One of the most difficult problems to overcome as a club cricketer is inconsistency: One week you get a hundred, the next week you are heading in head down after a golden duck.

There are a lot of reasons for this: less time to practice, less talent than (most) first class players and only playing once or twice a week for example.

But none of these things are in your control.

There is a simple trick that you can do that helps you to play better cricket on a consistent basis.

It's good to step outside your comfort zone sometimes. That's why I put down my harrowdrive pen this week and wrote an exclusive post at Matt Thornton's excellent SixandOut.net.

It's all about the lack of swing in Australian conditions: The Ashes Swing

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The press coverage of Paul Collingwood is that his run scoring is less about talent and more about being gritty and determined.

If pure determination is capable of a Test double century then it must be a tool that you can use to improve your game too. But what do we mean when we refer to determination and grit?

Cricket is a game played on one leg.

OK, that's not quite the whole story but as sport science students know: Running, throwing, batting and bowling movements occur with one leg applying more force than the other.

This means that training that involves one leg at a time is more specific to cricket.

The famous saying goes: 'Fail to plan and you plan to fail' but who has the time to prepare from cricket when you have a life to live?

It's easier than you think.

Start with these 5 things before games and you will be better prepared and more likely to succeed.

1. Have a net. Netting prepares your body and mind for the task at hand. So after a good warm up, get in the net and get your looseners out of the way before the game starts.

It seems County champions Sussex have 'adpoted' Guernsey for mutual development reasons.

Presumably Sussex are hoping to find talented players and Guernsey want to improve their standing in the European Championship.

It sounds like a great deal for both sides.

The formalisation of this agreement got me wondering though. There is an incredible pool of resource in club cricket too. How many counties have formal relationships with clubs and leagues in their area?

Richard is a talented young club batsman and exceptional fielder. He plays for a club who are league high flyers so settles for scoring loads of runs in the 2nd team.

On the occasions when he is promoted to the 1st team, the batting is so strong he bats at 8 and doesn't get a game. He is making up the numbers for his fielding alone.

There is a lot of talk about England losing the first Ashes Test because they were undercooked. But what does this mean?

There doesn't seem to be clear definition of the term. But underlying the press coverage is the assumption that some English players have not played enough competitive games to be ready for the Ashes.

I know how much you love drills. So here are two more drills taken from the ECB 'Wings to Fly' coaching video:

Ball Bucket Shuffle

The idea of this drill is to develop fast footwork and mobility. Place a ball on each cone and the bucket in the middle. The aim is to get the balls into the bucket as quickly as possible then back onto the cones again.