Converting Problem

[Fatal Shot]

I have this one test opener, who is very good. He is 23 and has played 29 matches and 55 innings. His average is 45, which is fine for me. It will get better as he gets more experience. But the problem with him is that he gets great starts, but then gets out. He has 2 Test hundreds and 19 Test fifties. This problem also only seems to be Internationally. He is very good at converting in FC Cricket. He has 3-4 double hundreds as well... So what should I do, to help him convert his 50's in to 100's?

 

[age of the fall]

Ask Stephen Fleming

 

[Myrmecophaga]

How have you been batting with him between 50 and 100, and whereabouts does he get out?

I've noticed a lot of players getting out in the 90s, I wonder if there is an effect there.

 

[Fatal Shot]

I have him on normal settings. (Three bars) He is fully set, yet he still gets out. He tends to get out between 60-80 mostly. He is very consistent though. He will almost always get me a half century or a 40.

Also make that 21 50's now. He just got two more...

 

[Myrmecophaga]

Hmmm... what's he like in ODIs? You might want to try cranking up the aggression once he makes 50, and see if he is just better at a higher level of aggression, say five bars.

 

[Chewie]

That happened with me using Guptil on ICC08, he scored about 20 50's before he got his first test century, meanwhile he had 5 ODI centuries.

 

[Fatal Shot]

He's a test specialist for now. Plays too slow for ODI's.

 

[Myrmecophaga]

Argh, just had two batsmen trundle very happily along to get out in their 90s... must be something happening there.

As for this guy, aside from giving him training to remove weaknesses, all I can think of is to try different levels of aggression with him.

Actually, who is he getting out two? Is it spinners or pacemen coming back with reverse swing or something? Since he's an opener, it must be roughly the same time in the innings that he keeps getting out at.

 

[Fatal Shot]

He is a spin specialist actually. He tends to get out to an older ball, rather than the new ball. Not spin though. Mostly Fast Bowlers, who are coming back for their second or third spells.

 

[Myrmecophaga]

Reverse swing would be my guess. I'd try improving his pace bowling technique and batting defensively against pacemen in overs 40-65 or so.

 

[Fatal Shot]

I don't know if reverse swing is even possible in the game, but I'll try Pace Bowling techniques.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

It's nothing to worry about. Some players are like that in this game, I've found out. Some get out after fifty, some have a knack for huge scores. Some start their innings really quickly, some start slow. I like that.

 

[Myrmecophaga]

iirc, there was reverse swing added in 08

 

[Hooper]

It's nothing to worry about. Some players are like that in this game, I've found out. Some get out after fifty, some have a knack for huge scores. Some start their innings really quickly, some start slow. I like that.

David Hussey springs to mine. Had him in my test team, averaged a decent mid 40s number but never made more then the one score in the 90s. This was over about 8 tests, so he was tried for a while. Had to bring back in Marcus North.

 

[smssia0112]

The depth of the game is supposed to create little things like this for players, like some players who are great at domestic level but no good at international level.