CURRENT Sheffield Shield player of the year Ryan Carters and NSW Breakers bowler Kara Sutherland paid a special visit to the Bega Valley last week.
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The duo were in town as part of the Cricket NSW Country Blitz, a program aimed at encouraging kids to take up the sport.
Making a visit to a Bega-Angledale Cricket Club training session, the pair spoke about their experience and some techniques to help improve local competition.
Carters spoke about letting your head lead what your body is doing on the pitch.
“The biggest thing I’ve realised in my game technically is what my head is doing,” Carters said.
“A lot of coaches will talk about getting your feet to the right spot.
“Whatever line the ball takes I put my head to that line, then whatever my foot does is secondary to that,” he said.
Sutherland followed it up by urging everyone to have a “purpose” at training.
“As a bowler it is very easy to show up at training and think you’re just there to bowl to the batsmen,” Sutherland said.
“I think it is important you have a purpose and you are working on something.
“An easy way to be accountable is tell the person behind you what you’re going to bowl next, so he knows if you did it and so will you.”
Sutherland is a left-arm pace bowler for the NSW Breakers and is a rising star in women’s cricket.
Meanwhile, Cricket NSW described Carters as one of the best technical batsmen in Australia, which awarded him the opening spot on the Sheffield Shield rosters.
He scored three centuries for the team as well as playing a full season for Sydney Thunder.
Bega-Angledale A grade captain Dave Allen questioned how to prepare for different formats.
Both players agreed it can be hard to adapt to the shorter style.
“It is pretty tricky having to switch, opening in the Sheffield Shield is totally different,” Carters said.
“I think with the two shorter formats it’s about lifting the tempo overall.
“Don’t block two or three then go for a big swing, try and get one run off each ball.
“Conversely in bowling it is the opposite,” he said.
Sutherland aimed her advice to the bowlers and fielders.
“Especially in a Twenty-20 with bowling its about your field placement,” Sutherland said.
“If you win the first six overs you win the game.
“You don’t have time to work into a spell so you have to keep warm and know what you want to do.
“You need to have some variation,” she said.
The pair also spoke briefly about dealing with failure.
Sutherland said it had affected her after being dropped by the Australian women’s team just two days before an international exhibition match.
“I had been in the squad all season and then got dropped from playing that match,” Sutherland said.
“It is okay to be disappointed because everyone fails at some point.”
Carters echoed her sentiment.
“Failure is in the past and your response is in the future.
“Keep it simple rather than dwelling on it,” he said.
On Thursday night the pair spoke highly about Bega’s George Griffin Oval, and the region.
“It’s a really nice field, Bega is lovely, you’ve got it all here,” Carters said.
The pair also visited Merimbula and Pambula for a number of training clinics on Friday.