Practice. Lets have any ideas/views so we can improve this.
Ok guys...lets get a discussion going into how our practice nights can be improved. My philosophy is this; Practice doesn’t make PERFECT –it makes PERMANENT. In other words, you just improve the bad habit. Don’t want to bore you with sayings but another top sportsman’s quoted some years ago - “repetition is the mother of skill”. Can you imagine how many pitching wedges or putts Tiger Woods has struck during practice? I’d like to ‘groove’ batting shots, using throw downs, drop feed etc. And target bowling for bowlers - with no batsman to distract. We can also have middle practice, but we need to be careful due to neighbours compaints (but that's another subject). Fielding also needs to be done a lot more and I think this has the potential for the biggest improvement, in a short time….and will affect results immediately. Can you imagine if each player saves just 5 runs each per game in the field? That’s 55 runs less to score and win a game. Problem is that some of our members may not want to work on their game that seriously, and may only want to have a thrash in the nets after work. So we need to accommodate that group too. These are your net session’s guys …so let’s hear it? Shaun

Hey! Firstly, we need more guys to actually show up to practice atleast once a week. Preferably tuesdays, and those that cant make it both days should dedicate themselves to arranging a practice outside of regular practice times. Its dedication on part of every individual that can help us succeed. As far as batting is concerned, I thought the drop down, throw downs work much better to get the batsman in form. Once the bowlers start to get their line and length right, I think it would help both the batsmen and the bowlers to go at it either in the middle or in the nets. I also think, bowlers should spend more time bowling rather than batting, unless they are genuine allrounders already and they want to work on a specific part of their batting. Last season most of the bowlers would bat before the batsman did and then they were too tired to bowl. Something has to change with respective to that. Fielding is important, the highlight of our performance in the last 9 games o f the season was definitely the fact that our confidence in all other aspects of the game fed of our fielding. One of the practice captains has to take the responsiblilty for fielding. 1 for batting, 1 for bowling and 1 to coordinate the other 3? Also we have to run 2 separate nets. team 1 and 2 in one and the 3-5 in the 2nd. With time younger players and those who are playing well in teams 3-5 will integrate into the first net.

NSCC Night
How about we have some sort of a "club night", say, once a month, if not more often? Maybe we could plan a game of ultimate frisbee after the practice sessions and a BBQ? The game after practice would get a lot of those who turn up involved together as a team and would help build some unity. If things go as planned, it might be an excuse for people to turn up to practice in the first place. Also, ultimate builds stamina :-D Just a suggestion... let me know your thoughts everyone

yes ultimate or soccer..or hand socccer.., bbq's shud happen every tuesday i think.

Arjun, you'd have a BBQ 7 days a week if you could. How that 'washboard' stomach coming along???? :lol: .....Shaun

Shaun Ur right abt that, if i think abt it, given the choice I probably wud have a BBQ 7 days a week. :P Been playing basketball and soccer in my companies league, so i have games 1ce a week for each..and not eating home made food, it might mean a washboard stomach after all. lol. Wishful thinkin! crunches like 10 minutes/day!

for all the young blokes in the club, you all should look at how colly goes about his his business as an english cricketer. not as talented as a kp or a dravid, but has the world of cricketing intelligence. he challenged the best of the aussies fielders (61 singles in his ton - he hit the ball straight to clarke, punters etc and run) when batting, stick to a decent line when bowling, and most of all make sure he stop 20 runs and at least involve in one or two dismissals every game.

Hey guys, how is the winter treating you? Looks like I'll be around for the full season now as I have extended my work contract till Feb next year. As far as practive goes, definately need to make sure people turn up in the first place, last year was pretty dismal with me and Snooky being the thrusday regulars. We need to set the tone early and have a few good practices right of the bat to get people keen. Not sure if there's any other activities we can do at the start of the season so the weather isn't a factor. In oz we used to do indoor sports like indoor soccer for the first few sessions so the weather wasn't a factor and just for a bit of fun and something different to get everyone introduced to each other.

Hi Scott, nice to see you are still around! We have indoor practice Saturday nights 9-10pm at The Ball Park, 150-5731 Minoru Blvd Richmond, BC 604-304-9070 till mid april. Outdoors begin tuesday april 3rd. We need to 'hit the ground running' come end of april. 2006 was an aweful start and it took us till August to start performing. We cannot afford to allow this to happen this season. Saturday practices have had poor attendance from our senior squad members so far. NSCC has a lot of new players arriving this season from other clubs and hopefully an overseas professional too. We need to show these new players we are a good organised cricket club, with good training facilites. Each player needs to put the effort in themselves and add some value to these sessions. No excuses come May. Shaun

Hey Sean, thats great about the indoor training, I didn't know. I'll try and make it along next week. Those pommie boys sure did redeem themselves, three on the trot. aussies in shaky form for the world cup???

Suggestions for practice. Firstly Arjun hit the nail on the head. the 1st and 2nd team need to practice together. The rest of the club need to be the other practice group. NSHore has had a policy in the past that anyone should generally practice with anyone... never known any practice to be run like that. Practice also has to be more focused. I did not attend many sessions last year but from years past there is way too much lazing around. There are aways things someone could be doing. Fielding/Fitness/Strength/Batting/Bowling. Players should be there for roughly 2 hours of sweat. Also it is unlikley to get guys who are going to arrive at nets late due to work commitments to show up with the current system. Work is a fact of life... deal with it. If there are top order batsmen ( 1 - 7 ) they need to bat. You cant have these guys show up and wait till it's dark or the bowlers have gone home to get a hit. We are not serving Nshore or our teamates by having random batting orders in the nets. No more first come first served.

I agree, 'quality' of pratice is the most important part. We can improve batting skills far better without having the 10 - 15 min. net and the usual 10 or more bowlers (or non bowlers) lining up to bowl.....I have a couple of suggestions if anyone is willing to give it a try. There are also far to many guys standing around waiting for something to happen or someone to get things started too. That's why EVERYONE needs to get involved and help run fielding drills, etc. Plus we all need to help get the nets out, rather than watching same people doing it every week. We need 2 nets out every practice. Lets make this an enjoyable night for all, so people want to come every tuesday and Thursday.

I'm glad we actually have somin going here. Scotty, where u been bro? did u go to australia, tell me u got me that hat...:) Who are we getting next yr? anything finalized about which player(s)?

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. Only if you are fit, hungry and passionate will you play good cricket mates. Mark