The Pull Shot.

The pull shot is played with a crossed bat and is an aggressive back footed shot. It should be played to a ball which has been pitched short, on or outside leg stump and will pass over the top of the wickets.

To play the shot, start in your normal batting stance as you would any delivery and play the shot in response to the appropriate delivery, e.g. short and on/outside leg stump.

Take your backswing and step back and across towards your off stump with your back foot and establish this as your base of support. Bring your front foot backwards naturally, ideally keeping it on the ground if possible to help your balance.

Bring the bat down and across the line of the ball, increasing the bat speed into contact with the ball, hit the ball in front of you body (your body needs to be behind the line of the delivery). You are aiming to hit the ball between mid-on and fine leg, between any fielders who may be in the area.

Swing Bowling Tips…

A bowler who has the ability to bowl swing is an important asset in any cricket team as swing bowling is a great way to baffle a batman, add pressure and take wickets. The swing bowler has the ability to move the ball in the air either away from the batsman. The swing is created by holding the cricket ball in a specific way so that when it is released from the hand the varying levels of air resistance combined with the position the seam is directed becauses the ball to swing in the air. The swing is accentuated by polishing and shining one side of the ball so that is smooth relative to the other side, which should get roughened up through the natural course of play. Select a side to shine at the start of the match and ensure all the bowlers

The Sweep Shot and Reverse Sweep

The sweep and the reverse sweep are 2 batting shots which are not commonly used, especially the reverse sweep which is rarely used. However both shots can be used in certain batting situations and are an effective way to score runs and keep the score board ticking over.

There is a high element of risk with the sweep shot, so good judgement and excellent timing is essential. Avoid playing the sweep and reverse sweep early on in your innings especially to straight deliveries, as it is not a good idea to play it until you have your eye in and know how the pitch is playing and what the bowler is doing. As for example, if the ball stayed low it would be quite easy to misjudge and get out Leg Before Wicket (LBW) or bowled which you definitely want to avoid, so be patient and play yourself in 1^st.

The sweep and reverse sweep are both cross batted shots and should ideally be played to slow deliveries

New Zealand Very Excited For Day-Night Test Tour Of Australia In Late 2015

New Zealand Cricket is "very excited" about the prospect of playing a day-night Test on their tour of Australia in late 2015, after Cricket Australia announced plans to trial floodlit long-form cricket in the Sheffield Shield this summer. The Australian Cricketers' Association said that while it needed to be convinced on several aspects, particularly the durability of the pink ball, it was approaching the issue with an "open mind".

The potential to attract a much larger television viewership in the evening by roping in audiences in India and other big markets was of chief interest to