Bat and ball / Andrew Hughes / 11 September 2008 /

Slip fielding is a specialist skill and a vital part of cricket but, says Andrew Hughes, there is currently a worldwide dearth of quality slip men.

One of the key factors in England's defeat in Sri Lanka last autumn was the number of catches that went down. Matt Prior copped most of the flak, but whilst the keeper was culpable to a large degree, not all of the fourteen missed chances were down to him. An unfortunate consequence of the omission of Andrews Strauss and Flintoff was the lack of a specialist slip fielder in the squad. First Ian Bell, then Paul Collingwood, fine fielders both, were drafted in but neither were effective.

As it happens, there is something of a dearth of high quality slip fielders worldwide. To the names of Strauss and Flintoff, you could add Jacques Kallis and perhaps Matthew Hayden but there aren't many more. This just illustrates the fact that slip fielding is a specialist skill, honed over a number of months, not picked up in a couple of weeks on tour. It is the most important fielding position after the wicket keeper, vital not just to snaffle all those edges that the bowler toils to find, but essential to prevent the batsman playing with impunity outside the off stump.

So who makes a good slip fielder? It is often said that openers make the best slippers, or that those blessed with bucket-like hands such as Graeme Hick are at an advantage. But the history of the game shows that many diverse characters can demonstrate the necessary skills. The one consistent quality required is the ability to concentrate intently for three to four seconds, and then switch off again. Aside from that, there are as many different styles as there are cricketers.

For example, coaching manuals instruct slip fielders to stand with their hands apart, in the catching position and that first slip should be further back than the others. Yet Ian Botham, one of the best slippers of the modern era stood far closer than normal and waited with his hands on his knees. Traditionally, first slips were advised to watch the ball, whilst the other slips were told to focus on the bat. Yet one of the best county slippers, Martyn Ball of Gloucestershire, had a method which involved envisaging a picture frame, with the batsman in the left-hand corner. The lesson of practice, as opposed to theory, is that the best method is the most comfortable, especially as slip fielders may be out on the field for several hours.

But whilst styles vary, the skills involved remain constant. Firstly there is anticipation. In the moments before delivery, the slip fielder's brain is picking up all manner of clues, many of them unconscious, about what is about to happen, from the way the bowler is holding the ball, to recollecting the way the last delivery behaved. The great slippers, men like Bobby Simpson or Mark Waugh, made slip catching look so easy and unhurried due to their ability to anticipate.

After anticipation, there is reaction, the knack of spotting that the ball is coming to you and deciding how to meet it, a process that happens in milliseconds. Finally, there is the physical ability to get your hands in the right position at the right time to meet the ball, requiring explosive muscular power, sharp eyesight and awareness of where your hands are in relation to the ball.

All of these skills take time to develop. The experienced slip fielder has effectively programmed their brain over a long period and, like maturing a fine wine, this process cannot be rushed. A sharp eye, big hands and quick reflexes might get you into the slips cordon in the first place, but only extensive practice will keep you there.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: