📍 THE WEEK’S RADAR

• 🎯 Williamson’s wisdom at Lord’s: Simple setup, sharp mind — gold for batters at every level.

• 🏏 India’s Lord’s loss, decoded: No first-innings lead, panic in the chase, and Pant’s run-out flipped the match.

• 🎥 Flintoff v Ponting (2005): Reverse swing, tiny flaws, perfect pressure — a blueprint for bowling brilliance.

• 🧠 Collapses begin upstairs. Visual lag, cognitive fatigue, pressure — not just poor technique.

• 🌀 Grip. Rip. Drift. Five-phase spin drill progression for control, drift and dip.

• 💼 On the jobs board: CEO, CRO, psychs, and pathway coaches — big roles across UK cricket.

THE SCIENCE OF SKILL

Kane Williamson - Batting Masterclass

Ahead of Day 2 at Lords, Kane Williamson joins Dinesh Karthik, Stuart Broad and Ian Ward to give us his best batting tips and advice for all levels of batters in the game.

FROM THE ANALYSIS BOX

3 Moments Where India Lost the Lord’s Test: A Coach’s Breakdown 🏏

India’s 22-run defeat at Lord’s wasn’t for lack of effort — it was about missed opportunities, mental lapses, and top-order fragility under pressure.

1️⃣ No First-Innings Lead

India matched England’s 387 instead of surpassing it. Though obvious, a lead of even 70–100 runs would’ve shifted pressure and changed Day 5 entirely. Strategic inertia at the wrong time.

2️⃣ Top-Order Tumble in a Tricky Chase

Chasing 193, India’s top four collapsed for 58. Shot selection under scoreboard pressure let England in. The match was set up for calculated risk — India played with chaos instead of control.

3️⃣ Pant’s Run-Out: Turning Point Disguised as a Single

Perhaps the most significant, Pant’s run-out dismissal just before lunch, followed by Rahul’s wicket soon after, punctured India’s momentum. One rushed run turned a dominant session into a deflating one.

This Test was a reminder that cricket is as much mental as it is technical. A small first-innings lead could’ve shifted the psychological balance — forcing England to chase the game. The second-innings collapse? Likely triggered by scoreboard pressure and mental fatigue. And once momentum swung, it stayed — not because of skill gaps, but because of pressure. Coaches must prepare players to manage stress, stay present, and recognise that winning moments often come from mental clarity, not just technique.

Ahead of the Ashes, a Lesson from 2005: How Flintoff Undid Ponting

With another Ashes series looming later this year, it’s worth rewinding to one of its most iconic battles — Flintoff vs Ponting at Edgbaston in 2005. A newly surfaced analysis video breaks down just how England set the trap.

• Reverse swing masterclass: Flintoff swung the ball in with the shiny side right, exploiting conditions expertly.

• Ponting’s back leg flaw: The video shows his back leg shifting slightly on-side pre-delivery — throwing off alignment and exposing him to late movement.

• Tactical fielding: England didn’t just bowl well — they adjusted fielders based on swing cues, with short leg in play and hot zones rotated smartly.

🎥 Anything we’ve missed? Watch the full video below for a brilliant breakdown of how precision, pressure, and planning came together to undo one of the game's greats.

BETWEEN THE EARS

”Most Batting Collapses Don’t Start With The Bat. They Start With The Brain”

Fitting to the recent England x India test at Lords. Andre Burger points out that when conditions favour the bowler, a green pitch, overcast skies, a moving ball, it’s not just technique that gets tested. It’s the brain.

Batting collapses don’t happen because players lack talent. They happen because many haven’t trained their visual system, their cognitive speed, or their emotional control under pressure. Develop cricketers to become pressure-ready performers — not just players who succeed in perfect conditions — but those who can adapt, anticipate, and stay composed when the game demands more.

COACH’S CORNER

Grip. Rip. Drift

WATCH HERE → A detailed technical analysis of off-spin bowling mechanics, demonstrating a five-phase progression from imparting revolutions and finger control through to memory foam elevation drills and alignment channels. The sequence examines wrist positioning, front-foot duration, proper setup angles, and action integration for maximising turn, bounce, drift and dip.

Job Board

JOBS OF THE WEEK 🏏

🔗UK: View Complete Job Board 🔗

🔗AUS: View Complete Job Board 🔗

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