The Teesra

Category: cricket

  • Shortcut to success – are young cricketers playing on pitches that are too long?

    Very interesting short article in the current issue of the ECB Coaches Association’s annual Coaching Insight*, from Martyn Kiel, on an experiment with shortened pitches for young players.

    With U11s (club) and U10s (County age group), playing on pitches just 16 yards long, the study reported:

    • increased numbers of back foot shots to short pitched deliveries (and more deliveries reaching the wicket keeper on the full);
    • more running between the wickets (more running, more run-out opportunities);
    • fewer shots fielded at mid-wicket (so more players involved in the field);
    • and an overall increase in playable deliveries in club matches.

    The findings are certainly in line with those being reported by Cricket Australia (CA) after a season-long trial Down Under – more play, better skills, generally better involvement.

    It will be very interesting to hear how CA take this forward, and whether the Shortcut to Success will be adopted elsewhere.

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  • #AllStarsCricket – good for the future of the game

    To Lord’s on Sunday, for an ECB presentation on their new programme for 5-8 year olds – All Stars Cricket.

    The promise is ambitious.

    All Stars Cricket is a nationwide programme developed by the ECB and our Elite Coach Development team that aims to inspire 5 to 8 year olds to take up cricket and join your club!

    All Stars Cricket enables children to acquire the skills to play the game and connects them to England cricket heroes. We will provide your club with everything you need to deliver an unique experience for kids and their parents.

    Active and direct support from ECB to recruit players and volunteers, and the added incentive that “the programme will be unbureacratic and will not require the level of training of coaches as clubs are normally used to” combine to make All Stars Cricket very attractive to Clubs struggling to attract young players into the game.

    The pitch was strong on “player experience” and engagement (both good things, essential, in fact).  Less clear (at this, very early, stage) on progression and retention of players.

    But at first sight, All Stars Cricket definitely looks like a winner!

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  • I don’t coach women or girls, men or boys…I coach cricketers.

    I have been lucky enough to coach a lot of players over the last 12 months.

    Groups of children, from 3 years old and up; a University Club – up to 30 young men (and a few young women); several individuals, both adult Club players and aspiring County age-group “performance squad” members, girls and boys.

    But I honestly could not claim to be a specialist in coaching children, or “young people & adults”.

    So – I don’t coach women or girls; men or boys; adults or children.

    I coach cricketers, and people who want to play the game.

    Anyone, in fact, who wants to get just a little better at playing the game.

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