State Victoria - The Mighty Bushrangers

[Drunkcat]

Shield cricket is a very average competition never been so poor, some ok Bowlers, not many if any batsman or wicket keepers in the making. T20 has killed red ball cricket it is dying.

 

[western royboy]

Shield cricket is a very average competition never been so poor, some ok Bowlers, not many if any batsman or wicket keepers in the making. T20 has killed red ball cricket it is dying.

I agree with your observations on the Shield standard and particularly Batters & Keepers - I don’t think T20 is the major reason.

 

[Drunkcat]

I agree with your observations on the Shield standard and particularly Batters & Keepers - I don’t think T20 is the major reason.

You don't think playing shield cricket at the start then at the end of year, don't stuff players up with form, T20 stuffs that up.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

You don't think playing shield cricket at the start then at the end of year, don't stuff players up with form, T20 stuffs that up.

Dig deeper. Next level below.
Grade cricket mustn't be producing enough batsmen with sound techniques

 

[western royboy]

You don't think playing shield cricket at the start then at the end of year, don't stuff players up with form, T20 stuffs that up.

Absolutely that does but it’s not the main reason IMHO - I’m seeing a decline in batting standard and a lack of keepers at all levels - that has nothing to do with BBL being played in the middle of the summer

 

[western royboy]

Dig deeper. Next level below.
Grade cricket mustn't be producing enough batsmen with sound techniques

Decline at community level feeds thru in a pyramid system - batters that can occupy the crease ie. play straight are at a premium to the point where blokes that should be long retired are now being actively pursued because the kids coming thru aren’t anywhere near it - Lots of players that should be still playing district cricket playing for big coin on hard wickets in the Mornington comp - no turf wickets to prepare money goes on players instead of pitches - no kids coming thru from that area - lack of keepers is a direct result of the system that has evolved - everyone has a go, no one specialises

 

[The hands of stone]

Dig deeper. Next level below.
Grade cricket mustn't be producing enough batsmen with sound techniques

Correct.
Most premier clubs are now struggling to keep the good 1st grade player who plays through their career at premier level and then may finish in 2nd grade for a season or 3 .
That player now is heading back to local comps for $$$$ and less commitment.

The level has thinned , competition for spots isnt as tough and you lose experienced player guiding the younger player through .
A huge dearth of quality players in that 25-35 age group now

 

[western royboy]

Correct.
Most premier clubs are now struggling to keep the good 1st grade player who plays through their career at premier level and then may finish in 2nd grade for a season or 3 .
That player now is heading back to local comps for $$$$ and less commitment.

The level has thinned , competition for spots isnt as tough and you lose experienced player guiding the younger player through .
A huge dearth of quality players in that 25-35 age group now

Bingo - you’re left with old blokes ie. really old blokes and kids

“Age and treachery will always beat youth and enthusiasm”

 

[Black Diamond]

Decline at community level feeds thru in a pyramid system - batters that can occupy the crease ie. play straight are at a premium to the point where blokes that should be long retired are now being actively pursued because the kids coming thru aren’t anywhere near it - Lots of players that should be still playing district cricket playing for big coin on hard wickets in the Mornington comp - no turf wickets to prepare money goes on players instead of pitches - no kids coming thru from that area - lack of keepers is a direct result of the system that has evolved - everyone has a go, no one specialises

Thing is we could begin to address the occupying the crease problem tomorrow and at no cost or effort to anybody.

Just do away with the stupid rules forcing batsmen to retire from their innings after 50/60/70 balls. You will immediately have kids wanting to bat in the top order to make sure they get a bat, and they will do what they have to to bat all day.

 

[eth-dog]

We also have too many premier clubs.

 

[Voice of the G]

We also have too many premier clubs.

Have 2 divisions.Promotion and relegation.

 

[The hands of stone]

Bingo - you’re left with old blokes ie. really old blokes and kids

“Age and treachery will always beat youth and enthusiasm”

I popped into my club last season and was chatting to a few of the guys .

They said they were really struggling to keep that type of player in the system .
They were very frustrated by it all.

I think you always have rose coloured glasses but I was quite taken aback at some of the pretty poor batting .
A lot of bottom handed stuff to full bowling, no real footwork and lack of basic batsmanship .

 

[The hands of stone]

Decline at community level feeds thru in a pyramid system - batters that can occupy the crease ie. play straight are at a premium to the point where blokes that should be long retired are now being actively pursued because the kids coming thru aren’t anywhere near it - Lots of players that should be still playing district cricket playing for big coin on hard wickets in the Mornington comp - no turf wickets to prepare money goes on players instead of pitches - no kids coming thru from that area - lack of keepers is a direct result of the system that has evolved - everyone has a go, no one specialises

One of the most talented players I saw ended up back in the MPCA.
Think he lasted a few years in premier before heading back .
Good example of whats happening I think

 

[western royboy]

A lot of bottom handed stuff to full bowling, no real footwork and lack of basic batsmanship .

In a nutshell this is it - most kids are right hand dominant thus it’s the bottom hand on the bat - yet the rocket scientists running the design of Milo / Woolies Blast do not allow people to do anything in this area - we then progress to games way too early without any basics to fall back on and after that it’s just a merry go round of game after game after game.

At 16 they get jobs and effectively retire having played a million Micky Mouse games but never actually having played 1. But it’s all ok…CA have them as “consumers for life”

 

[western royboy]

We also have too many premier clubs.

Absolutely but good luck getting some to step back

 

[The hands of stone]

In a nutshell this is it - most kids are right hand dominant thus it’s the bottom hand on the bat - yet the rocket scientists running the design of Milo / Woolies Blast do not allow people to do anything in this area - we then progress to games way too early without any basics to fall back on and after that it’s just a merry go round of game after game after game.

At 16 they get jobs and effectively retire having played a million Micky Mouse games but never actually having played 1. But it’s all ok…CA have them as “consumers for life”

As soon as we started getting the bottom hand coming in we were only allowed to hold the bat with the top hand.

I did that a few of of the guys , if they practiced they couldnt believe you could the ball as hard anyway.......plus you stopped playing across the line all the time

 

[eth-dog]

Absolutely but good luck getting some to step back

Clubs of ke Greenvale, Kingston Hawthorne, Camberwell Magpies always struggle because they're next door to bigger and stronger clubs. Need to reduce the teams.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Batting descriptors are all wrong. Well so says my coach.
Who said this once got him in a blue with Bob Merriman when he was Geelong Assistant coach.

He argues RHB is wrong because the lead arm is the left arm and that's what's facing the target.

Reckon he's also been going blue in the face for 4 years repeating no more 'whack heck'... As is whack the ball. Get out then yell heck.

Keeps reiterating someone in the top 6 needs to get past 50. Only our firsts seem to be able to consistently do so.

 

[Black Diamond]

Batting descriptors are all wrong. Well so says my coach.
Who said this once got him in a blue with Bob Merriman when he was Geelong Assistant coach.

He argues RHB is wrong because the lead arm is the left arm and that's what's facing the target.

This is not a new theory.

Unfortunately it ignores a that most right-handed people are left-eye dominant - the eye in the lead for a normal right-hand stance.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

This is not a new theory.

Unfortunately it ignores a that most right-handed people are left-eye dominant - the eye in the lead for a normal right-hand stance.

Left arm facing target.
Left eye facing target.

RHB

 

[The hands of stone]

Batting descriptors are all wrong. Well so says my coach.
Who said this once got him in a blue with Bob Merriman when he was Geelong Assistant coach.

He argues RHB is wrong because the lead arm is the left arm and that's what's facing the target.

Reckon he's also been going blue in the face for 4 years repeating no more 'whack *'... As is whack the ball. Get out then yell *.

Keeps reiterating someone in the top 6 needs to get past 50. Only our firsts seem to be able to consistently do so.

They trialled that at the VIS/AIS a few years ago
Found no real difference in power / control etc

But some coaches will coach it

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Interesting discussion. I am close to ambidextrous.

* In competition I’d bat rh and was reasonably correct. (Still ordinary) I was stronger on the front foot and put away hooks and pulls.

* In social games I’d bat left handed and agricultural and was much stronger on the back foot. Aside from social games being great fun, I reckon I picked length earlier.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

They trialled that at the VIS/AIS a few years ago
Found no real difference in power / control etc

But some coaches will coach it

People are misunderstanding me. Not talking about how it affects coaching.

 

[western royboy]

They trialled that at the VIS/AIS a few years ago
Found no real difference in power / control etc

But some coaches will coach it

Put it this way - the modern coaching methods are not working

 

[The hands of stone]

People are misunderstanding me. Not talking about how it affects coaching.

Sorry was talking what they were coaching , not how it effected coaches if that makes sense