Session plans: ‘keeping & bowling — hit the gloves

I have a u11 session booked for next week with a wicket keeping theme. The players are all pretty competent, but only one has done much keeping (and he is also a useful bowler), so I want to offer them an introduction to ‘keeping whilst also engaging those players who will never don the gloves in a match.

So I wanted to combine ‘keeping with bowling.

In preparation for next week’s session, I tried out a few ideas with a younger group (u8), which, with the input of coaching colleagues, evolved into the plan outlined below.

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Session plans

Title: ‘keeping & bowling — hit the ‘keeper’s gloves!

Theme

A general introduction to wicket keeping, and the link between the ‘keeper and bowlers.

Format

• Wicket keeping basics — stance, hands, movement; catch the ball.
• “Hit the gloves” — bowling relay game with emphasis on the ‘keeper taking the ball.
• Pavilion/carousel cricket, players to bowl & keep.

Activities

1st activity — wicket keeping basics

• Partner drills (1): in pairs, 3-4m apart, throwing the ball for partner catch on the first bounce; include stump or tall come as reference for ‘keeper & target for thrower.
• Partner drills (2): as above, but with keeper standing with both feet inside a hoop — emphasise “always keep one foot in the hoop — foot nearest the ball steps out of the hoop, other foot stays in”. N.B. taller players (or smaller hoops), stand astride the hoop.
• Partner drills (3): as in (1), above, but partner tries to hit cone placed at half volley length directly in front of ‘keeper. ‘Keeper to stand in low “Z”, but with only hands in front of cone.

2nd activity — Hit the ‘keeper’s gloves!

• Bowling relay (or, ideally pairs) switching after 4x deliveries, with points for a clean take by the ‘keeper.

Notes

I have attended a couple of coach workshops specifically on coaching wicket keepers, but the sessions this month had to work for the “generalist” as well as any budding specialists ‘keepers.

The younger group were meant to be working on “bowling basics”, but as most of them can already bowl, and have done “target” bowling drills and games before, I trialled “hit the ‘keeper’s gloves” with them.

We demonstrated the modern “Z” stance — feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, torso leaning forward from the waist, head over the toes (approximately), hands together & extended forward somewhere between knee- and waist-height — but focused much more on the quality of the catching than the posture.

I must acknowledge a colleague, Michael Payne, for a couple of tweaks to the ‘keeping drills — the half-volley pick-up really challenges the ‘keeper to reach forward to take the ball with both hands hands; the hoop brings more clarity to the foot movement.

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