Strike Rotation and Running Between Wickets

In this lesson you will learn why singles and twos are so valuable. In a 20-over match there are only 120 legal balls, and every dot ball is a scoring opportunity missed. If you score a single off each ball you would make 120 runs, which shows how much difference quick running can make. Rotating the strike also stops a bowler settling into a rhythm against one batter, and it lets the batter who is in better form face more balls. You will learn that teams who run well between the wickets put fielders under constant pressure, which often leads to misfields and extra runs. Strike rotation is a skill every batter can develop.

• Only 120 legal balls in a T20 innings
• Every dot ball is a missed chance
• Stops the bowler settling
• Running well forces fielding errors

In this lesson you will learn how to find the gaps in the field. Before each ball, look around and see where the fielders are, especially the ones inside the thirty-yard circle. Identify the spaces where a soft push or a gentle clip could go for a single. You will learn to use the angle of the bat face and soft hands to direct the ball into those spaces, rather than hitting it hard straight to a fielder. Common single options include pushing into the off side in front of point, working the ball off your pads to mid-wicket and dropping the ball just in front of you. Knowing where the gaps are before the ball is bowled makes your decisions faster.

• Look at the field before every ball
• Spot the gaps inside the circle
• Use soft hands and the bat face
• Know your options before the ball

In this lesson you will learn how to run quickly and efficiently. Start fast, with short, powerful strides for the first few metres, then lengthen your stride. Run in a straight line along the side of the pitch, not on it, so you do not damage the pitch surface; umpires can warn and penalise batters who run on the protected area. Carry the bat in one hand, usually the hand furthest from the fielder throwing the ball, so you can see the ball as you run. Run the first run as hard as possible, because that is what creates the chance of a second. You will learn to watch the ball and your partner as you run.

• Short, powerful strides to start
• Run beside the pitch, not on it
• Carry the bat in one hand
• Run the first one hard

In this lesson you will learn how to turn at the end of a run. As you approach the crease, lower your body, slide your bat over the popping crease, and plant your outside foot so you can push back in the other direction. Turn so that you are facing the ball, which lets you see where it is and decide whether a second run is on. Turning blind, with your back to the ball, wastes time and leaves you unsure. You will learn to change the hand that carries the bat as you turn, so that it stays on the side away from the fielder. Practise turning in both directions so you are comfortable whichever way the ball has gone.

• Lower your body as you approach
• Plant the outside foot to push off
• Turn facing the ball
• Switch bat hands as needed

In this lesson you will learn how to make your ground. You are in your ground if part of your body or your bat, held in your hand, is grounded behind the popping crease. The line itself counts as outside your ground, so you must be behind it. Reach out with your bat and slide it along the ground over the crease, which is faster than running in with your feet. Under the Laws of Cricket, once you have grounded your bat or body behind the popping crease while running or diving, you are not out of your ground if you then lose contact with the ground through continued momentum. You will practise sliding the bat in at the end of every practice run.

• Bat or body grounded behind the crease
• The line itself is not in your ground
• Slide the bat in, it is faster
• Grounded then airborne through momentum: still safe

In this lesson you will learn some scoring basics. A run is scored when both batters have crossed and made good their ground at the opposite ends. If either batter fails to ground their bat or body behind the popping crease when turning for another run, the umpire will call and signal a short run, and that run does not count. Deliberately running short is unfair play and can bring penalty runs under the Laws. Byes, leg byes, wides and no-balls are extras, and you can still run on them. You will learn to make your ground properly at every turn, because a short run wastes the effort of everyone involved and can change the result of a close game.

• A run counts when both batters make their ground
• Failing to ground on a turn is a short run
• Deliberate short running brings penalties
• You can run on extras too

In this lesson you will put strike rotation into a match context. In the middle overs of a T20 innings, when boundaries may be harder to find, aim to rotate the strike every ball or two. Talk with your partner between overs about which bowlers and fielders offer singles. A left-hand and right-hand batting pair can unsettle bowlers further when you rotate. You will learn simple practice games, such as running every ball in the nets or a target of runs from a set number of balls in middle practice. Fitness matters too, so build your running into your training, warm up before you bat, and look after your hamstrings. Small gains add up to big totals.

• Aim to rotate every ball or two in the middle overs
• Plan singles with your partner
• Use practice games to build habits
• Warm up and build running fitness