The way a batsmen grips the bat often varies slightly from player to player which is some times reflected in their batting style. For simplicities sake the easiest way to hold a bat correctly is to lie your bat face down on the ground and pick it up with both hands as though it were a small axe and you shouldn't go to far wrong.

However, there is a definite recognised and 'correct' bat grip which is taught by the English Cricket Board (ECB).

After picking up the bat ensure you have your fingers and thumb wrapped around the centre of the handle with your hands close together.

The shape should form a 'V', in line between the splice and the edge.

This means that when you are holding the bat a 'V', as such is formed between where the inside of the thumb and fore finger hold the bat with each hand. The two 'V's on each hand should line up almost centrally between the splice/handle and the leading edge.

This is quite hard to explain without out a diagram, but if you have a cricket bat nearby you should be able to try this out.

Often some players rest their fore-finger down the side of the bat/handle and not closed around the grip; this is not recommended as it can lead to injuries (possibly even a broken finger) as you progress to higher levels, with faster delivers and higher impacts.

Your top hand should rest nicely against the inside front thigh. You should have a relaxed stance, with feet parallel and around a foot length apart. Make sure you have you weight evenly distributed across both feet and keep your knees flexed. The stance is a side-on position in relation to the bowler and should always be relaxed.

Your head position is very important and you should ensure you keep your eyes level, as having a slightly tilted head actually has been proven to reduce reaction time as it is harder for the brain to process the incoming information. Keep you eyes level over your toes.

Ensuring you have a correct cricket batting grip and stance is essential to your success as a cricket batsman as all successful shots start with an effective grip, stance, backswing and step.