My vision on how to bat long and bat with a degree of control...

• Bend the knees slightly in your stance - this will allow you to move forward and back more easily
• Consider batting out of your crease if the keeper is back - this will cut off any late swing/seam movement and allow you to get over the ball earlier with your shots (It worked for Virat in England...)
• Judge the length early, full and it's drive, short and it's pull or cut
• Watch the back leg, don't allow it to cross behind your front leg - this will help to ensure your balance at the crease
• Open the stance a little and bat on middle and off or off - this will allow you to play through the off side and will allow you to know where you off stump is, thus aiding the leave
• Watch the ball very closely, get your head to the ball and keep it still at the point of contact, play the ball very late and under your eyes - this will allow you to time the ball better and with greater control, placement and power
• Don’t close the face of the blade, hit with full face of the bat, play through the line of the ball - this will allow you to maximise value in your shots, allow you to hit down the ground and with reduced risk
• Don’t hold the bat handle too tight, maintain a stable base, make sure you are ready to play the delivery and are balanced at the crease - this will ensure you don't close the face of the blade off and the bottom hand won't dominate, thus you won't drag the ball to the leg side too much. Stability gives you power and balance will allow you to go forward and back more easily
• Use soft hands - this will give you more control and placement, plus if you edge the ball it may not carry to the fielder
• Play with a high top hand - this means you will be over the ball in your shots, will play along the ground and will be in control in both attacking and defensive strokes
• Follow through the line of the ball with your attacking shots - this will maximize value in your shots, try not to let the bottom hand come through on the drive otherwise you will drag the shot
• Higher pickup, back leg move on the line of your guard - A higher pickup gives you more power and reduces the complexity of your technique. It will be more comfortable on your hands and wrists and allow you to play a broader range of shots (Stokes, Morgan, Ali, Bairstow, Santner, Hales use a high pickup and it seems to work for them....)
• Bat and hands closer to the body, be compact and in control of your shots, stay calm, think clearly and don’t get emotive
• Keep you technique and movements clean and simple, be stable and still at the point of impact - this gives control, makes your technique repeatable and allows you to bat long
• Limit your range of shots to your strengths, unless you are a batting god - Cook scored 12,472 @ 45.35 and Trott scored 3,835 @ 44.08 in test match cricket and they essentially used 4 shots
• Don't use a bat that's too heavy for you, a bat between 2-8 and 2-10 with a nice semi-oval or oval handle - this will give you directional control of your shots, stop the bottom hand taking over, allow you to present the face of the blade and be quicker in the hands, give good bat speed and allow you to play the ball with soft hands and late. It will also allow for a longer innings without tiring your wrists
• Always purchase the lightest and most flexible and best equipment you can afford, yes it's can be expensive but it will give you confidence, leave you relaxed at the crease, comfortable, protected and best placed to execute your full range of skills
• Don't get bogged down with colour schemes or choosing what brands, make or model that your heroes use, choose the particular bat, pair of gloves, pads, thigh guard, helmet, etc that suits you, is comfortable for you
• Spin, go all the forward or go all the way back, never halfway - you will be stuck in no mans land. As a rule of thumb if the spinners bowl and release above your eyeline, consider going forward but decide quickly
• Remember...Leg spin away, off spin towards (RH) :)

Practice as you play, train hard, play easy and have fun :) Remember it's how many not how!

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And for the slightly more fast paced style of the game...for the lovers of KP and Graham Thorpe!

T20 - Useful Videos

https://youtu.be/1umybq-uBCs - Hitting sixes

https://youtu.be/6XoLMcWu6jg - Jos Buttler Masterclass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrLUd99fqWc - KP Masterclass