Scoring against spinners doesn't always have to be about hitting boundaries.  A crucial part of batting against spin is the ability rotate the strike.  Most batsmen have a quick look at how the field is set when they come to the crease, but one of the best pieces of advice I received on this subject came from former Yorkshire CCC opening batsman Chris Taylor.  Chris was, and still is, prolific in the Bradford Cricket League.  He has the ability to rotate the strike and pick up singles almost at will.  He says the way to view the field is not by looking where the fielders are but by looking where the gaps are.  Hopefully by doing this you will now have a clear idea in your head of exactly where the gaps are and what shots you can play to hit the ball into them, picking up singles.

When playing against spin, it is important you look to play with the spin as much as possible.  So, if an off-spinner is bowling to a right handed batsman, you would expect most of the singles to be picked up on the leg-side.  Playing with the spin minimizes risk and will allow you to make good contact more consistently.

Whether playing on the front foot or back foot it is also important to play the ball as late as possible.  This will allow you to make contact with the ball underneath your eyes, giving you maximum control over the shot.  With practise, it is amazing how much control you can have over the ball by playing it underneath your eyes.  Many young players make the mistake of making contact away from their body and often can't direct the ball exactly where they want.

The best way to practise these skills is by using small target areas marked out with cones to hit tennis balls and then cricket balls through from a coach's feed.  With enough practise you should be able to hit 90% of balls through the target you're aiming for.

You can practise drills like this on our cricket coaching courses across Yorkshire.

Hope this helps,

Sam