I know you don't like to think about it - nobody does - but there will be times where your innings has collapsed and you are at the crease. If you have the right approach, you can see this as your moment to shine.

Picture the scene in your mind: The let's say the score is 140-7 in 40 overs.

There are 10 to go and you are batting first. You know a winning score on this ground is close to 230. Numbers nine, 10 and 11 are all tail-enders who can hang about but are not going to score a match winning innings.

You have two options.

Option #1: Use up the overs

Tradition dictates that you bat all the way through to 50 overs.

There is no doubt that playing defensively, keeping the weaker batsman off strike and somehow getting through to the last ball has an influence on game results. According to ODI data - a reasonable place to extrapolate into non-professional cricket - you win one in five games that you bat first and are bowled out.

So, dig in and don't get bowled out.

How do you do this?

First, put the collapse out of your mind.

If you use the phrase "don't get bowled out" you go into your shell. You imagine the pitch and bowling must be unplayable and you dot up. This mentality is very common yet is known to be self-destructive.

Instead, think tactically about what you can do.

This will depend on the conditions and the opposition bowling, but as an experienced player you will be able to quickly spot where you can create some runs and where you need to play with caution. There is always a weaker fielder who can give a run away. You have rotation options. There are "team runs" that can be pre-planned.

A handy mantra to tell yourself here is to just bat.

It's not quite having a net, because in nets you get to play all your big shots and never worry about the nuances of strike rotation. However, you are playing each ball based on how you know you can play. Even number 11 can do that.

Option #2: Go for broke

A newer theory has emerged that gives you another option.

Hit out.

And, it turns out that this theory also has merit. Using a bit of statistical jiggery pokery we learn:

"The approach of maximising the length of the innings can be expected to yield a total in the range of 180-184; although there is, say, a 20% possibility that they will be bowled out, despite their best efforts, for 160-164.

"The long-handle method could take them to a healthier 210-214, accepting that about half the time they would swing and miss and fold for 150-154."

It's a bigger risk, but it has a better reward. Statistically speaking, it's slightly better. So how do you go for it?

First, it's important to remember you don't have to swing at every ball. 10 overs is still 60 balls and you can score 50 runs just with strike rotation if you get it right. The classic error is to try and rotate, face three dots and then swing from the laces in desperation. The long handle approach is not licence to do such a thing.

I recommend targeting the first ball of an over to play a big shot.

If it comes off, you can try rotation for the rest of the over and even if it goes wrong you have got four or six. Or, you can keep swinging and try and make it a huge over. Remember to keep your cool because the bowler might lose his head after a couple of boundaries and give you something easy to hit with no premeditation.

So, pick your target area and go for it.

Mindset is all important here. Imagine yourself as a calculating player, simply picking the best option of hitting a boundary. That way you resist the urge to go fully bonkers and swing hard with no plan at all. Even when you are going for broke, you need a method.

And if you need some technical tips on big hitting, click here.

Which option is better?

That is up to you to decide. You may be better at hitting boundaries than strike rotation. The pitch may favour the bowlers or the par score could be lower or higher than the examples given. Be flexible but practice both options so you can go either way based on the day.