dhoni dhamaka
Club Cricketer
may help some people i got of the codies site : 
Batting
I?m finding it really hard to hit the ball, what?s going on?
In order to strike the ball correctly you need to get a combination of things right. First watch the ball as it is being delivered, time your strike as the ball starts to move up off the pitch. The direction you?re aiming is also important here as it will affect how well you hit the ball. Try to play the ball in the same direction as the arrow on the pitch point indicator for the best chance of hitting a boundary. If you're still struggling, then a spell in the Nets may be beneficial.
How important is shot choice?
Shot choice is very important. Certain batting strokes will allow you to hit the ball more effectively when it pitches in a certain way. For example, if a pace bowler pitches the ball short it will bounce high. Playing a lofted shot whilst aiming towards the leg or off sides will force the batsman to perform a hook shot off such a delivery, this should fly towards the boundary with enhanced power. Alternatively, if a bowler pitches the ball at your feet then deciding to play a defensive shot rather than an attacking stroke could save your wicket. Watch what shots your batsman pulls off when you strike different deliveries and learn how to use shots types to your advantage.
How do I build an effective innings?
All batsmen need to play themselves in. Try playing normal and defensive strokes early on during an innings to build the batsman?s confidence up. Once his confidence reaches 80% you should be able to knock the ball all over the park. When it hits 100% you?ll be able to use the batsman?s special shot and make him dance down the pitch. When you dance down the pitch the batsman can strike the ball much harder than he is normally able to. Remember, a truly great batsman doesn?t just slog the ball, he uses a full range of shots to confound and confuse the bowling side and break their confidence.
How do I play a defensive shot?
Defensive shots are fairly static; they do little more than put the bat between the wicket and the ball, and as such should mainly be used if the on-strike batsman is particularly weak or lacking confidence. Despite this there is still a fair bit of skill required to pull them off effectively. Both timing and direction are important if you want to stop your wicket from falling. As always watch where the ball falls, if it falls on the leg side then aim towards the leg side otherwise the ball will fly past you and strike either your leg or the stumps.
What?s the point of playing a normal shot? Surely I just want to loft the ball for a six?
Normal shots, or ground-strokes, are probably the most effective shot in the batsman?s arsenal. Normal shots are far safer than lofted shots and more likely to punish the fielding side than a defensive stroke. Playing the ball along the ground not only allows you to potentially score a boundary, in the form of four runs, but also singles and doubles in order to keep the scoreboard ticking over when boundary shots aren?t on. When playing a normal shot look for obvious gaps in the field and play the ball into them to gain an advantage.
So when should I play a lofted shot?
Lofted shots really punish the bowling team?s morale and will force a big drop in their confidence. A number of factors go into playing a good lofted shot, these include your batsman?s stats, power and precision being the primary ones, your timing on the ball and of course the batsman?s confidence. Before playing the shot you need to be aware of where the opposition?s fielders are around the pitch. Look for gaps in the outfield, and preferably the mid-field just to be safe, and play the lofted shot towards them, if you?ve got everything right the ball should sail over the boundary rope for the perfect six.
How do I dance down the pitch effectively?
Dancing down the pitch is not only the most rewarding shot in the game but also the most dangerous. On the one hand it allows you to strike the ball with increased power and it destroys the bowler?s confidence, on the other hand if you miss you?ll find your batsman standing outside the crease and in real trouble. To perform the perfect dance down the pitch shot you need to alter your timing to strike the ball as it is starting to drop onto the pitch. For the best results aim the ball towards the direction it is pitching, if the ball is pitching straight towards you then drive the ball straight back down the pitch. If you miss the ball remember to return to your crease as quickly as possible before the wicket-keeper can stump you.
What?s the best way to perform a sweep shot?
There are two types of sweep shot in-game, the normal sweep and the lofted sweep, both of these shots have forward and reverse variants. The ideal time to play a sweep is when a spin bowler delivers the ball short of a good length right in front of your batsman. Sweeping a pace bowler is significantly more difficult and will usually result in a miss due to the sheer pace of the ball unless your batsman times his shot perfectly.
Is it possible to leave the ball?
Yes. If you think a shot is going to miss your wicket you can leave the ball by simply not doing anything. Your batsman will automatically attempt to move out of the way (though he doesn't always manage to do so).
What about running between the wickets?
Seeing the ball go for a boundary is a fantastic sight but sometimes it?s just not possible to pull the shot off or the fielding side are really limiting your game. When this happens then snatching quick singles or doubles becomes important. How many runs your batsmen go for is entirely down to your judgement based on how quickly the ball could be returned to the infield. It stands to reason that if the ball has been collected by a fielder then you shouldn?t be taking any more runs. However, there are exceptions to this rule that the avid batsman should be watching out for. For example, if the ball is overthrown by a fielder it may just be possible to snatch a cheeky single from the fielding side and punish them even more.
Bowling
How do I use Pace Bowlers properly?
Pace bowlers are best employed at the start of an innings before the pitch has started to wear. This type of bowler is capable of delivering the ball at great speed and is lethal when combining speed with movement in the air. Try confusing the batsman by delivering the ball at pace into one area and moving it dramatically to another for the best effect. Using pace bowlers early on in an innings allows them to rough the pitch up and age the ball for any spin bowlers within the team.
What are Spin Bowlers good for?
Spin bowlers have the ability to move the ball off the pitch. The effect of this is amplified during the later overs of an innings when the pitch has had time to dry out and began to show signs of wear. By bowling into the worn areas a spin bowler will get more dramatic, and sometimes erratic, movement off the pitch which will cause real problems for the batsman who will often edge the ball or miss it entirely.
How does my bowler?s run-up affect his delivery?
The bowler?s run-up affects the speed of his delivery. The higher up the indicator is on the timing bar the faster the ball will be bowled. Spin bowlers deliver the ball at around a maximum of 70mph whilst pace bowlers can hit anything up to 100mph. Varying the speed of your run-up can have a beneficial effect as it stops the batsman from becoming comfortable in his crease and may well cause him to make a mistake.
What?s this ?Line and Length? thing I keep hearing about?
Line and length is a term used to indicate where the ball hits the pitch when it is delivered. Line is used to describe the position across the pitch, from leg to off-side, whilst length is used to describe the position down the pitch towards the batsman?s wicket. Bowling a good line and length is important if you don?t want to be hit for six. Try bowling into the ?corridor of uncertainty?, just outside the line of the off-stump. This will hopefully confuse the batsman as he?ll be unsure as to whether to leave the ball or try to hit it.
How does the type of pitch affect my bowlers?
The pitch type can have a dramatic effect on your bowlers, increasing or decreasing various factors such as the bounce or angle of a delivery as it breaks off the pitch. Crumbling pitches will increase the usefulness of spin bowlers whilst hard pitches will make a pace delivery bounce higher and faster. Listen to the pitch reports at the start of a match for an indicator of how pitch should play and use this knowledge to your advantage.
So what?s the real secret to bowling?
To become good at bowling you need to master all of the different deliveries within the game, know what their limitations and strengths are and know the right moment to deliver them. Mixing up deliveries will help a great deal in your battles against a confident batsman; try delivering a couple of fast off-breaks and then send in a slower ball to confuse the batsman?s timing. The complete bowler will also learn how to utilise the field in order to make the best of his bowling. Try filling an area with fielders and then forcing the batsman to play the ball into it.
Fielding
What are the best fielding tactics to use in an ODI?
In an ODI the fielding side is restricted to what is essentially an attacking field for a set number of overs. This means that catching and returning the ball quickly are imperative to getting the upper hand over the batting side. Because of the nature of an attacking field you should use your bowler to try and force edges or close catches from the batsman when restrictions are in place. Once restrictions are lifted then your field settings should reflect the match situation. If you are into the tail end of the batting order then using an attacking field continues to make sense. If, however, you are still battling with the opening batsmen then changing the setting a defensive field is probably a better option.
What are the best fielding tactics to use in a Test match?
Test matches differ from ODI because there are no restricted overs at the start of an innings. This means that you can, and should, set a defensive field with lots of outfielders to stop the batsmen scoring from the offset. As the bowling order drops the fielding side should gradually be brought in towards the centre of the pitch to threaten and intimidate the lower order, and less skilled, batsmen. This will force them into making errors which your fielders can capitalise on.
How do I decide whether to throw the ball to the keeper's end or the bowler's end?
Simply look and listen. You should be able to judge which of the two batsmen is further from his crease, and compare that with which end is closest to the fielder. Your fielders will also shout in an attempt to inform you which end the ball should be thrown to.
hope it helps
Batting
I?m finding it really hard to hit the ball, what?s going on?
In order to strike the ball correctly you need to get a combination of things right. First watch the ball as it is being delivered, time your strike as the ball starts to move up off the pitch. The direction you?re aiming is also important here as it will affect how well you hit the ball. Try to play the ball in the same direction as the arrow on the pitch point indicator for the best chance of hitting a boundary. If you're still struggling, then a spell in the Nets may be beneficial.
How important is shot choice?
Shot choice is very important. Certain batting strokes will allow you to hit the ball more effectively when it pitches in a certain way. For example, if a pace bowler pitches the ball short it will bounce high. Playing a lofted shot whilst aiming towards the leg or off sides will force the batsman to perform a hook shot off such a delivery, this should fly towards the boundary with enhanced power. Alternatively, if a bowler pitches the ball at your feet then deciding to play a defensive shot rather than an attacking stroke could save your wicket. Watch what shots your batsman pulls off when you strike different deliveries and learn how to use shots types to your advantage.
How do I build an effective innings?
All batsmen need to play themselves in. Try playing normal and defensive strokes early on during an innings to build the batsman?s confidence up. Once his confidence reaches 80% you should be able to knock the ball all over the park. When it hits 100% you?ll be able to use the batsman?s special shot and make him dance down the pitch. When you dance down the pitch the batsman can strike the ball much harder than he is normally able to. Remember, a truly great batsman doesn?t just slog the ball, he uses a full range of shots to confound and confuse the bowling side and break their confidence.
How do I play a defensive shot?
Defensive shots are fairly static; they do little more than put the bat between the wicket and the ball, and as such should mainly be used if the on-strike batsman is particularly weak or lacking confidence. Despite this there is still a fair bit of skill required to pull them off effectively. Both timing and direction are important if you want to stop your wicket from falling. As always watch where the ball falls, if it falls on the leg side then aim towards the leg side otherwise the ball will fly past you and strike either your leg or the stumps.
What?s the point of playing a normal shot? Surely I just want to loft the ball for a six?
Normal shots, or ground-strokes, are probably the most effective shot in the batsman?s arsenal. Normal shots are far safer than lofted shots and more likely to punish the fielding side than a defensive stroke. Playing the ball along the ground not only allows you to potentially score a boundary, in the form of four runs, but also singles and doubles in order to keep the scoreboard ticking over when boundary shots aren?t on. When playing a normal shot look for obvious gaps in the field and play the ball into them to gain an advantage.
So when should I play a lofted shot?
Lofted shots really punish the bowling team?s morale and will force a big drop in their confidence. A number of factors go into playing a good lofted shot, these include your batsman?s stats, power and precision being the primary ones, your timing on the ball and of course the batsman?s confidence. Before playing the shot you need to be aware of where the opposition?s fielders are around the pitch. Look for gaps in the outfield, and preferably the mid-field just to be safe, and play the lofted shot towards them, if you?ve got everything right the ball should sail over the boundary rope for the perfect six.
How do I dance down the pitch effectively?
Dancing down the pitch is not only the most rewarding shot in the game but also the most dangerous. On the one hand it allows you to strike the ball with increased power and it destroys the bowler?s confidence, on the other hand if you miss you?ll find your batsman standing outside the crease and in real trouble. To perform the perfect dance down the pitch shot you need to alter your timing to strike the ball as it is starting to drop onto the pitch. For the best results aim the ball towards the direction it is pitching, if the ball is pitching straight towards you then drive the ball straight back down the pitch. If you miss the ball remember to return to your crease as quickly as possible before the wicket-keeper can stump you.
What?s the best way to perform a sweep shot?
There are two types of sweep shot in-game, the normal sweep and the lofted sweep, both of these shots have forward and reverse variants. The ideal time to play a sweep is when a spin bowler delivers the ball short of a good length right in front of your batsman. Sweeping a pace bowler is significantly more difficult and will usually result in a miss due to the sheer pace of the ball unless your batsman times his shot perfectly.
Is it possible to leave the ball?
Yes. If you think a shot is going to miss your wicket you can leave the ball by simply not doing anything. Your batsman will automatically attempt to move out of the way (though he doesn't always manage to do so).
What about running between the wickets?
Seeing the ball go for a boundary is a fantastic sight but sometimes it?s just not possible to pull the shot off or the fielding side are really limiting your game. When this happens then snatching quick singles or doubles becomes important. How many runs your batsmen go for is entirely down to your judgement based on how quickly the ball could be returned to the infield. It stands to reason that if the ball has been collected by a fielder then you shouldn?t be taking any more runs. However, there are exceptions to this rule that the avid batsman should be watching out for. For example, if the ball is overthrown by a fielder it may just be possible to snatch a cheeky single from the fielding side and punish them even more.
Bowling
How do I use Pace Bowlers properly?
Pace bowlers are best employed at the start of an innings before the pitch has started to wear. This type of bowler is capable of delivering the ball at great speed and is lethal when combining speed with movement in the air. Try confusing the batsman by delivering the ball at pace into one area and moving it dramatically to another for the best effect. Using pace bowlers early on in an innings allows them to rough the pitch up and age the ball for any spin bowlers within the team.
What are Spin Bowlers good for?
Spin bowlers have the ability to move the ball off the pitch. The effect of this is amplified during the later overs of an innings when the pitch has had time to dry out and began to show signs of wear. By bowling into the worn areas a spin bowler will get more dramatic, and sometimes erratic, movement off the pitch which will cause real problems for the batsman who will often edge the ball or miss it entirely.
How does my bowler?s run-up affect his delivery?
The bowler?s run-up affects the speed of his delivery. The higher up the indicator is on the timing bar the faster the ball will be bowled. Spin bowlers deliver the ball at around a maximum of 70mph whilst pace bowlers can hit anything up to 100mph. Varying the speed of your run-up can have a beneficial effect as it stops the batsman from becoming comfortable in his crease and may well cause him to make a mistake.
What?s this ?Line and Length? thing I keep hearing about?
Line and length is a term used to indicate where the ball hits the pitch when it is delivered. Line is used to describe the position across the pitch, from leg to off-side, whilst length is used to describe the position down the pitch towards the batsman?s wicket. Bowling a good line and length is important if you don?t want to be hit for six. Try bowling into the ?corridor of uncertainty?, just outside the line of the off-stump. This will hopefully confuse the batsman as he?ll be unsure as to whether to leave the ball or try to hit it.
How does the type of pitch affect my bowlers?
The pitch type can have a dramatic effect on your bowlers, increasing or decreasing various factors such as the bounce or angle of a delivery as it breaks off the pitch. Crumbling pitches will increase the usefulness of spin bowlers whilst hard pitches will make a pace delivery bounce higher and faster. Listen to the pitch reports at the start of a match for an indicator of how pitch should play and use this knowledge to your advantage.
So what?s the real secret to bowling?
To become good at bowling you need to master all of the different deliveries within the game, know what their limitations and strengths are and know the right moment to deliver them. Mixing up deliveries will help a great deal in your battles against a confident batsman; try delivering a couple of fast off-breaks and then send in a slower ball to confuse the batsman?s timing. The complete bowler will also learn how to utilise the field in order to make the best of his bowling. Try filling an area with fielders and then forcing the batsman to play the ball into it.
Fielding
What are the best fielding tactics to use in an ODI?
In an ODI the fielding side is restricted to what is essentially an attacking field for a set number of overs. This means that catching and returning the ball quickly are imperative to getting the upper hand over the batting side. Because of the nature of an attacking field you should use your bowler to try and force edges or close catches from the batsman when restrictions are in place. Once restrictions are lifted then your field settings should reflect the match situation. If you are into the tail end of the batting order then using an attacking field continues to make sense. If, however, you are still battling with the opening batsmen then changing the setting a defensive field is probably a better option.
What are the best fielding tactics to use in a Test match?
Test matches differ from ODI because there are no restricted overs at the start of an innings. This means that you can, and should, set a defensive field with lots of outfielders to stop the batsmen scoring from the offset. As the bowling order drops the fielding side should gradually be brought in towards the centre of the pitch to threaten and intimidate the lower order, and less skilled, batsmen. This will force them into making errors which your fielders can capitalise on.
How do I decide whether to throw the ball to the keeper's end or the bowler's end?
Simply look and listen. You should be able to judge which of the two batsmen is further from his crease, and compare that with which end is closest to the fielder. Your fielders will also shout in an attempt to inform you which end the ball should be thrown to.
hope it helps
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