The amount of people that have asked me to bowl one ball at them so that they can see what it would be like to face is unbelievable – and now it can happen in Stockport. This technology allows people to see what the pros are up against whilst having an amazing time. I can’t wait
to see how I get on!

It was tricky, first up was a full swinging delivery which hit me halfway up my shin, so 1-0 to the simulator! Despite the pitch being slightly shorter, the bowling machine was accurate, Josh Hazlewood bowled a nice full swinging ball that got the Yorker, then knocked the wickets and Nathan Lyon to Sangakkara was a big turning ball, his first test wicket so they were similar. I’m not sure how I'd go facing Warney for 6 hours, but I reckon a lot of kids around the country would get stuck in for many hours around the grounds. I use these bowling simulators back in Brisbane, it’s not like having a normal bowling machine that’s set in the same position, these simulators can swing the ball in and out, leg spin, off-spin, whatever you may need to get ready for your next match. So, in terms of my preparation, it’s crucial.

Just played on the BatFast Cricket Simulator at St Lawrence College. First of all, it was loads of fun, to hit Chris Jordan for four through the covers is always pleasing... The kids loved to bat against the simulator but, what also shone for me was the versatility of it, you can groove yourself, use it as for specific training when getting close to the season and you can recreate match situations where it’s you against the bowler. Thumbs up, well done, a good bit of kit.

BatFast is a great way to engage cricket enthusiasts. It is the perfect entertainment offering for the amateur and a great training tool for the more experienced cricketer too. We are exploring ways to make better use of simulators for professional players and are excited by the direction the BatFast team are taking. Technology needs to be embraced and we’re thrilled about the prospects of this partnership.

It was as close to reality as possible really, I faced one from Mitchell, so yeah I got out a few times. It comes out fast and swung a fair bit too- so very challenging. Obviously, I’m a left-handed batter so I selected left-handed bowlers. I played Nathan Lyon’s ball to Kumar Sangakkara, it was tough, there were some good deliveries in there. I also faced Mitch Johnson against Alastair Cook, it certainly swung and recreated what happened in the game so yeah, it was realistic and good fun. I then faced Ryan Harris against Alastair Cook, so I had three tough decisions, I only hit one. Its good fun and good to have around the grounds during the Australian summer of cricket and to give people a chance to face a few of the great cricket deliveries.