Golden Runner — a modified bowling game

This week’s ECB Coaches Association “Practice Time” email highlighted a bowling game with a twist — bowlers have to compete against a team of runners, to restrict their scoring by hitting the stumps when they bowl.

I do like bowling “drills” with a bit of added jeopardy — see “knock ‘em down”, for example — but I also like to spend as much time as possible on cricket-like activities. What follows are a couple of variations on the ECB CA game.

As presented on icoachcricket, Golden Runner sees a bowling team performing a relay bowling drill — bowler bowls to hit the stumps then continues on to replace the wicket keeper, keeper throws or carries the ball back for the next bowler and joins the end of the bowling line, and repeat — whilst a second team of runners complete circuits around the pitch.

Golden runner

Runners score a run for each completed circuit, but have to stop running when the bowlers hit the stumps with the runner short of his ground; “stuck” runners are only released when the designated “golden runner” (who carries a ball) exchanges catches with them; if the bowlers hit the stumps with the golden runner short of his ground, teams change over.

Bowlers are challenged to hit the stumps often — to freeze runners in place, and to dismiss the golden runner — but all the runners are doing is running round a circuit, and occasionally taking catches to free a stuck runner.

Option 1

My first thought was to have the runners running twos (out and back), with bats, with proper turns at the end. Any bowling hits with the batter short of his ground mean no runs scored, but the runner still needs to complete the second run to release the next team member. If the golden runner is short of his ground when the stumps are hit, it’s an immediate change over.

Maybe limit each “innings” to 3 times through the running team, or they could do a lot of running!

Bowlers are still challenged to hit the stumps often — to prevent run scoring and to dismiss the golden runner — and the runners are now practicing a cricket skill — running between the wickets and turning for a second run.

Option 2

Instead of runners, have the opposition to the bowlers perform some other fielding skill — this could be an old-school “bowlers vs. catchers” game.

We did exactly this today, as we wanted an activity for the group we were working who struggled to take catches that weren’t hit straight to them — catchers challenged to move towards a high ball and catch it, rather than standing still. A point for every catch taken before the bowlers hit the stumps.

If the bowlers are good, maybe challenge them to achieve multiple hits before a change-over, or bowl at a smaller target (two or even just one stump).

Bowlers are still challenged to hit the stumps often — to force a change-over as quickly as possible — and the other team perform a fielding “drill” under game pressure — “as many as possible” before the bowlers end their turn.

Did it work?

We ran this today with a couple of groups (u6 & u7), and we got good engagement (and gratifyingly competent outcomes) with what were, essentially, two pretty basic drills.

Bowling under simulated game pressure; catching under (time) pressure, to score points.

No prizes on the day, beyond willing engagement with practice; hopefully some improvement, perhaps some fun.

Not bad.