cnerd123
likes this
then again, when have the Kiwis ever mattered
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Placing our bets on "Test Cricket's Young Fab Four"
- Thread starter harsh.ag
- Start date
TheJediBrah
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I forgot Kane even existed
Daemon
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Yeah we're transitioning back to <2010 days when one would picture a roided up dude in a red mask upon hearing the name Kane. In fact I'm forgetting what Williamson looks like even as I type.
Wait, I can't even remember which country he's from. Was it the one that steals cricketers from associate nations like Hong Kong?
Wait, I can't even remember which country he's from. Was it the one that steals cricketers from associate nations like Hong Kong?
Zinzan
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Is this just Tests or overall across all forms?
NZTailender
I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Remember who you're replying to...
TheJediBrah
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation
"A nation is a stable community of people, formed on the basis of a common language, territory, economic life, ethnicity and/or psychological make-up manifested in a common culture. A nation is distinct from a people,[1] and is more abstract, and more overtly political than an ethnic group.[2] It is a cultural-political community that has become conscious of its autonomy, unity, and particular interests"
Seems to fit
centurymaker
Cricketer Of The Year
Smith's technique is so heavily reliant on his hand and eye coordination, the way he covers the stumps and moves across and then flicks everything to the leg side with minimum error is a testament to his excellent hand and eye ability. But a few yrs down the line when it starts to fade, he'll start missing some balls and getting caught LBW and that will be his very big test.
So far he has also been pretty clever, he's been taking full advantage of the LBW law by constantly shuffling across the stumps to push his legs outside the line, which constantly takes the clean-bowled and LBW out of play!
Plus he is able to leave balls outside of his eyeline, as after his shuffle, he is already at the 4th/5th stump line more often than not. So with his exaggerated shuffle he can leave balls with ease, thus dramatically reduce caught behinds. He can take clean bowleds and Lbw out of play alot of the time by being outside the line to good deliveries in the channel. And with his hand and eye coordination, he can flick everything to leg side and hardly ever get caught lbw right in front, especially to those deliveries which are more at the stumps.
So far he has also been pretty clever, he's been taking full advantage of the LBW law by constantly shuffling across the stumps to push his legs outside the line, which constantly takes the clean-bowled and LBW out of play!
Plus he is able to leave balls outside of his eyeline, as after his shuffle, he is already at the 4th/5th stump line more often than not. So with his exaggerated shuffle he can leave balls with ease, thus dramatically reduce caught behinds. He can take clean bowleds and Lbw out of play alot of the time by being outside the line to good deliveries in the channel. And with his hand and eye coordination, he can flick everything to leg side and hardly ever get caught lbw right in front, especially to those deliveries which are more at the stumps.
Spark
Global Moderator
I don't get how not missing balls off your pads, which is a basic skill for any Test batsman, is somehow incredibly unique.
Smith's technique is no weirder on that front than Katich, GSmith or Chanderpaul. What makes Smith unique is almost entirely mental: the **** just refuses to play shots which he judges as too risky, and therefore is near impossible to get out once set.
Smith's technique is no weirder on that front than Katich, GSmith or Chanderpaul. What makes Smith unique is almost entirely mental: the **** just refuses to play shots which he judges as too risky, and therefore is near impossible to get out once set.
Daemon
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fascinating, what a refreshing unheard of analysis
Spark
Global Moderator
:face:
edit: haha nvm.
But really too much has always been made of Smith's technique. In a crude sense your technique determines whether you get to 30, and Smith is no better than that (and actually a bit worse) than some of his contemporaries. What sets him apart is his bloody-minded refusal to get out once he gets to 30.
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Spark
Global Moderator
the :face: emoji obvs
centurymaker
Cricketer Of The Year
Amla did the same thing in the last test vs India (exaggerated shuffle) and scored 50s in both innings on the most difficult pitch, as his shuffle took plently of things significantly out of the equation. Its a loophole that few exploit but you have to have the eye to not miss the ball at the stumps or your doomed. Plus you can't be poking at balls at the 6th or 7th stump which may feel like balls on 4th or 5th stump because of you being so far across. Also with regards to Amla, in both innings India weren't really able to get him out, instead he got out himself by finding fielders on the legside with his shots in the air. So the shuffle worked wonderfully for him. And I wasn't surprised. More players should learn to do it.
Daemon
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This is key. it's why Vijay trying to copy the technique initially didn't work out.
Spark
Global Moderator
Not missing balls on your pads is about balance and keeping your head still, not eye. If you simply miss balls on your stumps because you don't have the hand-eye coordination to hit them then you should probably do something other than be a Test batsman with your life. The main reason most batsmen don't like to go that far across is because they overbalance and their head falls to the offside when they do so, because all their momentum is already going in that direction.
Gob
International Coach
Yep he is a real century maker
centurymaker
Cricketer Of The Year
dude, the ball can nip in too... and if you shuffling and miss it, you are usually a goner especially if the ball is more at the stumps. Smith just doesn't miss.
Spark
Global Moderator
Yes, because his head is completely still at the point of release and his balance is perfect. Smith is not the first batsman to do this. In fact, a back-and-across movement used to be totally unremarkable in Test cricket. Smith looks weird because of his constant little twitches and the fact that the bat appears to come down from backward point/gully, but having a big movement across the stumps is not novel, and not the reason he averages 60-odd. That's more or less mental, and if he fades late it'll because he loses that mental edge (which many do).
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