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.

Use Soft Hands when Defending

Use soft hands when defending

Relax your grip on the bat when playing defensive shots, especially to slow bowling. This allows the hand to absorb energy from the impact of the ball on the bat and will lessen the re-bound distance of the ball off the bat, lowering your chance of being caught by a close-in fielder or the bowler.

Be an intelligent batter

An intelligent batter will take the game to the fielding team by scoring confidently and freely against all but the most demanding deliveries from the bowlers, but will give few chances for them to dismiss him.

For example, one of his favourite shots is the lofted straight drive which he plays successfully for three boundaries. Not surprisingly, the fielding team captain puts a fielder back on the long-on boundary. The intelligent batter takes account of this and changes his strategy and starts safely picking up singles off virtually every ball by clipping the ball along the ground to the long-on fielder. The intelligent batter keeps the scoreboard ticking over, reduces risk to a minimum, frustrates the bowler and fielding captain, and possibly produces a match winning innings.

Time to play your shots

Sports scientists have determined that it takes 0.2 seconds to sight, predict the flight of the ball, make a decision on what stroke to play and another 0.3 seconds to play the stroke. This means that for every batter it takes at least 0.5 seconds for the decision and response aspect of playing a stroke. What remains of the time taken for the ball to travel from the bowler’s hand to the batter is available for the perception of the ball and the predicting of the flight. A ball travelling at 100 km/h (a typical speed for a 12-14 year-old pace bowler) takes about 0.75 seconds to reach the batter. This means that the batter must sight and predict the path of the ball in the first quarter of its flight. At that moment a decision must be taken and the stroke started. An experienced batter can do this, the less experienced cannot. He needs to see the ball for a much longer period of time to make an accurate prediction and decision.

One way you can help yourself become more skilled at this process is to pick your bat up early, thereby cutting down the movement time in playing the stroke. Another is to combine the pickup of the bat with a first foot movement back and across toward off stump. This will give you a few extra milliseconds to sight the ball. You can still play a successful front-foot shot from this position if the delivery demands it.

As an aside, it is interesting to note that a bowler delivering the ball at 130 km/h gives the batter 0.5 seconds before the ball has arrived at him. This gives the batter 0.0 seconds to see and predict the flight of the ball before deciding what shot to play. Makes you wonder how batsmen cope facing 150-160 km/h deliveries?

Timing the ball

The ball will rebound more forcefully off the bat if struck with the heaviest part of the bat, which is found in the lower half of the bat face. Although we call this sweet spot the middle, it is actually lower down the bat face than the geometric middle.

Taking guard in front of the crease

If you are finding it difficult to score off a pace bowler, with the wicket-keeper standing back, don’t be afraid to take guard up to a metre in front of the batting crease. This will serve to disrupt the bowler’s rhythm and he will need to adjust his length to avoid bowling full-tosses or half volleys. It will also serve to make it harder for an umpire to give you out LBW as the umpire will have more doubt in his mind as to whether the ball will have continued on to hit the stumps.

Know your limits

Learn your limitations and develop your batting approach accordingly. Every young player will have some weak shots and will need to be wary of playing them and may need to eliminate some entirely. However, your ultimate aim will be to develop these weak shots through practice and correction so that you will be confident to use them in the future. You should aim to work on these weak shots indoors in the winter and in the nets during pre-season practice. You then must decide whether you are confident enough to use them in matches. Your aim should always be to score at the fastest possible rate with the least possible risk.

 

Study the Fielders

Study the fielders

Even if you have not been on strike for a couple of overs, this need not be a dull time for you. You should be closely studying the fielders, observing who has strong or weak throwing arms, who is left or right-handed, who is particularly agile and who is slow or quick to get to the ball. Many extra runs can be gained by taking advantage of any lack of skill or urgency by a fielder and many a run-out can be avoided when non-striking batsmen are observant of such factors as mentioned above.

The state of the wicket

If the wicket is hard and fast, with little sideways movement, play forward when in doubt as this will limit your errors. In other words, go back to the short ball, forward to the full or short of a length ball. If, however, you are facing a real speedster, you may be forced on to the back foot to most of his deliveries.

If the wicket is slow or wet, with the ball not coming on to the bat, reverse the approach and play back when in doubt. Look to use the pull or cut if the bounce is consistent.
If the wicket is consistently keeping low, you must favour the front foot, to reduce the chances of being bowled or caught LBW by a “shooter”. Try to play straight as much as possible.

If the wicket is erratic in pace and bounce, with one ball keeping low and the next rearing alarmingly, all the previous plans are of little use. You will have to trust your instincts. If the bowlers are exploiting the conditions to their advantage, you may be best to take the game to them by hitting over the infield. This may put them off their previous control of line and length and turn things to your advantage. 

Study the bowlers

When facing the real speedster or a medium pacer who is swinging the ball a large amount, it is often advantageous to make your first movement back and across towards off stump to give you a bit of extra time to make your decision. If the ball is short, you continue the back foot movement. If it is full of length, you push forward into what is called the “half-cocked” position. This technique gives you surprisingly more time to see the ball. A disadvantage is that it will reduce your front foot driving opportunities, but it will certainly help you settle down at the start of your innings.

Against all other types of bowlers on good wickets, you are safer on the front foot while you are adjusting to the conditions. If you are facing spinners at the start of your innings, resist the temptation to move out of your crease to the ball. Instead, play yourself in by pushing forward from within the crease, ensuring that you keep your back foot grounded well behind the batting crease. Watch out for the delivery that is full of length, which drifts away. It is easy to overbalance and lift your back foot as you try to drive at the ball.

Hopefully you will have developed attacking shots off both the front and back foot. After getting a start, picking up a number of singles and successfully adjusting to the conditions, it will come to the time when you need to look to play more aggressively.

This is where you have to weigh the risks of each shot against the potential rewards. You should know your capabilities well enough to know which shots you have mastered to a level where they are reasonably low risk and which you have not yet mastered and are too high risk to play unless the state of the game demands them. Often the decision comes down to two choices, higher risk cross-bat boundary shots and deliberately hitting in the air. If you are going to play the cross-bat strokes, the pull and the cuts, you must be sure of the pace and bounce of the pitch. Lessen the risks by not hitting the ball in the air and don’t try and hit these shots too hard. Instead, use the pace that is already on the ball and help it on its way to the boundary. In other words, deflect the ball towards the boundary with a turn of your wrists rather than trying to “thrash” it.
If, because of the state of the game or the way the field is set, you must take the aerial route; make sure you are aware where the boundary fielders are placed. Don’t be “sucked in“ to hitting the ball directly to one of these fielders. If all the fielders in front of the wicket are up, the safest aerial shot is the lofted straight drive. Make sure you go completely through with the shot. Hit it hard, not half-heartedly.

Lastly, try and hit in the air downwind rather than in to the wind. Many a batter has tried to take on a strong breeze only to see the ball “hang” in the air as a fielder manoeuvres under it.

The best Batsmen

The best batsmen

The highest class of batsmen are often not the flashiest stroke makers; they are the ones who make the least mistakes. In other words, they are the best thinkers about their batting. They are well-organised, planning carefully for each innings. They analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition bowlers and are aware of where each fielder is placed. They play within their own limitations, eliminating high-risk strokes from their game. They have an unruffled temperament, never letting the bowler know that they have got them rattled. They hate getting out.

Acclimatising your eyes

While you are waiting for your turn to bat, make sure you sit in the same light as the players are experiencing on the ground. Do not be tempted to sit in the dark confines of the dressing room as you will struggle to pick up the path and bounce of the ball at the start of your innings.

Pass the outgoing batter

Help to keep the game moving by passing the dismissed or retired batter before he/she has left the ground. The time taken for batters to change places is dead time and should be reduced to a minimum. 

Taking guard

When taking guard, say please and thank you to the umpire. You never know……. The guard you take is up to you, but be aware that taking middle does bring your legs into line with the stumps and make you more vulnerable to lbw decisions. Taking guard on middle and leg is a common choice and takes the pads away from the line of the stumps. If you are tall for your age, a leg stump guard may be right for you. 

Starting your innings

Unless the game situation demands you attack from the first ball, you will have some time to play yourself in. This involves learning about the pace and bounce of the pitch, getting your feet moving, studying what the bowler is doing, focusing your eyes on the ball and so forth. Learn to leave deliveries that are not threatening your stumps and play in the “V” with a straight bat to cut down the risk factors. If, for the first few overs, you aim to play with a dead straight bat in front of the wicket, you will almost certainly still be batting and starting to find the ball becoming easier to see and judge.
It is important, however, not to allow yourself to get bogged down as this will give the bowler a psychological advantage over you. Start by looking for singles to get your run tally underway. If your batting partner has been at the wicket for some time, play a supporting role, remembering though that a bad ball is a bad ball whenever it is delivered and it should be despatched to the boundary if it can be done so with a straight bat, even if it is the first ball you have faced in your innings.

Memorize the gaps in the field. As you build your innings assess the wicket, the influence of the weather, the standard and types of bowling, and the standard of fielding.

A Batter is always on duty

A batter is always on duty

Most of the pleasure spectator’s gain from watching cricket is given by the batter, and the big difference between the batter and the rest of the players on the field is that the batter is always on duty. Nothing on the cricket field can give more satisfaction than a perfectly executed cover drive for four with the ball “kissing” the grass on the way to the boundary, or a lofted straight hit for six back over the bowler’s head. The batter sets the tone for the pace of the game and the enjoyment factor for spectators by the way they go about their task. Remember that full-tosses, half-volleys and long-hops are bad balls and should be hit to the boundary every time, no matter what the state of the game. 

Waiting for your turn

No matter what your number in the batting order, be ready for your turn. Have all your gear at hand, be an active watcher by studying the bowlers, fielders and tactics of the opposition. Be close to the captain or coach, so that last-minute instructions can easily be given. However, don’t be too early in getting ready. Two batsmen padded up is enough. If you get nervous, stand up and walk around. Be aware that having some nerves is natural; you need to learn to control them. 

Bats

Using the correct size bat is vital to your development as a young cricketer. A common error for young cricketers is to purchase a bat that is too heavy, which leads to technique and stroke play being negatively affected. The bat will be the right weight for you if you can play all the strokes with you in control, not the bat in control of you. You can try this simple test to check whether the bat is not too heavy for you: hold the bat out in front of you, parallel to the ground, by only your top hand. If you can do this for more than 30 seconds, the bat is not too heavy for you. This simple exercise can also be used as a method of strengthening your top-hand grip – a vital component of successful batting.

Carefully check the grain of the bat. Narrow grains are preferable to wide grains. Try and choose a bat with a minimum of twelve grains visible. If you are able, bounce a ball on the face of the bat. If the sound you hear is a hard sound, the bat will need more “knocking in” before it can be used. If the sound is softer, you will be able to use the bat more quickly, but it may be more likely to get small cracks or surface dents. 

Pads

It does not matter whether the buckles of your pads are on the outside or inside of your leg, as cricketers are divided on this issue. But make sure they are done up and the tabs are as hidden away as much as possible, as it is very annoying to be given out caught behind the wicket off one of them. Inexperienced umpires are often influenced into making “out” decisions based on noise, rather than what they have seen.

Your pads should fit in a way that you can run naturally.

Wearing a thigh pad is essential if you want to be confident in getting in to line with the ball. Taking a nasty, stinging blow to the unprotected thigh can often lead to lack of confidence and backing away to leg against quicker bowlers. 

Batting Gloves

Batting gloves should fit snugly, but allow you to open and close your hands in a normal fashion. Look for leather palms and full impact protection. Consider wearing batting inners to help soak up moisture and make sure you dry your gloves after play if they have become damp.

Mastering Batting

Mastering batting

You will probably agree that batting is the most enjoyable and exciting part of the game, but it is also the most difficult to master – especially as you probably have only one chance in each game. Successful batting involves not only knowing how to correctly play all the shots, but even more important, when to play them. This demands fine judgement of the flight of the ball.

You need to recognize very early the flight and line of the ball, and then where it will pitch and how high it will bounce. Only then can you choose which stroke to play and then go through with the stroke to bring bat and ball together through correct timing. This judgement will only come after years of regular practice.

Below are some general tips about batting:

• Batting is fundamentally about scoring runs. Practise safe scoring shots. Note that there is no such thing as a totally safe scoring shot – it’s all about minimising the risks. The safest attacking shot is the straight drive, as it is only an extension of the forward defensive shot.
• Defensive strokes are for keeping out straight deliveries that will hit the stumps. In effect, if the ball is not threatening the stumps, it should be left alone or scored off. Letting the ball go is a very safe shot. Never defend a wide delivery. Young players seem to think that every ball needs to be played at – it doesn’t!
• A good balanced stance will not guarantee success but it will help. The weight of the body should rest evenly and lightly on the balls of both feet, so that you can move quickly into line with the ball.
• It is difficult to achieve accurate timing when you have an incorrect grip. Make sure you have your bottom hand just touching your top hand, with both hands towards the top of the handle. Do not grip the bat too tightly with your bottom hand as you will find it difficult to play straight bat shots. Your top hand grip should be firm with your bottom hand loose when playing straight bat shots. You bottom hand should tighten only when playing cross-batted strokes.
• A faulty grip can often be traced to playing with too large or too heavy a bat.
• Most young cricketers tend to bowl short down the leg side, so learn to play the pull to help you score freely.
• If you want to consistently time the ball, don’t try and hit it too hard.
• Thoroughly learn the backward defensive stroke. This is the easiest stroke to master and makes it difficult for bowlers to get you out. If you are in difficulty, use this stroke until you have begun to sight the ball.
• In past years the forward defensive stroke was greatly over-emphasised. Players tended to play forward before correctly sighting the ball, which often got them into difficulties by being on the wrong foot. Don’t commit forward too soon! Let the ball hit the bat. Loosen the grip to “kill” the ball.
• If anticipated bounce is low, tend to play forward and play back if bounce is expected to be high.
• Bounce will tend to be higher when the ball is pitched shorter. Therefore look to play back to shorter deliveries and forward to fuller deliveries.
• To be a successful batter your head must be in line with the line of the ball. If your head is in the correct position, your feet will also be in the correct position. However the reverse is not necessarily true, so move your head before your feet.
• If you are having a bad patch with your batting, go back to basics. Have your coaching mentor check out your grip, stance and back lift.

Before the Match

Pre-match meals

You should eat at least two hours before the start of play. Make sure the meal consists mainly of carbohydrates, which are digested more easily than proteins. Wholemeal bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and salads are all good pre-match foods to feed your muscles with. Avoid fried foods, sugary cakes and drinks, desserts and biscuits. 

Fluid intake

When playing a summer game like cricket it is easy to become dehydrated. Drink plenty of water before play begins and at scheduled drinks breaks or lunch and tea intervals as the loss of body fluids can cause fatigue or muscle cramps and significantly decrease your performance. Do this even if you do not feel thirsty as thirst is a poor indicator of the need for fluid replacement. Water, or electrolyte replacement drinks are best. Avoid cordials, soft drinks or fruit juice. 

Be a willing helper

When you arrive at the ground you will want to catch up with the latest gossip with your mates. This is fine and natural, but a lot of valuable time is wasted with this idle “chit chat”. The first thing you should do is to offer to help with any pre-match tasks that need doing. These might include putting out boundary flags, setting up a portable scoreboard, helping to remove covers, helping to put up tents or sun shelters, setting out chairs and scorer’s tables, and so forth. 

Be a self-starter

The second thing to do is to get your pre-match warm-up routine underway before your coach has to remind you. This can take the common form of playing a form of touch football or some other game involving movement and handling a ball. If you have practice nets nearby then make use of these for throw-downs. Whatever forms your warm-up takes, impress your coach and manager with your initiative. 

Check Your Gear

• Have you got all that you need in your gear bag? Your gear bag should contain most of the following:
• Bat – is it clean, has any damage been fixed, is the grip firmly fixed to the handle?
• Practice ball(s) – for use in throw-downs.
• Pads – clean and with no loose stitching.
• Groin Protector (Box).
• Thigh Pad.
• Batting gloves – dry.
• Arm guard.
• Batting helmet with face guard or grill, snugly fitting, light in weight, with chin straps.
• Cricket shoes – clean with all spikes present and firmly screwed in. If you are to play on an artificial surface you will need a pair of rubber-soled cricket shoes. Batsmen will favour shoes with spikes at the front and rubber-treaded heels. Pace bowlers will need shoes with spikes front and back with extra ankle support.
• Cricket Trousers – clean and pressed.
• Cricket shirt – clean and pressed.
• Socks – white.
• Cap – your team or club cap, not that of your dream sports team. If you have been selected for a representative team and have been awarded a cap for that team, wear it only when you are playing for that team. Do not be tempted to display your ego when playing for your school or club team by wearing your representative cap.
• Cricket sweater.
• Water bottle – your own personal bottle.
• Sunscreen.
• Energy snacks. 

Arrive in plenty of time

Your coach will tell you what time to arrive at the ground. Plan to be there fifteen minutes before the specified time. If you are regularly driven to the ground by a caregiver, make sure that they clearly understand what time you are required to be at the ground. It is most frustrating for the team coach and captain if their pre-match plans are upset because team members have not arrived by the specified time. 

Welcome the visitors

Have a welcoming word for members of the visiting team and their supporters. Point out where they should store their gear, and where the scoring bench and toilets are located.

Practice

The Purpose of Practice

You go to practice to learn and improve your skills so they become automatic reflexes (via muscle memory). Muscle memory is the body’s ability to repeat an action over and over without conscious thought about the action. If you have developed early muscle memories that are faulty in a cricket skills sense, your coach will need to assist you in replacing the faulty muscle memory with the correct habit.

Your coach will have planned out the session for the overall benefit of all the team members, but will probably not have a specific plan for you in mind. It is your responsibility to make sure that you get the most benefit from each of your practice sessions.

Practice should have the atmosphere of a match. When you bat in the nets, concentrate hard on improving your batting. Don’t regard it as simply a chance to practise your slog shots against the hard-working bowlers. Treat every bowler as you would in a match, as an opponent trying to take your wicket.

Pay attention

You must want to hear what your coach has to say to you. You must focus on what is being said and being demonstrated, catching every word. Avoid the wandering mind, ignore what is going on around you. Remember that your coach, assuming he did play the game, will have a great wealth of knowledge to help you improve your game.

Be busy

Ensure that you take the opportunity to take part in a high number of repetitions of whatever specific skill you are practising. This could take the form of a specific fielding technique, a particular batting stroke or a certain bowling variation.

Have a personal practice plan

Have your own plan about what you want to achieve at each session. Ask your coach to monitor the particular aspect of your game you are working on. Your coach will be impressed with your motivation. Too many young cricketers attend cricket practice, particularly net practice, as an excuse for social interaction rather than skill improvement. The idle “chit chat” about what you are planning to do on the weekend can wait until a more suitable occasion. If you need to chat to the others, talk cricket!

Informal Practice

Don’t disregard the importance of informal practice. You will only get better by repetition. The more the better. Backyard and schoolyard practice is vital. A concrete wall, a tennis ball and a bat is all you need for an informal solo practice.

In the off-season

Winter training

In general, you should work on the technical aspects of your game during the off-season, and the tactical aspects during the season. Technical is working on such things as how to bowl the ball (your action) and how to play various strokes. Tactical is where to bowl the ball and where to hit the ball.

Be careful, if you are a pace bowler, not to try too hard on hard, unforgiving indoor surfaces. Work on refining your action and developing rhythm rather than emphasising pace and bounce.

In the month before the start of the season, weather permitting, you will be able to practise outdoors, where you can finish off the technical improvements gained during the off-season.

Playing Indoor Cricket

By all means play indoor cricket as:

• it is fun.
• it is fast paced, some calling it the indoor version of twenty20 cricket.
• it is beneficial to your cricket fitness, agility and reflexes.
• it helps improve the speed of your decision-making under pressure.
• all levels can play together and teams can be mixed.
• it will help you transition to the summer game, with skills honed in the indoor version.

Read about the game

There are dozens of coaching books on the market and in your local library. Take some time in the off-season to read one or two of these. You will learn a lot of tips and advice to help you become a better cricketer.

View coaching videos

Many excellent cricket skills DVDs are on the market and viewing them is an excellent way to improve your technique as you watch international players demonstrate particular skills.

Get a junior umpire’s qualification

As you get to the later teenage years you will need to start umpiring your own games. In many competitions it is a requirement that you have a player umpire qualification. Players as young as 12 years of age can gain these badges through attending a series of lectures and passing a straight-forward written exam. Your coach will advise you when these courses are available.

Apart from being a qualified player umpire, you will learn much about the laws of the game that will help to make you a better performer on the playing field.

Set goals for the coming season

Achievement goals provide motivation and can be long term, such as to win the competition or be selected for a rep team, or short term such as winning the next game. These goals need to be realistic and attainable. If you set them too high and do not achieve them, you may lose motivation. Discuss your goals with your coach.

Performance goals are more under your control. An example of this will be to learn to bowl a leg spinner. A performance goal describes the process or actions that lead to achievement goals. Again, discuss these with your coach.

Your goals:

• should be clear and should be written down.
• should be measurable. For example, bowling no more than one ball per over down the leg side.
• should be challenging but achievable.
• should be flexible. You may become more skilled at not bowling balls down the leg side and may want to re-set your goal to just one leg side delivery every three overs.

Develop your own personal improvement plan based on areas you believe need attention. Again, seek advice from your coach on what areas of your game should be in your personal plan.

Fitness for Cricket - Part Three

Team Spirit

A good team spirit will undoubtedly aid the potential for strong personal performance. Humour will lessen tension and anxiety; appropriate discipline will help focus practice routines. Team warm-up games and collective stretching routines help develop a collective team purpose and a sense of enjoyment belonging to the team. These will lead to a general feeling of both individual and team optimism, leading to all involved being in the right frame of mind in which to play the game.

Injuries

A cricketer who is improperly conditioned (unfit) to play cricket is more likely to suffer an injury than one who has followed a regular fitness training program. This is because tiredness or lack of coordination leads to faulty movements and loss of concentration.

If you are unlucky enough to suffer an injury, make sure that you are fully recovered before resuming training or playing. If you have suffered a muscle strain injury, you must be able to play without pain when the affected muscle has been tested to full stretch. This enforced period of rest should not, however, be used as an excuse to do nothing. You should use it as an opportunity to get fit to play. For example, if you have suffered a broken finger or an injured ankle, you can still exercise to maintain a good level of fitness.

This is especially important for young pace bowlers who suffer from sore backs or side strains. If you suffer such an injury, it is important that you get a respected bowling coach to check out the safety of your bowling action. Many a promising young pace bowler had his career ruined by continuing to bowl after such an injury with an unsafe bowling action.

Cricket is a game where there is a risk of injury. In tables of injury rates it is close behind the contact sports of rugby, league, football and hockey. Ball impact injuries have lessened in the last ten years with the almost universal use of batting helmets and thigh guards by today’s young cricketers. With today’s emphasis on health and safety it is important that schools, clubs, players and officials do all that is reasonably possible to lessen the chances of injuries.

Some of these requirements include:

• ensuring a flat outfield.
• ensuring good footing for bowlers in their run-ups and delivery strides.
• ensuring artificial pitches are flush with the surrounding outfield.
• ensuring watering outlets are carefully covered and flush with the outfield.
• ensuring outdoor and indoor nets have no holes and the run-ups and crease areas are flat and not subject to slippage.
• ensuring the playing and practice pitches are flat and clear of debris.
• ensuring that players are wearing suitable socks and footwear with good shock-absorbency.
• ensuring that all batsmen wear good quality, appropriate and suitably sized, protective equipment such as batting helmets, leather batting gloves, thigh pads, groin protector (box), and batting pads.
• ensuring that the team’s wicket-keeper is wearing good quality, close-fitting wicket-keeping gloves and a mouth guard. It is encouraging to see many young wicket-keepers wearing protective helmets when standing up to the stumps
• ensuring pace bowlers wear heavy long-sleeved sweaters after completing a bowling spell in order to keep the back and shoulders warm, especially on a cold day.

In Summary

As a young cricketer you should not be given, or be forced to undertake, too rigorous a training routine while you are undergoing your growth phases. The major emphasis should be on acquiring skills and improving technique. Most of you will have achieved sufficient general fitness from your winter sport program and/or your school physical education program.

If you are a young fast bowler, you must listen to any warning signals your body is giving you and avoid over-bowling. Get the safety of your bowling action checked out three or four times a year as it is easy for unsafe bad habits to creep in without you noticing them. Avoid trying too hard when training indoors on hard surfaces as many a young bowler has developed stress fractures in his teenage years through this practice.

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Fitness for Cricket - Part Two

Are you mentally fit for cricket?

How do you deal with anxiety and lack of confidence? How do you maintain your motivation levels? How do you manage to focus your attention, and then learn to relax?

Being mentally fit for cricket is as important as being physically fit. You must be able to deal with nerves, with the tension of the game situation, while being confident in your own capabilities. You must not fear failure. You must be able to concentrate on the task at hand, yet be able to relax when the pressure is less intense.

Mental preparation training can be practised for any cricketing activity. Before you score your first fifty or your first century, you must believe that you have the skills to achieve these. Before facing the opposition’s demon fast bowler you must have developed a mental plan to enable you to deal with each of his types of deliveries.

You should develop the habit of regularly rehearsing in your mind the processes involved in being successful at the task at hand. As you rehearse these movements in your mind, imagine how your body will feel when performing these skills.

Confidence

Confidence is a personal thing and varies from individual to individual. Nobody is fully confident all the time and the unknown or negative past experiences can always constitute a potential problem to your confidence. This can lead to fear of failure and a wish to avoid responsibility. For example, if you believe you have a problem playing leg spin and you know that your next opponent has two top-quality leg spinners, what should you do? You could try and avoid the problem by asking to bat in a position in the batting order where you are less likely to have to face these bowlers. Or you could regard this as a challenge to be faced head-on, and rehearse for a successful performance. By succeeding in this personal challenge your self-confidence will continue to grow.

Motivation

Cricket is not an easy game to master. In fact there is truth in the belief that no-one ever totally masters the game. Many enthusiastic young cricketers become over-whelmed by a run of disappointing performances and give up the game to go and pursue something less demanding. I hope that you will not be one of these, and that you will be a young cricketer prepared to pursue a search for excellence over a longer period of time.

Some cricketers are motivated by fear of failure, others by the need to achieve and be the best they can be. To maximize your level of motivation, you must develop a plan about what you want to achieve in the game. You should then set about achieving those planned goals, realizing that there will be unexpected set-backs along the way and that you will need to regularly revise your plan in order to overcome them. In this way your motivation levels will continue to grow as you achieve positive rewards in the coming months and years.

Concentration

This is a special mental skill which needs to be developed to a high level if you are to succeed as a young cricketer. If you are facing a demanding fast bowler, you need to be able to focus exclusively on the task at hand and not allow factors outside your control such as comments made by the fielding team or the disagreement you had with your brother at the breakfast table to lessen your concentration on the ball that is about to be bowled.

Concentration is all about having what is called an “uncluttered” mind, where your attention is solely on the brief moment of the task at hand. The mention of the briefness of the task at hand is important as you must learn to “switch off” between deliveries and relax your intense level of concentration until it is next required – when the bowler begins running in for his next delivery. Failing to do so will lead to mental exhaustion and a significant lessening of your ability to focus on the next delivery. This switching off is important for all actively involved in the game, bowlers, fielders and umpires included.

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Fitness for Cricket - Part One

How good is your endurance?

If you are a pace bowler you will need a high level of aerobic and muscular endurance in order to perform to your best. If you are a top-order batter keen to bat for long periods, you too will need to have high levels of endurance.

Are you strong enough?

If you are a pace bowler, do you have the necessary strength in your shoulders and arms to deliver the ball at top speed for four to seven over spells? Do you have the necessary strength in your hands, wrists and arms to swing your bat consistently in the right zones for long periods?

Are you flexible enough?

In cricket, your body will have to move in all directions in all aspects of the game. If your flexibility is poor, you will have difficulty in getting into the correct position to perform the tasks demanded of you. This is especially important if you are the team’s wicket-keeper. Lack of flexibility often results in poor performance and inefficient or faulty technique. It will lessen your speed and power and may contribute to injuries as your muscles will have to work harder to overcome resistance. Poor flexibility will make you tire more easily.

Are you fast enough?

In cricket the necessity for speed is most evident in fast bowlers, in batsmen when running between the wickets, and in out-fielders when chasing the ball that is heading towards the boundary.

How to improve your fitness

1. Go for a long run of at least 30 minutes once or twice a week.
2. Ask your coach to establish a circuit-training routine for you at your school or local gym. A basic circuit will target the development of your arms, shoulders, trunk and legs.
3. Have your coach design a weight training routine for you. Try to perform it at least twice a week. Use light weights and high repetitions to lessen the possibility of injury.
4. Make flexibility training a regular part of your practice and pregame routines. An increase in strength will not be of much benefit without an accompanying increase in mobility. Your coach will design a program for all team members to perform before practice and matches begin.
5. Practise to improve your reaction times. This can be done solo by bouncing a tennis ball off a wall or with devices such as Crazycatch, in groups with the traditional slip-catching cradle and organised training games that focus on speed of reaction.
6. Make sure you are an efficient runner. Cricket is primarily an endurance event interspersed with short bursts of speed. Eliminate sloppy habits from your running style such as head wobble and flapping arms which will reduce your speed and tire you more quickly.
7. Batsmen need to concentrate on developing flexibility and strength in the wrists and forearms. A strong neck is needed to support the weight of the batting helmet and powerful leg muscles are required for carrying the pads while running between the wickets.
8. Bowlers need good wrist flexibility and control. They need a strong and flexible lower back, groin and hamstrings.
9. Fielders need endurance for repeated chases, power for long throws, quick reactions for close catching, and flexibility for the bending and crouching that is required when stopping the ball in the outfield.
10. Wicket-keepers need the agility and speed of a trained gymnast. They need strong neck and shoulder muscles, power in their thigh and calf muscles and plenty of courage. They need to be especially careful to avoid muscle shortening due to constant crouching by regular stretching exercises during the game.
    
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