Make Cricket Practice Constructive with this Drill

Froch vs Groves Batting Session

• 12 rounds of 6 overs (72 balls)
• Overall winner is first 7 but keep playing to 12 regardless
• Winner of round determined by:
  • Shot success
  • Perceived person in control (batsman or bowler)
  • Dismissal/boundary

It may be an old cliché but it's true: Every single ball contributes towards the over and the result of the round; as it does in your innings. Many people might not see 6 overs as sufficient preparation for an upcoming game, but surely 72 balls of quality practice is better than 200 without a specific focus?

Finding gaps in your armour

Boxing is arguably as much a psychological game as it is physical. Your body language prior to the fight; your ability to take a punch yet still show your opponent that you can deal with it; your ability to strike a punch of your own with assertiveness and sound technique. All of these things are also under extreme pressure.
We can link all of these to batting. Your body language, the message you portray to the bowler and fielders through your body as you go out to bat is vital. Crucially also, when the bowler lands a punch (i.e. is bowling well and has you in trouble) you have to be able to show that you can deal with it and move on. In the context of this practice session, body language can win or lose you the round regardless of whether you feel like you’ve played well or not. Decision-making inevitably plays a major role as well. Your ability to execute the correct shot, with conviction, confidence and good technique is another important aspect of the batsman’s toolkit.
The great thing about this session is that your team mates – as bowlers – can do something constructive as well. They can work on the exact same things you are. You can engage in a discussion with them and your coach in between rounds (overs) to discuss what happened, and why (and how) you're going to try and improve going into the next.
Put your own spin on it and see how constructive your sessions become. I’ve used Mark's session countless times, and adapted it into a similar context using the TV show 24.
Sessions like this not only help your decision making, they help you find things out about yourself in a competitive situation under pressure. The more you can understand yourself and how you operate under pressure, the better you can deal with the demands of the match.