How much kit can I carry in one trip to the car?

Not the sort of question you’d expect to be going through the mind of a county cricketer as he embarks on his next eight day road trip, but I can assure you that every one of us has thought it at some point in our careers… and a few of us have fallen foul of the one-bag-too-many effort and pulled a muscle, subsequently blaming everything around us (rather than our foolish attempt to be He-Man) for the cruel twist of fate.

The thing is, we’ve just got so much kit these days! White pads, coloured pads, whites, one-day uniform, bowling boots, batting boots, evening wear… the list goes on. And so, despite this mountain of kit, you’re always wondering if you’ve got everything you need. Have I packed enough bats? Will my aftershave get me through one last trip? All these important (and not so important questions) are thrown up by our great but hectic multi-format domestic season.

Of course, it’s the state of your own game, and not your packing, that needs the most attention. As Championship game rolls into one-day game and back again (not to mention Twenty20 cricket which will be upon us soon) you’re continuously looking to set yourself apart from the rest, and so adjusting quickly from game to game is essential if you are to perform consistently in all competitions. 50 off 25 balls then out may have you walk off a hero in maroon one day, but the same innings in white could see you receive a very different back in the dressing room.

There are few players capable of just churning out runs for fun whatever the format.

One thing I have noticed after watching hours of other players prepare for the different formats, is that the best bowlers know where they’re bowling it to within inches and the best batsmen show the same composure whether they’re digging in for a four-day draw or they’re going hell-for-leather in a Twenty20 over game. Keeping cool whatever the situation is a priceless quality.

There are few players capable of just churning out runs for fun whatever format. Mark Ramprakash and Graeme Hick are two notable examples, as is Marcus Trescothick, who we are lucky enough to have in dressing room at Taunton. Tres is always there if I need to pick his brains, but after numerous chats about technique it normally just ends with him saying, “Tregs, just whack it”.

Not the most complex advice, but in today’s game there is more and more value on not only how many runs you can score, but also how quickly you can score them. And besides, keeping simple, like Tres’ advice to me, helps me address the difficulties of constantly changing formats. If you technique works in one form of the game, why not run with it in other forms of cricket?

And, remember, at the end of the day, it’s what works for you that’s the best approach to adopt. In pre-season I was worried that I was perhaps batting too aggressively, until my captain Justin Langer came up to me and asked me “Tregs, what makes a good cricketer?” After a few minutes of waffling from yours truly, he said in his bluntest Australian, “Runs and wickets. I don’t care how. Just get ‘em.”