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.
2. Look at last year's scorecard. Chances are you played this lot last year. Remind yourself what happened: Conditions, who succeeded and what they were like. There could be a key clue for you to work on.
3. Examine the wicket. Whether bowling or batting you will want to know how the wicket will act when you are doing your thing. Learn the basics and talk to the groundsman.
4. Find your areas. International players always talk about 'areas' which is quite a sensible strategy. If you are batting, look for places to score where you can keep the total ticking over and bowlers you can exploit, if bowling know where you are looking to get the ball to each bat. You know where your strong areas are.
5. Get some sleep. 8-10 hours sleep before playing cricket really makes a difference. It also helps not the change your sleep pattern before a game. So if you are going to bed at 11 and getting up at 7, don't lie in or go to bed later.

Follow these tips and I guarantee you will be scoring more runs and wickets compared to winging it. If you don't, I'll give you your money back.