The Teesra

Author: Andrew Beaven

  • How to win at cricket – what the skipper really needs to know

    This summer (every summer, it seems), questions were raised about Alistair Cook’s performance as captain of England.

    And around the country, I suspect that (almost) every Club captain has been criticised, at some time in the season, for changing the bowling at the wrong time, for not changing the bowling, for setting the wrong field, for getting the batting order wrong, for picking the wrong team, for the wicket, for the teas…

    Get it right, and everyone will say – “what a good team”; get it wrong, and it will be “find a new captain”.

    So is it any wonder that we sometimes struggle to find volunteers to fill these essential Club roles?

    The challenge, as with most cricket skills, is that talent alone (assuming you have any…) will only take you so far as a skipper – to become truly competent you need to practice.  And that means putting up your hand at the next AGM, taking the reins, and taking on the captaincy.  And hoping that the criticism you receive won’t be so depressing that you give up after one season, vowing never to stand as skipper ever again. (more…)

  • No words for this – #putoutyourbats

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  • “Don’ts for Cricketers” – on genius

    Don’t expect genius to trouble itself with rules. No human law need concern the genius: he is a law to himself, and looks down from a lofty eminence on his weaker brethren.

    One that needs to be taken with a little caution – the “genius” first needs to deliver positive outcomes (modern jargon!), and can only rarely afford to disregard the rest of the team.

    But when a player displays “genius”, she needs to be encouraged, not repressed.