How many more games would we win if we could be sure of an extra 40 runs per innings?

In the traditional 40 over format you see in most club games that would only be an extra run per over. Following this guide will help us achieve it with the minimum of fuss or risk. If you are alert to the opportunities.

1. Follow up a boundary with a single. It’s common for many club players to hit a four then try and hit another one straight away, usually going straight to a fielder. A better option would be to tip and run to get off strike. If you are skilled at it you can turn every boundary you hit into a five or a seven.
2. Target the bad fielders. Every club team has their bad fielders. The ones who can’t throw, stand too far back on the single or just can’t move as fast as they used to. If you put them under pressure every time the ball goes near them you can force a fumble bad enough to gain an extra run.
3. Run the first one hard. It might be a cliché, but it’s true. Every time you run look for another. There are many singles than can be turned into twos or threes with the right pressure applied and good judgement of when to go again.
4. Manoeuvre the field. All fields have gaps in them and if you can play a shot then you can use it to move fielders around. In the top class game this might be a reverse sweep, in club cricket you might be better off going over the top to push a fielder back so you have an easy single instead.
5. Leg byes are your friend. If the ball hits your pad and the non-striker is alert there is almost always a run. The ball dies off the pad and so is unlikely to fly straight to a fielder. As the fielder has to pick up and throw accurately there is no chance they will get there and there is a safe run.

Above all these tactics require trust between batsmen. You need to know your partner is alert, ready and not going to stitch you up. That comes with practice and time but it will certainly lead to at least 40 more runs an innings.