James Knott played professional cricket for eight years between 1994 and 2001 and is an ECB Level 3 coach. He is the Head of Cricket and Assistant Director of Sport at Stowe School and since his appointment in 2004 Stowe has finished top of the schools cricket league twice, winning the Schools Arch Trophy twice and finishing runners up of the National T20 twice and several of his former pupils have gone on to play professional cricket in that time. Andy O'Connor is an ECB Level 3 coach and a member of the Northamptonshire ECB Coach Education team. He is part of the junior coaching setup at Northants, having coached most age groups, both boys and girls. He is currently Coach of the new U18s boy's squad, having coached the u17s Boys team during their ECB National Championship three-day and one-day cup winning seasons of 2017 and 2019.
'Like the best Joe Root innings, it has everything . . . easy to follow and bang up to date' -- Richard Hobson * Wisden * 'This book is fantastic. It is insightful and detailed, I thoroughly enjoyed the holistic structure, weighted heavily towards tactics and the mental approach, still with accurate and simplified technical input' -- Sam Arthurs, Foundation Pathway Manager, Oxfordshire Cricket 'This book offers a complete guide to batting, explained in a way that is thoroughly engaging and intelligible to all audiences. Whether you're a player looking to advance your own batting, a parent or a coach looking to improve others, you will find everything you need in this book to develop the next great modern day batter' -- Luke Sharples, Talent Pathway Performance Manager, Northamptonshire County Cricket Club 'As technical batting coaching appears to be enjoying a renaissance following the recent fortunes of the England Test side, this book provides an accessible and comprehensive guide. The way technical and tactical aspects of batting are described makes it accessible for players of all abilities, and the drills are practical and applicable. This book is a must for all young players and coaches with a desire to understand and improve their game' -- Mike Sutliff, Dinton CC and former professional cricketer with Leicestershire & Gloucestershire 'In touch and up to date whilst still incorporating the sound principles of batting that have lasted the test of time, this comprehensive guide is of great use to players, coaches and parents alike looking to aid the development of modern batsmanship to meet the demands of the modern game' -- Ben Coddington, Wimbledon CC and Lincolnshire 'A very detailed yet accessible read for players and coaches of all levels. The technical, tactical, mental and physical aspects of batting are all covered and there is a huge drills section for coaches to dip into' -- David Ripley, former Northants Head Coach and London Spirit Assistant Coach 'Very enlightening' -- Adam Hollioake * Surrey & England *