Welcome to Sandy Cricket Club

Junior section coaching sessions every Saturday morning:

Venue: Sandy Upper School Sports Hall

Time:   9am-11am
           
Every Saturday morning.

All new players welcome. If you have never played cricket before, please feel free to come down for a couple of sessions, and see how quickly you can learn the basics of the game. You'll pick it up quickly and start to improve immediately with the help of our qualified coaches.

The Club presently runs sides at Under 10, Under 12 & Under 14 age groups. Please contact us (see homepage for details) if you are interested in playing for any of these age groups.

We would also like to create a pathway for Junior Members to advance towards full Senior Cricket. Running a Development Team (only 4 of the 11 players can be over the age of 18) would help create this pathway. If you are 14 years or over, and would be interested in playing Development Cricket, please contact the club (see contact details on homepage).

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The Spirit of Cricket involves RESPECT for:

• The Game's Traditional Values
  
• Your own Captain and Team
  
• The Role of the Umpires
  
• Your Opponents
  

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BATTING

The Three Phases of Batting:

• Pre-Delivery Phase: Focus on the bowler's hand holding the ball.
  
• Decision Making Phase: Watch the ball from the bowler's hand, to help judge length early and move accordingly.
  
• Shot Execution: To hit the middle of the bat every ball, the full face needs to be presented.
  
• Always watch the ball right from when it leaves the bowler's hand until it makes contact with your bat.

GRIP

• Lay the bat face down on the ground in front of you.
• Now pick it up as though it is an axe, and you are going to chop down a tree.
• This is the same principle for both right and left-handed batsmen.
• Try and keep your hands fairly close together.
• Your thumb and index finger should form a V-shape.
• Your top hand should then rest gently against your inside front thigh.

STANCE

• Relaxed & side-on position, with feet about shoulder width apart.
• Feet either side of the popping crease.
• Weight evenly distributed, knees slightly flexed (bent).
• Eyes & head level.
• Stance is position you take whilst the bowlers runs up to bowl.
• This position (stance) should be the same for every delivery.

BACKSWING & STEP

• Keep head and eyes level.
• Bat swings back and up (arms and bat form figure "9").
• As backswing starts, move either forwards or backwards.
• Keep a firm grip of the bat handle and move head smoothly towards the line of the ball.

FRONT FOOT DEFENSIVE AND FRONT FOOT DRIVE

• Head and eyes level.
• Bat swings back as front foot steps forward (comfortable stride) towards ball.
• Front knee bends as weight transfers to front foot.
• Bat swings down to meet ball beneath the eyes.
• Bat is angled towards the ground, slightly in front of the front leg, but close to the pad.
• Back heel is slightly raised & bottom hand relaxed. THE BAT SHOULD NOT FOLLOW THROUGH, BUT REMAIN CLOSE THE FRONT PAD.

FRONT FOOT DRIVE

• As above, but the bat accelerates forward as contact is made with the ball.
• The bat should accelerate through a straight path, with the face of the bat pointing towards the sky.

BACK FOOT DEFENSIVE AND BACK FOOT DRIVE

• Played to a ball that is bouncing to thigh level or higher.
• Head and eyes level.
• Push back with front foot to transfer weight on to back foot.
• Back foot moves back and across towards line of the ball, bat swings back and arms form figure "9".
• Weight should remain slightly forward as front foot draws back towards back foot (remain side-on to the bowler).
• Bat swings down to meet ball and decelerates to contact with full face of the bat under your eyes.
• Bat should be angled towards the ground, and hands should be relaxed to help take the pace off the ball.
• Keep front elbow high with bat facing back down the wicket.
• If the ball bounces quite high, you may need to get on tip-toes to help play the ball down towards the ground.

BACK FOOT DRIVE

• As above, but the bat accelerates through as contact is made with the ball.
• Keep front elbow high, head over the ball, and weight slightly forwards to help keep the ball on the ground.
• The top hand on the bat controls the shot, the bottom hand punches through to provide the power.

PULL SHOT

• Cross batted, attacking back foot shot, played to a short pitched delivery.
• Head and eyes level.
• Push back with front foot to transfer weight on to back foot.
• Back foot moves back and across towards line of the ball, bat swings back and arms form figure "9".
• Front foot pulls back to establish a solid base, head remains forward.
• Your body should now be more front-on, facing towards the bowler.
• The bat swings down and across to make contact with the ball in front of your body.
• The bat accelerates downwards from "high to low", hitting the ball towards the ground to help avoid being caught out, with a full follow through.
• Try to roll your wrists at the point of contact and keep you weight slightly forward.

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HELMETS

• The Club will provide helmets for use in coaching sessions and matches.
• All Under 18's MUST wear a helmet whilst batting against a hard ball.
• Parental consent not to wear a helmet is no longer allowed.
• The Club also recommends that all Junior Wicketkeepers wear a helmet, although the rules also allow for a full face mask to be worn as an alternative.
• Should you decide to purchase your own helmet, try to ensure it is easily adjustable and has good ventilation.

ABDOMINAL (ABDO) GUARD

• Also known as a cricket box.
• Must also be worn whilst batting or wicketkeeping against a hard ball.
• Can be supplied by the Club
• For reasons of hygiene, we would recommend that you consider purchasing your own abdo guard (approx £5).
• Do NOT wear boxer shorts when batting, the abdo guard will end up falling down your trouser leg!
• Wear tight fitting pants, or even better, buy a pair of proper cricket pants that include a pouch to keep the abdo guard in place.
• You can even buy a pair that also include thigh pads.

BATTING PADS

• The Club will provide batting pads for coaching sessions and matches.
• Pads must be worn when batting against a hard ball, but are optional against an incrediball.
• If you decide to purchase your own batting pads, please check the sizes carefully, it is very difficult to run in batting pads that are too big!

BATTING GLOVES

• The Club will provide batting gloves for coaching sessions and matches.
• Ensure that you wear the correct gloves, depending on whether you are right or left-handed.
• Right-handed batsmen must use gloves with protection on the right thumb.
• Left-handed batsmen must use gloves with protection on the left thumb.
• If you are unsure, please ask the club coaches.

•  Arm Guards
• Thigh Guards
• Chest Guards
• Wicket-keeping Pads
• Wicket-keeping Gloves
• Wicket-keeping Inner Gloves
• Hat & Sun Lotion when outdoors in the summer months

 

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BOWLING

ACTIONS
There are two bowling actions:

• Side-On: The bowler lands the back foot sideways on, then the front foot points down the wicket towards the target.
• Front-On: The back foot is pointing down the wicket when it lands, and the front foot also points down the wicket towards the target on landing. With this action the bowler will look more "open chested" as they deliver the ball.

It is vital that the shoulders and hips align for either action, and that the actions are not mixed. Only bowl one type of action, to help avoid the possibility of injury.

FUNDAMENTALS OF BOWLING

• Run-up/Approach: Should be smooth, balanced, economical, with head steady and eyes fixed on the target.
• Bound: Is the momentum/link that moves you from the approach in to the delivery stride. Turn your body to get side-on and lean back slightly.
• Front Foot Landing & Coil: Keep the ball close to your chin as you look forwards from behind a high front arm. After landing your back foot, point your front foot down the wicket towards the target.
• Release: At the highest point of the delivery arc, with wrist and fingers aligned and eyes fixed on the target.
• Follow-Through: The bowling arm folds into the body and the hips swing around to finish. The bowler's momentum will take him/her towards the batsman, with the final movement towards the side of the wicket.

THE GRIP
Seam bowler or spin bowler

• Seam Bowling: Seam should be vertical with index and middle fingers either side of the seam. Thumb is then placed on the seam underneath the ball. Wrist must be aligned behind the ball.
• Spin Bowling: Index and middle fingers are placed across the seam, the thumb does not touch the ball (Off spin).
• Spin Bowling: Index and middle fingers are placed across the seam, with the third finger tucked in on the underside of the ball, along the seam (Leg spin)

The index and middle fingers produce the spin (revolutions) on the ball. The off spinner turns the ball from off-side to leg-side when bowling to a right-handed batsman. The left-arm orthodox spinner turns the ball from leg-side to off-side when bowling to a right-handed batsman.

Leg-spin bowlers will spin the ball from leg-side to off-side when bowling towards a right-handed batsman. The leg-spinner imparts revolutions on the ball using the third finger.

It is best to concentrate on one style of bowling (either seam or spin). Practice one style at a time, do not mix styles as the actions for each type of bowling differ.

LINE AND LENGTH

• Line: Ideally along a channel on and around the line of off stump, known as "the corridor of uncertainty", where the batsman will be unsure as to whether to play the ball or leave it. The more often you can bowl down the line of this corridor, the greater chance you have of taking wickets.
• Length: Determines whether the batsman plays a front or back foot shot, there are five areas of length the bowler can aim for:
• Bouncer/Long Hop
• Short of a Length
• Good Length
• Full Length/Half-Volley
• Full Toss

The ideal length is one where a batsman is unsure whether to play forward or back.

Different pitches can also influence length; hard & bouncy pitches may require bowling a shorter length, slow and low pitches may require you to bowl a fuller length.

• Consistent line and length is an essential foundation for a good and varied bowling attack.
• You MUST achieve this good foundation to be able to progress your bowling, so it is vitally important to get this right first.

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SWING AND SEAM

To help swing the ball it is important to "shine" one side of the ball throughout the innings. All bowlers should ensure they are all shining the same side, and that the other side is left dull. But remember, you are not allowed to purposefully dull one side using dirt or scratching the surface, or interfere with the seam.

• Inswinger: The ball is gripped with the the index and middle fingers along the vertical seam. When bowling to a right-handed batsman the shiny side of the ball should be on the left hand side (furthest from the batsman). The seam can then be angled slightly towards the leg side, but still be kept vertical. If bowling to a left-handed batsman the shiny side of the ball is on the right hand side (again, furthest from the batsman).
• Outswinger: The ball is gripped with the index and middle fingers along the vertical seam. When bowling to a right-handed batsman the shiny side should be placed on the right hand side (closest to the batsman). The seam can be angled slightly towards the slips (off side), but still kept vertical. If bowling to a left handed batsman the shiny side of the ball is on the left hand side.

Always ensure that the rough/dull side of the ball is facing in the direction you want to swing it.

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OFFCUTTER

The Offcutter is effectively like bowling a fast off spinner, the ball pitches and moves from off-side towards the leg-side (for a right-handed batsman). Because the fingers are used to generate spin on the delivery, the ball is generally bowled at a slightly slower pace, meaning this delivery is a good way to bowl a slower ball for variation.

• The Grip - With the seam vertical, the index (1st) finger is placed along the seam, and the middle finger is placed approximately 2cm away. The thumb is under the ball, again placed along the seam.
• The Release - The index and middle fingers work down the side of the ball as it is released (generating the spin/rotations), causing the thumb to pass over the top of the ball.
• Line of Delivery - When bowling to a right-handed batsman, the ideal area to pitch the delivery is either on or just outside the line of off stump.

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LEGCUTTER

The Legcutter is effectively like bowling a fast legbreak, the ball pitches and moves from the leg-side towards the off-side (for a right-handed batsman). Once again, it is the fingers that generate the spin on the ball with this delivery.

• The Grip - With the seam vertical, the middle finger is placed along the seam, and the index (1st) finger is placed approximately 2cm away. The thumb is underneath the ball, again placed along the seam.
• The Release - The middle and index fingers work down the side of the ball as it is released (generating the spin/rotations), causing the thumb to pass under the ball.
• Line of Delivery - When bowling to a right-handed batsman, the ideal area to pitch the delivery is either on or just outside the line of off stump.