If chasing totals is an art then setting totals is a skill.

It’s been fabulous to watch England’s development as an ODI team over the course of the last 18 months. Whilst the bowling side is exciting mix of high pace and spin it’s the batting unit that really floats my boat.

In this two-part article, we look at how England have learnt to chase mammoth totals and break world records batting first. The lessons in there are totally transferable into our club, school and age group cricket.

How to chase totals

England have developed a reputation for being a brilliant batting second team with a succession of comfortable run-chases when facing 300+ targets.

Their reputation is now built on successful performance and as a result, confidence is really high whenever the opportunity arises to chase down a significant score.

So where does this confidence and performance come from?

First, leadership: Eoin Morgan is doing a great job as ODI captain. He was initially thrust into the job with limited experience just before the 2015 World Cup. England were rubbish in that tournament and many commented that he looked out of his depth.

But since then, he has built great coaching relationship with Paul Farbrace and Trevor Bayliss to create an environment that chases records, creates its own history and chases down monster targets. With ease.

Morgan says,

“The biggest challenge is actually in your head. If you can manage that by playing your own game and executing your own shots it takes away a lot of pressure”.

Understanding your own game is crucial. Backing that game to come through, even if you are struggling a little at the start of an innings is vital.

Play your game, not someone else’s!

Morgan continues,

“The further you get into your innings, the faster the fielding side start to panic. The more balls you face the better the position you get in to chase down a score. Deflecting pressure for as long as you can and almost waiting for the opposition to give in before you do is important”

How many times do we see the game ebb and flow, pressure and momentum shifting between the batting and fielding teams?

Morgan highlights that pressure is everywhere yet if you can keep your cool, deflect the pressure back by playing your own game and back yourself to “hold on longer than the opposition” then eventually the bowlers or fielders will crack.

I see this a lot when watching pressure phases of play in the shorter formats.

The strength of the batting pair is that there are only two human beings involved!

They are closely connected - only 20 metres apart at worst - can communicate subtly and therefore can control their emotions better than the fielding side: 11 human beings spread over a huge area, lack connection and are reduced to frantic arm signals and bellowing shouts and screams.

When pressure really mounts it is easier to control two brains than 11.

That’s a huge advantage for a batting unit.

“It is important to embrace it and enjoy it. You say ‘We’re either going to win or lose it and if we win it it’s going to be a hell of a chase’. If you change your mindset to that attitude you actually embrace the challenge ahead of you.”

What I love about this quote is that it’s the thrill that as important than winning or losing. The fact is one of those two outcomes (win or lose) will happen, that’s inevitable, so don’t worry about it, if we lose then we learn from it but never stop being excited about giving it a massive go.

You see this in how Morgan’s teams set up with the bat,

• If they want to change the batting order and promote Jos Buttler from seven to four because it means that a “hell of a run chase” is on then so be it.
• If it means that Jason Roy or Alex Hales can attack from ball one, then let’s do it.
• If it means that you stick with one of your openers when he hasn’t scored significantly for four games but we know he is top quality, then let’s do it.
• Morgan backs his batters and nowadays, when an England batter delivers, it’s a proper score which massively impacts upon the outcome of the match.

Gone are the days when you would target a weaker bowler and see off the best one.

RIP Old Skool tactics.

By doing that, you are instantly placing a ceiling on runs. The old England ODI teams, the ones I was involved with, would think and act like this and look how we did!

This England side approaches chasing 300+ like this.

“You take the total out of the equation and just be positive against all the opposition bowlers. If you do this against their best bowler then the next bowler feels the pressure that bit more. Deflecting the pressure throughout the bowling line up puts the opposition team under more and more pressure. That’s when they crack and the game is won”

Think back to the last time when the local rivals best bowler went around the park in a game you played in. What was the impact on the rest of the team?

Summary

There is definitely an art to chasing totals and Eoin Morgan may have just helped us all to understand that art a little more.

Can you bring some of these simple concepts into you own game or into your teams approach when attempting to chase down large totals?

It’s worth a try, that’s for sure.