Custom Field Settings

[7thGalaxy]

I've been haemorrhaging runs recently, admittedly my bowling attack is rather poor - a rather nasty cycle where I can't get them in form because they keep loosing matches and being hit out of the park, and whilst they are out of form they... keep loosing matches and being hit out of the park.

I've been experimenting with some small tweaks with custom field settings, but for the most part have been relying on stock field settings - can anyone give me some tips for setting fields that will dry up runs? Are there any 'super' fields which both put pressure on and keep the runs to a minimum? What sort of simple, starter changes can I initially make that might help me discover a bit more?

I've also got a quick question about form - does form for bowlers = bowling form? Or is it just batting form? How about all rounders? And does a bad innings in, say, 20-20, effect test cricket form? Should it?

Thanks! I'm enjoying this game, it's helping me think far more about how real cricket is played.

Tom

[kishorea]

I've found Gully to be a super position for saving singles, plus it is a catching position. Backward square leg also saves quite a few singles for me.

What line do you bowl? It sometimes helps to have one bowler bowling outside offstump while you attack middle-and-off from the other end. Rarely do I bowl leg stump line even if a batsman doesn't like it.

[7thGalaxy]

If the batsman prefers leg, would you pop a leg gully in, and if they prefer off, a off-side gully?

[kishorea]

I was talking about the off-side gully, regardless of the batsman's preferences.

But I do think in general, having more fielders on the batsman's preferred side helps on average, whichever line you're bowling.

[7thGalaxy]

I avoid leg stump having been truly punished for it, unless maybe for an over of yorkers coming across the batsman in the hope of a LBW. For the greater part of a test match, I usually have a spinner bowling with a defensive field at one end, and a MF/FM at the other, varying their attack a bit. If the run rate is a bit too settled, I might try bowling long, or short, and see if that works for an over, but usually I bowl middle if a batsman prefers off, and outside off if the batsman prefers leg. I'm a bit too lazy for ball by ball, so I tend to bowl an over at a time. Maybe I should stop that!

[kishorea]

I guess you're doing all the right things! Hopefully you're luck will turn around.

Having played ball by ball quite a bit in FC matches, overall I don't find much difference in the results while playing ball-by-ball or over-by-over. I've felt that it helps sometimes, but there have been other times when I'd be doing poorly and playing an over at a time drastically improved things!

In limited overs matches playing every ball helps to respond quickly to what the opposition is doing.

[7thGalaxy]

For one day/20-20 do you use more aggressive fields to match the more aggressive batting?

[kishorea]

Even in limited overs matches, I think one should keep looking to take wickets. After all, the best way to stop the flow of runs is to take wickets. I usually keep a slip or two when a batsman is new at the crease.

[Graham_5000]

I'd like to see "better" default settings. In a Test match for example it is quite common to want 3 slips and a gully plus a boundary sweeper or two. In limited overs games I would like the fielders outside of the ring to be right on the boundary rope. These are two very different examples - perhaps there should be different default field settings for each format? I make my own custom fields, but this takes a lot of time, as does loading them each time I change bowlers. I would imagine there are others who would like "better" default field options.

[jedimasterlincoln]

Yes it would be nice for custom fields to remain in place regardless of the bowler........ then you'd only really need to change the field for slower bowlers when the keeper is up.

[RVallant]

There's a coaching website that explains certain fields as 'stock' and how to adjust it for limited overs games. Personally, I think this information should be in the manual, or maybe a tutorial as I think field settings are an important, yet much neglected part of the game.

For Fast or Med-Fast; I've tried the "V" field; Third Man, (extra) Cover, Mid-off, Mid-on, Mid-wicket, Long leg. Double-slip and gully, but I found that they could just pad it off to the leg side for singles all the time. So I brought in the long-leg to short leg in order to cut that out. The problem I find is the lack of a 'sticking' point on the field, so I can't really judge if I'm placing the fielders too far or too close for the position I want.

Alas!

Anyway for Off-Spinners I try: Slip, Short leg, Silly Mid-on, Mid-On, Mid-off, Extra Cover, Point, Mid-wicket, Backwards square leg. Think that covers most of the areas.

Oh, that fielding coaching site is interesting as it suggests that bowling even in 20-20 should be middle and off and never wide off or leg.

[kishorea]

I'd like to see "better" default settings. In a Test match for example it is quite common to want 3 slips and a gully plus a boundary sweeper or two. In limited overs games I would like the fielders outside of the ring to be right on the boundary rope. These are two very different examples - perhaps there should be different default field settings for each format? I make my own custom fields, but this takes a lot of time, as does loading them each time I change bowlers. I would imagine there are others who would like "better" default field options.

Agree completely. I think what we need is a feature that allows attaching certain custom fields to aggression levels, so that we can switch between our preferred custom fields simply by changing aggression.

[kishorea]

The problem I find is the lack of a 'sticking' point on the field, so I can't really judge if I'm placing the fielders too far or too close for the position I want.

I think this is another feature that we need. I've really struggled to place slips at the right position. 1st slip inevitably ends up standing right behind the keeper!

[Chris Child]

For slip placement, the easiest method is to select a field with the number of slips you want (or a very aggressive filed) and edit from there.

Some interesting ideas in this thread. I'll talk them through with the team.

[Dick Van Dykes Disco Dog]

There's a coaching website that explains certain fields as 'stock' and how to adjust it for limited overs games. Personally, I think this information should be in the manual, or maybe a tutorial as I think field settings are an important, yet much neglected part of the game.

For Fast or Med-Fast; I've tried the "V" field; Third Man, (extra) Cover, Mid-off, Mid-on, Mid-wicket, Long leg. Double-slip and gully, but I found that they could just pad it off to the leg side for singles all the time. So I brought in the long-leg to short leg in order to cut that out. The problem I find is the lack of a 'sticking' point on the field, so I can't really judge if I'm placing the fielders too far or too close for the position I want.

Alas!

Anyway for Off-Spinners I try: Slip, Short leg, Silly Mid-on, Mid-On, Mid-off, Extra Cover, Point, Mid-wicket, Backwards square leg. Think that covers most of the areas.

Oh, that fielding coaching site is interesting as it suggests that bowling even in 20-20 should be middle and off and never wide off or leg.

I think I know the one
I use some of their field setting for my spinner in limited over games.

I recommend the other thread on this as I have definitely noticed success when trying some of these field placings - Kishorea well played mate!

http://forum.childishdownloads.co.uk/showthread.php?18530-Custom-Field-Placements