Having a hit with HiTZ

A couple of weeks ago the Guardian ran an article on their website about HiTZ cricket.

HiTZ is the “performance” implementation of Batfast’s bowling simulation technology, as used in the “Sixes” entertainment venues (now, sadly, in administration).

In the article, the emphasis was firmly on “getting back into the game” and “building confidence” rather than suggesting it could be a really serious training tool. But it looked interesting.

I paid a couple of visits to HiTZ @ HPC Chigwell to find out for myself.

I’d never batted against the machine, but after watching a couple of Batfast demonstrations I had reservations about quite how useful it would be to prepare for actual matchplay. Visual cues looked all wrong, distances & reaction times shortened. But the technology might address this — they talk a good game!

First impressions were good. Access to the net lane via the HiTZ website worked, first time.

Driving the bowling machine

The bowling machine is controlled by a simple tablet interface…if I’d bothered to check the info on the website, in advance, it would have been even easier.

Offered “Harry Brook warm-up” (6 gentle “throw downs”, hitting hands only), “Harry Brook work-out” (scenario-based — see below) or “training” mode, with a choice of bowling mode (OB, LB, RF, LF), with select line & length, optional variability of speed, line, length, spin, swerve & “seam” (didn’t try the latter).

In the net

You do need to pad up and wear a helmet. The balls used are lightweight (pink “BOLA” style), but they can be shot out pretty fast.

The bowling machine sits behind a video projection screen, on which an animated bowler approaches the crease, turns his arm over at an approximation of an appropriate speed, and the ball is released synchronised with screen.

Video capture from a ceiling camera, half way down the lane.

Actually quite a good angle.

Scenarios

The control tablet offers several pre-programmed match-like scenarios — including starting an innings, rotating the strike, hitting out — each introduced by a short piece-to-camera from Harry Brook.

Nothing ground breaking in the concept, but I did appreciate the way that the bowling machine settings could be tweaked to match the scenario, and the level of difficulties matched to player ability (or ambition).

I found “club” too challenging — I’ve not faced 65mph for a long time.

Ball tracking

HiTZ offers camera-based ball tracking, to assess the direction, height & power of the stroke. Generally good, although I think the installation I played on perhaps needed re-calibrating. Shots I (thought I had) carefully guided backward of point were consistently fielded by cover. Hits that I thought were going straight to cover ended up scoring runs to deep extra.

Oh, and if you fancy yourself gliding the ball to third man, à la Joe Root, don’t bother — the system scores no runs at all for late cuts (nor for leg glances), because the camera “can’t see” the ball behind the batter.

Facing up

I struggled to pick length.

The pitch felt a little short (22 normal walking paces, approximately 55’ from the screen (point of release) to batter’s end wicket; perhaps equivalent to a pitch 19-20 yards). My difficulties might have been exacerbated by the lighting, or backspin on lightweight balls…or I might just be a bad judge of length. And it was my first hit in five months.

But I rarely felt confident driving even “full” deliveries (unless I walked down the pitch to meet them), and video evidence suggests that I cut quite a lot of good length balls from off stump…

Short pitched deliveries gripped, stood up & came through with tennis ball bounce. (That’s my excuse for missing a series of pull shots off the off-spinner!).

This might be attributed to a combination of the lighweight pink BOLA balls delivered with “cut” (backspin), and a very grippy surface.

FWIW — I hit at something over 100 on my first visit, slightly lower when I tried the scenarios.

That compared with a rate of 90.49 last season for games that were scored ball-by-ball. But the camera-driven scoring was a little idiosyncratic, as mentioned above.

Will I go again?

Yes!

Overall, a very positive experience. It took me some time to get used to the playing conditions, but certainly good fun and challenging. Not sure how well it would translate to playing against a live bowler, but I’d say at least comparable to a hit against a bowling machine, with the added bonus of “camera scoring”. And only £32/hr (off peak rate a HiTZ Chigwell).