So finally starting to make progress in career mode. Still a 16-year old, his skills still suck like all hell but I've worked something out that's making life a bit less complicated.
After averaging a stupendous 4.75 - as a batting all-rounder - in the whites and a miserable 7 in one-dayers, I've started holding the left-stick directly up automatically for all balls. The reason for this is mainly so I can guarantee the direction that my batsman will take guard, as opposed to the awkward moments where I tried to defend forward, but shifted to the left or the right too much in the heat of the moment and consequently ended up walking across my stumps or doing something equally stupid.
If a short ball comes I'm confident in being able to react quickly to pull it on the front foot. I still need more training in the nets against spinners but so far I've already had results.
I managed to get out for 14, which isn't that unusual for me, but I hung around for 50 balls, which was more or less what I was trying to do, so I'm happy with that. Second innings I notched up 30 off 30 balls; dismissal was a bit of back luck (inside edge goes down leg keeper pulls off a disgustingly good save, but whatever) but pretty happy with the progress.
(This is all playing in Career, first season, Pro difficulty, for NSW in the state competitions.)
But the gameplan is solid. Defend the first two or three, unless something is perilously wide, in which case it should be dispatched forthwith. Otherwise, just relax, build up some confidence and then just play the gaps in the V (or take the occasional free pull/square leg shot that the pace bowlers inevitably offer).
