What does this mean? Quite simply, the "V" is the area described by the angle between mid off and mid on as seen by the batter. When a batter first comes to the crease, and especially when the ball is likely to be moving around, as it may well be in April or with the new ball, the old adage of "playing in the 'v'" is as good as any advice I can give.
Essentially it requires that shots are played with a straight bat, the full face of the bat shown to the bowler, meaning less chance of getting an edge. Aim to hit the ball between mid on and mid off and leave the wide ones unless you're absolutely certain you can play them safely. Go chasing a wide ball for a cover drive and an edge is more likely than a four as it swings away towards the slips. A flick through mid wicket can find a leading edge spooning up to the bowler as the ball straightens from leg stump.
Once you've got yourself in, found the pace of the pitch and the bowlers, then you can be more expansive. But that first 20 minutes or so at the crease is vital. It can be a long old day if you chip up a simple catch in the first over then have to field after tea as the evening gets colder and darker knowing it's a week before you get another opportunity to score some runs.
