I’ve been playing indoor cricket regularly now since 2013 – entirely at a social level, but that doesn’t stop me from being competitive. Over the course of my career, I’ve picked up a thing or two that tend to be indoor cricket specific that I feel are worth writing about.
One of the key things about cricket is the mental game. Your mindset when batting, your mindset while bowling, has a lot to do with the outcome of the game, or at least your performance.
I’ve also read a little bit about different strategies and thoughts by those who are more experienced than myself, and have incorporated them into my game where I can. I’m always looking to improve my game in ways in which I can given my current skill level and my team’s current skill level.
Batting
One of the early pieces of advice that I read in terms of mindset was around losing wickets.
1. If you get out, don’t get out again.
For those that are unaware, in Indoor Cricket, you bat for four overs. If you get out, you don’t leave the court – instead, you lose 5 runs.
The advice never really made too much sense to me, other than there is a tendancy to want to regain the lost runs as soon as possible to you can return to your batting score before you lost the wicket. Regardless, it is a mindset method I have employed. Recently, I was able to work through the logic behind this statement and the reason why it is such a sound mindset.
The Logic
What is the worse thing that can happen as a batter in cricket?
Answer: Getting dismissed / getting ‘out’.
Now, just because you keep batting in Indoor Cricket, doesn’t mean that getting out isn’t still the worse thing that can happen. Instead, it shifts. The worst thing that can happen to a batter in a game of Indoor is getting out twice. And if you can get out twice, you can get out three times, and so on. Essentially they worse thing that can happen as a batter in Indoor is being dismissed on every ball you face. But it all starts with getting dismissed more than once. Keep it as close to the outdoor game where the worst that can happen is being dismissed once.
If you get out once, let that be the worst thing that can happen. Don’t get out again.
2. No run is better than negative five
For a lot of players, there is a tendency to feel like you always have to score runs. Calling ‘No run!’ is as frowned upon as playing a forward defensive shot.
The Logic
What is the most common form of dismissal in Indoor Cricket?
Answer: Getting run out.
You’d think that it is solely a fielding and bowling mindset; to be switched on to be clean with your pick up and throws. However, we can also use this information when batting. With this in mind, it completely changes your mindset as a batter.
If your shot has gone immediately to a fielder’s hand, getting no runs from that and sending your partner back is better than getting run out as they flick it to their choice of end. Batting is a partnership, and the non-striker has to be just as aware as you are to the shot you played, the direction of the ball and the location of the fielder. Good players are just as ready to head back to safety while they back up as they are to sprint through for a run. Especially for partners that tend to play straight and hit it back next to the stumps at the other end.
Sometimes, defending is required. Its rare, but as this mindset shows; zero is better than losing your wicket. If the ball is honing in on your toes, clamping down on it and keeping it out is better than going for glory and getting your castle rocked.
3. Have a bail-out shot
This follows on from the previous mindset. You are going to find yourself in situations where the initial reaction shot that your brain thought of isn’t going to work. Haveing a back-up option that you can fall back on will get you out of a bind when you’re facing deliveries that change as they come towards you.
The Logic
What is the bowler trying to do to get you out?
Answer: get you to play a shot you don’t mean to play, or beat your bat completely.
This will mean that the bowler will be trying to swing the ball, get extra bounce, shift the angle of delivery, disguising a slower ball, or pushing one through quicker, or spinning the ball in either direction.
As a batter, you have to premeditate shots a bit anyway. There’s simply not enough time from 22 paces away to rely solely on reactions – especially for mere amateurs who turn up to social grade cricket. But for every premeditated shot, it pays to have a second option as your bail out shot. A tuck onto the legside or short arm punch into the offside net are two viable options. If you can make these shots ‘down-up’, even better.
4. Backshot Rock
This is more of a technique that is required than a mindset; but its one that I’ve seen many beginning players fall into the trap of.
The Logic
The delivery is short and outside off. A fine opportunity to slap it to the back for seven.
What shot do you play?
Answer: Either ‘down-up’ into the offside net for two/three or a front foot pull to the back net for seven.
The particular answer will depend on a few factors – one, as mentioned, if you have been dismissed earlier, the best way to not get out again is to play the ‘down-up’. If the game is close and the risk of -5 from a catch at the back is worse than 7 runs, play conservatively. If you need the runs, go for that back net.
However, many beginning players rely on the back foot when facing a shorter ball. Its okay – its natural to rock onto that back foot. I love a back foot cut shot; have made it one of my bail out shots, and built in to be as down-up as anything. But part of that development has been not remaining on the back foot. The reason for this is simple: the most common form of dismissal is run out. If I remain on the backfoot, I’m one step and several milliseconds short of where I’d be if I’m playing a front foot shot and moving with the shot. This is particularly evident when trying to play a backfoot shot to the back net. One – you put in more effort to hit the ball further, thus sending your momentum backwards more as your swing follows through, and Two, the rebounding ball can end up closer to the stumps at the other end for a run out. The number of times I’ve seen backfoot shots for seven get run out by a couple of metres is quite high – not least of all because of the tendency of beginning players to stand and admire the shot for a few split seconds!
Instead, take that natural backstep to the short ball, but rock OFF that backfoot and onto the front foot as you swing your shot and you end up propelling yourself forward and towards running to the other end. This is just as applicable for that back foot cut. Rock onto the back foot, and then as you play the ball down into the turf, rock your weight and momentum forwards into the shot, and begin your run down to the non-strikers end.
5. Bat Positive
This is a tricky one, but one that is somewhat required for Indoor Cricket.
The Logic
What’s the most fun you can have as a batter on any given delivery?
Answer: Hitting a six.
Or in Indoor circles, a seven. There is a definite surge of endorphins when the ball goes fizzing off your bat, sailing high past the fielders, out of reach of anyone, and getting yourself to the other end for the maximum number of runs (no-ball sevens aside).
And why do you play? For me, it’s a social grade. I’m there to have fun.
Unfortunately, I’m also there to play for my own stats, and so this can sometimes get in the way of having fun.
The one thing I do focus on when I’m batting however, is setting myself the same goal each time I go out to bat. Hit at least one seven.
Now, I don’t go out there to hit every ball for seven. That would result in a lot of -5’s for an amateur player like myself. But I will definitely look for that delivery that is right in my hitting arch and then rely on my hand-eye coordination to get it to the back net.
Do I always get that delivery? No. Do I always get a seven? No. Do I sometimes get out going for the seven? Yes.
Do I get a rush of completion when the ball goes flying out of the middle and bounces off that back net? Absolutely.
This one mindset will help you to bat positively. You also need to bat responsibly as well though! Take into consideration the game situation before blindly going ahead with the mindset of hitting a seven.
Bowling
Its fairly difficult to keep a clear mindset in the middle of your over sometimes. Depending on how your fielding has gone, and how the match is going, sometimes it is easy to get a bit lost in the moment as you run in the 6 steps. It will also depend a lot on what kind of bowler you are. Express pace will have different mindsets to a spinner. But there are some key things to consider as you reach the top of your run up.
1. Think like a batter – length
As a batter, there are certain deliveries that are harder to play than others. There are certain lines that a tricky to get on top of. There are certain lengths that are troublesome.
The Logic
What are the easiest deliveries to play?
Answer: Anything straight on an easy length, slightly outside the line of the wickets so as to not be threatening to get bowled if I miss.
As a bowler, don’t bowl there. Simple really. Instead, flip the question – what are the hardest deliveries to play? The answer to that will vary for each batter depending on their style. Good players will assess this as you field. Sometimes you can pick up a batters strengths and weaknesses within a couple of overs. Others are simply players you’ve played a few times before and you get to learn what their style of play is. But you can’t predict everyone – so what I do is to think about what deliveries I find difficult when I’m batting.
The first thing that comes to mind is length – particularly those deliveries where you are in two minds about whether to play forwards or play back. I specifically train for this when I get the opportunity. I face up in the batting crease and pick a spot on the pitch where I would have trouble deciding whether to play forwards or back. I then place a glove, or cone, or whatever off to the side of the pitch as my length to aim for. I then dial in as best I can the muscle memory to hit that length as regularly and accurately as possible.
You can do this whether you’re a fast bowler or a spinner. Just remember than when you’re facing up to bat. If I’m facing a spinner, what is the length that is going to be tricky? If I’m facing a pace bowler, what length makes me most uncomfortable. Aim for that.
2. Think like a batter – line
This works in conjunction with step 1. We’ve all heard the cricketing phrase ‘line and length’. This is the mindset for line.
The Logic
What are the easiest deliveries to play?
Answer: Anything straight on an easy length, slightly outside the line of the wickets so as to not be threatening to get bowled if I miss.
As a bowler, don’t bowl there.
Again, flip the question – what are the hardest deliveries to play? Ask yourself – what deliveries do I find difficult when I’m batting?
The next thing that comes to mind is line. For me (and I don’t want to give too much away to my opponents) but I hate deliveries that are at my body and that I have to play leg side shots to. I think this is because of my propensity to miss the ball completely and have it hit hard into my body, or worse, clip the top of my bat as I swing and have it chip up into my face. So as a bowler, if I need to tie up a batsman, thats where I’ll bowl to.
Along with the article I found with advice about not getting out, there was advice as to the most difficult place to bowl to get runs off. The article said that the delivery bouncing about knee height aimed at the front leg is the most difficult to a) hit to the back due to the batter not being able to get their hands and back swing in line with the delivery, and b) play a bail-out down-up shot into the side net due to its height and the shots available because of the front leg getting in the way.
3. Stock Delivery
Every bowler has a stock delivery. That delivery that comes out when you first roll your arm over. The one you never think about because you rely 100% on muscle memory.
The Logic
What delivery is the batter expecting?
Answer: Your stock delivery, or something close.
Whilst we all have a stock delivery, one mindset to try is to not begin your over with that stock delivery. It depends on how confident a bowler you are, and if you have any alternative deliveries. You might need that first delivery to be your stock ball to get into the right line and length, in which case, do what works for you.
One thing about not leading with your stock delivery is that it keeps the batter guessing. You might begin with a slower delivery. Then the next time the batter faces you, they might assume that is your stock delivery. I wouldn’t always follow up with a fast ball, but it allows you to mix it up; you could bowl a second slower ball and make them think that really is your stock ball. You might put some extra turn on the ball, or flight it differently, or come at a wider angle in the crease and push it towards the batter.
A great piece of advice I received from a past captain of the team was something he was told from his coach back in the day. As an amateur player, there is always going to be a natural variation with line and length purely because you’re not a honed playing professional called Glen McGrath who can land it on a coin for 15 overs in a row.
One of the things to be aware of is pace. As a batter, there are speeds that are unplayable, speeds that I can get my bat on to play simple, defensive shots, and then pace that fits perfectly into my backswing, timing and shot arch. These deliveries are fantastic, often finding the middle of my bat and often get smashed to the back net.
Early on, when I was bowling my medium pace, I began trying to bowl faster. But I found that the faster I tried to bowl with my amateur, undeveloped action, the more I started to get hit. What I realised was that at my delivery speed, as balls went flying past my outstretched hands to the back net, was that I was fitting into that pace that batters find easy to hit. At the same time, I was watching bowlers who could hardly roll their arm over, lob down slow, flighty, nonchalant and non-threatening deliveries and continually getting wickets as batters eyes lit up, but their timing was all off, leading to mishits, rebounds off side nets, nicks to the keeper or unplayable bounce leading to easy lobs to front fielders.
I put the fast-bowling bible on the bedside table in a drawer and revolutionised myself into an off spinner and never looked back. My tools now are speed, flight, bounce, turn and disguise. There is nothing better than predicting that a batter will charge down the wicket to me, getting the delivery to leave the hand with enough flight to entice them into choosing that shot, having the natural in-swing that I get as a medium pacer due to my action, and watching it bounce directly under their bat and feet as they swing for the fences, and carry cleanly to the keeper for an easy stumping. Second to that are shots that are mistimed shots to the back that return straight back to me for a caught and bowled – followed shortly by me dropping it, but regathering and taking the run out because the non-striker had taken off for a run instead of trying to get back.
4. Variation is Key
This follows on from the previous mindset. If the stock delivery is the
The Logic
What are the easiest deliveries to play?
Answer: A
Aed at the
5. Delivery Timing
There’s nothing more frustrating as a batsman than facing up just to find the bowler already beginning their run up and sending a ball hurtling towards you before you’re ready. This could be considered gamesmanship; but its not how I personally would want to play the game.
The Logic
What is the best way to unsettle a batsman?
Answer: Get into and disrupt their routine.
There are sometimes where I’ll make sure that I’m ready to bowl as soon as the batter is ready. This can assist in getting through and over quickly if they are going well. But I won’t ever be unfair and begin running in before the batter has indicated with their bat that they are ready. Unless they’re a bowler who did it to me – in which case I give them a taste of their own medicine.
However, one thing I love to do is the opposite. Have the batsman take their mark and loaded and ready to face up. Then wait. And wait some more. Just before it’s awkward, start the run up. I often use this method if a batsman has pulled out of facing a delivery if I had been too quick, or other reasons where the batter seems to be in a bit of a rush. Disrupt their routine. They might step into the crease, hit the bat on the ground two times and then stand still ready to face and hit the ball. How easy is it to disrupt that rhythm than to have them stand there for longer than they’re used to, make them tap the ground more times, have them have to pause their rhythm and flow.
Obviously you don’t want to employ this method every ball, or even every over. But have it in the back of your mind as a strategy to use when you see fit.