Anatomy of an Opener

[Goughy]

Ambition and drive, two concepts I have always struggled with.

As I wrote it I figured ambition to be the wrong word. Let me amend that to be determination, drive and no fear of failure. If someone has that then Id give them a go ahead of technique.

 

[Pothas]

I managed to get stumped of the third ball of a match once, safe to say I never opened again.

 

[Top_Cat]

Clean bowled, first ball of the match shouldering arms the first time I opened. Tried opening again a few years ago, never got that image out of my head!

 

[Goughy]

Clean bowled, first ball of the match shouldering arms the first time I opened. Tried opening again a few years ago, never got that image out of my head!

Some good shared experiences here. As a junior I was representing my town in regional comp. I was the opening bowler and usually batted 7-8-9 but they wanted someone to open and I wanted to do it. 1st ball received (not first of game as I was non striker) I was caught at deep backwards fine leg hooking. The ****er went straight to the fielder and it was a rank long hop. Luckily got to do it again and did ok, though nothing spectacular.

 

[Jono]

When I used to coach I'd throw my sloggers in there and take the game away from the the opposition.


It was under 10s though

 

[Neil Pickup]

Well we weren't really tested today. Chose to bowl first out of (a) a little bit of nerves, and (b) the fact that this lot had us 44/9 last year. Match was all over by tea after the oppo crumbled to 8/6 and then 26 all out despite rotating bowlers.

It then took us 4.1 overs to finish it - pleasingly by 10 wickets - and we batted on to 93/0 with my "new" opener unbeaten on 18 off 28 balls - doing the all the right things, being totally solid (though again giving a hard chance in the first over), running well and being clinical off his pads. There will be bigger challenges ahead I'm sure, but it's a start!

 

[Jarquis]

Sheesh, your county opener scores at a decent rate by the looks of it..

 

[Neil Pickup]

He retired on 38* off 31 (having finished the initial game by slamming a leg stump full toss into the fence fifteen yards over the rope), before our #3, also a county cricketer, made 27* off 15.

We're off to a six-a-side tomorrow, where we'll be further boosted by another county player who is currently opening for our U13 first XI. I'm not sure these guys are looking forward to playing us in the group stage...