Being English, I'm used to playing cricket in most conditions. One of the worst is the wet and overcast day.

It's harder work for everyone. Cricket is much more fun when the rain stays away.

But let's say it's been raining before your game. The outfield is wet but playable, the light is poor and there is a risk of showers throughout.

Thought I might write down a few thoughts regarding some basic guidelines for bowlers who are starting to think about developing bowling plans.

Firstly, bowlers should always remember: YOU START THE PROCESS! this means, while a batsman may arrive at the crease with a plan, and he may even have some idea about what he is going to try to do to you as you are running in, he must ultimately RESPOND to the delivery you produce. This knowledge should encourage you to select each ball carefully but with confidence.

Purpose: To develop catching on the run and whilst tired.

Description: Player 1 has the job of catching as many high catches as possible. Player 2 starts by throwing or hitting a high catch to player 1 who runs and catches it and rolls it back. Player 3 then throws the ball so player 1 has to run and catch it again. Repeat for a set number then rotate the players.

The Third XI captain (Sundays) of my old club side was called Dave. He was a large man in his forties without pretention. He loved beer, cricket and Brighton and Hove Albion FC.

He called himself a batsman, but his real talent was his 'occasional bowling', which caused chaos.

Can power make you a better cricketer?

Absolutely, if you know how to develop these skills in the right way. In fact, having highly functional power at your command is the most important cricket fitness element there is.

I can't seem to get the South African first Test recovery out of my head. Most comments have been negative: That old fashioned defensive cricket does no good in this big hitting, big money world.

But batting out two full days for a draw requires almost superhuman concentration.

Test cricket doesn't throw up a lot of old fashioned 'bat out for the draw' situations these days, but it's something club cricketers face with regularity.

Your team might only need to last 50 or so overs to rescue a draw, imagine how hard it would be to see off 160. The South African second innings in the first Test against England was an education in how to save the game.

There are a number of elements that anyone intending to play grade cricket should be addressing in the pre-season period. Some are specific to the roles you fulfil in a team (batsman, spinner, seamer, quick…) while while others need to be addressed by everyone. I will discuss them under a number of particular headings:

Fitness·

One difficult piece of coaching advice is this: Play one ball at a time.

It's a simple way to put the concept of mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the ability to stay in the moment with your thoughts and actions despite external distractions. In all cricket disciplines this is a skill that is more than handy. You are calm under pressure and less likely to make mistakes as a bowler, batsman or fielder.

From the impressive girth of Dwayne Leverock to the diminutive skills of Sachin, there are few sports than can incorporate the full range of shapes and sizes that cricket does. Nevertheless, there are certain ideal elements that everyone can aspire to.

What are these elements?