The Temple of Apollo, where the Oracle of Delphi plied her trade, was renowned for having the maxim know thyself carved into its stone. This, along with Polonius parting words to Laertes in Hamlet, to thine own self be true, is perhaps the best advice that a cricketer can be given. For cricket, in all of its infinite variety, relies on judgement more than any other skill, and if theres one judgement that is absolutely vital, it is that of the self.Geoffrey Boycott, for all his faults, knows a thing or two about the game. One of his mantras is make your opponent do something they dont want to do. He says this because its true.If youre bowling to Alastair Cook, you dont pitch the ball short and wide, or on his hips, you pitch it outside off... and when hes struggling, when his footwork isnt just so, or hes overbalancing, hell invariably have a nibble. When hes in form, however, his judgement is impeccable. Ignoring practically everything that isnt in his arc, he simply waits for the bad ball and puts it away, and his leave is a thing of frustrating beauty. Hes not the most elegant, attractive or technically proficient member of the England set-up, but one look at the numbers show just how effective a cricketer he is. This is because he knows his own game.In April 1997, an article appeared in the music press arguing that accurate self-assessment was vital for a musician to perform at their best, and described a psychological test that could quantify the gap between a players self-belief and his or her actual ability. It was, as the month of publication suggests, a joke, though like all good jokes it was built around close observation and understanding. Two years later, in 1999, two psychologists at Cornell University came to a similar conclusion, noting that low-ability individuals consistently overestimate their skill levels, while the converse is true of high-ability individuals. They called it the Dunning-Kruger effect. I called it the Position of Attitudes.Weve all seen the results of extreme disparity between actual and perceived ability. The batsman who thinks he can hit every ball for six but is always oh-so-unlucky; the bowler whos convinced hes lightning fast and pitches it short and shorter still, but will get the batsman soon. Neither cricketer wins games.Accurately gauging ones own ability relative to that of the other players on the field (whether they are on your side or not) is a vital part of playing at ones best.As a wicketkeeper who sometimes keeps above himself, its a constant battle to find the right place to stand, especially to spinners. Obviously, one ought to stand up to spin, but some bowlers are just too quick for me. I leak byes and am unlikely to take many nicks. Standing back even a yard or two may take stumpings out of the equation, but the byes dry up and I pouch the nicks. I know my own capabilities, and usually keep within them, but sometimes I give in to pressure and move to where someone else thinks I ought to stand. It rarely goes well. Im pretty confident I know my keeping self.When batting, the same is true. If youre aware of your limitations (and accept them), then you reduce the risk of failure. Its when youre tempted to overreach that things go badly. You decide to go for big shots when youre really a nudger and a nurdler.On tour this summer, I played a vital innings batting at No. 5 (when I was probably the 12th best bat in the team) during which I watched partner after partner try too hard and perish accordingly. I simply waited for the ball to be well within my arc. It worked because I played to my strengths (such as they are) and made the bowlers come to me. Occasionally, I simply tee off. This doesnt go so well.We must allow ourselves to play our own game and not be lured into playing someone elses. No matter what the wicketkeeper says. Yes, we adapt to the situation, and yes, sometimes that means we must take greater risks, but in acknowledging those risks we may still make the best of it. Try to hit the ball too hard, try to bowl it too fast, try too many variations and the percentages plummet. Ask not, as they say, what the ball is going to do to you, but what you can actually do with the ball.The England Test side has left in its wake many who have struggled to succeed because they have tried to change their natural game. And by this I dont mean adapting to the new arena, fine-tuning technique, or working on shot selection.Nick Compton, convinced he needed to impress, tried to change his natural game and was caught hooking. Alex Hales struggled as an opener because he couldnt decide who to be: had he played freely he may still have failed, but thats okay. Yes, James Vince, Gary Ballance and a few others have arguably failed to make their game work at Test level, but they were honest with themselves in the process. Fail on your own terms, not somebody elses.When Ben Duckett and Haseeb Hameed opened together in the warm-up game in Bangladesh, they were in direct competition for the vacant opening berth. Both played their own game, neither trying to impress. The result? They both impressed. This can only be good for English cricket.We should aim to do the same, learn from Duckett and Hameed and be our own role models. Eric Dier Jersey .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. Toby Alderweireld Hotspur Jersey . Calgary scored on the first shift, and Michael Cammalleri scored twice as the Flames cruised to a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. http://www.footballhotspurstore.com/Women-Fernando-Llorente-Tottenham-Hotspur-Jersey/ . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. Serge Aurier Jersey . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. Harry Winks Hotspur Jersey . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Kevin Hervey hit four 3-pointers and had 16 points, Nathan Hawkins added 15 points and UT Arlington snapped a three-game skid Monday night with an 88-67 win over NAIA member St. Francis (IL).Jorge Bilbao contributed 11 points, while Faith Pope and Kaelon Wilson had 10 apiece for UT Arlington (2-3), which hit 53 percent of its 60 shots from the field. Pope also hauled in eight rebounds.The Mavericks broke away with a 17-2 run fueled with three of Herveys 3-ppointers to make it 32-15 with seven minutes left in the first half and protected the double digit advantage the rest of the way.ddddddddddddSt. Francis got a tip-in from Landus Anderson 45 seconds into the game to take its only lead, 2-1.Jo Jo Ballestero led the Fighting Saints with 15 points, Jorden Thornton added 12 and Anderson finished with 10. ' ' '