Learning Cricket Skills in Match Like Situations

 One of the best ways to learn cricket skills is by simulating the game so that players can actually see the situation they will see in a match. Of course, there are many ways to hone individual bowling, bowling and pitching skills, but the next step for the coach is to create hands-on exercises that bring them all together.

These drills can be very entertaining for players, and their range is only limited by the coach's imagination. So here's a small selection that always suits my cricket club well, although they are equally good in the garden or on the beach. In the diagrams, the fielders are designated F, the batsman as B, the wicket keeper as Wk, and the coach as C.

The team catches and runs out the game

This is good for developing cricket skills in catching, throwing and running between wickets. On signal, the keeper of the wicket throws the ball to the first skater and the batsman goes two passes between positions B1 and B2.

The ball must be thrown and caught by all four field players and returned to the keeper of the wicket. The batsman must complete two runs to avoid running out. Arrows show the path of the ball.

Options include using rolling and ground fields instead of throwing and catching, ensuring uninterrupted play until the batsman fails, and turning the entire routine into a game between fielders and batsmen. The length of the field requires some fine tuning, so there will always be a tight race between the ball and the batsman.

Circular cricket

It develops cricket skills by batting and on the field. Batsmen must use the correct technique and shots, as well as learn the correct tactics to score more points - for example, to score in the intervals and play only the balls that are necessary. They will look at the ball as they turn and slide the bat along the line.

The outfield players should limit the number of rounds scored by anticipating where the ball will hit and try to run out by quickly returning the ball to the outfield players or taking direct shots. They also need to support throws. Fielders can surround the batsman but must stay away from the 5 meter circle. Batsmen retire after 5 points have been scored.

Options include increasing the number of runs, increasing / decreasing the number of field players, or the size of the circle or running area. Again, the best sizes are those that compete between the ball and the bat.

Couples cricket

Pair cricket is a great way to develop all your cricket skills. The batsmen work in pairs and have a set starting score of maybe 100. They hit a certain number of overs - maybe four, and each run they hit adds to the starting score. If they lose the wicket, 5 runs are deducted and the batsmen switch ends. After their four overs, the batsmen leave and the next pair takes over.

This can be converted into a full blown match between two sides of 8 players, one beats and one bowling. Each batter pair has 4 overs each, each skater must serve at least one over and a maximum of 4 in a 16 over match. The width and absence of balls count as two bouncers, but no extra balls are served.

Horse tail game

This is a really fun way to develop your close range fishing skills. One end of the fielder's arc is called the horse's head and the other is the horse's tail. The coach hits various catches to random outfield players who return the ball to the wicket goalkeeper.

Each catch taken propels the successful fielder one place in an arc towards the horse's head, and each brilliant catch propels him / her two places. But every catch that falls shifts the guilty fielder to the horse's tail.

The goal is not to be behind the horse's tail when the coach decides the game is over - this can be a set number of strokes or a set time. It's a recipe for competition, chaos and fun, and sharpening the fielder's reflexes.

The rules of all these games are subject to change depending on the situation. But this is just the beginning, as there are many more games out there that are great for developing cricket skills and are also interesting in their own right.