Credit where credit’s due, the yorker is one of the hardest balls to get away as a batsman. When you’ve got a bowler who’s good at bowling yorkers, you’ve got to find a way to score against them. Whether it be scoring a single and getting down the other end, or trying to turn that yorker into a boundary ball.

The way I combat a yorker is to either get right back in my crease and turn the yorker into a half volley so I can get under it, or come down the wicket and turn it into a full toss. Either way, you’ve got to try and put the bowler off his rhythm and I think moving around in your crease is the best way to do that.

The other ways you can look to score off the yorker is to use soft hands and the angle of your bat to run the ball down to third man. Or some guys like to use the lap sweep, not one of my favourite shots but if you practice it and become skilled at it, it can be very effective.

Rather than go into detail writing about how to play a yorker, I’m going to demonstrate using images.

See below for some photo examples of how to combat and score off the yorker. I want you to really take notice of where I am in the crease.

Example 1:

Staying still, using the angle of my bat, running to third man.

Example 2:

Getting out of my crease, turning the ball into a full toss and hitting it through the covers.

Example 3:

Right back in the crease, turning the yorker into a half volley and hitting the ball both sides of the wicket

Example 4:

Moving across my crease and playing a lap sweet down to fine leg.

Have a bit of fun and spend some time practicing these different techniques to score off the yorker because when it comes to those last 5 overs, you’ll likely have to face a few!

Leave a comment below and let me know how you like to combat the yorker.