subshakerz
Hall of Fame Member
Is it just aesthetics or is there some logic to its attractiveness?
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Why does having a left/right hand opening combo matter?
- Thread starter subshakerz
- Start date
Starfighter
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The idea is that both the bowlers have to keep adjusting their lines and the fielders have to keep moving about (in club matches I've noticed the over rate is considerably worse with an opposite handed combination).
That said you'll find most teams select their two best openers, because it's not worth picking a worse batsman for opposing handedness. Conversely, in junior cricket we used to practically force any left handed team members to open just to have that combination.
TheJediBrah
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/thread
BazBall21
International Captain
Yeah, and can also still get instances of this with two of the same. Bowlers had to adjust a lot against Hayden/Langer. Hayden favoured down the ground. Langer square of the wicket.
Kenneth Viljoen
International Regular
Mostly to disrupt the bowlers rhythm, that's the idea anyway ...
Yes, I wonder if height also makes a difference as well as style.
SillyCowCorner1
Moooo
It's $exy
weeman27bob
International Vice-Captain
More batting order decisions in test matches should be made based on junior cricket logic. I remember once playing a game where we picked the batting order out of a hat
subshakerz
Hall of Fame Member
Based on the responses, I don't think it practically makes a difference at all.
Arachnodouche
International Captain
This is a question no one who's followed the game for a week would care to ask. Some weird OCD thread-making complex on display here.
kyear2
International Coach
I've watched games where it was obvious that some opening bowlers struggled to maintain lines when they were facing a r/l combination. Way too many balls down the leg side.
But since it's not something that teams have especially tired to do, I would imagine it's not have big impacts.
SillyCowCorner1
Moooo
1st slip
It was more useful when there were fewer left-handers around and bowlers were less used to them.
Proportionally there are roughly twice as many Test left-handers as during the 1980s, and three times the proportion before WW1.
England had played over a hundred Tests before Woolley became their first left-handed batsman to score a century.
Proportionally there are roughly twice as many Test left-handers as during the 1980s, and three times the proportion before WW1.
England had played over a hundred Tests before Woolley became their first left-handed batsman to score a century.
ataraxia
International Coach
Arachnodouche
International Captain
It's not about bowlers getting used to having more lefties in the game. It's about him having to make subtle (or pronounced if he goes around the stumps) adjustments to the biomechanics of his action...multiple times an over if the pair are good at rotating strike. You can practise that as much as you want but there's no question it's an inconvenience and that any bowler would prefer settling down in one mode of action.