Cricket : how to play a perfect Cover Drive

Cover drive has to be selected with the utmost caution and played with the greatest of vigor. If you fail you are very likely to be walking back to the pavilion, practicing it in the mirror instead of putting it into action on the field.

From the book: The half volley

Refer to your coaching book and you will be told the most simple thing about the cover drive; that it’s played to a half volley on or just outside the off stump. The ball is struck with virtually the full face between extra cover and cover.

This shot is especially effective when the ball is moving away (swing or spin) and you can go with the movement to naturally hit it a little squarer than the straight or off drive.

It’s also why left handers seem especially adept at the shot. The angle of a right arm bowler brings the line across the batter’s body so it’s natural to cover drive.

However, unlike other drives, it carries a greater risk of dismissal.

Analysing the risk

When played well the cover drive looks easy; however there are certain things to consider.

First, the shot is played to a ball that is in the ‘corridor of uncertainty’ (on or outside off stump). That means a misjudgment is much more likely to lead to an edge behind. This is especially true if your footwork is not getting you to the ball. You end up ‘reaching’ for the ball away from your body and not playing with the full face.

In other words, the cover drive is the most likely shot to be played with loose technique. This is especially true for longer games where the ball can be left alone forcing the bowler to go to a straighter line.

Second, it can lead to the specific technical fault of ‘falling over’.

It’s a problem that plagues even the best players. Ricky Ponting had it, Graham Gooch succumbed. Chances are you will too and often the cover drive is to blame.

It all stems from the desire to hit the ball through the covers early in an innings. Many players consider the cover drive their ‘banker’ shot and are looking to the cover area to get some early runs. So they lean too far to the off side, plant their front leg and hope the ball lands in the right spot.  

It’s great when you get that half volley outside off and hit a boundary.

It’s not so great when you get an inswinger from a left arm over bowler thudding into your pads in front of middle stump.

Finally, the cover drive is a dream for the off spin bowler, turning it in to you. She is looking to make you play the ball as square as possible so she can bowl you through the gate or use the arm ball to get you caught at slip.

So consider cutting out the cover drive and playing a lot straighter when:

• The ball is swinging or spinning in to you.
• Your footwork is not as it should be (especially early in an innings).
• You are getting out LBW or bowled, playing around your front pad.

Going inside out

On the other hand, when you are attacking the cover drive is the basis of the ‘inside out’ shot that allows you to be innovative when you need to score quickly. The risk is quite high (which is why you so often see stumps spread-eagled), but if you are hitting out it is one of the easier risk-taking shots.  

The inside out shot is played to a ball that is anything from a half volley to a good length. The ball needs to be straight and not moving in the air or off the pitch. Natural off-side players often find it an easier shot to play than the slog sweep to the on-side.

Your target area is still between cover and extra cover (not too square) but to get the ball there you need to step away to the leg side to give you room to hit. When you are in position, play the shot as an orthodox cover drive for a boundary.

You can also sit back a little in the shot and hit it over the top for six.

When the bowler angles the ball into you by going wider on the crease it is best to cut out this shot. It will feel like the ball is following you as you step back and not give you room to swing the bat. It’s easier to go leg side.

So take care with your cover drive and remember to avoid the technical pitfalls with plenty of grooving in the nets of all the drives

Source Reference 

How to apply oil and knock Cricket bat

Oiling cricket bat

For Natural finish (untreated) bats :

Raw linseed oil should be used to moisten the surface of the bat and enable the fibres to become supple. This helps them knit together, thus forming an elastic surface. This is more likely to stretch on impact, rather than crack. Raw linseed is used, as it stays moist for longer than boiled linseed. About a teaspoonful should be applied to the surface of the bat.

Apply a light coat of raw linseed oil (bat oil) to the face, back edges and toe with the fingers and palm of the hand (Avoid oiling the splice area). 3 or 4 further light coats should be applied to the face, edges and toe at about weekly intervals. Clean the bat using fine sand paper before each application. Repeat occasionally if the bat is very dry.

Let each coat of oil soak in overnight and repeat the process before starting the knocking in with the mallet.

For bats with a cover on the face :

Apply oil as described above, but only to the back, uncovered edges and toe.

Knocking In

Knock in Face :

After the oil has been applied, the knocking in process can begin. This should be done using a Hardwood bat mallet. This provides much better performance than a ball mallet and also speeds up the process. Start by hitting the middle of the bat just hard enough to create a dent. [This is surprisingly hard]. Hold the bat up to the light to see if you are making a dent.

Knock in Toe :

Gradually compress the face of the bat around these dents so that the face of the bat is level and you cannot see the initial dents any more. The bottom of the bat toe (the part that is in contact with the ground) should never be hit with the mallet.

Knock in edge :

The edges require special attention. They need to be rounded off so that the hard new ball cannot damage them too much. The edges should be struck at 45 degrees to the face so that the mallet can compress the willow. Similar to the face make one dent on the edge, and then gradually even out the edge so that the whole surface has a smooth, rounded appearance. The back of the bat should never be touched with the mallet (or the ball).
If the bat is hit on the edge at 90 degrees to the face, it reduces the width of the bat and is making contact with an area that is not mechanically pressed. This increases the likelihood of cracking and you should not be hitting the ball flush on the edge in any case.
With a hardwood bat mallet the knocking in process should take between 10 and 15 sessions of about 10 minutes each (it is probably worth doing this for a bit longer if the bat is of different brand to ours).
Once you have completed this process take the bat into the nets and play a few shots with an old ball. If the bat is showing very deep seam marks then it needs more compressing. One will always get seam marks on the face of the bat; however they should not be too deep.

General knocking in:

The price of a bat does not have any effect on whether or not it cracks. The best bats are usually more expensive, but liable to crack more than cheaper bats because the willow is often softer.
Back in the late 1800s the bats were subjected to huge amounts of pressure at the pressing stage to make the willow very hard. If the blade started to show signs of cracking during this process, it was rejected. Linseed oil was very often used to saturate the blade in order to soften the wood, make it more comfortable to use (over pressed bats jar on impact), and get a bit of extra performance out of it. When a bat is pressed very hard, it is very difficult to hit the ball off the square. The thin protective layer of hard (pressed) willow becomes a thick layer that is too deep into the willow. Hard-pressed willow does not have the desired elastic qualities of the soft pressed willow, meaning the ball does not 'ping' off the bat. Some manufacturers over press their bats, as the harder wood does not crack as readily, reducing the need for warranty work. Their bats, however, have very small middles.

Please Note: Damage can never be totally eliminated due to the hard nature of the ball and the speed of contact with the bat. A good bat correctly knocked in ideally would last about 1000 runs including net use.

Playing In

After knocking-in, the bat should be used to hit short catches and/or "throw-downs" with an old, good quality cricket ball. It is advisable to initially avoid use against a new ball in either nets or a match.

Maintenance

To maintain your bat in peak condition we recommend you to follow this simple advice.

Don'ts :

Don't expose to extremes of temperature
Avoid prolonged spells in Car Boots/Trunks/Interiors
Don't over-oil. It is more dangerous to over-oil than to under-oil. Over-oiling adds weight, spoils driving power and may cause rot.
Don't ever, ever stand the bat in oil.
Don't allow the bat to become damp.
Don't misuse or treat carelessly off the pitch, for example at nets, or in changing rooms.
Don't use cheap hard balls. These will damage the bat.
Don't continue to play with a damaged bat; this will aggravate the damage to a point where the bat may be beyond repair.

Do's :

Do prepare the bat carefully
Do store the bat in off-season in a cool dry atmosphere away from excessive heat or damp.
Do re-oil the bat after any prolonged period of non-use: it's particularly important to remember to do this prior to using in pre-season indoor nets.
Do inspect the bat regularly for damage in play and repair promptly.