Cricket - Taking a Guard

[DM9297]

I'm aware this is probably a very basic question but Google has not given me an answer...apologies for misuse of any cricketing terms!

When a batsmen comes on to bat, he stands a couple of feet from the stumps. Yet he needs a man much further away from those stumps to tell him whereabouts those stumps are. This seems ridiculous - can anyone explain?

[TonyToniTone]

When you are in your stance looking down the wicket you cannot tell where your guard stump is.

http://www.pitchvision.com/how-to-take-guard#/

[DM9297]

But surely you can look at your guard stump, draw a mark on the crease in line with it, then get into your batting stance...?!

[Pothole]

DM9297 said:

But surely you can look at your guard stump, draw a mark on the crease in line with it, then get into your batting stance...?!

Of course you can. All professional cricketers are now and always have been utter dullards who just follow the fashion. Or maybe not.

[Cheib]

DM9297 said:

But surely you can look at your guard stump, draw a mark on the crease in line with it, then get into your batting stance...?!

Not quite that easy...certainly with the pros they quite often take guard outside the crease....start asking questions of the bowlers length etc. Its very hard to judge where "middle" or "two" is when you are that bit further away. Bit like a golder lining up a putt.