Help!!!

[MKK]

Playing as Worcestershire so far doing ok in 20/20 (even though we could blow what looked like guaranteed qualification on NRR in the last round of group matches) but as we are not the strongest of teams I think we are doing reasonably is so far as we will have good and bad days and I am at least making progress.

However I am really struggling in the County Championship. I am making some progress with batting as earlier on in the season I was getting bowled out for sub 200 scores on most occasions but thanks to DVDDDs post in another thread I at least feel I am getting somewhere. But my problem is without fail I always end up with a first innings deficit, I put it down to having a poor team until I got gubbed by Leicestershire twice both times giving away massive first innings leads despite batting first. Both occasions it was very cloudy for the first 2 hours but I felt I got through relatively unscathed at 60 odd and 50 odd for 3 however I collapsed after lunch on each occasions. I've won twice (10 or 11) games in. Once on the first day (Which was clearly a fluke where I made a load of runs first up and then bowled them out not cheaply the first or 2nd time but with enough time to bowl them out twice. The 2nd time was when both teams were bowled oout for 250 first time round but and after an initial collapse in the 2nd innings I shut up shop eventually crawling to a 300ish lead with 2 hours left. The opposition collapsed and we won easily in the end.

My problem at the moment is I can make runs on absolute roads normally declaring between 550-600 in the middle of the last session on day 2 but on the two occasions I did that the opposition (just) failed to follow on and easily drew and on the 2nd they overtook my score. Any kind of help for bowlers in a pitch I am making what I think are competitive scores but then the opposition generally take 100 plus leads.

Please help!

[MKK]

And said game where they overhauled my 550 I have just collapsed on the last day not being particularly attacking with my batsmen. I did save the situation and was 192/7 at the end of the day but the pitch was average in turn and wear and I basically had to go 0 attacking to save it

[MKK]

Please, Anybody?

[Cam]

So bowling is your issue?
If so go get some decent bowlers and work on agressive technique with ones that are doing to bad!
I try 3 fast bowlers and a reasonable spinner with a 4th seamer as an all rounder
I always try to find a batsmen who can chime in with around 10 overs a match either as a medium pacer or spin!

If you keep struggling look at the transfers at the end of the season and work out if u need international or domestic

I don't change my bowling settings or field when playing FC matches I just rotate my bowlers and use part timers and batsmen for a few overs.
I go around the wicket and yeh usually all works

Develi

[Alrounder80]

I'll copy and paste the advice I gave someone else here:

Bowling wise, you should ideally have 4 bowlers doing most of the bowling. Any extra all-rounders are a bonus. I always start off with 4 bars and bowling to the opposite side of the batsmen's strength. So if, for example, a batsman has a strong/slight legside preference, I'll set at four bars and bowl outside off stump. Once batsmen get to 25+ runs, I'll reduce the bar to 3. Once they cross about 60, I'll go down to 2 bars and experiment by going around the wicket and potentially also changing up the length according to what length the batsmen prefers, etc. If you're struggling to get the tail out, use any decent part-timer you have in your team for a few overs. I also recommend always having a decent spinner in the side. They tend to be pretty economical (for me, at least) and can get through lots of overs which allows the fast bowlers to rest. You may also use spinners against batsmen who prefer pace and vice versa.

As I also mentioned to that person, these are only my tactics and are, by no means, the best method out there.

[Dick Van Dykes Disco Dog]

I'll copy and paste the advice I gave someone else here:

Bowling wise, you should ideally have 4 bowlers doing most of the bowling. Any extra all-rounders are a bonus. I always start off with 4 bars and bowling to the opposite side of the batsmen's strength. So if, for example, a batsman has a strong/slight legside preference, I'll set at four bars and bowl outside off stump. Once batsmen get to 25+ runs, I'll reduce the bar to 3. Once they cross about 60, I'll go down to 2 bars and experiment by going around the wicket and potentially also changing up the length according to what length the batsmen prefers, etc. If you're struggling to get the tail out, use any decent part-timer you have in your team for a few overs. I also recommend always having a decent spinner in the side. They tend to be pretty economical (for me, at least) and can get through lots of overs which allows the fast bowlers to rest. You may also use spinners against batsmen who prefer pace and vice versa.

As I also mentioned to that person, these are only my tactics and are, by no means, the best method out there.

You can't go far wrong with this really.
It's always easy to miss/take for granted the preferences section for batsmen but that's why it's there

[MKK]

Thank you both for your replies. Both of which I have tried. (I maybe haven't stuck with either for long as my bowling keeps getting caned) Could it be that Worcestershire just can't bowl. I was clinging to that hope all year but then like I say Leicestershire then effectively battered me twice (One was by two wickets but given they were chasing 75 it was still a chase where you always thought they were slightly ahead) I have written this years first class season off (I think I would have gone barmy but for my one day form of which I am still on both competitions) FYI I always bowl to a bowlers weakness and it does not seem to help. However I really want to at least be competitive next season. It can't surely be as simple as signing better players because even though you would that still doesn't explain Leicestershire battering me twice.

[Alrounder80]

Thank you both for your replies. Both of which I have tried. (I maybe haven't stuck with either for long as my bowling keeps getting caned) Could it be that Worcestershire just can't bowl. I was clinging to that hope all year but then like I say Leicestershire then effectively battered me twice (One was by two wickets but given they were chasing 75 it was still a chase where you always thought they were slightly ahead) I have written this years first class season off (I think I would have gone barmy but for my one day form of which I am still on both competitions) FYI I always bowl to a bowlers weakness and it does not seem to help. However I really want to at least be competitive next season. It can't surely be as simple as signing better players because even though you would that still doesn't explain Leicestershire battering me twice.

Do you take into account the players 2nd XI averages when selecting your bowling line up (only effective if you regularly pick reserve players in your 2nd XI? Perhaps try not to pick players averaging 27/28 or above with the ball in 2nd XI cricket as well as taking into account their bowling economy rates.

If the opposition is raking up runs (say 200+ for 2) don't use 4 bars on incoming new batsmen. Straight away start of with 3 bars, or even less depending on how much they have on the board for just a few wicket.

Also, use bowler friendly conditions when you're playing on your home ground.

Other than that, I don't know what else to tell you. Maybe there's some fundamental thing you're not doing right...

[Sureshot]

I find it can take me a while just to find the right pitch type that suits me best, it has a massive impact on your team and can often play havoc with my head.

If I have two great spinners, for example, do I use a spinning pitch, which means I am much more likely to collapse when batting, or do I prepare a batting wicket and trust the spinners to work their magic on an unhelpful pitch and out bowl the opposition that way...

It's important to up your aggression when batting when the batsmen have settled, score runs whilst you're "in" and utilise your in-form bowlers, don't let them sit unused whilst your back-up bowlers struggle.