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THE essence of a cricket game is contained in the ups and downs of a two-inning match. The drama, frustration, and excitement are all caught up in a single game.
Cricket is not a run-of-the-mill sport; hence the better team has many challenges to overcome to prove that they are the better side.
The nature of the pitch is the substance of the two-innings-per-team contest.
The victory of one team over the other involves the tactics and strategies used in one team’s efforts to dismiss the other twice within the time given, and for fewer runs.
Hence the reading of the pitch and the captain’s choice on whether to bat or field first is an integral part of the game.
Not so in the one-inning game, for instance, where the choice, ninety per cent of the time, is to field first and hence the target is presented and that’s it: more like simple arithmetic rather than a difficult problem.
For a Test match, the pitch has to be prepared for a maximum five days’ game, and for a first-class game, for either three or four days.
After that initial preparation, the pitch may not be watered, cut, or mown unless there are special regulations, except for rolling in between innings.
Thus the pitch wears and becomes drier and is liable to give assistance to bowlers: more turn for the spin bowler and uneven bounce for his quicker partner make it more difficult for the batsman.
It all comes down to the preparation of the pitch, which includes watering and how much is enough, the amount of grass left on the wicket to keep the pitch from breaking up, plus the quantum of rolling needed to ensure firmness of the pitch.
Most important is that the pitch maintains its integrity for the full duration of the game.
This is when the skill of the cricketer comes to the fore.
The medium to fast bowler, like Jason Holder, had the accuracy to bowl on a meaningful length, using the inconsistent bounce off the wicket to have inept batsmen guessing whether to play on the front foot or back. He had the ability to adjust his length accordingly to make the batsman unsure.
For the spinner, the slow left-arm orthodox of Jomel Warrican, his angle of turn, or lack thereof, dictated where he pitched the ball.
The captain is responsible for determining the use of his bowlers. The positioning of his fieldsmen by Barbados captain Kraigg Brathwaite, in this case, was attacking, and rightfully so.
Thus the Barbados fielders crowded around the batsmen, which also can disturb them psychologically.
To deal with the fielding captain’s strategy and the wiles of the bowler, plus the vagaries of the pitch, the batsman, in order to score runs, must seek an advantage over the bowler. The only way he’s going to do this is by concentration, which is developed by constant practice. Not unlike the bowler, he has to spend hours perfecting his skill.
The coach ought to be able to guide batsmen and bowlers through their sessions and examine the length of time they spend repeating their skills.
After the player learns his technique, he becomes self-confident enough to deal with any situation and his game improves.
If he doesn’t develop further, then he lacks the necessary talent. Sir Alex Ferguson, the great former Manchester United Football manager, said throughout his 25 years as a club manager, “prominent in that category is the certainty that good coaching relies on repetition…in any physical activity, effective practice requires repeated execution of the skill involved.”
In last week’s West Indies championship game between Barbados and TT, Barbados took full advantage of the existing conditions.
In TT’s second innings, they were spot on in their line and length. They used the helpful conditions of the pitch, ensuring the home batsmen were at sea.
It’s a disgrace for the TT team to total 172 and 124 in both innings in reply to the visitors’ 279. What makes it worse, they were at home, at Queen’s Park Oval, and lost seven wickets for 24 runs at the beginning of the third day.
It was a disaster! There was no evidence of the batting skills necessary to counteract Warrican (6 for 31) or Holder (4 for 23) as TT collapsed in a heap.
It was pitiful!
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