A third of the way through the season is a time to review.

Batsmen are looking at their performance stats, relating their present numbers to their projected ones within their goal setting frameworks and seeing if the opportunities that are being created for them to score runs is sufficient.

This is the “mover and shaker” time of the year as batting orders change and players are promoted; which means that others are dropped and pre-season goals are adjusted.

For players who have had a “gun” start to the season - like one of our lads at school - it’s sensible that they review and then challenge themselves and see if the performance goalposts can shift again.

Player A has already notched up three centuries for the school (which was his goal for our short season) so he has now added one more century to the goal list and wants that to be a big one!

Player A’s total runs goal has been elevated to in order to give him something else to focus on over the coming weeks before we break up at the end of June.

Player A is a bright boy: He’s a goal setter and he understands that motivational goals for the next few weeks and months are important if he is to keep improving through June, July, August and into September.

Can’t buy a run

Conversely, some players may find themselves in a position where their initial season targets may seem a million miles away.

Rather than accepting defeat and giving up, there is no harm in bringing he bar down a little and setting some more realistic runs and centuries goals for the remainder of the season.

Player B has done exactly that. He has scored a ton but has been getting out between 0–17 in other innings.

When we sat down last week and I heard a lot of “limited belief” statements in our conversation.

• “I should be getting a hundred every week at this level”
• “If I am serious about being a professional player then I have to completely dominate school cricket”
• “How can I get so many ducks? Great players don’t get ducks!”

My first question was;

“Is this level of Cricket appropriate for you and your development?”

Player B: Yes, I think it is.

Me: Well in that case, what % of your innings should be 50+?

Player B: 75%?

Coach: That sounds very high from a statistical perspective. Sachin Tendulkar scored 50+ scores in only 32.1% of his ODI innings. Jaques Kallis has the best ever 50+ percentage ever with 32.8%. What do you think now?

Player B: That I set my expectations unrealistically high?

Coach: OK, what about your comment on the number of ducks you have picked up so far?

Player B: I have two now.

Coach: How many last year?

Player B: one last year.

Coach: Right, so that’s 3 ducks from approximately 45 innings, a Duck% of 6.6%. Younis Khan has a ODI Duck% of 8.6% and Steve Waugh has a Test Duck% of nearly 9%. How good are those guys? Would you be happy having their careers or records when you hang your boots up?

Player B: If course. They are legends.

Coach: Cool, so can you start by aiming for their kind of stats rather than completely unrealistic ones!

Player B: Absolutely, should take some pressure off me too. Shall I adjust my season goal targets too?

Only time will tell if Player B has a more successful time of things over the next few months by having more realistic expectations and more appropriate goals.

It’s important to review your initial season goals at two monthly intervals. There is no harm in shifting your numbers to keep you motivated whether it be to turn a good season into a great one or rescue a shocking start into a decent six months.

And if you have the odd limited belief about what you should be doing statistically then have a look at the stats of the worlds best players before you come up with your own hairbrained ones!