Positives and Suggestions

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Good players for this format

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Middlesex has some really good players for the Twenty20 format and we should be capitalising on their skills.� Styris, Shah, Smith, Weekes, Peploe, Louw and Scott. �Add to that the bubbling talent of Compton and Morgan � this is the makings of a really good Twenty20 team.

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Pace bowling is always vulnerable in this form of cricket � ours especially so due to injuries and the unsuitability of some of our pacers for Twenty20.� We need to play around the pace bowling weakness and maximise our strengths.

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Suggestion One: Play the extra batsman and fill in the bowling.� Last night Silverwood only bowled one over -� we could have played an extra batsman instead which could well help in a tighter game. �Chad is not fit and therefore shouldn�t play.� Shah can probably get away with one, possibly even two overs.� Ditto Compton (one over if needed).� Ditto Morgan (one over if needed).� This point leads nicely into�..

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Suggestion Two: Mix and match the bowling more in almost all circumstances.� Two over spells is usually the maximum sensible spell.� Only if wickets are falling (doesn�t matter who is taking them) and therefore fresh batsmen coming to the crease might it make sense to give your �best� or �one of your better� bowlers a third over off the reel.

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Suggestion Three: Treat the first six overs like the death.� Even a fraction short is a cardinal sin in the first six overs, unless you are playing on a slightly spicey pitch (some hope in the Southern Section in late June / early July).� If you slightly over pitch and get driven down the ground for four, at least you made the batsman take a bit of a risk.� Yorkers, good (but full) length, disguised slower balls��� You�ve got Ben Scott able to stand up to the stumps for goodness sake � capitalise on this positive by utilising that advantage with the variety in the bowling.� And if you are mixing it up make sure he knows which dolly mixture you are about to send him.� The best death bowlers should perhaps bowl one or two in the first six overs and one or two at the death.� And this also means that you should persevere with Silverwood if he is fit.� He might have had one shocking over last night but his Twenty20 record is excellent and he bowls well at Lord�s.

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Suggestion Four: Win toss and bat first.� It seems to be that much easier to defend a total in Twenty20 than to prevent a team from setting a decent one.� So do the right thing at least 50% of the time please.�

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Suggestion Five: Don�t shoot for the moon if batting first.� Just because we�ve been caned for 200+ a couple of times, don�t set off on the assumption that this is what we need to do.� While 60-70 runs off the first six overs is nice � if it is for 0 wickets that�s superb, if it is for 3 wickets then there is a risk that you�ll need to slow down to protect resources before you get to over 20.� 180+ seems the right mark for me even on good tracks � you�ll defend that more often than not (yes, even with our bowling attack).� And of course, if things are going well you can quite quickly revise the target upwards and bring in a 200+ score with late innings fireworks.�

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Suggestion Six: Think positive.� Kent were rolled by that Surrey popgun bowling attack � their confidence should be suitably dented by that.� Richmond is unlikely to be a familiar experience for Sussex.� Twenty20 is a hit and miss type of game � we�ve just had two misses but that�s no reason to assume that we can�t get two big hits this weekend.� Go prove me right.

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