Durham’s explosive opener passes on the advice that helped turn him into one of the domestic game’s finest slip fielders.
ANY CATCH IS A GOOD CATCH
“I don’t care what anyone thinks, there’s no such thing as an easy slip catch. The perfect catch is the one that comes right between the knees, just where my hands come together in front of me. But those catches never come. They never arrive at ‘that height’ and ‘that speed’. Certainly not at the speed you practise them. All slip catches take some hanging on to.”
THE SET-UP
“I want to be relaxed. I stand with my feet pretty wide apart and, at the point of the bowler releasing the ball, I’m up on my toes with my weight slightly forward. I’ll start with my hands on my knees – it’s partly out of laziness, but also it helps me get comfortable and feel relaxed.”
DROPS
“Everyone drops catches and no one means to. The secret to being a good slipper – it sounds harsh on the bowler – is to forget about it straight away and be ready for the next one. Mentally, the most difficult catch is the one that comes after you’ve dropped a couple.”
KEEP YOUR DISTANCE
“The wicketkeeper should always set the distance that the slips stand back. Working with different ‘keepers throws up different challenges. They all want to take the ball at differing heights. This has a knock-on effect as to how far back you will stand. If they want to take the ball at waist height this will mean that the slips are up closer than for the wicketkeeper who likes to take the ball around knee height. Getting used to each other is part of developing that rapport. And getting that right has a big impact on being successful. Sometimes, if the keeper is taking the ball too low, it will be down to the slips to push them up, in order to avoid the ball dropping short. It’s what’s in the best interests of the team that counts. But generally, as a starting point, I’ll line myself up level with the keeper.”
SECOND SLIP OVER FIRST
“I prefer standing at second rather than first slip to the seamers. I don’t like to watch the ball down the pitch – I prefer to watch the edge. I feel much more comfortable doing that, although it does mean standing closer and being prepared to go for more varied and difficult catches.”
CATCH WHAT YOU SEE
“Generally, if I see it, I go for it. Because I’m up pretty close, in relation to the other slips, I put myself in a position where more of the catches are mine. Or at least I think they’re mine!”
NO SUCH THING AS YES, NO, SORRY
“I also believe that we work as a team and if I start to go for something and end up bailing out when I realise I can’t reach it, or the ball swings or dips after the batsman has nicked it – which it can in the UK – I still expect first or third slip to be switched on and be in a position to take the catch, in support. Bailing out of a catch at the last split second doesn’t mean that someone else shouldn’t still catch it.”
ASSISTS
“I have a theory that if you can’t catch ‘em, try to tap ‘em up for someone else! Sometimes – especially with the catches that fly high to you – if you can’t catch the ball cleanly there and then, try to have the presence of mind to keep the ball alive by parrying it or knocking it up for someone else.”
ONE-HAND OVER TWO
“Generally, you should always look to catch the ball in two hand. But sometimes, if the ball is low and quick, you just don’t have enough time to go with two. It’s a reach and speed decision.”
LEFT-HANDERS
“The slips might stand a bit tighter together for the left-hander. With the ball coming back into the stumps, as a rule, the wicketkeeper might feel he wants slips a bit closer to him than if the ball is flying wider to his right.”
A SLIP FIELDER’S NIGHTMARE
“I get to stand in the slips to some high quality seamers at Durham. With Steve Harmison’s bounce the nicks can come quite high, so more likelihood of reverse-cup chances. The most difficult to stand to is Graham Onions. His skiddy trajectory means that we have to get up closer than you’d ideally be, because he doesn’t get so much bounce. Invariably, the chances off him are around your ankles. But also, as a pitch-up bowler, you do get those flying above your head off the big drive! That’s the nature of the job. You still want to be in a position to get your hands under the ball, rather than it fall short. You might end up ‘wearing’ a few, but that goes with the territory. You must make sure that you are in a position to take the genuine nick and let the rest take care of themselves.”
FLOATER
“If there isn’t much happening, the captain will sometimes decide on a floating slip rather than a rigid first slip. I like it when we go to this. It gives me more room and in an odd way it offers up a chance to show off! You can feel a bit penned in when there is a third slip in place. You stand where you feel right – in relation to the wicketkeeper and just back yourself to reach the ball. It’s exciting and it feels like you’re giving the bowler a better chance of a wicket than if you stand at a regulation first slip.”
SPINNERS
“The hardest slip catches are those off the spinner. If it’s a right-hander I line myself up by placing my left foot in line with the return crease. You get all sorts of catches off the spinner. The hardest ones to catch are the nicked cuts shots. Make no mistake, they rely on a bit of luck as much as anything else. Knowing your bowlers is also important. Knowing their variations, the amount of bounce they might get. The more bounce they are likely to get, the further back I might stand.”
MEDIUM-PACERS WITH THE WICKETKEEPER STOOD UP
“The wicketkeeper stood up to the seamer is a peculiarity of the English game. As a slip fielder, you feel really exposed and out on a limb. It is so difficult to know exactly how wide to stand. First slip is the worst. At best, you’re likely to get a really late look at the ball. At worst, you don’t see it coming at all.”
HALF-PAST FIVE
“I’ve seen so many people catch the ball beautifully in fielding practice – never look like dropping the ball. It all changes in a game. Concentration-wise, there is no more difficult chance than the one that comes at half-past five, at ankle height, when you’ve not had anything all day. Taking those is what sets apart the good slip fielder and the rest.”
