How to Play the Backfoot Defense

With the explosion of short-format cricket over the past 20 years, some players will claim that there is no longer a place for the backfoot defence, and with Test cricket’s average runs-per-over increasing from 2.43 in the period 1940 - 1969, to 3.20+ from the turn of the century, it is clear that the game has changed a great deal!

But cricket remains a game which is not just about boundary hitting. Indeed, many top coaches and elite players still believe that any strong batting approach should be based upon a rock solid defensive technique.

This was echoed by Oval Invincibles’ opener Will Jacks in the 2024 Men’s Hundred Final when he hit 37 runs from 22 balls, including a six off Jofra Archer’s first ball, but afterwards spoke of “building an innings, respecting a good ball, even in the Hundred format.”

The backfoot defence is a shot that can be played by both quick and slow bowlers. It is typically used when the batter is not looking to score any runs.

When electing to play this shot, the batter is either deciding to or has been forced into playing at the ball as opposed to leaving it.

Instead of defending, the batter could choose to play an attacking shot like a pull, but the backfoot defence is a far less risky option!

The shot could also be used early in an innings when a batter is looking to get used to the pace of the pitch or even from the final ball of an over when the batter is looking to give the strike back to their batting partner.

As with any defensive shot, it mitigates the risk and lessens the chances of being dismissed but no shot is foolproof and a good ball can always beat the bat or take the edge.

The Back Foot Defense Technique

When playing the backfoot defence, the batter will make a decision that the ball is too short to come forward to and instead move their back foot, shifting bodyweight, towards their stumps (without knocking them over).

The batter will next bring their front foot back towards their back foot whilst maintaining a side-on stance, see below image.

Next the batter will make a decision to play the ball based on the line.

Depending on how short the ball is, the batter will lift their front elbow (the shorter the delivery the higher the elbow!), aiming to defend the ball out of the middle of the bat with a downward motion and pushing the ball towards the ground.

The head of the batter should remain in line with the ball and be facing forward into the shot.

Coaches often talk about playing this shot with ‘soft hands’. This means letting the ball come onto the bat and not gripping the bat too strongly. This allows for the ball to potentially take the edge but not carry through for a catch to the keeper or slips. Playing with soft hands in defence can also see the ball drop down to the feet of the batter who can quickly scamper through to the non-striker’s end and complete a run.

Some batters will choose to hold the pose for a couple of seconds after playing the shot to let the opposition bowler and fielders know that they have a solid defence!

Conclusion

The back foot defense is the perfect shot to have in your repertoire when building innings, if the ball isn't there to play an attacking shot too, this works nicely and enables you to move to the next ball which is the most important thing about batting, you need to be batting to score runs, you can't score runs from the clubhouse.

So, get into the nets and start practicing following these guidelines with some throwdowns and perfect the back foot defense.

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How to Play the Backfoot Defense

The Back Foot Defense Technique

Conclusion

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