Batsmen eh?

All they do is stand in the outfield looking pretty then when it comes to the crunch they get out leaving it up to the tail to win or save the close games.

There's none. If you bat in the tail you just have to suck it up and consider yourself an all rounder. Even number 11 has a job to do in the batting order: At best it's to swipe a single off the last ball, at worst it's to bat out for the draw in an epic last wicket stand.

If you are Kevin Pietersen, Brett Lee or MS Dhoni you might answer with a five (or maybe six) figure number. Which is nice for them, but what has it got to do with making you a better cricketer?

Scientists have worked away to find out the factors that contribute to whether someone succeeds or fails at their goals. The biggest determining factor is your social network.

You may remember I ran a competition recently for several prizes including:

• A coaching session with England and Surrey batsman Mark Ramprakash
  
• A large cricket bag

All the winners have been contacted but several prizes remain unclaimed.

The prizes have now gone back into the pot as unclaimed I can now open them up to a first come first served basis.

What does a cricketer do when the season draws to a close?

If he or she is serious about improving, they probably hit the gym. Let's face it, there is not much else to do when the cricket finishes.

The miCoach Cricket show introduces our Australian connection this week in Kevin Sampath.

Together Kevin and I talk about the differences in club cricket between the UK and Australia related how to making it as a professional cricketer. We also answer your questions on the following topics:

Description: This is a competitive game between two or more teams of any number of players.

Player 1 is the feeder and throws the ball to each player in his team for a close catch. Once each player has caught the ball and returned it cleanly, player 1 runs to the position of player 2. All the other players move along one place so player 4 is now the feeder.

Most people know they should exercise to both improve cricket performance and reduce the risk of injury. The problem is that often exercising can just be reinforcing the imbalances in your body and doing more harm than good.

This study from 1991 shows the risks. Athletes with significant differences in strength and flexibility from one side of the body to the other have a higher risk of injury.

This is part two of a series on how to captain in the field. To go to part one click here. To go back to the introduction click here.

This is part one of a series on how to captain in the field. To go back to the introduction click here.

A good cricket team has a certain attitude. They concentrate on every ball, show a never say die attitude and encourage each other in the right ways. However, this is easier said than done, especially in sides where the attitude has historically been different.

One of the first images of captaincy that springs to mind is the leader in the field. There is nothing as commanding as a skipper orchestrating his side with precision, especially when his tactical nous leads to a wicket.

Captaincy might be about a lot more than that, but it's this element that naturally draws people to the job. I'm sure you have imagined yourself exuding calm authority as captain. It demands admiration and respect.