Field marshal
WHY NATHAN LYON’S RUN-OUT WAS SO DIFFICULT, SO CRITICAL, AND OH SO SPECIAL
NATHAN Lyon is an absolute beauty and his run-out on day one of the opening Test was poetry in motion.
Top-quality fielding is a statement of intent. It is all about hunting in the field, with the mindset of “every ball is coming my way. I will be ready and I will execute”.
Fielding on a hot afternoon can be tough work at times and many local cricketers often ask themselves, “Why am I doing this while all my mates are at the beach?”
The hotter it gets, the more your concentration is tested and the vitally important statement of intent drops away.
Only the very best can remain focused and it is this mental strength that separates the best from the rest.
Lyon’s run-out was very special because he anticipated and created the play.
He was fielding at point, square of the wicket, when James Vince pushed the ball into the open gap in the covers.
Lyon was like a panther; swooping on his prey. He picked up one-handed on the run and released in a split second. His only mistake was throwing the ball into the ground instead of hitting the stumps on the full.
Luckily for the “GOAT” his throw was pinpoint and the bounce off the Gabba surface was true.
His bullet-like, right-arm arrow crashed the stumps and Vince was well short. It was a big Ashes moment.
The best of the best in the field are more aware than the average cricketer. They have a sixth sense as to when and where an opportunity will present.
The elite fieldsmen over the years have been sharp of mind and nimble by foot — Jonty Rhodes, Andrew Symonds, Ricky Ponting, Roger Harper, Michael Hussey, and the best I played with, Jamie Siddons.
All these men were brilliant ground fielders and created many run-out chances and executed with deadly precision.
They maintained a low centre of gravity while moving across the surface. They were hunters and kept a half crouch almost as they moved effortlessly across the turf. They also kept their hands low to the ground to collect any scraps that came their way.
It is important to have your hands close to the ground and rise with it as the ball bounces in your direction, as opposed to the majority who run upright with hands at waist level.
Catching is another skill taken for granted in our game but, sadly, poorly executed at times.
The player with the best hands in the game (wicketkeepers aside) was Mark Waugh, who was pure silk.
Mark Taylor was brilliant, in particular off Shane Warne. Warne himself was very good. Cameron White for Victoria is also very safe in the cordon with bucket-like hands.
The best piece of catching advice I ever received in my career came from Mark Waugh after a Shield game in Sydney. He told me his secret to success in the slips was, “Let the ball catch you, don’t try and catch the ball.”
Basically he was saying, let the ball come, don’t grab at it, and don’t snatch it.
This was great advice that I took away and put into practice for years after.
Train the brain when you hear the edge to open your hands wider, relax the forearms and allow the ball to hit your hands.
Your natural ability will catch the ball. Simple, but not many in the world employ these catching basics. It was great advice from the best I saw in the slips cordon.
Fielding is the part of the game we spend most time doing, so my advice to all cricketers is get to work.
Hunt in the field, want the ball to come to you, be ready to execute, and above all else, enjoy the experience.
Fielding is a statement of intent!