The Square Drive in Cricket — Playing Through the Off Side

The square drive is a front-foot attacking shot played to a ball that is full and outside off stump. Rather than driving straight (through mid-off or mid-on) or through cover, the square drive sends the ball squarely past point or cover-point. It requires confident footwork to get to the pitch of the ball and a full follow-through.

Technique

To play the square drive: step forward and across to get close to the line of the ball, make contact with the ball slightly ahead of the body, and drive through with a high elbow and full follow-through. The bat face is angled toward point or backward point at contact. The difference from a cover drive is the angle — a cover drive goes through cover, a square drive goes squarer (more toward point).

When Is the Square Drive Used?

• Against balls full and wide of off stump — the most classic square drive opportunity
• When point or backward point fielders are back (not saving the single), creating space
• Against medium pace bowling that is missing leg stump and going too wide
• On flat pitches where the batsman can afford to play positively outside off

Risk — Edge to Slip

The square drive's primary risk is an outside edge to the cordon of slip fielders or the wicketkeeper. A delivery that swings or seams late after the batsman has committed to driving may take the outside edge. This is why the square drive is generally safer on flat pitches with little movement, and riskier in English or New Zealand conditions where swing is prevalent.