Just as a counter to my previous posts on gyms, here is a great post from Vern Gambetta about training without the aid of expensive facilities:

"I always start with the assumption that I have a bare room or a field with no equipment. If you start with that assumption then the focus is on the athlete and what they need to do to get better."

What image does the word gym conjure up for you?

A hi-tech, confusing torture chamber filled with beautiful bodies?

A sawdust covered floor where massive muscle marys are taking turns to swap pumping iron and pumping steroids?

Perhaps.

Or maybe its somewhere that you can get fit for cricket. You already know that I think a gym is an essential place for almost all cricketers, so what is the ideal gym for cricketers to go to?

I'm a pretty lucky bloke.

Because I have always had access to a gym as a sports student, fitness instructor or employee, I have always been able to improve my fitness for cricket.

I have sort of taken it as a given that every cricketer and coach agrees with me.

They don't though.

It's a perennial problem from Test cricket to club level: What do you do with the folks that cant run, throw or catch?

The issue has kept Monty Panesar from the England ODI side and keeps chunky middle-aged blokes in the slips for years. But its a problem that club captains can overcome.

The answer is this: put them in places the cricket ball is unlikely to go. Not much of a secret then. But the real mastery to this trick is to do it subtly, so the opposition doesn't realise what you are up to. So instead of putting your rabbit at mid on automatically, consider these options.

If you are a captain or bowler the chances are that you agonise over setting the right field.

While the wrong field can be a disaster, the right one can make the difference between winning and losing. Especially in lower scoring games. So mastering the basics is essential. As is being able to think on your feet and change your ideas and plots at a moments notice. Perhaps even every ball.

With that in mind, here are some general notes on how to place the field.

Mike Brearley, the greatest England captain, once wondered why cricketers did not turn to people they trusted to advise them more. Perhaps its the individual nature of the game that makes players feel alone? But whatever the reason, Brearley advocated the use of a guru you trust to help you get to where you want to go.

• I have taken the plunge into Myspace and added a profile. Its a big scary place so if you are on there then make sure you give me some support.
• A new cricket game called Cricket Life is knocking around. It looks different from the usual strategy game, but is it any good?
• Lots of cricket sport science references from the Australian Institute of Sport.

This is the last part of the series �What every cricketer ought to know about nutrition�. To go to part 1 click here.

We already know that eating in the right way is good for your cricket and good for your health.

How do the facts we have learned translate into what we eat?

Nutritional aims

This is part 4 of the series "What every cricketer ought to know about nutrition". To go to part 1 click here.

1. Water is vital to cricket. Even 1% dehydration can cause a marked reduction in performance.
2. To combat dehydration, cricketers should drink between 1-3 litres during the day (the hotter it is the more you drink)

This is part 3 of the series "What every cricketer ought to know about nutrition". To go to part 1 click here.

It's becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with food. Where do you start if you want to eat right for cricket? Low carb? Low GI? Beverly Hills? Cabbage Soup?

The secret is a lot simpler than weighing out your baked beans and obsessively checking the labels on everything. I'll come to that in a moment, but first a little bit of background.