the internet but very few of them focus specifically on cricket equipment, therefore they lack detail and often have very few reviews which leaves users engaged in a perpetual search for the information they want and need.
However many webmasters and online business owners are finally waking up to the fact that website visitors want high quality content and not just a bunch of junk links. For example the release of cricket-equipment-reviews.com has been met with praise and relief as it provides a place for all cricketers to congregate and to read and post reviews without having to waste time trawling many different websites.
The site allows users to register and suggest different types of cricket equipment for review under eight different categories, as well as post their own reviews of the cricket equipment which is already listed on the website. This is exactly what many of website users and especially cricketers have been waiting for and need, as it allows cricketers to read reviews of new and old products alike and make informed decisions before making a purchase.
Thus the onus is now on the business owners to make the extra effort and change their focus back to the user and not on making a fast buck.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
9 All Time Great Cricketers
Throughout the history of cricket there have been those that were special, who were slightly different to their fellow cricketers and made the crowd sit up whenever they arrived on the pitch. Of course every game has its heroes and cricket is no exception. And every nation has its own cricketing legends that they believe were better than those of other teams. This article will introduce you to 9 of the world's great cricketers from past and present.
Imran Kahn was a great Pakistani cricketer who played at the highest level for over twenty years from his debut in 1971. He was a great all rounder who led the Pakistan team to their first world cup just before he retired. Always elegant in both action and speech he was one of the best all-rounders that the game has ever had. He is now a politician in Pakistan and the leader of a major political party. He played in 88 tests with a batting average of 37.69. He took 362 wickets with an excellent bowling average of 22.81.
Shane Warne is an Australian spin bowler who is one of, if not the, greatest spin bowler the game has ever seen. He was born in 1969 in Victoria and has played test cricket since 1990, retiring in 2007. He has taken more test wickets than any other player in history. He was also the first player to take more than 600 test wickets. He played in 140 tests and has taken 685 wickets with a bowling average of 25.25.
Gary Sobers was a highly talented cricketer who was born in Barbados in 1936. He played 93 tests for the West Indies and scored an impressive 8032 runs. He had a batting average of 57.78. He was also a very good slow left arm bowler, taking 235 test wickets, with an average of 34.03. He is best known for being the first batsman ever to score six sixes in one over in 1968 in a first class cricket match while playing for Notts against Glamorgan.
Ian Botham was a great English all-rounder. He was the scourge of bowlers with his prodigious batting ability and he was just as adept as a fast medium paced bowler. He was born in Cheshire in 1955 and played mainly for Somerset. He was very much a true all rounder as he was as good at bowling as batting. He played in 102 test matches and scored 5200 runs, with an average of 33.34 and he took 383 wickets with an average of 28.40.
WG Grace is thought by many to be the most influential cricketer the game has ever seen. He was born in 1848 at a time when cricket was not the massive sport that it is today. He is one of the reasons, with his great batting ability, that cricket became so popular. When he was out first ball at a match once, he refused to go telling the umpire that, "the crowd are here to watch me bat and not to watch you umpire!". There were not many test matches then so he played only 22 and scored 1098 runs with an average of 32.29. He took 9 wickets with an average of 26.22. This average is low even though he was playing into his late fifties!
Allan Border was born in 1955 in Sydney and was Australian captain. He still has the world record for the greatest number of uninterrupted test matches. He also had the record, at the time, for the most runs in test matches at 11174 in 156 tests. He was also one of the most prolific hitters of centuries with 27 in test matches. He also took 39 wickets with an average of 39.10.
Shaun Pollock is a South African medium fast bowler who is well known for his accuracy and reliability. He is also a very good batsman who has scored over 3406 runs in 100 test matches with an average of 31.24. He has taken 395 wickets at an average of 23.25. He is South Africa's most prodigious wicket taker in both one day international and test matches.
Viv Richards is one of the all time greats of West Indian cricket. He was a very successful captain to one of the best West Indian sides ever. He was a powerful batsman and scored an average of 50.23, scoring 8450 runs in 121 matches. He only lost 8 matches in the 50 that he captained.
Don Bradman was born in 1908 in New South Wales and was not only the best Australian but is thought, by many, to be the best batsman of all time. His batting skill was so good that the England cricket team in the 1928-1929 tests resorted to bowling at the batsmen rather than the wickets in order to try to win. This was known as the bodyline series. The dispute from this was so bad that it nearly caused a diplomatic dispute between England and Australia. He played in 52 tests and scored 6996 runs so he had an incredible average of 99.94. These statistics make him the best batsman ever.
Imran Kahn was a great Pakistani cricketer who played at the highest level for over twenty years from his debut in 1971. He was a great all rounder who led the Pakistan team to their first world cup just before he retired. Always elegant in both action and speech he was one of the best all-rounders that the game has ever had. He is now a politician in Pakistan and the leader of a major political party. He played in 88 tests with a batting average of 37.69. He took 362 wickets with an excellent bowling average of 22.81.
Shane Warne is an Australian spin bowler who is one of, if not the, greatest spin bowler the game has ever seen. He was born in 1969 in Victoria and has played test cricket since 1990, retiring in 2007. He has taken more test wickets than any other player in history. He was also the first player to take more than 600 test wickets. He played in 140 tests and has taken 685 wickets with a bowling average of 25.25.
Gary Sobers was a highly talented cricketer who was born in Barbados in 1936. He played 93 tests for the West Indies and scored an impressive 8032 runs. He had a batting average of 57.78. He was also a very good slow left arm bowler, taking 235 test wickets, with an average of 34.03. He is best known for being the first batsman ever to score six sixes in one over in 1968 in a first class cricket match while playing for Notts against Glamorgan.
Ian Botham was a great English all-rounder. He was the scourge of bowlers with his prodigious batting ability and he was just as adept as a fast medium paced bowler. He was born in Cheshire in 1955 and played mainly for Somerset. He was very much a true all rounder as he was as good at bowling as batting. He played in 102 test matches and scored 5200 runs, with an average of 33.34 and he took 383 wickets with an average of 28.40.
WG Grace is thought by many to be the most influential cricketer the game has ever seen. He was born in 1848 at a time when cricket was not the massive sport that it is today. He is one of the reasons, with his great batting ability, that cricket became so popular. When he was out first ball at a match once, he refused to go telling the umpire that, "the crowd are here to watch me bat and not to watch you umpire!". There were not many test matches then so he played only 22 and scored 1098 runs with an average of 32.29. He took 9 wickets with an average of 26.22. This average is low even though he was playing into his late fifties!
Allan Border was born in 1955 in Sydney and was Australian captain. He still has the world record for the greatest number of uninterrupted test matches. He also had the record, at the time, for the most runs in test matches at 11174 in 156 tests. He was also one of the most prolific hitters of centuries with 27 in test matches. He also took 39 wickets with an average of 39.10.
Shaun Pollock is a South African medium fast bowler who is well known for his accuracy and reliability. He is also a very good batsman who has scored over 3406 runs in 100 test matches with an average of 31.24. He has taken 395 wickets at an average of 23.25. He is South Africa's most prodigious wicket taker in both one day international and test matches.
Viv Richards is one of the all time greats of West Indian cricket. He was a very successful captain to one of the best West Indian sides ever. He was a powerful batsman and scored an average of 50.23, scoring 8450 runs in 121 matches. He only lost 8 matches in the 50 that he captained.
Don Bradman was born in 1908 in New South Wales and was not only the best Australian but is thought, by many, to be the best batsman of all time. His batting skill was so good that the England cricket team in the 1928-1929 tests resorted to bowling at the batsmen rather than the wickets in order to try to win. This was known as the bodyline series. The dispute from this was so bad that it nearly caused a diplomatic dispute between England and Australia. He played in 52 tests and scored 6996 runs so he had an incredible average of 99.94. These statistics make him the best batsman ever.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Online Cricket Information to Appease the Avid Cricket Fan!
In countries where cricket is keenly followed, almost every second person has an opinion or information about different aspects of the game. This can turn out to be very confusing and misleading at times. Based on such half baked information, the general public believes that they know all about cricket. Such unreliable information often leads the public to make unrealistic expectations and can also give birth to controversies. Online cricket information is the perfect source of authentic information for the serious cricket lover.
Finding information about anything in the internet is not at all difficult, given the amount of information available on the World Wide Web. Nonetheless what is important is fact that you must know where you can find authentic information. The internet is flooded with websites claiming to be containing information authentic information about cricket. If you are really passionate about the game, I am sure you will actually take the trouble of finding out if the site is authentic or not.
Online cricket information covers many aspects of the game. Starting from player information, statistics, landmarks, records, rankings, ratings you can find everything in online cricket information. Besides these features you can find many websites that have interactive cricket games for you to play. These interactive games are great means for you to indulge in playing games related to cricket.
Fantasy cricket is one such game that is provided by various websites for the cricket fans to indulge themselves. All cricket lovers dream of creating their own XI and see them in action. Fantasy cricket as the name itself suggests is just a game that lets you create your fantasy team. By playing this game, fans can relive their most coveted dream of seeing all their favorite players in action at a time. Actual player performance in the field will determine the winner of a game of fantasy cricket. Fans can give a free run to their cricketing brain, test their skills and come up with the best possible combination for their team.
Sites containing online cricket information also have many other features for cricket fans. If you miss the live coverage of a match, you can relive the exciting moments of the match by listening to pod casts offered by the online sites. Pod casts mostly contain expert opinion on the highs and the lows of a game. It can also include pre and post match analysis by a panel of experts to let you know all about the game. Missing out on live action can be easily compensated with pod casts.
Online cricket information site also provides cricket fans with news, views, features, columns, latest pictures and all the other happenings in the world of cricket. You can get information about both on field and off field activities related to the game.
Whenever you want to know the score of a live cricket match that is taking place, all you need to do is check out the sites which provide online cricket information. Most sites have scorecards which can be downloaded very quickly and you can know all about the latest position of the match. You will be updated constantly about the status of the match as the match progresses.
Finding information about anything in the internet is not at all difficult, given the amount of information available on the World Wide Web. Nonetheless what is important is fact that you must know where you can find authentic information. The internet is flooded with websites claiming to be containing information authentic information about cricket. If you are really passionate about the game, I am sure you will actually take the trouble of finding out if the site is authentic or not.
Online cricket information covers many aspects of the game. Starting from player information, statistics, landmarks, records, rankings, ratings you can find everything in online cricket information. Besides these features you can find many websites that have interactive cricket games for you to play. These interactive games are great means for you to indulge in playing games related to cricket.
Fantasy cricket is one such game that is provided by various websites for the cricket fans to indulge themselves. All cricket lovers dream of creating their own XI and see them in action. Fantasy cricket as the name itself suggests is just a game that lets you create your fantasy team. By playing this game, fans can relive their most coveted dream of seeing all their favorite players in action at a time. Actual player performance in the field will determine the winner of a game of fantasy cricket. Fans can give a free run to their cricketing brain, test their skills and come up with the best possible combination for their team.
Sites containing online cricket information also have many other features for cricket fans. If you miss the live coverage of a match, you can relive the exciting moments of the match by listening to pod casts offered by the online sites. Pod casts mostly contain expert opinion on the highs and the lows of a game. It can also include pre and post match analysis by a panel of experts to let you know all about the game. Missing out on live action can be easily compensated with pod casts.
Online cricket information site also provides cricket fans with news, views, features, columns, latest pictures and all the other happenings in the world of cricket. You can get information about both on field and off field activities related to the game.
Whenever you want to know the score of a live cricket match that is taking place, all you need to do is check out the sites which provide online cricket information. Most sites have scorecards which can be downloaded very quickly and you can know all about the latest position of the match. You will be updated constantly about the status of the match as the match progresses.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Crickets: The Other Live Bait
Several years ago I got turned on to using live bait. Before that time I had used worms. Yes worms are live bait too, but the world of live bait is much more than a crawler on a hook. Minnows, crawdads, and crickets are also a big part of live bait fishing. I have enjoyed using each type, but crickets were my first venture into the “other-world” of live bait fishing.
A good friend of mine, Tom, first showed me how to use crickets when stream fishing for trout. We were Trout fishing the Silver Fork out side of Kyburz, California. The water was running and the scenery outstanding. Our plan was to hop boulders from up above and fish our way down stream. First on the agenda was my introduction to using crickets as bait.
Tom grabbed a black cricket out of the cricket cage and said, “You just run the hook under the collar”. What? Was this cricket wearing a coat or something? I found that just behind the head of the cricket is something that looks like a collar. The trick is to gently guide your hook under the collar and out the other side of the collar without killing the cricket. It is actually much easier than it may sound.
Next I went for a fishing bobber and was quickly corrected by Tom. No Bobber and if I needed, only the lightest of a sinker. The idea was to cast onto the rushing water and let the cricket float down stream. I studied by cricket teacher as he gently flipped his line onto the water and the cricket floated down the creek. Then he was gone. Fish on!
Since then I have learned that many people use crickets for a variety of other fish including Panfish and Breen. This technique is different from the one I used my first day. Many people use a bobber or a float with a #6, #8, or #10 hook. They then put a lightweight split shot about 6 inches from the cricket. The idea is to let the cricket slowly and naturally descend through the water. As with Panfish, you will try several times and may adjust your bobber depth until you find the right spot.
I have learned that fish like variety in their diet, just like we do. Live bait is definitely preferred by fish over artificial and they can strike at it aggressively. So feel free to explore a live bait option to worms. Crickets: The other live bait.
A good friend of mine, Tom, first showed me how to use crickets when stream fishing for trout. We were Trout fishing the Silver Fork out side of Kyburz, California. The water was running and the scenery outstanding. Our plan was to hop boulders from up above and fish our way down stream. First on the agenda was my introduction to using crickets as bait.
Tom grabbed a black cricket out of the cricket cage and said, “You just run the hook under the collar”. What? Was this cricket wearing a coat or something? I found that just behind the head of the cricket is something that looks like a collar. The trick is to gently guide your hook under the collar and out the other side of the collar without killing the cricket. It is actually much easier than it may sound.
Next I went for a fishing bobber and was quickly corrected by Tom. No Bobber and if I needed, only the lightest of a sinker. The idea was to cast onto the rushing water and let the cricket float down stream. I studied by cricket teacher as he gently flipped his line onto the water and the cricket floated down the creek. Then he was gone. Fish on!
Since then I have learned that many people use crickets for a variety of other fish including Panfish and Breen. This technique is different from the one I used my first day. Many people use a bobber or a float with a #6, #8, or #10 hook. They then put a lightweight split shot about 6 inches from the cricket. The idea is to let the cricket slowly and naturally descend through the water. As with Panfish, you will try several times and may adjust your bobber depth until you find the right spot.
I have learned that fish like variety in their diet, just like we do. Live bait is definitely preferred by fish over artificial and they can strike at it aggressively. So feel free to explore a live bait option to worms. Crickets: The other live bait.
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