back defence

When the ball pitches short of a length and is on the wicket, the batsman must walk backwards to give himself more time and room to play the shot. By walking backwards, say a couple of feet, he makes the ball relatively that much shorter. The aim of the defensive shot is to keep the ball out by bringing the face of the bat square on to play the ball.

1.The eyes watch the ball about to pitch. The right foot goes back towards the middle stump, the right let is braced to take the weight. The left side is towards the ball. Up on the toes of the front foot which is about to come back towards the right foot.

2. The left foot comes back towards the braced right let, and simultaneously the bat begins it down swing. The left shoulder is still sideways on. The eyes watch the ball coming down the pitch. The wrists are still cocked and the arms bent. The face of the bat is to the off side.

3. The hands bring the bat down to meet the ball with the face in the square on position towards the ball. The right arm hugs the right side. The right hand is behind the bat handle. The shoulders are beginning to open. The forehead about to face the ball.

4. The completed shot. Weight on the braced right let. The right arm slides past the right side. The right hand relaxed behind the handle of the bat. Up on the toes of the front foot. The left shoulder and left elbow high. The left hand in front of the right, angling the bat to play the ball down. The ball is played as close to the body and as late in its flight as possible. The head is steady, the eyes follow the ball for as long as they can towards the face of the bat.

5. Don’t look down at the back of the bat when playing the ball, otherwise the right shoulder will drop and the flight of the ball towards the bat will be lost.

6. Don’t go back with both feet pointing up the wicket, if the bat is not to come down across the line of the ball resulting in either an edged shot to the slips or a complete miss.

7. Don’t play back and take the hands away from the body in an attempt to play the ball, otherwise a gap is left between bat and pads through which the ball can pass to hit the stumps.