Leg side
This is one of the most common shots used in cricket. With this shot, you’re aiming right beside your leg (besides yourself). The ball must be played behind you as you stand to face the bowler.
You will usually see this shot called by cricketers who are good at it. It’s very popular among professional players.
Many top-level players use some form of the ‘leg side” shot. They learn how to do it correctly with practice.
However, there are many other variants of the leg side shot. Each has its own purpose and relies on your ability to control the direction of the ball after you get hit.
Here are all the variations of the leg side shot :
• Front foot forward • Back foot back
• Both feet together
• One foot back, other foot forward
• Other combinations Some more unusual ways to execute the leg side shot. Try to practise these little tricks so you can come up with them during a match.
Off side
This is one of the most famous shots in cricket. It’s also one of the hardest to execute well.
Here are the things you need to know before attempting this shot:
You need to have your middle finger behind your right ear (behind your collarbone, not behind your neck).
You need to be able to rotate your hand so that the index finger is pointing downwards (away from your body) and the thumb points sideways (to your left or right).
The ball needs to come into contact with the back of your hand/finger between the index and middle fingers. The power comes from the forward motion of your wrist rather than your fingers.
Most cricketers call this the ‘off-side trap’ but it is actually only off-side if the ball is coming from the bowler’s end of the pitch. If the batter looks like he is setting up for an off-side stroke, then the umpire will rule that the ball was dead when it reached the batsman, thus making him out of his ground.
Definite cover
A definite cover is when you come forward and push your back to outside edge. This shot should be easy for any player, no matter where they are on the pitch. To execute this correctly, stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Then bend down slightly to prepare yourself to throw the ball.
When you have the ball in your hand, make sure that your fingers are aligned with your eyes so you can see what you’re doing. Then take short sharp breaths to get enough air into your lungs to generate power behind the swing.
Make sure that your front foot lands straight ahead and not toe side-to-side. If you land it right away, then you will have more control over the direction the ball goes.
If you don’t have much control, try stepping sideways or even backwards as you hit the ball. The harder you hit, the worse it will feel, so practice making solid contact.
Definite mid off
The definite middle-off is where you start with your front foot between balls after the bowler has delivered it.
You can also do the back cut, which is done by cutting across the ball using your left leg or going backwards.
Definite mid
This is one of the most difficult shots to execute at cricket. It is considered a middle-off shot because you are still holding your guard when you take this shot.
To properly execute this shot, follow these steps:
Make sure you have solid contact with the ball before moving forward. If you don’t, then you will need to swing at the ball or try something else.
Swing as hard as you can when hitting balls first. Then work up to harder balls later.
Keep the angle of the bat against the bowler constant, but keep rotating it so that you make straight hits. Also remember that if the bowler sends a yorker, break your wrists and drop your hands.
These are some basic things you can do to improve your hand speed for this shot. And lastly, practice makes perfect!
There are no rules for how high you should hit the ball. The higher you go, the more danger you are in.
If you miss, then you may find yourself on the end of a long runout – which is embarrassing. So always aim to be safe rather than sorry.
Definite on side
This is one of the most common shots played by cricketers when their team is chasing (running after) the ball. The player who plays this shot stays back from the rest of the field, usually just past the bowler’s arm pit.
The striker then runs down the wicket using the inside part of his foot, while hitting the ground with the heel. He tries to make contact with the pitch near the stumps to push them up.
If the ball bounces more towards the leg side, the striker will try to hit it so that it goes through the gap between the bat and pad, or else he will try to hit it as far as possible along the ground.
Definite third man
This is where you take your middle or leg stump and move it up so that it’s close to the edge of the pitch, at least for the moment. The bowler wants to make sure he isn’t going to put his fielders in an awkward position by having their backs to the goal if they have to run after the ball.
He also needs to ensure there is nobody near the outside edge of the pitch. A lot can go wrong with this shot – missing, hit, wild throw etc.
It’s usually best used as a last resort when all other shots have failed. With practice, you will be able to execute this shot more consistently. It really depends on the conditions — might need to be employed more often in warm climates with lots of grass.
Second man
The second man is often a wicketkeeper or bowler, but can be any player when there are injuries to one or other. He/She may also come into the team as a replacement for an injured member.
The captain chooses two men each for their teams before the start of the game. They are called ‘wickets’. The job of the batsman who faces the ball is to score points for his side by hitting the balls that are pitched by the bowlers.
A run scores when a batter reaches first base safely (home plate). A home run scores eight times more points than a runner reaching first base. This happens because the batter goes to third base and then becomes a runner.
Points continue to accrue until a baserunner is caught out or makes an out. At this stage, the team with most remaining runners gets credit for the best chance to score. It is very difficult to reach base safely without being hit by a pitch or making an error.
Very few people have ever scored 100 runs in a cricket match. Getting out quickly is much more important than running fast.
Leg side
This is one of the most common shots you can take in test cricket. The ball is hit so that it comes down on the left or lower half of the field, between either the number 10 or 12 and any part of the wicket.
The batsman faces up to the bowler and tries to make room by moving sideways or backwards. He closes his legs and takes another big step forward.
He may also bend his knees to give himself more balance and mobility. In this shot there is no need for the batter to put pressure on the ball. It’s all about the timing.
If the shot is not timed correctly it could go anywhere between short and leg stump. With practice the batter will be able to tell whether the ball has gone off break and he can get some power behind it.
Some people refer to this as the ‘timed run-up’.
