Cut Shot and Square Cut

In this lesson you will learn to recognise the ball to cut. You need two things: the ball must be short, so that it bounces up to around waist height, and it must be wide of off stump, so that you have room to swing your arms freely. A ball that is short but close to off stump is better punched or defended. A ball that is wide but full is better driven or left. When a bowler gives you both length and width, the cut is one of the safest and most rewarding shots in the game. You will practise recognising width from the bowler's hand, using your guard mark to judge where off stump is.

• Short enough to bounce to waist height
• Wide enough to swing your arms freely
• Close to off stump: punch or defend
• Width plus length equals a cut

In this lesson you will practise the footwork. As you read the short, wide ball, move your back foot back and across towards the line of the ball, so that your weight is going towards it. For a square cut, the back foot often points towards point or slightly behind, opening your body a little so you can swing. Your front foot comes across to keep you balanced. You will learn that you should not move so far across that the ball gets too close to you, because the cut needs room. The key is to get your weight moving into the shot rather than away from it. Practise the movement with a marker placed outside off stump.

• Back foot back and across to the line
• Back foot often points towards point
• Weight moves into the shot
• Keep enough room to swing

In this lesson you will learn the arm movement. From a high backlift, bring the bat down towards the ball, extending your arms fully so that you meet it at arm's length, level with or just behind your body. Your front shoulder starts to open as you swing, and your head stays still and watching the ball. Full extension gives the shot power without any need to slog. You will learn that if the ball is so close that you cannot extend, it is not a ball to cut. Practise slow swings without a ball, feeling your arms reach out and the bat come through on a downward path, then add gentle feeds from a partner.

• High backlift for a downward swing
• Extend the arms fully at contact
• Meet the ball level with or just behind the body
• No room to extend means no cut

In this lesson you will learn how to keep the cut on the ground. The bat should swing from high to low, meeting the ball on top so that it is sent downwards. At contact, roll your wrists so the face turns over the ball, which helps keep it down. Hitting up at the ball, or with the face open and the wrists rigid, sends it in the air towards point, gully and the slips. You will learn that the best cuts are hit down hard into the ground and away. Practise with a partner feeding short, wide balls and aim to make the ball bounce before it passes the fielders. Concentrate on feel, not force.

• Swing from high to low
• Hit down on top of the ball
• Roll the wrists at contact
• Aim to bounce the ball past the fielders

In this lesson you will compare two versions of the shot. The square cut sends the ball square of the wicket, towards point, by hitting it level with your body with a firm, full swing. The late cut is a finer, more delicate shot. You wait for the ball to pass your body and then guide it with an angled bat between the slips and third man, using its pace. The late cut is useful when the field is in front of square and the third man boundary is open. It needs soft hands and excellent timing, so practise it only once your square cut is reliable. You will learn to choose between them based on the field and the pace of the ball.

• Square cut: hit level with the body towards point
• Late cut: guide the ball past the body
• Late cut uses the bowler's pace
• Choose based on the field and pace

In this lesson you will learn to place the cut into gaps. Small changes in the timing of contact and the angle of the bat face change where the ball goes. Hit the ball slightly earlier and it goes in front of point towards cover point. Hit it later and it goes behind point towards third man. You will learn to look at the field before every ball and to decide which gap you are aiming for, especially in T20 cricket when captains move fielders frequently. If there is a fielder at deep point, you might cut finer for a single. Practise with cones marking gaps and see how accurately you can direct the ball.

• Earlier contact sends it in front of point
• Later contact sends it behind point
• Look at the field before every ball
• Use cones to practise accuracy

In this lesson you will look at what goes wrong with the cut. Cutting balls too close to the body produces edges to the keeper and slips. Cutting balls that are not short enough sends them in the air. Hitting up at the ball rather than down creates catches. Moving away from the ball, rather than towards it, takes the power out of the shot. Cutting against a slow, low pitch can lead to being bowled by a ball that keeps low. You will also be reminded to wear full protective equipment, including a helmet with faceguard that meets the current British Standard, whenever you practise against short bowling with a hard ball, and to build up the pace gradually.

• Too close to the body brings edges
• Not short enough means catches
• Hit down, not up
• Wear full protective kit against the short ball