Hirst received little coaching as a batsman. Physically brave, he was often at his best on pitches which were difficult for batting, and when his team faced a crisis. His usual approach was to bat aggressively. Although he could play defensively if required, he preferred to attack when his team were in difficulties. He played a variety of strokes, but he favoured the on drive and particularly the pull and hook shots. He was able to pull and hook almost any ball delivered to him, making it difficult to place fielders effectively while he was batting. Only in Australia did this approach prove less successful. He also established a reputation as an outstanding fielder at mid off. In this position, he took many catches, often from hard drives in an era when batsmen played this shot very well.