12-27-2022, 04:00 AM
Wide stance means less ability to play further forward or further back, agree with Prof the best players are more side on and you only open your stance a bit when facing bowlers from around the wicket.
The short format game has changed how players take block and where they stand and you have more players now more open so they can deflect the ball through the onside from an off stump line. Steve Smith has profited from that technique but its gets a lot of other batsmen into trouble when the ball swings/seams away and they get squared up. That was a sin when I first learnt the game as was cutting against the spin but you see it often now from professional test players. Why would you try and cut Nathan Lyon close to the stumps through the offside when he is getting turn back in and bounce? Use your feet and hit with the spin in front of the wicket was the old method but now we have silly reverse sweeps and/or playing off the back foot looking for the easy single turning the ball through a web of leg side fielders waiting for a catch
Same with bowling, bowling closer to the umpire with a side on action gives you more natural ability to swing the ball away, Dennis Lillee regardless of new ball or old ball always could move the ball away because he had a classic side on action.
Lillee was just poetry to watch as he made his way to the wicket and was the best quick bowler I have seen play the game.
Terry Alderman was another who got close to the stumps/umpire when bowling and had that nice side on action, didnt need to be quick as he just moved the ball away from right handers independent of the conditions.
The short format game has changed how players take block and where they stand and you have more players now more open so they can deflect the ball through the onside from an off stump line. Steve Smith has profited from that technique but its gets a lot of other batsmen into trouble when the ball swings/seams away and they get squared up. That was a sin when I first learnt the game as was cutting against the spin but you see it often now from professional test players. Why would you try and cut Nathan Lyon close to the stumps through the offside when he is getting turn back in and bounce? Use your feet and hit with the spin in front of the wicket was the old method but now we have silly reverse sweeps and/or playing off the back foot looking for the easy single turning the ball through a web of leg side fielders waiting for a catch
Same with bowling, bowling closer to the umpire with a side on action gives you more natural ability to swing the ball away, Dennis Lillee regardless of new ball or old ball always could move the ball away because he had a classic side on action.
Lillee was just poetry to watch as he made his way to the wicket and was the best quick bowler I have seen play the game.
Terry Alderman was another who got close to the stumps/umpire when bowling and had that nice side on action, didnt need to be quick as he just moved the ball away from right handers independent of the conditions.