Cricket Tips Page

Tuitorial 13. Preparing For Finals Cricket - Many cricketers (and cricket teams) would look back at past “finals attempts” and admit the reason behind certain aspects of failure was being overawed by playing in the big games. This is a situation where we can almost place too much emphasis on these all important end of season games and get away from our usual routines and they way we go about our business. Most of the time these routines have been the key ingredient to a player or team’s success though out the main part of the season. I personally believe it is important not to change your usual routines just because you are playing in the Semi's or Finals. I had the honour of witnessing the St George DCC winning the last two Sydney First Grade Premierships. Throughout the finals period they trained exactly how they had trained all season. What impressed me most was how relaxed they remained during training and the 3 game finals period. Why change what had been a winning formula. Certainly if you feel you are a little out of form, perhaps a few extra hits may help you get back on track. Common Sense at the end of the day may just be your best preparation. If you are playing in the finals – good luck and good cricket from all of us here at Kingsgrove Sports. .



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Tuitorial 13. Why Is Understanding the Importance Of Muscle Memory Crucial For All Cricketers - A while back the term Muscle Memory was mentioned in regards to rehearsing. Let's now explore the meaning of Muscle Memory and how it can help improve the way we go about our cricket. When we need to make particular movements in order to play a shot we are using a whole host of body parts and muscles. When we practise these shots, those muscles become familiar with those movements over time. In other words they become easier to make you the cricketer will improve at playing those shots. Virtually everything we do requires us to rely on our muscle memory including simple things like walking or eating. When we are born we didn't know how to walk or eat but over a period of trial and error we teach ourselves how to do it better. The same applies to our cricket. When a cricket coach teaches us a new technique, at first we may find it hard to do. An example might be a spinner learning a Wrong 'Un, a batsman learning to play an on drive without falling over to the offside or a pace bowler learning a new slower ball. If we spend a few weeks drilling out and rehearsing these new techniques, the different movements required will begin to feel more natural to you and therefore you will begin to show signs of improvement. After an extensive amount of practise you then improve your ability to perform these movements without a great deal of thought. In other words they start to become more and more like a natural instinct. The key though is to ensure you a actually practising the correct techniques when doing muscles memory training and drill work and advise from a certified and experienced coach are the perfect ingredients to take your cricket to the next level. For more easy to understand examples of the term Muscle Memory check out some of our previous tip below.

Tutorial 12. More Examples of Muscle Memory - Another way of describing this term is simply - Training through repetition. If we are trying to correct a flaw in the way we do something then the key is to repeatedly practise the proper and correct method until the new technique overrides the old (and bad / incoorect habit. There are things that can work against your Muscle Memory. These being fatigue, attitude and nerves. Nerves will apply if we feel under pressure thus causing adrenaline to flow and muscles to clench and tighten. This can affect and later the way we need our muscles to work properly for us. People with higher levels of confidence and in some instances, experience are generally tend to be less affected in pressure situations. Aside from Sportspeople Muscles memory is crucial for people such as Musicians, Dancers, Builders, Artists and defence personnel. Even things we take for granted such as typing and swimming required high levels of Muscle Memory during the stages of its development.

Tutorial 11. More examples of Mental Rehearsal (following on from Tutorial 10) - Mitchell has been bowling well but has never taken more than two wickets. He wants to see if he can do so in the next game. His coach told him he bowls pretty fast but not very straight. So after a few overs when he starts to get tired he begins to bowl slower and wider. This is when he generally stops taking wickets. So in bed before the game Mitchell pictures himself taking his time in between deliveries and bowling a much straighter line with a very good length. He sees himself beat the batsman and knock over his off stump. This may just help Mitch be organised to achieve his goal of taking three or more wickets in an innings. Little Ricky is a good batsman and doesn't really like bowling much but wants to help his team in the field. His coach told him that because he's one of the best fielders in the team, he'll be fielding in the covers where there is a chance that he'll get more catches and run out chances. So little Ricky pictures himself walking in with the bowler and really being switched on and focussed on the batsman and in particular the ball. He imagines different scenarios and visualises himself making the kind of movements he needs to make in order to take good catches and sharp run outs. He might see himself diving to save a ball quickly bouncing up on his feet and throwing the ball back hard and flat over the stumps to the wicket keeper who helps to run out the best opposition batsman. A situation like this in a real game can help your team win a game. It's not only catches that help win matches !!! Remember though - KEEP IT REAL !!!

Tutorial 10. Mental Rehearsal - Last week we discussed the importance of rehearsing in a physical sense. Another important secret of the cricketing trade is Mental Rehearsing. Many quality cricketers can attest to the importance of Mental rehearsal the night before a game in order to improve their chances of personal and team success. Let me provide you with some examples of mental rehearsal. Little Michael knows that in order for his team to chase down a big score he has to occupy the crease for a long while and get a good score. So when Michael is in bed the night before the game is starts to think about what he needs to do for tomorrows game. He starts to visualise himself playing safely and getting his eye in whilst he is new at the crease. As he sees himself settle he pictures himself playing some safe attacking shots when he gets some loose deliveries. This way Michael is mentally rehearsing his game plan that him and his coach have discussed at training the day before so now you could say there is a better chance that it will happen.

Tutorial 9. Rehearsing for Success - Every actor will tell you that they could not perform properly without rehearsing their lines and moves. So why should it be any different for cricketers with their techniques. Any high level cricketer will testify how important it is to rehearse and do drill work in order to improve your general techniques. This should happen at practise or at home in your own time or even during a game. In fact next time you watch your favorite batsman on TV keep a close eye on what he does in between balls or especially at the non strikers end. More often than not you'll see him rehearsing various shots in order to ensure he's playing them correctly. By doing this he is getting his brain to remind his muscles how they need to work together to get things right. The more he does this, the more he will build up his "muscle memory". Drill work and rehearsing at every opportunity is the ideal way to practise perfectly !
Next week we'll discuss Mental Rehearsal.

Tutorial 8. Watch out for the ball after - This is a theory I used to warn batsman of the impending danger after playing a great shot or hitting a four or six. If we were to be honest with each other how many times do you think you have been dismissed after hitting a great shot? I know personally this happened to me many times and I see it happening in high level cricket all the time. Some cricketers have the tendency to get caught up in the moment and might then not be as switched on as they need to be for the next delivery .... GONE ! Sometimes the adrenaline goes a little berserk after a big shot and we fail to enter back into the ZONE for the next ball. Sometimes we get carried away and try to outdo the feats of the previous shot. Players looking to compile big scores need to be aware of these situations and have a little plan to avoid a possible careless dismissal. As is the case quite often AWARENESS is the key. I know of many high level cricketers who make sure they do not face up to the next ball until they ensure they have hit the "REFRESH button" and are ready and focussed to treat the next ball as if it could be the best ball of the day.

Tutorial 7. Anticipation - Let the following clip demonstrate how important it could be to anticipate / read the play / maintain concentration and stay focussed not just in the field but in all aspects of your cricket. Enjoy !



Tutorial 6. Hydration = Better Performance - As the sun continues to scorch the cricketeting fields of Australia in 2009 it is important to consider how to best manage these conditions. A minimal decrease in the bodies fluid level can affect your health and energy levels out on the playing field. In order to combat the chances of heat stress you should try to follow some of the following intructions :
Drink plenty of water the days before leading into game day and increase your salt intake with food. Obviously do not go overboard.
- On Game day enjoy a few galsees of water upon waking and a few more prior to play.
- During the game particularly on hotter days take any opportunity to ingest extra fluids such as water and sports drinks. - Using cooling aids such as compressions garments, fans, ice vests, cool ties and seek rest and shade during breaks in play.
The colour of your Urine will give you an idea of how you are fairing :
Clear urine means good hydration
Dark yellow urine means dehydration and you should try and get some more fluid into your system
- After the game consdier checking your weight as a guide - 1kg weight loss equals up to 1L fluid loss. You'll need to replenish these fluids after play and into the night (water or sports drink best)
- Cool shower or Ice bath which also helps ease post game soreness as well and avoid too much caffeine intake.
The following intructions may be the difference between a good score or a great score as well as keeping you generally healthier during and after a game. Stay safe from your friends at Kingsgrove Cricket Academy

Tutorial 5. Increase your catching ability - The best way to improve your catching skills is to practise. Practising your catching allows you to improve all the aspects that will help you hold onto more catches for the season and potentially make you the difference between a win or a loss - remember catches win matches !!!

Most importantly set yourself a goal at every training session. In grade cricket I set our players the target of taking 100 catches every session. They must mix up the types of drills they are doing so that the aren't limiting their fielding skills. Just by achieving 100 catches per session you would have worked on general catching skills and definately improved your reflexes. Make sure you are using the right techniques such as soft hands, not pointing your fingers at the ball and make sure you watch the ball all the way into your hands. Actual hard work is the key here (like most things in life).

Tutorial 4. Timing is the key - What is the benefit of timing the ball as opposed to smashing or slogging the ball. Firstly let's quickly try to understand the meaning of timing. Essentially timing the ball is hitting the ball off the middle of the bat and obtaining maximum rebound off the sweetspot with minimum effort. These type of shots are often referred to as "classical". So what is the main benefit of timing the ball - For me, it is control and this aspect of batting is very important. Control is what allows a batsman to stay at the crease for hours on end building big scores. If you are throwing the bat at the ball more than likely you don't really know exactly where it's going. More often than not you'll hit the ball too early therefore getting under the ball and hitting up in the air. Next time you are facing fast bowling, try using the pace of the ball and time it to the boundary. Having the right techniques, as always, helps dramatically as well.


Tutorial 3. Bending the Knee when playing the Drive - There are many benefits to bending the knee when driving. I often see players losing balance and one of the main reasons is that they were not transferring their weight forward by bending their front knee whilst driving. When we judge a full ball as drivable we all know that we need to step to the pitch of the ball but we also need to support this step by bending our knee into the shot. This helps us to lean forward, get over the ball, bring your head close into the line of the ball, transfer our weight forward and get over the ball. If you can play your drives with a " one step and balance" approach, it sounds like you are on your way to attaining better timing and control with your attacking drives.

Tutorial 2. Fitness - Most of you would have all started your seasons by now and if you are anything like me the most evident factor after your first few games just might be lack of fitness and soreness ! If this is the case you've got some work to do in the next few weeks otherwise you may risk injury or worse, a poor start to the season. Main examples are batsman and bowlers being out of breath too early therefore losing their wickets despite being in good form and bowling down legside etc. Some older players may even be cramping up. What's required here are small sacrafices. You need to do some game related fitness sessions preferably early on in the week. Short sharp stuff. My suggestion is mark out the length of a pitch and combine some sprints with slow jogs ie sprint up the pitch, slow jog back and continue this until you are out of gas. Try and improve the number of laps by a few each session. You'll start to feel immediate improvement and this will reflect in your performances. Don't forget, plenty of stretching too. If you are pulling up sore after a game, stretch down, ice up sore areas, a nice relaxing bath always helps and if you feel like you are injured seek professional advise. I go to http://www.benchmarkphysiotherapy.com.au/ Don't forget, you are what you eat, so try to improve your diet where possible, especially on game day. Learn what foods will provide you with extra fuel.


Tutorial 1. Pre-Season Preparation -Pre-season training is essential as it prepares your body and mind for the first game. It is always best kept simple and basic so you can allow yourself to smoothly get back in the groove. Aside from your regular net sessions you should really focus on some drills that will help you tidy up the required techniques. I've seen the best cricketers in Australia start their pre-season with the simplest of drills. If it is good for them, it should be good for all of us. A bit of fitness these days is essential mainly because you can be assured your opposition have probably worked hard in order to get the upperhand on you. Lastly don't be affraid to seek the advice of qualified and well known coaches. This will give you an idea of what you should be working on for the whole of the season. Better training breeds better cricketers. Good luck and see you soon out on the paddock !

Tutorial 10 (Previous season). In Between Overs - What should a bowler do in between bowling his overs? What we do know for sure is that he has to play an important part as a fielder. Much of the time though it is at fine leg so the work load is not that great. So perhaps it’s a wise idea to think about doing the following -
• Firstly if you are a bit puffed you need to re-hydrate and control your breathing. It helps to have a water bottle on the boundary.
• Most importantly take the opportunity to analyse the batsman and see if you can spot any weaknesses. This might help you with a plan for your next over. Bowlers have brains too ! Remember that you still need to play your part as a fielder.

Tutorial 9. Backlift - Comes a time when we come up against bowlers whom we find too quick. How can we get some kind of advantage ? The answer can be a simple movement before the bowler even releases the ball. Some batsman don’t lift up their bat until they make their first movement after the ball is released. This might be too late. You should first lift your bat towards the top of the off stumps before the bowler shapes to release the ball. This will give you a head start on the bowler and little more time to concentrate on the ball. The reason why we lift towards to the off stump is that this gives us our best chance of playing with a straight bat. Best rehearsing this in front of a mirror so you can see for yourself where your bat is going.

Tutorial 8. Last week we mentioned that Spinners pick up wickets with bad balls Let’s try to understand why this happens. Quite often we receive a loose ball, our eyes light up and as batsman welose control of the situation in our efforts of trying to hit the ball into the middle of next week. In the nets you should practise playing “Safe Aggressive” shots when the spinners bowl you loose deliveries. The main mistake batsman make in this situation is lifting your head or taking your eye off the ball. If you work hard in the nets, this will reflect in a game and your confidence against spin bowling will improve dramatically. Playing safe aggressive cricket against spinners puts more pressure on spin bowlers and in turn you may just get more loose bowling. You just need to be sensible in your approach and planning !

Tutorial 7. A Simple Plan for playing Spin bowling Spinners often pick up extra wickets with bad deliveries (More on this next week) and prey upon batsman that they can feel are not very confident playing spin bowling. The best way to improve your confidence is to have a steady plan and to try and play as much spin bowling as possible. Next time you are in the nets, don’t avoid the spinners. Work out the different spinners you have, the type of spin they get, the amount of flight and bounce they extract. This will prepare you better. Understand that most spinners bowl up to 2 loose balls an over. This means you must survive the good deliveries and the best method is respect. Judge which are the good deliveries and do the best you can to survive which usually means defend. This also means judging the correct length. Should you go back or forward with your feet. Either way you need to ensure that you keep your shot compact and the bat over the ball. Next week we will look at Part two of this tip - “Fighting Fire with Fire”.

Tutorial 6. Make the first few deliveries count Last week we discussed Nerves and batsman not being in the zone when they first face up to bat. Well this week we look at how bowlers can make the most of this situation. Most batsman take a little while to get settled in and if bowlers don’t strike early, batting gets easier and easier. What a bowler must concentrate on is making his first 5 or 6 deliveries to a new batsman count. If the batsman gets to leave the ball he is getting his eye in without the risk of playing a shot. Make sure you remind yourself at the top of your mark to try to bowl at middle and off, it will be your best chance of getting the new batsman out for a duck. Remember not to waste your few deliveries to a new and nervous batsman.

Tutorial 5. Nerves / Butterflies - Most cricketers from all walks of life suffer from butterflies or being nervous before batting. Firstly nerves actually show that a player indeed cares about how they perform so there’s a positive to start with ! However nerves can also leave a player feeling a little low on confidence. One of the most common results of nerves whilst waiting to bat is tiredness / sleepyness and this is why many players get out for low scores before they get settled in. They say this was the main cause of Mark Waugh’s incredible run of ducks, 4 in a row, in Sri Lanka. So what can we do to overcome this problem? For starters the problem is made far worse by a batsman sitting down the whole time that they are waiting to bat. This will only increase your sleepiness. Every now and then get up and go for a little walk or a short run. Perhaps do a few stretches or hit a few balls. This will also get your eye in. A Small catching drill can also help switch you on. Most high level players all have their own procedures in order to ensure they are alert before facing those first crucial deliveries.

Tutorial 4. Shining the Ball - During a game a pace bowler should treat the ball like a true batsman treats his bat – with love and plenty of care. After all, it is the bowlers tool of the trade. In order to obtain more swing for longer periods the bowler needs to not only shine the ball but to shine the ball with the correct techniques and with more vigor than just simply wiping the ball a few times. Do not use too much moisture; this will just help to rub the shine off the ball. Use a little moisture and more “Elbow Grease” meaning more rubbing. After the first few overs one side of the ball will become a better option to shine than the other. Concentrate on one side as this will help promote swing (with the correct bowling actions and techniques). Make sure the rest of the team is aware of this especially your bowling partner at the other end so you are all working together. Train your mid on or mid off to help you out with your efforts. If the ball swings for five overs longer it just might make the difference helping you get a few extra wickets to your name.

Tutorial 3. Gaps and Running Between Wickets - When you first arrive at the crease take care in observing the field placings. It’s a good idea to actually focus on the gaps rather than the fielders. This will give you a greater chance of finding the gaps. Also take note on the areas where you might be able to pickup quick or easy singles and ensure this is communicated to your batting partner so that he is ready. 10 extra singles in you innings can be the difference between you scoring 40 and a half century. Remember, there should only be 3 loud calls – Yes, No or Wait !

Tutorial 2. Fielding - Fielding is one of the most important aspects of cricket. It is certainly the part of cricket that we spend the most time doing so it makes sense to try and be good at it. The Australian team is so good partly because they are one of the best fielding teams in the world. Would the great Glen McGrath have taken as many wickets if his team couldn’t catch? At trials selectors will pay great attention to good fielders especially when cricketers are of equal talent with the bat and ball. They will always select the better fielder. All it takes is for you to decide to start enjoyng fielding and working harder at training. Next time you are watching the Aussies play observe players like Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke and take some of those fielding techniques to your training session and try them out but remember, don’t get to fancy. Concentrate on the ball as always.

Tutorial 1. Getting Caught Out At the end of the season most batsman will realize that the most common way of being dismissed is CAUGHT. This is a “no brainer”. Work at keeping the ball along the ground especially in the nets. If you find you can not control yourself from hitting the ball in the air perhaps you are using too much bottom hand. Another reason for popping the ball in the air is simply hitting the ball too early. Don’t reach for the ball, try and remain compact and let the ball come to you. Remember to get those feet moving towards the ball. Front foot for pitched up deliveries and back for short deliveries and always respect the GOOD BALL. Good luck from your friends at www.kingsgrovesports.com.au