Keeping you head

[Lord_fez]

This will be an interesting one to get peoples opinions on...

I normally bat at 5 for my club however due to one or two needless injuries on saturday the skipper turns to me and tells me I'm opening.
Natrually I jumped at the chance but then realised I've not opened for 11 years when I was playing U13 so had no concept of opening for a first team.

What I want to know is how do you guys all mentally keep your head (natrually I was a little twitchy and nearly ran myself out twice (only ended up with 38)) when you are put in an unexpected situation e.g. Opening bowling/batting, or even just bowling when you don't normally.

Conversley, do you have any amusing stories on the topic?

 

[Son Of Coco]

This will be an interesting one to get peoples opinions on...

I normally bat at 5 for my club however due to one or two needless injuries on saturday the skipper turns to me and tells me I'm opening.
Natrually I jumped at the chance but then realised I've not opened for 11 years when I was playing U13 so had no concept of opening for a first team.

What I want to know is how do you guys all mentally keep your head (natrually I was a little twitchy and nearly ran myself out twice (only ended up with 38)) when you are put in an unexpected situation e.g. Opening bowling/batting, or even just bowling when you don't normally.

Conversley, do you have any amusing stories on the topic?

I opened the batting in 5th grade, batted all afternoon for 50 and then got out second last ball of the day to give the other team and outright victory. In a one-day game I batted the whole innings for 52 not out (we won though and I was on a hat-trick in the other team's innings).

Funnily enough, I bat 11 in firsts.

 

[Flem274*]

I'm a genuine number 11 however in school social grades no one ever seems to want to open (probably partly explains our lack of test openers) so I had a go with my tremendous record of **** average and a high score of three. Batted 24 overs for 9* in a score of **** all. Was proud.

 

[Blamire]

I'm a wicket keeper batting 6,7 or 8 usually and when we field first I struggle to bat in the second innings of the match. I am usually quite tired from keeping wicket and I have this idea in my head that my job is done.

I fail to take my batting seriously for some reason, I have this mental block. I can't concentrate when I bat and end up giving my wicket away cheaply.

Any tips?

 

[Lord_fez]

I guess the same advice I was given. Don't play anything drastic until you hit double figures, this gets you playing yourself in and sighting the ball properly.

I imagine in your case it's a mental thing, keep running through your head every ball and try to keep calm and collected (something I need to learn - see above!).