EAPI Skills

• Footwork (positives)

  •Body Position and Transfer of Weight: weight is shifted forward for front foot shots and backward for back foot shots – maintain a stable base + aids timing and control. Front foot drive – the transfer weight to front foot, not leaning too far back, which could lead to losing balance. Back foot shots, weight transferred to the back foot, proper balance to counter short-pitched deliveries.

  Head Position and Alignment: The head in line with the ball during footwork, body remain balanced. A steady head helps to judge the line and length of the ball effectively.
• Footwork (negatives)

  Overstepping or Overreaching: Overstriding = unbalanced or too far from the ball, difficult to adjust to line and length. Overreaches front foot, lead to playing a shot off the back foot, cause mistimed shots. Too Much Time or Late Foot Movement: Late foot movement is problematic. Doesn't move feet early, forced to play ball in an unbalanced position, lead to mistimed. Too much time lead to poor judgment, particularly when playing deliveries with varied bounce or swing.
• Footwork (theory)

  •Theory – Stability – wider the base of support the greater the stability – the legs need optimal stretch in order to maximise stability – able to play the shot with more control and timing
• Front foot defence (positives)

  Timing and Soft Hands: Played with soft hands, doesn't “thrust” at the ball instead allows ball to meet bat. Reduces chances of ball popping up. Should wait for ball to arrive. Correct timing is crucial to avoid mistiming the shot.

  Footwork: The back foot move back and across, positioning itself under body to allow better control. Enables batsman to cover line of ball and be in a position to play shot with a firm base. The back knee remain slightly bent to absorb bounce, gives batsman more control.
• Front foot defence (negatives)

  Incorrect Bat Alignment: bat not be angled too much, result in playing ball with edge . Bat in line with ball. If the face is closed or open incorrectly, batsman risks playing shot that could either go in the air or miss ball entirely.

  Head and Body Position Errors: If head not over ball, batsman may misjudge line or bounce, difficult to execute shot properly. Overbalancing by leaning too far back or towards the off-side lead to loss of control and increases chance of a mishit, particularly deliveries that rise unexpectedly.
• Front foot defence (theory)

  •Theory – Stage of learning – many not be able to judge length well so plants front foot regardless of length.
• Backfoot defence (positives)

  Foot Position and Alignment: Correct Technique: transfer weight onto back foot, ensuring back foot in line with line of the ball. Allows batsman to react to bounce. Front leg slightly bent, head positioned over ball. Ensures batsman is in strong position to judge line and length. Helps with solid contact providing batsman with more control to defend against short balls.

  Head Position and Balance: Correct Technique: head still and positioned over ball, eyes level and focused on delivery. ensures that bat makes clean contact.
• Backfoot defence (negatives)

  Over-committing to the Shot: Incorrect Technique: Batsman pushes too hard at ball, causing bat to make unintended connection. Over-committing leads to ball being hit in air. Impact on Overall Outcome: Over-committing increases chance of losing control of shot, risky, aerial play and possibly resulting in easy catch. Getting dismissed quickly, especially when facing a bowler with good bounce or variation.
• Backfoot defence (theory)

  •Theory – Stage of learning – able to judge length better so is able to also go back and defend balls rather than just front foot regardless of length.
• Off and on drives (positives)

  Timing and Precision: Correct Technique: Ball driven through gap between mid-on and bowler, or along the ground, minimizing risk of edge. Good timing ensures batsman control its direction. On drive is used to exploit gaps in on-side field, increasing boundary-scoring opportunities

  Bat Face and Follow-Through: Correct Technique: bat face slightly closed to drive ball in controlled manner. Slightly closed bat face ensures ball is driven along ground. A controlled follow-through helps direct ball precisely
• Off and on drives (negatives)

  Poor footwork: Incorrect Technique: not committing to shot by not getting foot forward, leads to weak drives or shots not properly timed. Poor foot alignment increases chances of mistimed drives, leading to weak shots. Increases risk of getting caught.

  Overcommitting or Undercommitting to the Shot: Incorrect Technique: by playing shot too late, miss the ideal contact point and mistime the shot. A late shot can lead to an edge, over-extended shot can result in poor placement. reduces chances of good timing.
• Off and On drives (theory)

  •Theory - Newton’s 2nd law – acceleration – the bigger the step into the ball – the bigger the size of force applied = higher rate of change of momentum – ball travels further
• Pull shots (positives)

  •Control and Follow Through: Correct Technique: follow-through controlled. Shot not forced. Smooth follow-through ensures shot is timed well. Controlled follow-through allows batsman to hit ball with clean timing. Over-aggressive lead to mistimed shots

  Bottom Hand Control and Bat Path: Correct Technique: bottom hand guides bat through ball. face angled slightly downward. bottom hand provide necessary power for shot. Using bottom hand effectively ensures shot is controlled and powerful. results in clean hits.
• Pull shot (negatives)

  •Overcommitting or Overhitting the Shot Overcommitting to pull shot result in a lack of control. batsman not allow ball to come. Overhitting shot increases risk of playing an aerial shot. Causes loss of control, resulting in wasted scoring opportunities

  Playing the Shot to a Full or Short Ball That Is Not Suitable pull a ball that is too full. Pull shot is played to balls that are rising. Playing pull shot to an unsuitable length increases risk of mistiming shot, leading to edges.
• Pull shot (theory)

  •Theory – batter has significant amount of FG (2b) muscle fibres types allowing them to complete the explosive action of pulling the ball
• Square cuts (positives)

  •Timing and Placement of the Shot: meeting ball around waist. batsman cut the ball through gap between the slips and gully or behind square. Good timing leads to effective placement. fielding side under pressure forcing them to react quickly.

  Foot Position and Movement: batsman feet slightly to the off-side, balanced as play shot. batsman in a strong position, with weight transfer to back foot. Proper foot positioning helps batsman maintain balance. .
• Square cuts (negatives)

  Overcommitting to the Shot (Lunging) Incorrect Technique: Overcommitting to shot by lunging too far forward cause batsman to lose balance. Lunging forward to ball may lead to an inside edge. Impact on Overall Outcome: Overcommitting to shot leads to a lack of control, making it difficult to direct the ball behind square. batsman may edge ball, increasing chances of being dismissed. causes batsman to lose balance, making it harder to get back into position for next delivery.
• Square cut (theory)

  •Theory – force – internal force – accelerate a body (the ball)
• Late Cut (positives)

  Placement of the Bat bat face slightly open, ball to be directed ground and gently toward slips or gully region. Bat angle allows ball to be played with control, especially to third man. Link to Overall Outcome: angle of the bat reduces chances of edging ball to slips and helps place ball. open bat face allows batsman to guide ball in a direction that minimizes risk of a catch. shot is played with less force, increasing likelihood of finding gaps and ensuring that ball runs to boundary.
• Late cut (negatives)

  •Over-committing or Overhitting the Shot Attempting to hit ball too hard or trying to cut ball with excessive force leads to mistiming. Overhitting can also make shot more aerial, increasing risk of being caught. Impact on Overall Outcome: Over-committing to late cut increase chance of mistiming the shot, hitting ball in air, or playing too aggressively. lead to edges, reducing the batsman’s ability to score efficiently.
• Late cut (theory)

  •Theory – Observational learning/SLT – player copies pros such as Joe Root who plays the late cuts when there are no slips and the ball is around top of off stump  
• backfoot drives (positives)

  Full Extension of the Arms: batsman extend arms fully through shot, bat coming through line of ball. shot played with bat face open, ensuring clean strike. Full extension ensures ball is driven with full power, easier to pierce field placements and hit ball to boundary. Improves batsman's ability to play with timing and placement, rather than just force, allowing them to play productive shots and accumulate runs effectively.
• Backfoot drives (negatives)

  Transfer of Weight to the Back Foot: batsman weight needs to be on back foot. position to drive ball with balance. back foot firmly planted, providing solid base for executing shot. incorrect weight transfer means batsman can't play shot with balance. batsman can't confidently drive through the offside and loses stability. Leads to batsman being caught off guard by sudden short ball
• Backfoot drive (theory)

  •Theory – Levers – long arms – longer levers generate greater force as the load arm becomes longer and therefore can give greater acceleration to projectiles
• Shot improvisation (positives)

  Shot Selection Based on the Situation: selecting right shot for situation. batsman may decide to play an unconventional shot, such as a ramp shot, when facing short ball, depending on field and context. improvisation a calculated risk that matches scenario. able to choose right shot to particular ball, rather than resorting to unplanned improvisation, result in higher run rate without increasing risk of dismissal. helps manage game situation, allowing batsman to capitalise on bowling errors and put pressure back on bowlers.
• Shot improvisation (negatives)

  Poor Timing or Execution: Improvisation done without proper timing. For example, playing an attempted scoop shot or reverse sweep with wrong foot movement lead to mistiming the shot. result in ball either being hit in to fielders. Impact on Overall Outcome: Poor execution of improvised shots increases risk of getting caught, leading to lost opportunities to score. Mistimed shots create pressure for batsman and can lead to momentum shifts, as fielding team gains confidence when batsman makes errors.
• Shot improvisation (theory)

  Theory – Universities have access to world-class coaching and facilities – enables batters to learn these ‘higher risk higher reward’ shots such as Ramp shots – therefore they are able to perfect such techniques and try to execute them in competitive situations.
• Hook shot (positives)

  •Head and Eyes Positioned Over the Ball: batsman head is aligned with ball as it comes down. The eyes focused directly on ball, helping with timing and accuracy. head steady and over ball helps to judge bounce effectively. Link to Overall Outcome: Proper head positioning improves batsman's ability to track ball and execute shot with control. head steady, the batsman is less likely to misjudge delivery, reducing chance of playing an aerial shot that leads to a catch. Enables better execution, whether playing shot along ground or aiming for boundary.
• Hook shot (negatives)

  •Playing the Hook Shot to a Full Delivery: hook a ball that is too full or too close to body. The hook is primarily played to short balls, playing it to full ball result in poor execution. Playing the hook to a full delivery can lead to a mistimed shot or playing ball in the air, easier for fielders to catch. Poor shot selection, increasing risk of getting out without scoring effectively.
• Hook shot (theory)

  •Theory – Stage of learning – not able to pick up length accurately – play hook shot to balls that you should be going forward to