Tutor Notes

Batting – Group Coaching

Coaching sequence:

• Introduce Stroke and describe the type of ball it is to be played to

• Demonstrate shot – without ball

• Organise groups and inform all individuals of their duties

• Demonstrate shot in one of the marked out practice areas – with ball

• Supervise the setting up of other groups

• Practice to commence after stages 1-5 have been completed

• Stop activity, bring group together, provide feedback and reinforce coaching points.
Demonstrate shot with ball

• Groups to return to practice areas and continue to practice

• Repeat process of bringing in groups and providing feedback as time permits

• Conclude session with drill or game

Coaches Comments:
Fielding – Group Coaching

Coaching sequence:

• Name skill and describe situation it will be used

• Organise group into pairs

• Demonstrate skill and introduce initial coaching points

• Group Practice

• Coach to provide feedback

• Stop activity, bring group together, provide feedback and reinforce coaching points. Provide
demonstration

• Repeat group practice and introduction of coaching points

• Conclude session with competition

Coaches Comments:
Playing and Coaching Component – Batting
Grip

• Stand batters ‘side-on’ to the bowler, with the bat resting

against their front thigh (the base of the bat should rest just
behind the toes of the foot furthest from the bowler)

• The hand closest to the bowler is then raised towards the

bowler and then swung back to grip the upper section of the
bat handle

• The other hand is then swung back towards the stumps and brought back to grip the handle
below the ‘top hand’. Hands should be close together

Stance

• Demonstrate Stance

• Feet approximately the length of the batters feet apart and

positioned either side of the popping crease

• Knees slightly flexed to allow quick movement

• Head and eyes level

Coaches Comments:
Backswing

• Shoulders, arms and bat pivoting backwards

• Bat taken back straight above the stumps with hands

staying close to the back hip

• Group practice in pairs

Backswing and Step

• Demonstrate Backswing and Step

• Co-ordination of backswing and step

• Comfortable stride. Head moves smoothly and remains steady and

level

• Front Foot - Weight transferred to front leg, body posture forward

• Back Foot – Taken back and across to off-stump

Coaches Comments:
Front Foot Defensive
A defensive stroke, played to a ball which would hit the stumps

• Head and front foot move towards line of ball

• Eyes remain fixed on ball and head remains steady and level

• Body weight transferred into bent front knee

• Bat brought down vertically next to front leg

• Contact made ‘underneath the eyes’

• Grip on bottom ham relaxed to block ball

• Group Practice – Blocking the Ball (Teach Cricket Page 37-

38)

Coaches Comments:
Back Foot Defensive
A defensive shot, played to a ball of good length or slightly shorter, that would hit the stumps or pass
over the top of them.

• Head, shoulder and back foot move towards line of ball

• Head remains steady and level

• Back foot stabilizes, parallel to the crease

• Head to remain in-front of back leg

• Bat brought down in a straight line

• Point of contact made ‘underneath the eyes

• Grip of bottom hand is relaxed with full face of the bat presented

Coaches Comments:
Front-Foot Drive
An attacking stroke played to a full length delivery

• Head and front foot move towards line of ball

• Eyes remain fixed on ball and head remains steady and level

• Body weight transferred into bent front knee

• Bat swung through vertically to strike the ball

• Bat accelerates through point of contact and stays

‘on line’ with ball as long as possible

• Group practice – Leaning Forward to Strike the Ball

(Teach Cricket Page 39-40)

Coaches Comments:
The Pull Shot
Cross batted attacking shot played to a short delivery which is passing over or outside the leg stump

• Head, shoulders and back foot move back

and across as backswing commences

• Eyes remain fixed on ball and head

remains steady and level

• Front foot moves back and to leg side.

Head remains forward

• Shoulders rotate, accelerating bat across body toward point of contact in front of the body

• Eyes remain fixed on ball and bat continues on a full

natural flow

• Group practice – Stepping Back to Strike the Ball (Teach

Cricket Page 41-42)

Coaches Comments:
 Running Between the Wickets
Good running between the wickets depends on:

• Good calling: ‘Yes’, ‘No’, or ‘Wait’

• Striker calls when ball in-front of wicket

• Non-striker calls when ball behind the wicket

• Carry bat in both hands

• Run in straight line – shortest route

• ‘Ground the Bat’. Bat to be touched or ‘slid’ beyond the popping crease as a run is scored

• Non-striker to move down the pitch as ball is released and keep bat in hand nearest the
bowler

Coaches Comments:
Basic Grip and Bowling from the Coil

Seam vertical, side of thumb on seam Foot Position

underneath the ball At right angles to intended line of delivery

Non-Bowling Arm Bowling Hand

Raised, with hands and eyes looking outside it Close to chin

Ready Position Bowling arm pushed forward and down

Front leg raised slightly Non bowling arm pulls down through target area
Full swing of arm and shoulders

Coaches Comments:
The Bound

Take Off and Landing Foot High Jump

Group face the front and raise bowling arm Group run towards the line and ‘bound’ over the line,
Stamp opposite foot to bowling arm. ‘taking off’ on the correct foot and land on the other.
Foot that is stamped is ‘take off’ foot Arms thrown in air. Repeat

High Jump and Turn Bound and Bowl

Group turn through 90° in mid air to land in a As High Jump and Turn but group to complete a bowling
‘side on’ position. Landing foot to land parallel to action, initially without ball.
the jump line. Right-arm bowlers turn to right; Progress to bowling at a target
left-arm bowlers to left

Coaches Comments:
Catching Close to the Wicket

• Stance – Feet to be shoulder width apart. Knees flexed

• Hands together. Finger pointing down

• Head up, eyes level

• Watch ball into hands

• ‘Give’ with the ball as you receive it

Coaches Comments:
Catching in the Deep

• Assess flight of ball and move quickly to position

underneath the ball

• Prepare hands which should be at or above eye level

• Spread fingers, hands relaxed

• Catch to be taken at or just below eye level

• Hands close round the ball an ‘give’ to chest

Coaches Comments:
One-Handed Intercept and Underarm Throw

• Assess line of ball early. Move onto a line slightly to the non-
throwing side of the ball

• Pick up ball outside of throwing foot, fingers pointing down

• Watch ball into hand

• Maintain low body position. Commence downswing

• Low body position. Throwing hand, arm and body to

follow through in direction of target

Coaches Comments:
Introduction to Overarm Throw

• Stage 1 – Wrist Flick

• In pairs, position
individuals in a cross-legged, seating position, facing their partner (no more than 3 metres
apart
• Throwing hand to be supported by the non-throwing hand
• Ball to be bounced towards partner using a ‘flick’ of the wrist and fingers

• Stage 2 – Elbow Flick

• From seated position (5

metres apart), the throwing arm to be supported just above the elbow by the non-throwing
hand
• Ball to be bounced towards partner using the ‘flick’ of the elbow, wrist and fingers

• Stage 3 – Upper Body Rotation

• Knelling on back
(throwing) knee, ball to be thrown towards the partner (10 metres away)
• Elbow to remain at or above shoulder level at crease
• On completion of follow-through the throwing shoulder should point towards the target

Coaches Comments:
Overarm Throwing

• Hold ball across seam. Thumb placed underneath

• Look at target. Back foot to be positioned 90° to

intended direction of throw

• Front arm aligned with target

• Hips to rotate. Elbow to remain at or above shoulder

level at release

• Ball to be released with bent front leg

• Upper body to complete half turn

• Eyes to remain on target

• Non-throwing arm drives through and follows through across the

body

• Back leg drives through and around

Coaches Comments:
The Long Barrier

• Assess line of ball and move quickly into line

• Move body into low position, ready to receive the ball

• Long barrier established at 90° to path of ball

• Kneel on non-throwing knee with throwing foot at 90° to

path of ball

• Ball picked up below eyes. Fingers pointed down, hands

together

• Drive body up and establish throwing position

Coaches Comments:
Wicket Keeping

• The Stance – Crouched slightly to the offside of batter

• No part of wk or equipment to be in front of the stumps

• Weight on balls of the feet, hands relaxed

• Taking the Ball – Head/Body behind the ball

• Body rises with bounce of the ball

• Watch ball into hands. Fingers point down (standard take)

• If ball bounces high, head and body twist so that ball is taken
one side of the body

• Off Side and Leg Side Take – Feet and body move across to
allow head to move into line of ball

• Hands kept low

• Rise with bounce of ball and hands ‘give’

Coaches Comments:
Fielding Positions

ICC Europe Fielding Restrictions

• No young player in the Under 15 age group or younger shall be allowed to field closer than 8
yards (7.3 metres) from the middle stump, except behind the wicket on the off side, until the
batsman has played at the ball.
• For players in the Under 13 age group and below the distance is 11 yards (10 metres)
• These minimum distances apply even if the player is wearing a helmet
• Should a young player in these age groups come within the restricted distance the umpire must
stop the game immediately and instruct the fielder to move back
• Any young player in the Under 16 to Under 18 age groups, who has not reached the age of 18,
must wear a helmet and, for boys, an abdominal protector (box) when fielding within 6 yards
(5.5 metres) of the bat, except behind the wicket on the off side. Wicket-keepers
• Any wicket-keeper under the age of 18 (on the day of the match) must wear a helmet when
standing up to the stumps
• This applies for all speeds of bowling
Non-compliance with this Directive will result in the umpires immediately stopping the game and
instructing the wicket-keeper to put on a helmet, or stand back from the stumps

Coaches Comments:
Non-Stop Cricket

• 2 teams made up of equal numbers. Each team to have one innings

• Organise as shown in diagram
• Incoming batsmen to remain seated until previous batsmen is ‘out’
• Ball to be bowled underhand
• Ball can be delivered wheter batsmen is ready or not
• Batter can be given ‘out’, bowled, caught or hit wicket
• 1 run will be awarded when batsmen runs around the marker
• The batsmen must run every time he hits the ball
• A ball which bounces more than once before reaching the wicket shall be called a dead ball
• The batter cannot be dismissed from a dead ball
• The team with the most runs wins

Equipment:
• 1 set of stumps
• 1 bat
• 1 tennis ball
• 2 marker cones

Coaches Comments:
Pairs Cricket

• Game played in pairs

• Ball to be delivered overarm or underarm depending on ability of players
• Six balls delivered per bowler
• Ball to be bowled from one end
• Runs to be scored when batters cross and make their ground from popping crease to popping
crease
• Batters can be given out bowled, caught, hit wicket and run out
• Each pair start with 10 runs but lose 5 runs for each dismissal
• The pair with most runs wins

Equipment:
• 1 set of stumps
• 2 bats
• 1 ball
• 2 set of stumps

Coaches Comments:
The Lord’s Game

• 2 teams made up of equal numbers

• Ball to be bowled underhand
• Each member of team given 5 attempts to strike ball between cones
• Fielders positioned between cones and must remain behind line until ball is struck
• Fielder to gather ball and return to wicket keeper
• 1 run to be scored if ball passes between cones. 1 run to be scored if ball is travelling between
cones when intercepted
• 3 runs scored if ball passes between cones and batter runs from line A to B before wicket keeper
catches the ball and breaks the wicket
• 4 runs scored if ball hits boundary wall
• Batters can be given out caught or run out
• The team with most runs wins

Equipment:
• 2 sets of stumps
• 1 bat
• 1 ball
• 2 marker cones

Coaches Comments: