How Do You Play Spin?

[nobbyiscool]

I played the last non-COVID affected season socially with similarly old fat blokes in their forties (at 36yo I was the youngest in the team) - so "spin" is a relative term. It's usually just flighted nude nuts where the only risk is your eyes lighting up too much and missing it, getting yourself stumped, or skying it.

On the off chance I was facing a good spinner? I'm very back-foot dominant, so if it's at all short I'll get back as far as I can and cut or pull (if it's really short and on the stumps it's going over probably 80% of the time); if it's fuller and flat, I'll sweep, sweep, sweep for one or two if it's on the stumps or generally leave it outside off; if it's fuller and flighted, I'm a little unique, I'm always trying to get to it on the full and just get it to long on or deep mid (defending on where the deep fielder was) to get off strike from the spinner.

A decent spinner is certainly my poison, hence I turned myself into an opener. I've always struggled with the left-arm quick who could swing it back in, but obviously the older you get the less of a problem that becomes cos everyone's moving in slow motion and no-one can swing it.

 

[nobbyiscool]

The best I’ve seen I reckon was our probably best ever batsman, he always told me that against any type of bowling you need a front foot boundary shot and a back foot boundary shot, and a get off strike shot for both.

That's bloody good advice, and for the couple of years I coached junior cricket it was something that I really preached to the more average players. I only wanted them to have either a cut shot or pull shot (both is a bonus), a tuck off the hip to get off strike, and extensions of drives from cover to straight hit (as well as your defensive shots). The really talented kids are going to learn the front foot square drives and the back foot cover drives and the on drives as they get older and presumably get better coaching - the average kids that I was just trying to develop for the sake of personal growth and enjoyment.

It wasn't necessarily conducive to a lot of winning, cos it was push ups at training if you repeatedly started playing shots you didn't have; it also wasn't that conducive to teaching kids about spin - but kids around 11-13 are stupid, and are becoming selfish, so if they're improving they were less likely to care about results. I was less worried about winning a final than I was having guys develop and increase their average from 10 to 15, or from 15 to 25, based purely on keeping it simple.

 

[Pippen94]

One step.. Over the top.. Six

 

[The hands of stone]

Joe Root: How To Play Spin in Test Cricket - CricViz

CricViz Analysts Ben Jones & Freddie Wilde examine what makes Joe Root one of the modern game’s best players of spin.

www.cricviz.com

This article is mainly about why Joe Root plays well v spin but it also has some very interesting stats around interception points when playing spin. Namely this graphic:



It puts into numbers basically what we already knew. You either need to get right forward to smother the spin or get right back to allow you time to adjust to the spin.

He keeps it pretty simple , gets well forward or right back, uses his feet well and is a good sweeper . All ingredients to succeed .

In defence he has very soft hands and deft touch. No point getting well forward if you push hard at the ball ( which a few around the aussie side do )

 

[Pippen94]

Face up... Reverse stance.. Full swing... Six

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

Can't play spin. Bowl left arm tweakers at the righties and and right arm tweakers at the lefties though. Sometimes vice versa. Umpires hate me.