Why Two Versions of You Turn Up at the Crease
One batter is relaxed, instinctive and free-scoring. The other is anxious, hesitant and poking at half-volleys. You are both of these players. This blog unpacks the science behind why, and gives you a simple routine to make sure the right one shows up when you need it.
Marc Ellison
7/3/20263 min read
You've middled everything in the nets all week.
Saturday arrives.
After 15 balls you're 2 not out, poking nervously outside off stump.
You're asking yourself: 'Where has my rhythm gone?'
The answer probably isn't your technique. It's the conversation happening inside your head.
Most batsmen have experienced this.
Training feels effortless, but the moment the scoreboard, teammates and opposition enter the equation, batting feels completely different.
That's because pressure changes the way we think before it changes the way we move.
Professor Steve Peters' book The Chimp Paradox offers one of the best explanations I've come across.
It helped me understand why two versions of the same batsman can exist: one relaxed and instinctive in the nets, the other hesitant and anxious on a Saturday.
According to Peters, your mind has three key parts: the Chimp, the Human and the Computer.
Your Chimp is emotional. It wants to keep you safe.
Unfortunately, cricket isn't always helped by playing safe.
Imagine you're on 38. The Chimp whispers, 'Don't waste your start.'
On 97 it shouts, 'Don't blow your hundred.'
Chasing 220 it screams, 'You need a boundary now.'
None of these thoughts help you watch the next ball.
Your Human is calm and logical.
It doesn't shout.
It quietly says: 'Watch the seam. Trust your defence. Play this ball.'
The Human keeps you in the present.
The Computer is your batting autopilot.
Every leave, defensive shot, forward press and drive you've repeated thousands of times is stored here.
This is why great batters often say they weren't thinking. They weren't. They were trusting their Computer.
The mistake most amateurs make is trying to bat with their Chimp.
They argue with it or believe everything it says.
Elite players recognise it without letting it take control.
I've experienced this countless times.
You edge one through slips early.
Suddenly the Chimp starts talking.
Or you get dropped on 20 and become desperate not to waste the chance.
Before long you're batting to protect your wicket instead of scoring runs.
So how do you manage it?
Start with your breathing.
As the bowler turns, take one slow diaphragmatic breath.
Let your shoulders soften. Give your mind a simple cue: 'Watch the seam.'
You're not trying to eliminate nerves. You're redirecting your attention.
Next, build a repeatable pre-ball routine.
Step away, breathe, look at your bat, choose one cue, then trust your preparation.
The routine gives your Human something productive to do while your Computer gets ready to perform.
Finally, remember why you train.
Every purposeful repetition in the nets is building your Computer.
The goal of practice isn't to think more clearly in matches. It's to think less because you've prepared so well.
Try this next innings.
When your Chimp says, 'Don't get out,' simply reply, 'Thanks for trying to protect me, but I've got this.' Then return your focus to the bowler and let your Computer take over. It sounds simple, but it changes everything.
Your Chimp never disappears. Even the world's best players have one.
The difference is they don't let it bat for them.
They hear it, acknowledge it, then hand the bat back to their Human.
It’s a trainable skill.
And in my experience, it's one of the biggest differences between players who dominate in the nets and players who consistently perform in the middle.
If you'd like some help building those mental routines, reviewing your game or learning how to trust your preparation under pressure, I'd love to help.
Book a free 30-minute call and let's start building a batting mindset that performs when it matters most.
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