How important is batting position?

[Goughy]

Depends upon the batsman and team composition.

Certain players are comfortable in a position and it is usually very important for a team to have set defined roles and positions that they can take ownership of and grow into.

A batsman like Boycott hated waiting around and was, with his tight technique, a natural born opener. On the otherhand Ramprakash has batted mainly in the middle orger but he has been a very nervy person in the dressing room and could have benefited from opneing early in his career.

Certain players benefit from getting into the action early whilst others prefer to wait around and see what is happening before wanting to bat.

Others may open due to an issue with spin bowlers. Robin Smith (a brilliant player of fast bowling) did this and scored a hundred opening to avoid Murali early in his innings.

#3 has generally been classed as the key position. They must possess aa near complete game. Be able to bat like an opnenr against the new ball if a wicket falls quickly and be capable of batting like a middle order player if there is a partnership.

6 and 7 have to be able to bat long as well as being able to bat with the tail. This being either strike out for quick runs or work the bowling to keep the strike.

 

[Richard]

A batsman like Boycott hated waiting around and was, with his tight technique, a natural born opener.

Ever read Dickie Bird's book?

Fascinating story in there about Boycott and opening when the three were at Barnsley CC.

 

[silentstriker]

Yup, I'd have to agree. Your openers should be able to see off the new ball. In my mind, that is their number one job - even more so than scoring a lot of runs. They need to have an excellent judgment on when to leave balls, and must posses outstanding defensive technique with the ability to play shots along the ground and in the V. Stroke making is secondary really, and he could potentially just have a couple shots in his repertoire, as long as he is very judicious with his off stump, can defend and has a good head on his shoulders. Don't need to be great players of spin.

The #3 would be your star batsman who should possess the defensive abilities and temperament that approaches the openers (or at least as close as possible), and with the added ability to stick around for a while with the rest of the middle order and be the rock of the lineup and he should be able to up the scoring rate when necessary. He should be decent against spin.

#4 & #5 are pretty much interchangeable. They should have a lot of shots, or use the shots they have to good effect to score fast. They need to play spin very well, and also need the ability to bat with the lower middle and in some cases, lower order. Sometimes you can include your #6 in this group.

#6 & #7 are your keeper/all rounder. He needs to keep well and batting should be secondary, but still need a great ability to 'hog' the strike if batting with the lower order, and ability to up the strike rate and go on a blitz if batting with the top order (or if it looks like you're about to be bowled out).

Now, all time great batsman can usually play anywhere in the top six (with the possible exception of the opening spot depending on the circumstances), but most batsman are not that level and for them, it is absolutely imperative to put them in a position where their skills are utilized the best.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Often I do think a lot of it is mental. Dravid looks to have more-or-less everything one would wish for in an opener, but it's obvious the man himself just doesn't fancy the job.

One tactic which seems to have gone out of vogue a little is playing a team's most effective batter at 5. From the late 80s up to relatively recently Australia (Border then SR Waugh) & ourselves (Thorpe) tended to play their star man quite low in the order. Was this purely because the teams' most accomplished batters just happened to be players better suited to life down there or was there more to it than that? Nowadays when players become more established they seem to be "promoted" up the order, sometimes (as in the case of Pietersen) seemingly unwillingly.

 

[silentstriker]

Often I do think a lot of it is mental. Dravid looks to have more-or-less everything one would wish for in an opener, but it's obvious the man himself just doesn't fancy the job.

One tactic which seems to have gone out of vogue a little is playing a team's most effective batter at 5. From the late 80s up to relatively recently Australia (Border then SR Waugh) & ourselves (Thorpe) tended to play their star man quite low in the order. Was this purely because the teams' most accomplished batters just happened to be players better suited to life down there or was there more to it than that? Nowadays when players become more established they seem to be "promoted" up the order, sometimes (as in the case of Pietersen) seemingly unwillingly.

Maybe it was a wish to protect your best batsman from the slew of faster bowlers going around at the time? Not sure why else you'd want to deny them a chance to bat as long as possible.

 

[Goughy]

Generally Id want my best bat at 4. Batting 3 is very important and requires a range of skills but at 4 your best batsman should be able to come in and play a measured innings.

You want to put as many of the factors in the favour of your best player and at 4 the opening bowlers should be tired or taken out of the attack, the new ball should have lost its shine and be softer and if its the first day of a Test then hopefully the wicket will have dried out a little.

To me 5 and 6 is a little too low (though it still works) for your best bat as it places too much of the onus on the others to score runs before they come in. And 3 is a little too high as the new ball can often still be dangerous and losing your best batsman early puts the opposition on a high and pressure on the rest of the order.

However,5 or 6 is ideal for a captain that is a batsman. It shows faith in those under their command and puts them in the position to take control and rebuild after a collapse. It also means the opposition have to work hard for 3 or 4 wickets before they get a chance to have a go at the 'head' of the team and by that time big runs may already be on the board.

 

[NZTailender]

From personal experience, I used to bat in the lower order to some success. My strike rate was above 50 and I could pick singles easily. I got my highest score batting at 8 and the next week I was promoted to 3 in the school knockout cup tournament. I faced about 4 balls and got a duck. The next game, same thing happened at 3. I opened later that season and got out without facing a ball due to my own indecision in running. Position definitely plays on your mind and it's a lot different at the various parts of the order.

 

[White Lightning]

Opener and 3 are important, and to a degree interchangable but only with a batsman who has the correct technique to move from 3 to opener. the main problem an opener faces going down the order (more so moving to 5 or 6 than number 3) is they have the chance of having to bat themselves in facing the spinners where they may be less comfortable.

in terms of 4,5,6 or 7 i think its a bit of a mindset thing. in reality they should all be interchangable. but its good for a batsman, and a team, to have a set batting line up coming in.

but really at the end of the day a good batsman should be a good batsman anywhere.

 

[bond21]

Generally Id want my best bat at 4. Batting 3 is very important and requires a range of skills but at 4 your best batsman should be able to come in and play a measured innings.

You want to put as many of the factors in the favour of your best player and at 4 the opening bowlers should be tired or taken out of the attack, the new ball should have lost its shine and be softer and if its the first day of a Test then hopefully the wicket will have dried out a little.

To me 5 and 6 is a little too low (though it still works) for your best bat as it places too much of the onus on the others to score runs before they come in. And 3 is a little too high as the new ball can often still be dangerous and losing your best batsman early puts the opposition on a high and pressure on the rest of the order.

However,5 or 6 is ideal for a captain that is a batsman. It shows faith in those under their command and puts them in the position to take control and rebuild after a collapse. It also means the opposition have to work hard for 3 or 4 wickets before they get a chance to have a go at the 'head' of the team and by that time big runs may already be on the board.

If you accomodate your order for your best batsman because he cant face the new ball, you must have a weak batting team.

Basically my rule is - openers have the best defense in the team, 3,4 and 5 are your other batsmen, 6 and 7 are handy, 8 is a bowling all rounder if you have one, 9, 10, 11 your bowlers.

Also its hard to find people willing to open because its the hardest place to bat.

 

[Goughy]

If you accomodate your order for your best batsman because he cant face the new ball, you must have a weak batting team.
.

Not cant face, but shouldnt have to. The new ball is liable to take a wicket early and it makes no sense exposing your best player to the least favourable conditions.

You best player should capitalise when it is at its easiest.

 

[biased indian]

Yes that's like me.

I don't think batting position is THAT important. Like Ricky Ponting could open really, it's just that you get used to a guy in a particular position that it seems weird to think of Ponting opening or even batting at 4.

opening is a specialists job....

Dont think Ponting would make good opener..ponting to an extent was helped by the opening stand that was provided by hayden and langer...because as far as i am considered among all the good batsmen he is most likely to get out at the begining of the inngs...if he was to do that aganist the new ball which moves a fair bit..i am sure he would have struggled a lot

 

[silentstriker]

opening is a specialists job....

Dont think Ponting would make good opener..ponting to an extent was helped by the opening stand that was provided by hayden and langer...because as far as i am considered among all the good batsmen he is most likely to get out at the begining of the inngs...if he was to do that aganist the new ball which moves a fair bit..i am sure he would have struggled a lot

I don't know about that - Ponting is an exceptional player of fast bowling. He is also the best player of the short delivery in international cricket. I think he'd do just fine, though obviously he is doing so well at his position that it wouldn't really make sense for him to switch.

 

[biased indian]

I don't know about that - Ponting is an exceptional player of fast bowling. He is also the best player of the short delivery in international cricket. I think he'd do just fine, though obviously he is doing so well at his position that it wouldn't really make sense for him to switch.

but as far as i remmebr every time he walks into bat..he has this tendency to just walk into the shot doesnt he......only for the first 10-15 minutes...i have seen it too many times..

just thought aganist new ball..he would have struggled little bit more..with this shot

 

[Engle]

If you accomodate your order for your best batsman because he cant face the new ball, you must have a weak batting team.
.....
Also its hard to find people willing to open because its the hardest place to bat.

My most joyous moments in the game was walking out to face the 1st ball.....a challenge both mentally and physically to face up to the fast men and see who comes out tops.

It's not necessarily got anything to do with best batsmen...it's who's most comfortable and experienced in that position.

 

[honestbharani]

For me, the top 3 should always be settled, be it a Test, ODI or a Twenty20... Those are just WAY too important to be chopped and changed too much.


For me, a real reason why India have never been a force in ODIs inspite of having a great opening combination is the fact that we don't have a number 3.... The best sides have a settled top 3.... The rest of the positions are, to a great extent, interchangeable, except maybe no.6 and 7 where you need someone who can defend well but can also hit out, as sometimes he may just be left with the tail....


But I believe in having a settled top 3 and if you look at the sides struggling in batting at the moment, more often than not, it will be because they don't have a settled top 3.....

 

[Mister Wright]

I'm probably the most experienced to talk about this topic as I've batted everywhere from 1-11 throughout my junior and senior career. My preferred batting position is 3. I do like opening, as I don't have to wait, but I've found as I grow older a bit of a rest between innings, even if you have to come in 2nd ball - that 10 minutes between change over of innings, is somewhat less intense.

 

[bond21]

I like to bat around 4,5 or 6.

I also despise people expecting number 10s and 11s to get the last 30 runs of an innings.

Batsmen should be getting runs, not the bowlers.