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England openers pass on their tips

Andrew Strauss
Andrew Strauss
England opener

The first thing an opener needs is a good technique, especially when you're up against the new ball.

You have to have some way of keeping out the good balls so if your defence is solid, this is a huge start!

As an opener you need plenty of patience.

Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss

Sometimes you know you're going to go through difficult stages when you're batting.

Batsmen can get very frustrated when they're not scoring runs, openers are no different.

But if you want to be a good opener, you need to put those moments out of your head and carry on with your innings.

If you're prepared to do the hard work and get yourself in, batting starts to get easier - and that's when the runs come.

Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Trescothick
England opener

For me technique is the biggest attribute for an opener - but concentration is not too far behind.

Being able to concentrate whenever you're batting is a major part of opening the innings.

This is something you learn with experience. It's all about getting used to the position at the top of the order.

You learn how to bat as you play more games.

Some people are seen as born openers because they're seen as players who don't score as quickly as some other batsmen.

That doesn't mean they haven't got the shots, it means they're able to concentrate over long periods and not play silly shots.

However, the way Test cricket is now, things are completely different. Teams score their runs so much more quickly than 10 or 15 years ago.

Batting is a lot more positive, which is great for the crowds who want to see big scores.

Nowadays you don't necessarily have to be a slow scorer to be an opener.

If you're a positive player with a good technique, you can definitely open the innings.



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