Many players have an overall minimum standard to which they do their utmost not to fall below. As a batsman, it may be 50 runs per innings, as a bowler it may be not to go for more than 2 runs per over during their spell. This is good. However to help yourselves achieve such a position most people need to practice.

Practice is where we get an opportunity to raise our minimum standard. In our case that is at net sessions.

For example, as a batsman it might be that when you play forward on the off stump, you keep edging the ball or miss it all together. You should use nets to raise your minimum standard in this case, so that when you play forward on the off stump in future, you know you can hit the ball in the middle of the bat. You know this because you will have practiced it you will have done it before, you know what it feels like and it is automatic. It will be the norm, your standard will now be to hit the ball in the middle of the bat, not nick it or miss it.

As a bowler, if for example, every time you try and move the ball away from the right-hander, you drop short, you need to practice such that you know the feeling of getting it right, so that it now becomes an automatic thing. It will be your norm, your new minimum standard.

What is your minimum fielding standard? To take 1 in 3 catches, to stop 1 in 3 balls hit in your direction, to return the ball within 6 feet of the stumps ? I suspect that for most of us, it is to catch everything, stop and field everything and return the ball over the stumps every time. So to achieve this minimum standard, practise catching the high ball, the firmly hit one and the one that goes close the ground. Practice stopping and picking up the ball. Make being able to do all these things the norm.

When you practice, practice hard and take the opportunity on offer to perfect the things you find easiest and to overcome those you find difficult.

Use practice sessions to raise your minimum standard.