The Teesra

Category: wicket-keeping

  • 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.

    (more…)

  • Good session…so what was going on?

    I had a couple of 1-to-1 sessions yesterday.  Nothing unusual in that – I do four or five regular 1-to-1s almost every week – but I came away last night feeling that these particular sessions had gone especially well.

    Good engagement, high energy, good questions (all of the above two-way); positive outcomes, clear summary of “learning points” (not too many) and players left with a challenge – “now, go out and try it!”

    The players left hopefully having learnt a little, tried something new, and with a clear idea of something they could try in their next game.  They both told me they had enjoyed the hour; as importantly (more importantly – they might have been very polite), I think I saw a few “light bulb moments”, when they understood what I was trying to tell them and realised that it could work for them.

    So what was going on?  And, more to the point, what might have been missing from other sessions that were “OK”, but not perhaps as good as last night’s? (more…)

  • Wicket keeping insight from @paulnico199 in MCC Academy Masterclass

    Yesterday I enjoyed a really challenging (and unexpectedly energetic) coaching masterclass with Paul Nixon (@paulnico199).

    The word that came up most often (after the phrase  “just catch it first”) was “timing”.  And not so much in taking the ball, but when to rise from the crouch.

    (more…)