In preparation for our next match I thought it vital to pass on some words of wisdom in a bid to improve our collective batting. The following 6 tips have served me well and it is important for us all to keep learning and improving.

1. Keep your eyes level, it's been shown that having your eyes level helps speed up your reaction time, as it makes it easier for the brain to process the incoming information.

2. Your first movement should be from the shoulders towards the line of the ball. The rest of your body will follow naturally and will help ensure you get correctly inline with the ball.

3. Play the delivery based on its length, if it's short; even if it's in line with the wickets it should be 'tonked away' (KP style) to the boundary. The same principle applies with full deliveries and half volleys.

4. One of the most important things is to watch the ball from bowlers hand in run up all the way to the bat. By watching the ball in the bowler's hand you can see what the bowler may be trying to do with the ball. Try to identify which is the shiny side or rough side, so you can determine which way they may be trying to swing the ball. The same applies with spinners; but also make sure you closely watch the wrist movement to determine the type and direction of spin.

5. When batting against spinners, try doing an initial 'forward press', making an initial half-step on to the front foot as the bowler bowls. This will give you good base to play from and help give you quicker feet.

6. It is essential to maintain a solid base when batting and to be in a solid position when you play the ball. If you watch for example Brain Lara play a cover drive, he has a solid base from which he plays the stroke, he is perfectly balanced.