Why play cricket?

Research shows that young people decide to play cricket for a number of reasons, with boys having slightly different motivations than girls.

Boys play cricket:

to have fun.

to do something they are good at.

to learn new skills.

to be physically fit.

to improve their skills.

to compete.

because of the challenge.

to be in a team.

for the excitement.

for the action

Girls play cricket:

to have fun.

for the team spirit.

to be in a team.

for the teamwork.

to be physically fit.

to learn new skills.

to improve their skills.

to get exercise

for the action

for the excitement.

(Caderyn Gaskin, 2000, Occupying the Crease, a report for New Zealand Cricket)

Running between the wickets

This tends to be the worst skill observed in junior cricket and unfortunately amongst the least coached. Up to 30% of all dismissals in junior cricket are through run outs.

Do not run on the pitch. There are no exceptions to this rule. Damaging the pitch by running on it will only advantage the bowlers. This means running in straight lines on a single side of the pitch.

The following general rules apply:

• Do not run any unnecessary distance past the batting crease. There may have been a fielding error which was invisible to you, but not to your partner who may call you for an extra run. That extra distance you have just unnecessarily run may cause your run out.
• Run on a catch. Hope that it will be dropped.
• Run on the other side of the pitch from your partner. The general rule is that the striking batter will run on the off side and the non-striker on the leg side. An exception will be if a left arm bowler is bowling over the wicket to a right hand batter. In this case both batters will run on the off side, but the non-striker will stand and run much further to the off side so that the batsmen can avoid getting in each other’s way.
• If you accidentally get in the way of the bowler or a fielder while running between the wickets, apologise – they have right of way.
• Run the first run as fast as possible. Through this simple technique, ones can often be turned into twos and twos into threes. Make sure you ground your bat just past the batting crease and are prepared to turn for the next run a couple of metres before you reach the batting crease.
• Taking every available run will be most unsettling to the fielding side and can quickly make them rattled. Overthrows, misfields and misdirected bowling often occur when the fielding side becomes anxious to prevent quick runs.
• If in danger of being run-out, start sliding your bat along the ground a couple of metres before the batting crease. This will make it harder for an umpire to be sure of an “out” decision if it is a close thing.
• Another general rule is “one for the throw”. If the ball is way out near the boundary then you should be able to take a run while the ball is in the air on the way back to the stumps. You will of course have studied the fielder’s throwing arm and will not be taking the extra run if you know he has a “bullet” arm.
• Very often the more softly you hit the ball, the easier it is to take a quick single. Blasting the ball off the middle of the bat straight to cover or mid-wicket often leads to the error of “running with the shot”, with an embarrassing run-out resulting.
• If you drop your bat while running, ignore it and keep running. Get it back after you have completed all available runs.
• Remember – a risky run is not worth anyone’s wicket.

Another good saying to remember is “He who hesitates is lost”. This means if you decide to take a run, run hard without hesitation. The split second you take making up your mind is often the amount of time the fielding team needs to run you out.

Upping the Run Rate

Upping the run rate

There are stages in a game where it may be necessary to “throw caution to the wind” and take more risks than normal. This does not mean that you have to be reckless and throw your wicket away. However you need to score boundaries, so must have a batting plan for this situation:

• Play each delivery on its merits; do not preplan your stroke before the ball has been bowled.
• Remain relaxed, watch the ball right on to your bat.
• Play regular cricket strokes; don’t try and invent a stroke that is not in the coaching manuals.
• Keep your balance and play off a firm base.
• Try to turn the deliveries into half volleys through quick and accurate footwork.
• Maximise your chances of success by playing strokes that you know you have mastered.

Volunteer to open the batting

If you want to learn the art of batting, opening is the best position to be in. You have the following advantages when opening the innings:

• You have less pressure on you to score quickly at the start of your innings.
• You have the longest available time to make a big score.
• Runs are often easier to score because of more attacking fields, a harder ball, and faster bowling, which make it easier to stroke the ball to the boundaries or past the infield.
• You generally get to face the better bowlers, thereby improving your skill levels.

Backing-up

By the time the ball arrives at the facing batter’s end you should be 1-2 metres down the pitch, ready to run. The lesson here is that the shorter the distance you have to run, the less chance you have of being run-out. Be wary, of course, of the straight drive which may risk being deflected by the bowler on to the stumps, and so be ready to quickly scamper back into the crease.

Calling

Every delivery should be called, even if it goes straight through to the wicket-keeper. The general rule is that any ball hit in front of the wicket should be called by the striking batter, while any ball hit behind the wicket should be called by the non-striker. There is one exception to this general rule, which is where the ball is hit towards a short third man fielder. The striker knows how fast the ball is moving and is in a better position to know whether the non-striker will be able to make a quick run.

If you are planning to make a quick single, be aware that a batter who has played a front foot stroke is in a better position to accelerate forward than a batter who is deep back in his crease after playing a back foot stroke.

The following general rules apply when calling:

• Do not hesitate. If in doubt go back.
• The first call should be one of “yes”, “no”, or “wait”. Subsequent calls could involve “come one”, “one”, “look for two”, “come two”, “come three”, “one for the throw”.
• If you are the non-striker, watch your partner in the first instance rather than the ball and if he calls for a run obey the call unless it is clearly too risky.
• Do not “ball watch” when you are running away from the ball, as this slows your running speed. Rely on your partner to communicate to you what is happening behind you. Especially useful here is “your end” to alert him of a throw heading towards the end he is running towards. You can also call out advice such as “look for two”.
• If you have a batting partner whom you regularly bat with, you may be able to develop non-verbal signals involving eye contact and small head movements. This will be unsettling to the fielding side and will often catch them unawares.

As you become more experienced you will find that you will start to know how many runs a shot is worth immediately it leaves your bat.