How to judge the shot to play

The batsman's job is to score as many runs as possible.

But to build an innings, a batsman needs sound judgement to work out which
deliveries to defend, leave or score off.

Even top class batsmen give their wicket away because of poor shot selection,
so it's not an easy science.

The batsman has approximately 12 shots to choose from either side of the
wicket.

So stroke selection depends on the line, length and speed of a delivery.

There are three main lines:

Off stump and outside

Middle stump

Leg stump and outside

And there are five main lengths of delivery:

Bouncer/long hop

Short of a length

Good length

Full length/half volley

Full toss

For the best chance of building an innings, a batsman needs to move their
feet backwards or forwards to get into the best position to play a stroke.

BACK FOOT STROKES

A shorter length delivery will usually be played on the back foot.

The main back foot shots are:

Hook shot

Pull shot

Square cut

Back defence

The hook, pull and square cut are cross-batted shots where the arms are fully extended for maximum power.

The hook and pull are usually played to deliveries on middle and leg stump, while the square cut is played to a ball outside off stump.

The leg glance and drive can also be played on the back foot.

FRONT FOOT STROKES
A fuller length delivery will normally be played on the front foot.
The main front foot shots are:

.Off drive
.Straight drive
.On drive
.Sweep shot
.Forward defence

The off and straight drive are played to deliveries which pitch on off stump and outside, while the on drive is played to a ball pitching around leg stump.

The sweep shot is played to a ball from a spinner pitching around leg stump and outside.

The leg glance can also be played off the front foot

Bowling Line and Length

The bowler's job is to take as many wickets as possible.

That job will be a lot easier if they have control of their line and length,
making the batsman's job of scoring runs that much more difficult.

The line is the direction of the ball in accordance to the batsman's stumps,
while the length is the area of the pitch where the ball bounces.

The batsman does not need to hit every single ball they face.

So it is the bowler must attempt the batsman into playing a stroke,
increasing the chances of taking a wicket.

LINE

Cricket commentator Geoff Boycott often uses the phrase "the corridor of
uncertainty" as the ideal area to bowl at a batsman.

This is an imaginary channel around and just outside the off-stump where
batsmen are unsure whether to play or leave the ball.

Bowling consistently around this area will increase the bowler's chances of
taking a wicket.

A bowler's line will also depend on whether the ball is swinging in the air
or seaming off the pitch.

Most batsmen like the ball wide outside off stump or on or around leg stump,
so avoid bowling in those areas too much.

LENGTH

The length of the ball will determine whether the batsman will play on the
front or back foot.

There are five areas the bowler can aim for:

Long hop/bouncer

Short of a length

Good length

Full length/half volley

Full toss

Length depends on the type of bowler - fast bowlers will tend to aim for a
shorter length to utilise pace and bounce, while spinners need to bowl a good
length to deceive the batsman in the air and off the pitch.

The ideal length for a bowler is one where the batsman is unsure whether to
play forward or back.

Different pitches will also have an influence on length.

Hard and bouncy pitches favour a shorter length, while slower pitches require
a fuller length.

Learn few Batting Tips:

Square Cut:

Defence:

Back defence:

FrontFoot Leglance:

BackFoot Leglance:

Back Drive:

Straight Drive:

Hook:

Sweep: