We look forward to having you join us in this exciting new venture.
Sincerely,
Jack Jarrett
Victorian T20 Youth Academy Head Coach
Will wasn’t dreaming, he had made it into the academy.
He wondered if Shavil and Zoe had received their letters. And Darren. They were all great players and, if he’d been lucky enough to get in, he was sure they would have made it in too.
But maybe it wasn’t just luck.
Maybe Maxi was right about good players making their own luck. Will was starting to think he’d made some of his own. He was going to the academy, and he had the feeling it was the start of something big.
GLENN MAXWELL
Nickname: Maxi
Born: 14 October 1988 in Kew, Victoria
Height: 182 cm
Weight: 74 kg
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm orthodox
Role: All-rounder
National side: Australia
PLAYING CAREER
1996/97–2005/06: Juniors for South Belgrave Cricket Club
1999/2000: U12 Mitchell Shield for Ferntree Gully and District Cricket Association
2000/01–2002/03: U14 R. M. Hatch for Bayswater Cricket Club
2000/01–2004/05: Seniors for South Belgrave Cricket Club
2002/03: U15 Outer East Eagles
2003/04: U15 Victoria
2003/04: U15 Outer East Eagles
2003/04: U16 Dowling Shield for Richmond Cricket Club
2004/05: U16 Dowling Shield for Outer East Eagles (Captain)
2005/06: U18 Outer East Eagles (Captain)
2005/06–2006/07: Richmond Cricket Club in Victorian Premier Cricket
2006/07: U19 Victoria
2007–Present: Fitzroy Doncaster Cricket Club in Victorian Premier Cricket
2009, 2010: Australia Super Sixes (Hong Kong)
2010–Present: Victorian Bushrangers in Sheffield Shield, one-day competition
2011/12: Melbourne Renegades in Big Bash League
2012: Delhi Daredevils in Indian Premier League
2012, 2014: Hampshire County Cricket Club in County Championship (England)
2012: One-day International debut for Australia vs Afghanistan (Sharjah)
2012: T20 International debut for Australia vs Pakistan (UAE)
2012–Present: Melbourne Stars in Big Bash League
2013: Mumbai Indians in Indian Premier League
2013: Surrey County Cricket Club in County Championship (England)
2013: Test debut for Australia vs India (India)
2014: Kings XI Punjab in Indian Premier League
MAXI’S TOP T20 TIPS FOR BATTING
If you’ve watched any T20 games you’ve probably realised that the pace is fast and furious and a batsman has little time to ‘play themselves in’ or, in other words, get used to the batting conditions. The pressure is always on to keep the scoreboard ticking over, and big hitting is the order of the day. Here are a few tips on how to score, no matter what the bowling attack throws at you.
Batting tips vs Pace
Play to your strengths. Look to score in the areas you are most comfortable until you have adjusted to the pace of the ball. That way you can keep the scoreboard moving and avoid the pressure build-up that comes with dot balls in T20 matches.
Prepare early. Prepare your stance as if you’re expecting a full ball every time. So, if it is full, you can push forward onto your front foot for a drive. If it is short, move onto your back foot and play a pull or a cut shot.
Be patient. Watch for the bad ball so you can make the most of scoring opportunities. Remember, no bowler likes to be hit to the boundary. Being patient and targeting the loose deliveries will help keep the pressure off you, placing it back on the bowler.
Be brave. Don’t be intimidated by pace. If you’re faced with a super-fast bowler, try to use his pace as much as possible by playing behind the wicket on both sides of the ground.
Take the initiative. If you’re feeling confident, stand in front of the crease to attack the length of the ball and make the bowler think twice about the length of their deliveries.
Batting tips vs Spin
Use your eyes. Watch the ball as it comes out of the bowler’s fingers in order to identify the delivery. Keep watching the ball as it moves through the air and bounces off the pitch so you can work out how the ball is moving and adapt to the variations in pace and movement.
Use your feet. Move onto your front foot as the ball is released. That way you can push forwards or backwards in order to adjust to the flight and length of the ball.
Be positive. Look for scoring opportunities so you can keep rotating strike and disrupt the bowler’s plans. Try to hit with the spin until you are used to the conditions and the bowler.
Play smart. Try to target the shorter boundaries to give yourself more chance of scoring.
Playing the reverse sweep
This can be a great way to find much-needed runs, but you should keep in mind the following:
Be selective. Play it only when the field suits. It can be a good time to use the reverse sweep when the third man and backward point are inside the circle – not when there are a lot of fielders in deep catching positions. You have to have no doubts about the shot as the bowler is running in.
Watch the ball. The ideal ball for this shot is either a half-volley or a full toss just outside off stump. Then you just need to get that timing right, keep your eye on the ball and smack it for six!
Of course, it’s not as easy as it sounds, but practice makes perfect. Try this shot in the backyard, schoolyard or in the practice nets before you start introducing it into your club cricket games. If you don’t get it right the first time, keep at it. The reverse sweep is a handy shot to be able to play when you need to score runs off every delivery.
GLOSSARY
all-rounder
a player who bowls, bats and fields equally well
arm ball
a delivery from a slow bowler which has no spin on it, thus producing an unexpected straight-on flight
beamer
a full toss, usually fast, which goes towards the head of the person batting; an illegal delivery, punishable by a no ball being called
bosie
see googly
bouncer
a ball which is so bowled that it bounces high when it pitches; also known as a bumper
boundary
a) the marked limits of the field
b) the score of four derived from hitting a ball which reaches the boundary
c) the score of six derived from hitting a ball which goes over the boundary before it touches the ground
bumper
see bouncer
bye
a run made on a ball not struck by the person batting
captain’s knock
a batting innings by the captain of a team of such quality that befits his or her position, especially one that is a turning point in the game
caught-and-bowled
a dismissal in which the bowler takes the catch
century
100 runs
clean-bowl
to break the wicket without touching the person batting or their bat
cover drive
a drive which sends the ball towards or past cover point (a fielding position between point and mid-off)
crease
one of three lines marked near each wicket:
i) bowling crease, along which the stumps are placed
ii) popping crease, behind which some part of the bowler’s front foot must land when bowling
iii) return crease, marking the limits for the bowler at each side of the popping crease
cross-bat
a bat moving in a horizontal cur
ve, as for a cut shot
cut shot
a) in batting, to strike with a cross-bat and dispatch a ball on the off side, usually in a direction between cover and third man
b) in bowling, to cause the ball to deviate on bouncing, usually by making the seam strike the pitch
declare
to close an innings voluntarily before all 10 wickets have fallen
delivery
the act of bowling a ball
doosra
an off-spinner’s googly, which looks similar to a normal off-break, but rather than spinning towards the bat, goes the other way, in the manner of a leg break
dot ball
a delivery from which no runs are scored
drop
a falling wicket
fast bowling
a style of bowling in which the ball is delivered at high speeds; also known as pace bowling
finger spinner
a bowler who uses an action of the fingers to impart spin
googly
a delivery bowled by a wrist spinner which looks as if it will break one way but in fact goes the other; also known as a bosie or wrong ’un
half-century
an individual score of over 50 runs, but not over 100 runs
half-volley
a delivered ball or its return, hit or kicked the moment after it bounces from the ground
helicopter shot
a stroke played by swinging the bat in an uppercut fashion so that it catches the ball partly from below; in the follow-through the bat flails up and around vertically, through an angle that may exceed 180 degrees
innings
a) the turn of one member of the batting team to bat
b) one of the major divisions of a match, consisting of the turns at batting of all the members of one team until they are all out or until the team declares
c) the runs scored during such a turn or such a division
inswing
the movement from off to leg of a bowled ball
LBW (leg before wicket)
a dismissal that occurs if the ball, when pitching in line with the stumps, strikes the bats man’s leg or pads and so is impeded from hitting the wicket
leg break
a ball which, when a right-hander is facing, changes direction from leg to off when it pitches
leg glance
a glancing stroke by the person batting directing the ball down fine on the leg side of the wicket
leg side
that half of the field which is behind the person batting who is facing the bowling, as opposed to off side
leg spin
the spin which a bowler imparts to a ball to achieve a leg break
medium-pace
a style of bowling which is slower than pace bowling but faster than spin bowling
mid-off
a fielding position on the off side, near the bowler
mid-on
a fielding position on the on side near the bowler
no ball
a ball bowled in a way disallowed by the rules and automatically giving the side batting a score of one run counted as a sundry
non-striker
the batsman standing at the bowling end
off-break
a ball which, when a right-hander is facing, changes direction from off towards leg when it pitches
off-cutter
a delivery from a fast bowler, similar to an off-break, but at greater speed
off side
the half of the field towards which the feet of the person batting point as he or she stands ready to receive the bowling, as opposed to leg side
off-spin
the spin which a bowler imparts on a ball to achieve an off-break
on side
see leg side
opener
either of the two people batting who open their side’s innings by batting first
outfield
the part of the field furthest from the person batting
outswing
the movement from leg to off of a bowled ball
over
a) the number of balls delivered between successive changes of bowlers
b) the part of the game played between such changes
overpitch
to bowl so that the ball bounces too far up the wicket, allowing the person batting to play it with ease
pace bowling
a style of bowling in which the ball is delivered at high speeds; also known as fast bowling
pitch
a) to bowl so that the ball bounces on a certain part of the wicket
b) when a ball bounces on a certain part of the wicket
plumb
a batter standing directly in front of the wicket and thus leg before wicket or potentially leg before wicket
pull
to hit (a ball pitched on the wicket or on the off side) to the on side, usually off the back foot
reverse sweep
a shot in which the batter drops to one knee and reverses the hands in gripping the bat so as to sweep the ball from leg to off
run-out
the dismissal of the person batting by being run out
run rate
the number of runs scored per over, assessed by dividing the score by the number of overs completed
short-pitched
of or relating to a bowled ball which first strikes the pitch at a short distance from the bowler
slider
a delivery from a spin bowler that involves placing back spin on the ball so it often skids or slides off the pitch
slip fielder
a close fielder behind the batsman, next to the wicketkeeper
slog sweep
a pull shot that is played from kneeling position, usually against full-pitched, slower balls, in an attempt to hit boundaries
spin bowler
a bowler who has a special skill in spinning the ball
square leg
a fielding position on the leg side at right angles to the pitch opposite the wicket of the person batting
straight drive
a batted shot that passes straight past the bowler
sundry
a score or run not made by hitting the ball with the bat, as a bye or a side; an extra
sweep
to strike the ball with a cross-bat close to the ground, on the leg side, usually backward of square leg
switch hit
a shot played by a batsman who reverses both their stance and their grip during the bowler’s run-up so that a right-handed batsman would play the shot as an orthodox left-hander
tailenders
a team member who is ranked towards the end in the batting order
topspinner
a delivery in which forward spin is imparted to the ball, so that it does not deviate significantly on bouncing, but accelerates off the pitch, and often bounces unexpectedly high
wicketkeeper
the player on the fielding side who stands immediately behind the wicket to stop balls that pass it; also known as a wickie
wrist spinner
a bowler who uses an action of the wrist to impart spin
wrong ’un
see googly
yorker
a ball so bowled that it pitches directly under the bat
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Version 1.0
LUCKY BREAK
Published by Random House Australia 2014
Copyright © Random House Australia 2014
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First published by Random House Australia in 2014
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