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Opening batsman position
- Thread starter slippy888
- Start date
SillyCowCorner1
Moooo
Some guys just like when it shiny; other love it when it’s fuzzy
trundler
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TIL #3s like a landing strip.
I think alot of it has to do with mindset - it's a position that you really have to want to do.
You obviously also need a specific set of skills - in theory at least - you need to be able to play the short ball well and have a really solid defence.
I think with someone like Steve Waugh would have struggled early on in his career to open, he really struggled with the short ball. Later on when he sorted that out, I don't see why he wouldn't have done well.
Joe Root is another example - started out as an opener and now bats at 4 - he doesn't really want to bat even at 3.
The truth is that batting at 4,5 or 6 is easier than opening and many players prefer to go down that route.
You obviously also need a specific set of skills - in theory at least - you need to be able to play the short ball well and have a really solid defence.
I think with someone like Steve Waugh would have struggled early on in his career to open, he really struggled with the short ball. Later on when he sorted that out, I don't see why he wouldn't have done well.
Joe Root is another example - started out as an opener and now bats at 4 - he doesn't really want to bat even at 3.
The truth is that batting at 4,5 or 6 is easier than opening and many players prefer to go down that route.
It's not just the new ball factor but that so much of batting is about concentration, reading the conditions, knowing how to play the bowlers etc that all take time to do when first at the crease. Obviously the openers have to do this straight away without prior knowledge. By the time you get to 80 overs, the batters may have already been at the crease for some time and got "in", seen how the pitch is playing and will be facing bowlers who've had to bowl 15 or more overs already.
That's not to say that playing the second new ball isn't important and it drives me mad when a set batter gets out after 70 overs.
That's not to say that playing the second new ball isn't important and it drives me mad when a set batter gets out after 70 overs.
Nintendo
Cricketer Of The Year
Slippy taking the piss here but I think there's an interesting discussion to be had about players who prefer facing the new ball to the old ball. Watson is one guy who comes to mind, did a lot better opening then he did down the order at 5 or lower and I think the new ball factor played a part in that. Conway is another guy who comes to mind for this, he's done alot better opening then he has at 3/4 in his test career so far and I recall alot of NZ posters mentioing how if he has any weakness its offspin early and he's a bit suspect vs high pace short stuff at the body. If he's opening he's a lot less likely to face either of those before he's seen a few balls from the new ball bowlers.
Howe_zat
Audio File
People who prefer opening or changed to opening at a higher level probably like the simplicity of aiming to do the same thing pretty much every innings. It means you can afford to be more specialised in your practice knowing that you aren't likely to face a wide variety of situations when you're starting, which a #4 or #5 usually does.
Brook's side
International Regular
Brook's side
International Regular
By the 80th over:
- the nip's gone off the pitch
- the batsman's 'in'
- the bowler's knackered
Coronis
International Coach
[citation needed]
Brook's side
International Regular
I was a junior member at Worcestershire in 1989.
The members section is (or was) directly in front of the dressing rooms.
I made some cheeky long forgotten joke to my friend about the Australians.
Steve Waugh looked up from his newspaper, and gave me a look that was so steely, the world came to a standstill.
That look would have made Clint Eastwood apologise.
506 runs @ 126 later, and the Ashes were Australian.
To me, whether with the bat or in the field, that man is the wall.
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honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
I do think there was an element of sacrificing lesser players as openers in the early days of the game. Gavaskar will never shut up about how bad the openers have it, at least in test cricket, for the "middle order glamor boys" as he once classily called it. 
Coronis
International Coach
I expected (and hoped) that story was going in an entirely different direction.
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
only the story?
Brook's side
International Regular
And Sunny was only facing underarms.I do think there was an element of sacrificing lesser players as openers in the early days of the game. Gavaskar will never shut up about how bad the openers have it, at least in test cricket, for the "middle order glamor boys" as he once classily called it.
Brook's side
International Regular
I think we all did until day 1 at Headingley.
Brook's side
International Regular
I think that was probably the same game that Merv Hughes stood on my foot actually.
HookShot
U19 Vice-Captain
I do think there was an element of sacrificing lesser players as openers in the early days of the game. Gavaskar will never shut up about how bad the openers have it, at least in test cricket, for the "middle order glamor boys" as he once classily called it.
It seems that Sunny is playing into a stereotype and forgetting that some of the most glamorous attacking batsman are in fact openers…
Barry Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Kris Srikkanth, Herschelle Gibbs, Michael Slater, Matthew Hayden, Sanath Jayasuriya, Marcus Trescothick, Virender Sehwag, David Warner, Chris Gayle…..etc
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Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
Interestingly BMac's 2nd best average (he batted everywhere from 1-9 in tests) was at no 2 (1127 @ 41.74). It is also where he batted 3rd most often behind nos 7 and 5.