Yesterday I enjoyed a really challenging (and unexpectedly energetic) coaching masterclass with Paul Nixon (@paulnico199).
The word that came up most often (after the phrase “just catch it first”) was “timing”. And not so much in taking the ball, but when to rise from the crouch.
More insight from AB de Villiers – “I look to block pretty much every ball I face”.
This from the man who has just hit an ODI century in only 57 balls!
via How I play my most important shot, the late block – AB de Villiers, on CricketYard.com.
But de Villiers’ “late block” is not the textbook forward defence, nor is it a defensive option. Rather than a full stride, it is played from a front-foot press trigger move. And the ball is played very late, and only if an aggressive stroke isn’t possible.
Very interesting to see AB de Villiers analysis of his own batting technique.
https://twitter.com/cricketyard/status/651388221033709569
His “two step” backswing looks a little like the starting point for the “rotary batting” technique ascribed to Don Bradman – an initial low pick-up, followed by a more exaggerated lift of the bat towards the slips rather than straight back, with the bat then “looping” around to come down straight if the delivery demands to be met with a perpendicular bat.
The Teesra 