Tips on how to play 'Advance down the wicket' shots

[alfa_beta]

Folks,
Have seen plenty of people asking for help for playing advance shots, so came up with this post. Here are my tips on how to play advance down the wicket shot in Cricket 2K5...

I play this game on PS2 and this is how I mastered advance shots. Hopefully timing and approach for doing so will remain same across platforms - PC or XBOX...

1. Go to nets and try playing advance shots and get the timing right. Try pressing the button when the bowler is in delivery stride on the bowling crease - just before releasing the ball. You will get an idea by watching the timing meter in the nets.

2. Now try playing against lower ranked teams - like Canada, US or Holland. I have seen it's slightly easier to time the shot against weaker sides. Initially you will only get it right a few times and most of the times you will spoon it up or edge it to the keeper or slips but that's how you learn. Remember that advance down the wicket shots are toughest to get hang of and get the timing right. Also, your timing need to be spot on or else you get out.

3. Keep on going back and forth between nets and matches to get a hang of the timing. Keep in mind that timing may differ a bit in actual matches and nets. After some time you will notice that you time everything in nets but not so in matches. When you reach this stage, you will be in a position to get occasional advance down the wicket shots successfully. This is a point when you don't need to go to nets any more.

4. Try to figure out what kind of delivery do you manage to successfully hit every time and also what kind of shot. For me, I was able to time advance shots against medium length balls bowled by fast bowlers or fast-medium bowlers using on drive (down and right for right hander). Now try to play advance down the wicket shots only against these type of deliveries in matches and don't go for these shots every ball. You will notice that your success rate with advance shots go up gradually.

5. Try to figure out a pattern when you get a successful hit. E.g. on PS2 there's a slight sound just before bowler bowls and that is a cue for me to press the button. At this point of time bowler is in bowling stride with bowling arm straightened and one foot in the bowling crease and the other one up in the air - just before delivering a ball.

6. Once you get comfortable with a certain kind of delivery, try to play shots against varying deliveries or different shots. E.g. try to play advance cover drive or advance straight drives or try playing advance shot to a slightly fuller delivery. Once you are able to hit advance shots against fast bowlers, try to play the shots against spinners or medium bowlers. Once you are able to hit successful advance shots against a particular type of bowler, it's just a matter of time before you can do so against different type of bowlers.

7. It really doesn't matter whether the bowler is a pacer or spinner - you press the button at the same time... maybe just a fraction late for spinners but not much of a difference. If you can hit an advance shot off a pacer, you should be able to do it for spinners as well.

Please note that you will get out quite a lot and will require plenty of patience before you master playing advance down the wicket shots. But once you learn how to do it, you will be able to score 500 or so in odis. My average score in odis is around 450 and I score between 210-250 in the first 15 overs

Hope this helps... by the way it took me around 7-10 days to get a hang of 'advance down the wicket' shots.

 

[rickyp]

although this is not nearly as long as yours, it helps just practice this heaps and heaps, like every ball until you get the hang of it

 

[cricketfanatic]

Is there a way to play the advance shots along the ground ? It always seems to go in the air for me.Though I do get boundaries on a few occasions, I end up getting caught mid-off or mid-on most of the time

 

[rudeypooh]

Is there a way to play the advance shots along the ground ? It always seems to go in the air for me.Though I do get boundaries on a few occasions, I end up getting caught mid-off or mid-on most of the time

Yup you can use the advanced shots along the ground, i think if you time it too early you miss it, time it too late it goes in the air or slips, time it right it goes flying across the ground.

I can time about 2/5 attempts properly but still working at it.

 

[alfa_beta]

A well timed advance down the wicket shot (without L1) rockets to the boundary but you got to time it right. The reason it goes in the air is that the timing is a bit off and your timing has to be spot on to hit it along the ground. It's a great shot to pierce the ring of feilders in odis in the first 15 overs and helps you get 5-6 singles an over once the field is spread - especially against the spinners as they generally bowl with long on and no mid-on. Thus every advance down the wicket on drive (down and right for right handers) goes to long on for an easy single.

And when the field is spread, generally after 32 overs in a odi, any advance shot (cover drive, straight drive or on drive) gets you a single every time. To get better at odis you have to master this shot.

 

[181notout]

how do you incorporate the "six hit" button into advance down the track shots? does it require the player to trigger the shot at a different time?

 

[irottev]

I love advancing and smashing it over cover and sometimes for six. Thats become one of my favorite shots.

 

[alfa_beta]

Timing of advance down the wicket for a 6 hit remains the same... the only difference is that you have to press the power button (L1).

 

[alfa_beta]

yup irrotev, that's my bread & butter shot when field restrictions are on

 

[pali1]

I love advancing and smashing it over cover and sometimes for six. Thats become one of my favorite shots.

love that shot! i also discoverd an awesome charging six hit shot you can play to deliveries wide down the leg side, do you guys know how to play it? should i expplain howw to play the shot?

 

[abhishek_1]

well u r sying tht we should try playin the shot against the lower teams but I hit my first shot vs aus and it was hit by hoggard and at a crucial stage when I was 88/9

 

[alfa_beta]

Abhishek,
I said for starters, start off with playing this shot against lower ranked teams. Obviously you can play the shot against any team - be it World X1, Aus or USA. But for people who are trying to figure out how to play the shot, it's easier to play against lower ranked teams.

Hey Pali1,
Which shot are you talking about and do share your knowledge about the shot with us... after all this is what this forum is all about
Am waiting for you to post the details on how to play the shot and against what sort of deliveries and bowlers.

 

[pali1]

well if the bowler bowls wide down the leg side and if your sick of them bowling it there you can press (for pc) shift+right arrow key+D(charge) and if yoou time it right you can smash the ball for 6 or a one bounce four if theres no fielders in between mid wicket and long on your safe to hit it

you can hit it off anything this wide or wider down the leg side and about any length (just not too short)

the trick is making sure its not going to hit leg stump then your good to go.. if its going to hit the stumps then there is a high chance of missing it and getting clean bowled