Fellas, sorry about the previous post, cut and paste gone wrong. Practice needs to be revised. This nonsensical policy of people who were there first bats first is for people who play in the Z cricketing leagues the world over. Batsmen bat, bowlers bowl and if time remains, bowlers take a knock (with two nets there should be ample time for bowlers to get a knock). You are just wasting your time knocking for ten minutes, make a hundred in the nets and when you go out in the middle on the weekends you are like “fish out of water.” Most of cricket is in the mind gentlemen. Talent is not everything. Mental strength is the key. Your attitude makes a big difference. Look at the present OZ team or the old West Indians for that matter, they were fearless. They were not scared of defeat. That is to say they take “calculated risk” and practice in a way that will enhanced those “calculated risk” come game day. NSCC has talent, no question. But you can see that being mentally strong is not there in the thinking pattern of the players’ mental make up. You get that through two things in my opinion: 1. Lots of physical training (some of you should read Dr. Rudi Webster work on the correlation between physical fitness and mental fitness. 2. The ability to create a culture or a lifestyle that is conducive to a strong cricketing mentality. You cannot sit on the couch for 8 months and come April and expect to be a Sachin or Lara. You can have all the talents mates, but if you do not have the character to translate that into performance it is wasted. 3. Only if you are fit, hungry and passionate will you play good cricket mates. As for practice, I have to finish off some stuff by April to actually get a full fledged summer of cricket. Will try to make a few sessions though. Respect! Mark

Yeah mon.

We need new and innovative drills that will draw interest. If you get a couple of guys who come into every practise and work hard they will attract others. But you need a core of reliable guys. I think Shaun should pick 8 people to work hard and show the way to others. We have a great asset in Shaun but we need to make use of his knowledge and learn.

I agree we need a few guys who will help organise practise sessions and to ensure a quality session. As regards practice, my view is they need to mostly 'grooving' style sessions and of course have a net too, if you have the time. My main point with all these 'drop feeds, throw downs, target bowling' is this- WHAT YOU PRACTICE......YOU BECOME. So if your usual practice is a 15 min. thrash in the nets, getting out 4 or 5 times, or running up and bowling no-balls, mixed with the odd wide or long hop........how can you expect this to be any different at the weekend? Problem is 95% of players seem to want to continue in this way, so how can it change, unless players want it to change??? Even the BC Elite group ask me every weekend session...when are we having nets?!!!! Shaun

Desire to excel is something no one can instill into someone. This is the first time we are having indoor winter prac and its not very encouraging when people dont show up. I am just hoping when it comes down to it during the season, people make a sacrifice or 2 to be at practice every day and try to make it better, instead of quitting and staying home and complainging later on saying that no one shows up to practice. everyone gotta be there whether ur best mate shows up or not. thats the only way its going to work and in turn help encourage more people to show up and have a good practice session. Shaun: the drop feeds, throw downs i feel is better practice if bowlers are "running up and bowling no-balls, mixed with the odd wide or long hop". The only reason i think a batsman would want bowlers to actually bowl at him so that the batsman wud get into the habit of watchin the ball outta the hand and ofcourse if the bowler is working on getting the batsman out then you face a variety to different balls much like in a match scenario. And again stressing the point - bowlers have to come to practice to bowl and batsman come to bat, NOT vice versa. Ofcourse everyone does the fielding and fitness etc.

North Shore has had many pre season indoor practices.

Well not since I joined!

had indoor practices 2 and 3 seasons past... and a lot before then as well. Involved a lot of running

What is the practice schedule for April?

Practices start on the 3rd of April (5:30 PM). Every Tuesday and Thursday from there on. 14th April is a clean up day when everyone is invited to participate and help out prepare ourselves for the season. 22nd of April (Sunday) there will be a practice game played at Norgate Park with West Coast Tamils I. We are looking at another practice game for the 21st, but we'll let you know about that as time goes on. And then a couple more practice sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then we are into the season :-) I have put these details on to the website. I'll update there as well as here if things change and if there are any updates. See you there soon. :-)