Cricket Batting Shots Explained: From the Cover Drive to the Scoop
Cricket batting shots fall into a few simple families: drives along the ground or in the air with a straight bat, cuts and pulls with a horizontal bat, deflections like the glance and the flick, sweeps against spin, and the modern unorthodox shots such as the scoop, ramp, switch hit and reverse sweep. Every shot is a response to the length and line of the ball, and choosing the right one is half of batting.
This guide works through each family in turn, from the cover drive every coach teaches to the scoop that would have got you dropped from a school team thirty years ago. Along the way we’ll look at the players who made each shot famous and the mistakes that get batters out playing them.
Key facts
- Shots are chosen mainly by length: full balls are driven, short balls are cut or pulled, good-length balls are usually defended or left.
- Straight-bat shots (drives, defence, glances) are generally safer than cross-bat shots (cut, pull, hook, sweep).
- The cover drive is the classic shot of elegance; the pull is the classic shot against pace.
- The switch hit and reverse sweep are both legal under the Laws of Cricket.
- T20 cricket popularised the scoop, ramp and helicopter shot, but all have older roots.
- The leave is a shot too, and in Test cricket it may be the most important one.
How batters choose a shot
Before getting into individual cricket batting shots, it helps to know what drives the choice. A batter has a fraction of a second to judge two things: where the ball will pitch (length) and where it’s heading in relation to the stumps (line). Length decides whether they go forward or back. Line decides which side of the field they hit it.
A full ball, pitching close to the batter, invites a step forward and a drive. A short ball, bouncing well before the batter, means going back and either cutting it on the off side or pulling it on the leg side. The awkward area in between, a good length, is where bowlers want to land the ball because no attacking shot is obviously right.
Straight bat or cross bat
Coaches split shots into two groups. A straight-bat shot keeps the bat vertical through the line of the ball, so even a mistimed hit is likely to go down into the ground. A cross-bat shot swings the bat horizontally. It can produce huge power, but if the ball moves or bounces more than expected, it’s easier to miss or top-edge. That’s why cross-bat shots against the moving new ball are risky in Test cricket.
Defensive shots and the leave
Every innings is built on defence. It isn’t glamorous, but it’s what lets the attacking shots happen.
The forward defence
The batter steps towards the pitch of the ball with the front foot, gets the head over it and presents a straight bat angled down, with soft hands so the ball drops at their feet. It’s the stock response to a good-length ball on the stumps. Rahul Dravid, nicknamed “The Wall”, was a master, and our Laxman and Dravid Kolkata 2001 highlights show how patient defence can turn a Test around.
The back-foot defence
Against a ball short of a length, the batter moves back and across, rising onto the toes if the ball is bouncing, and plays it down under the eyes with a straight bat. Getting right behind the line is the key.
The leave
Lifting the bat out of the way and letting the ball pass is a skill in its own right. Judging which balls will miss off stump, especially when the ball is swinging, is one of the hardest parts of Test batting. Plenty of top-order careers have been undone by an inability to leave the ball outside off.
Drives
Drives are the shots most fans picture when they think of batting. They’re played to full balls, usually off the front foot, with a straight bat and a full swing.
The cover drive
The batter steps towards a full ball outside off stump, leans into it with the head over the ball and drives it through the cover region, between point and mid-off. Done well, it looks effortless. Done badly, against a ball that’s moving away, it produces an edge to the slips.
The shot is so closely linked to Virat Kohli and Babar Azam that comparing their cover drives has become a sport in itself. Our Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli comparison goes into their records. Earlier generations would point to David Gower, Mark Waugh or Brian Lara.
The straight drive and on drive
The straight drive goes back past the bowler, often between the stumps at the non-striker’s end and mid-off or mid-on. Sachin Tendulkar’s straight drive, with the bat finishing high and the ball racing back down the ground, is one of the purest images in the game. The on drive goes through mid-on, between the bowler and midwicket. It’s considered one of the hardest shots to play well, because the batter has to get the front foot to the line without falling over.
The square drive and the lofted drive
The square drive is played to a wider, fuller ball and goes through point. The lofted drive is any drive hit deliberately over the infield, often for six. In white-ball cricket, batters often clear the front leg (moving it out of the way towards the leg side) to give themselves room to swing through the line.
The inside-out drive
Here the batter moves towards the leg side and hits a ball on or around the stumps over or through extra cover. It’s a staple of limited-overs batting, especially against spinners.
Cuts, pulls and hooks
These are the main back-foot attacking shots, played to short balls with a horizontal bat.
The square cut
When a short ball is wide of off stump, the batter goes back and across and slaps it through point with a horizontal bat. The width is essential. Cutting a ball too close to the body is a classic way to chop on to the stumps. Aravinda de Silva and Gordon Greenidge were renowned cutters.
The late cut
A delicate variation, where the batter waits and guides the ball down past the slips, almost behind square, using the bowler’s pace. It’s a shot of timing more than power.
The upper cut
Against a short, wide, rising ball, the batter lifts it over the slips or third man. It’s risky, but in limited-overs cricket it’s a good way to use the bowler’s pace. The most famous example is Sachin Tendulkar’s six over third man off Shoaib Akhtar in the 2003 World Cup match against Pakistan at Centurion.
The pull
The pull is played to a short ball at around waist or chest height. The batter goes back, turns the body and swings the bat horizontally to send the ball through midwicket or square leg. Ricky Ponting’s pull shot, often played off the front foot to balls other players would duck, was one of the great sights of the 2000s.
The hook
The hook is the pull’s more dangerous cousin, played to a ball at or above shoulder height. The batter swivels and helps it round towards fine leg. It can bring sixes, but top edges fly towards deep fielders and many batters drop the shot from their game entirely against genuine pace. Viv Richards hooked fast bowlers as if it were nothing at all.
Glances, flicks and nudges
Not every run needs a full swing. Some of the most productive shots in cricket are small deflections.
The leg glance
The batter turns the face of the bat at the last moment to deflect a ball on the pads down towards fine leg. It’s played with a straight bat and soft hands, and when bowlers stray onto the pads, it’s free runs.
The flick
A wristier shot played to a full ball on middle or leg, whipping it through midwicket or square leg. Subcontinental batters in particular have made it an art form, often flicking balls from outside off stump through the leg side. VVS Laxman’s wristwork is the textbook example.
Nudges, dabs and steers
Working the ball into gaps for singles, by running it down to third man or dropping it into the off side, is what keeps the scoreboard moving. One-day specialists such as MS Dhoni and Michael Bevan built careers on this kind of rotation as much as on big hitting.
Sweeps and shots against spin
Spin bowling demands its own set of shots, because the ball is slower, bounces less predictably and turns.
The sweep
The batter goes down on one knee, gets the front leg close to the pitch of the ball and swings the bat horizontally to send it behind square on the leg side. It’s an excellent way to disrupt a spinner’s length, but if the ball goes straight on, the pad is in front of the stumps and lbw becomes a real danger.
The paddle sweep and slog sweep
The paddle sweep is a gentle deflection, often fine. The slog sweep is the opposite: a full-blooded swing over deep midwicket for six. Glenn Maxwell’s double hundred against Afghanistan at the 2023 World Cup, played largely on one leg because of cramp, featured plenty of both. Our Maxwell 201 highlights are worth watching just for the shot selection.
The reverse sweep
The batter changes their hands or swings the bat the other way to sweep the ball towards the off side, behind point. It was once thought reckless. England’s captain Mike Gatting was famously caught off a reverse sweep in the 1987 World Cup final against Australia, and the shot was blamed for years. Now it’s a mainstream option, especially against spinners attacking the stumps.
Using the feet
Against spin, good batters dance down the pitch to turn a good-length ball into a full one and drive it, or go deep in the crease to play it late off the back foot. That footwork turns a spinner’s best ball into a hittable one, but if the batter misses, the keeper is waiting to stump them.
The modern unorthodox shots
Twenty20 cricket didn’t invent unorthodox batting, but it gave it a home. These are the shots that changed what batters think is possible.
The scoop and the ramp
The scoop is played by getting low and helping a full ball over the keeper’s head, or over fine leg. Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan made it his signature at the 2009 World Twenty20, where it became known as the “Dilscoop”. The ramp is a similar idea, usually played off a shorter ball, using the bat as a slope to send it over the slips or keeper.
The switch hit
The batter changes from right-handed to left-handed (or the reverse) as the bowler runs in, then hits the ball as if they were the other way round. Kevin Pietersen hit two switch-hit sixes off Scott Styris in an ODI against New Zealand at Chester-le-Street in 2008, and the MCC ruled soon after that the shot was legal. The bowler gets no warning, which is exactly the point.
The helicopter shot
MS Dhoni made the helicopter shot famous: a whip with the bottom hand to dig out a yorker and send it over the leg side, with the bat whirling round in a full circle on the follow-through. It needs enormous wrist strength and is mainly a death-overs weapon.
The 360-degree game
AB de Villiers was the player who made all of these look normal. He could reverse sweep pace bowlers, scoop yorkers and flick balls from outside off over fine leg. Suryakumar Yadav carried the idea forward in T20 cricket. The result is that captains now have to protect every part of the boundary.
Batting shots at a glance
| Shot | Ball it’s played to | Bat | Where it goes | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward defence | Good length on the stumps | Straight | At the batter’s feet | Edge to the slips |
| Cover drive | Full, outside off stump | Straight | Through extra cover | Edge to the slips |
| Straight drive | Full, on the stumps | Straight | Past the bowler | Caught and bowled |
| Square cut | Short and wide | Horizontal | Through point | Chopping on, edge |
| Pull | Short, waist to chest height | Horizontal | Midwicket, square leg | Top edge |
| Hook | Short, shoulder height or above | Horizontal | Fine leg, square leg | Top edge to a deep fielder |
| Leg glance | On the pads | Straight | Fine leg | Caught down the leg side |
| Sweep | Spin, good length | Horizontal | Behind square on the leg side | Lbw, top edge |
| Reverse sweep | Spin, good length | Horizontal, reversed | Behind point | Lbw, top edge |
| Scoop or ramp | Full or short pace | Angled | Over the keeper or fine leg | Hit on the body, miss and bowled |
Common mistakes and myths
“Attacking shots are what make a great batter”
Shot range helps, but most great Test batters are defined by what they don’t play. Shot selection, knowing when not to drive or pull, is usually what separates a long innings from a cameo.
“Playing away from the body”
Reaching for the ball without moving the feet is the most common technical fault in amateur and professional cricket. It opens a gap between bat and pad, and it brings the edge into play. Coaches drill “head over the ball” for exactly this reason.
“The switch hit is unfair to bowlers”
Bowlers argue it should be, but under the Laws it’s legal. The MCC’s view is that the batter takes a big risk, and that’s balance enough. The trickier question for umpires is how to judge wides and lbw when the batter has changed stance, and playing conditions in some competitions address this.
“Cross-bat shots are always bad”
They’re riskier against the moving new ball, but the cut and pull are among the most productive shots in the game. The problem isn’t the shot, it’s playing it to the wrong ball.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important batting shot in cricket?
Most coaches would say the forward defence, because it protects your wicket against good balls. For scoring runs, the drive and the pull are probably the most productive shots across all formats.
What is the difference between a pull and a hook?
Both are played to short balls with a horizontal bat towards the leg side. A pull is played to a ball at around waist or chest height. A hook is played to a ball at shoulder height or above, which makes it riskier.
Is the switch hit legal?
Yes. The MCC confirmed in 2008, after Kevin Pietersen’s switch hits against New Zealand, that the shot is legal under the Laws of Cricket.
Who invented the scoop shot?
Various players experimented with similar shots before, but Tillakaratne Dilshan made it famous at the 2009 World Twenty20, which is why it’s often called the Dilscoop.
What is a helicopter shot?
It’s a powerful leg-side shot to a full ball or yorker, played with a flick of the bottom hand so the bat swings round in a full circle afterwards. MS Dhoni made it famous.
Why do batters leave the ball?
To avoid edging balls that wouldn’t hit the stumps. In Test cricket, leaving well tires bowlers and lets batters wait for scoring opportunities.
Want to see some of these shots under pressure? Carlos Brathwaite’s four straight sixes in the 2016 final are on our West Indies vs England highlights page, and our cricket hub has the latest fixtures and results.
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