How to Play Cricket

by Anthony Jenkins
www.cricket-for-parents.com

Foreword
When I started to learn about cricket, the MCC Cricket Coaching Book was my bible, I followed test matches on black and white TV and I had the occasional trip to a Yorkshire home match. Soon I was hooked on the game, but I wanted more! I wanted a book of comprehensive cricket information about how to improve my skills and how to become more involved as a fan, but it didn't exist. All the knowledge I wanted then about the total cricket experience is out there now, but not necessarily in the same place. However, you'll find it all collected in this e-book, including all the 21 st century cricket resources that I've discovered as well as many of the tips that I've learned over the years as a cricket player, parent and coach. Cricket can be confusing if youre a newcomer, or simply if there isnt a cricket tradition in your country. So, the book starts with advice for beginners, and then builds on this for those with more experience of the sport. But, there's more to cricket than the rules of the game. If you want to play well then preparation is everything; youll need cricket equipment thats right for you, good coaching and a cricket club. Im just passionate about playing the game, but I get even more fun from keeping up with the competition and controversies in international cricket. Its great being a fan, but watching the experts is also great way of improving your own skills. So, the book shows how you can keep up with live cricket, and where to find great cricket videos. The article on cricket history shows how you fit into the cricketing tradition. You'll learn about womens cricket, one of the fastest growing sports on the planet. And, you'll find a collection of strange but wonderful cricket facts. Ive included hyperlinks to many of the top cricket web sites in the world, so you can get involved with the latest cricket news, as well as enjoying some great online coaching resources. Enjoy your journey!

Contents
1.0 2.0 3.0 How to Play Cricket The Simple Rules of Cricket Cricket Equipment 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 4.0 5.0 Cricket Cricket Cricket Cricket Cricket Cricket Cricket bats bat care helmets bags shirts shoes balls

Page
4 5 6 7 8 10 11 11 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 26 26 28 30 31 33 34 35 37 38

Finding the Right Cricket Club Cricket Coaching Tips 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Batting basics Bowling basics The googly, crickets deadly weapon Fielding skills games Cricket fielding positions More cricket skills games

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Cricket Information 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Best quality cricket web sites Live cricket scores Televised live cricket coverage Live cricket streaming Live cricket commentary Cricket video

7.0 8.0 9.0

A Short History of Cricket Womens Cricket Cricket Facts

1.0 How to Play Cricket

Cricket can be confusing if youre a newcomer, or simply if there isnt a tradition in your country. But, once you understand the basics, its easy to build up your knowledge. The same principles and terms apply to every form of the game, so once youve developed a good foundation, the skys the limit. This is true for young or old, male or female. And, if theres a young cricketer in your family, youll have a great time supporting them too. The Principles of Cricket The principles are simple. Two teams of up to 11 players each compete against each other and the team that scores the most runs is the winner. Of course, this hides lots of detail as you might expect from a game thats over 1000 years old. To the uninitiated, cricketing terms can be like a foreign language. The difference between terms like short leg and long on, or yorker and googly might not be obvious at first, but there are lots of printed or online resources to help. Heres a good start to your journey. The picture shows the heart of the action on a cricket field. The two sets of wickets are 22 yards apart, with the cut area of the pitch between them. It takes skilled preparation to produce a pitch like this that gives a true and consistent bounce of the ball. The visible players are the two batsmen, the bowler, wicket keeper and slip fielder. The umpire at the bowlers end is one of two umpires who control the match. With some understanding of the rules and terms, youve made a solid start on learning how to play cricket. Now, there are different paths depending on your aspirations as a player or supporter, or both. There are some great online coaching resources on how to play cricket. Theyre a good backup to a club coach, but not a substitute as they cant give feedback on a players performance. A skilled coach provides interactive tips and tricks that you wont find online or in print. However, his/her main message will be practice that move 500 times and youll get it right every time. So, dedication is the key.

Cricket Training Games Although cricket is a team game, only one bowler, two batsmen and one wicket keeper can be part of the action at any one time. However, experienced fielders treat every ball in an innings as a big event, where they can gain an advantage over the batsmen. But, it can take years to learn this and junior players can get frustrated if they dont bat or bowl. So, variations have been developed to give all the team a go at batting and bowling. For example, Kwik Cricket (age 5-11) and Inter Cricket (age 12-14) are fast and furious games that have been created for beginners. They use special low impact equipment to avoid any injury, and to develop confidence. For the bridge into full scale 11-a-side cricket, 8-a-side pairs cricket (age 12-14) is an excellent variation for more experienced players, using a hard ball and full match kit. Once youve mastered the basics, youre on the way to being hooked on cricket for life. For me, nothing beats simply being on the field of play or experiencing an exciting match at one of the worlds great cricket arenas. See you there!

2.0 The Simple Rules of Cricket

Cricket is played between two teams of up to 11 players each. Each team bats (takes its innings) in turn, the choice for first innings being decided by tossing a coin. The centre of the action is a pitch 22 yards long with wickets (three cricket stumps) placed at each end, though a shorter pitch can be used by children. The pitch is roughly in the centre of the playing area, the edge of which is marked by a line or a rope about 50 yards from the wickets. Two batsmen play in partnership to score runs against the bowling of the fielding side. The bowlers aim to restrict scoring and to dismiss the batsmen in one of the ways described in the rules. The fielding captain decides which of his players will bowl. Each bowler bowls an over of six overarm deliveries from one end of the pitch, then the play switches so that one over is bowled alternately from each end of the pitch. No bowler can deliver two overs in succession. The score is counted by runs, which are the number of times the batsmen run from end to end of the area between the two popping creases lines across the pitch four feet from each wicket. Runs are usually the result of a hit by the bat; a

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hit across the boundary scores four runs, or six if it crosses without touching the ground. The most common ways of dismissing a batsman are bowled, caught off the bat, leg before wicket, stumped by the wicketkeeper and the run out of either batsman while attempting a run. When a batsman is dismissed (out) his place is taken by another. The innings is complete either when all but one of the batsmen are out, or when an agreed number of overs has been bowled, or when the batting captain has declared the innings closed. A match consists of one or two innings by each side. In time limited matches, the side scoring the highest aggregate of runs wins. If the match is not played to a finish then the result is a draw, except in the case of some limited overs games where the winning side is the one that scored most runs during its share of the overs. Want to know more? The rules of cricket are described in detail on the Lords Website. And once you understand the basics, its easy to build up your knowledge so that the laws of the game become second nature.

3.0 Cricket Equipment

Using the right cricket equipment makes any player look and feel great. Of course, wearing top of the range kit wont make your young cricketer a better player. The most important thing is that he uses equipment and clothing that he finds comfortable, keeps him safe - and makes him feel good. This is particularly important if he is playing with a hard cricket ball; so, work with his coach to make sure that he gets into the habit of using his protective gear properly. Many cricket clubs will provide bats and protective gear, which is an advantage if new players are uncertain about continuing with the game. However, once your young player becomes hooked on the sport, he is likely to want his own equipment. Cricket equipment divides nicely into hardware, protective gear, clothing and shoes; and dont forget a suitable bag to carry it all. Top tip about buying cricket equipment? The choice of many items like bats, shoes, pads and gloves for batting or wicket keeping is a very personal decision. Although there are some good principles to follow, its important to try before you buy.

This is especially important with so much kit being available online, so check out the vendors returns policy before you place your order. Even items like cricket bags can look great on a web page, but disappoint when they arrive at your door.

3.1 Cricket Bats

Finding the Right Balance Cricket bats are available with a wide range of features, and choosing one is a very personal decision. Of all these features, size and pick-up or feel are particularly important. The motto is, there are no right or wrong bats, just the one that feels right for you. The top of the bat handle should reach the top of a players thigh, allowing him to take guard with his weight evenly balanced on both feet, and with his eyes level facing the bowler. Try this cricket bat size guide for reference. The weight of a bat varies from around 1lb 11oz (0.77kg) for the smallest junior bat to 3lb 4oz (1.47kg) for the heaviest full size bat, though anything over 3lb (1.36kg) takes considerable strength to wield. However, the ease of pick-up of a bat while batting is more important than its absolute weight, and depends on both the bat size and how the weight is distributed around the blade. Different batsmen prefer different pick-up, so its important to get the feel of several bats before making a choice. Pick-up affects bat control, which must be exercised only by the batsmans top hand on the bat handle this is the left hand for a right handed batsman. If he cant play strokes with his top hand alone then the bat is too heavy; his technique will suffer and frustration will follow. It's particularly important for junior batsmen to avoid this, so that they learn the right technique and enjoy batting. Bat Technology Other features affecting a bats performance and balance are slight curvature of the bat face to bring the point of impact with the ball below the batsmans eyes, and bat handle technology and varying handle thickness that gives each model a different feel and flexibility. Cricket bats are made of willow, a soft fine grained wood. Look for 7 or 8 straight grains in the willow across a bats face for the optimum sensitivity and durability. Fewer grains are more durable but less sensitive, more grains are more sensitive and less durable. Before use, untreated new bats need oiling lightly with raw linseed oil, then, knocking in with an old ball or a bat mallet, to compress the fibres of the willow on the face and edges in preparation for hitting a hard cricket ball. However, many new bats are now pre-knocked in and oiled, with a clear antiscuff cover applied to face and edges to improve durability. Another addition might be a rubberised toe guard, to prevent damp seeping into the willow. These

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extras are good news for all players, especially young ones who will be keen to use their new bat as soon as possible. Most cricket bat manufacturers use a star rating system to indicate the quality of a bat the more stars, the better the quality of the willow and/or the level of technology of the bat. Taking care of your new cricket bat Once you've chosen your bat, its vital to look after it. Cricket bats hate two things in particular - moisture and central heating. If any piece of wood gets wet, its liable to split or warp, and cricket bats are no exception. The motto is, make sure your bat is dry before you put it away, either after any innings or at the end of the season. This way, you'll avoid an unwanted surprise next time you want to use it. But, a less obvious problem is central heating - or any other form of room heating. For many years I wondered why my bat seemed perhaps a little harder or even lighter at the start of a new season, often followed by a fatal crack in the willow on impact with a new cricket ball. Then, a wise cricketer suggested that the best place to keep a bat over the winter is in an unheated space - perhaps a garage, loft or shed. That way, your heating system wont dry out your bat. The best routine at the seasons end is to clean the bat face with fine sandpaper, then give it a rub with a cloth bearing a little raw linseed oil in preparation for next season. Then, store it in an unheated space for the winter. It works for me! There's more to bat care than storing it safely. The next article shows how to keep your bat in top condition.

3.2 Cricket Bat Care

The old saying goes, look after your cricket bat and it will look after you. This is true, as you can do much to prepare a new bat and to maintain an old one so that it performs well for more than just one season. The effective life of your bat depends mainly on how thoroughly it has been knocked-in, but theres no point in doing this until the bat has been properly oiled with raw linseed oil. Water is one of your bats biggest enemies, as willow loses and absorbs moisture very easily, so the object of oiling is to maintain the bats moisture content by sealing its surface. This can take three or four weeks to do properly, so be prepared. Of course, this excludes parts of a cricket bat covered with polyarmour or scuff covers. Using a soft rag, apply a light coat of oil to all exposed willow, apart from the splice which should never be oiled. Keep the bat horizontal for a couple of weeks, then lightly sand the surface with very fine sandpaper (00 grade). Repeat the process, after which the bat is ready

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for knocking in. After this, a rub with an oily cloth every two to three weeks will keep your bat in top condition. Many junior players over oil their bats, which can be disastrous its better to not oil at all. Knocking in compresses the fibres of the willow so that they resist damage from a cricket ball. The best tools for this are an old ball or a bat mallet, and the process should take at least 6 hours. The most vulnerable parts of the cricket bat are the toe and the edges, so concentrate on them. Some manufacturers claim that their bats are pre-knockedin and ready to play, but this is never the case another couple of hours work is still needed to bring a bat to peak performance. Then, gradually introduce your bat to a cricket ball, first hitting gentle catches with an old ball, then nets with an old ball, then nets with newer balls. Protection for your cricket bat So, youve chosen your new bat and carefully oiled it and knocked it in, but how do you protect it from the wear and tear caused by hitting a fast moving cricket ball? The best way is by facing it with a thin, adhesive, polyurethane sheet on the edges and hitting area. But, this has been controversial - one view says that facing can affect a bats performance by reducing its ping and increasing its weight, whereas others say that facing a bat can protect it and prolong its life. Both views have merit but fortunately, the modern thinner and lighter facing materials are a vast improvement on the older heavy, thick and spongy types. The best bat makers in the world now support the use of high quality facing materials, and many of them supply new bats which are ready-faced. Having tried both methods, I have to agree with this view I currently use a faced Gunn and Moore bat which has now performed excellently for three years, which is much longer than its uncovered predecessors. As the faced part of the bat wont receive any bat oil after it has been covered, its wise to apply an extra very thin coating of oil to the facing area before fitting the covering. Make sure that the oil has soaked in completely before applying the facing leaving it outdoors (but undercover) will help the oil to soak in. The uncovered areas can be oiled normally after the facing has been applied. During application, smooth the facing from the centre of the bat outwards to remove any air bubbles. Every two years, peel the facing off sideways across the bat, give the bat a light sanding and fresh oiling, and then fit a new cover. Keeping your cricket bat in top condition Your cricket bat will reward you with a long and useful life if its properly oiled, knocked-in and faced. But, here are a few more tips and wrinkles that will help to keep it in good shape. Dont let it dry out - a hot car boot can be your bats worst enemy, especially during a hot cricket season. Always store it in a cool, dry place. More bats break during practice than in matches. Old, cheap practice balls are very hard especially composition ones, or those used by bowling machines. If

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you have a choice, use an old bat for practice and save your best one for scoring runs. Keep your bat dry moisture is a big enemy, especially in the toe region. OK, rain happens during cricket matches, but if your bat does get wet, dry it as soon as possible. Fitting a toe guard will make a big difference. If you dont like your dismissal, dont throw your bat theyre not designed to fly or break furniture. Its just possible that your bat wasnt the reason for you being out anyway! Give it a good service after every season. Remove any facing, give it a light sanding, repair small cracks with superglue or wood glue, give it a light oiling then replace the facing.

The only other advice is do use your bat to score lots of runs!

3.3 Cricket Helmets

A good cricket helmet is vital for staying safe. A blow on the head from a hard cricket ball can be serious, so its important to be protected. Ive just had to replace my old helmet, and was amazed to discover the multiple features and different levels of sophistication that are now available. So, based on this experience, heres my rough guide to buying a new model. There's a wide range of prices, depending on quality and the number of features. But, while value for money is important, particularly for growing children, the key point is safety. There are now safety standards for cricket helmets, so look out for the one that applies in your country. This is BS 7928:1998, Specification for Head Protectors for Cricketers, in the UK, and AS/NZS 4499.1:1997 in Australia/New Zealand. The next most important factor after safety is ensuring a correct, firm fit especially if youre buying online. Most big manufacturers or cricket stores have online helmet size guides. To measure your head size, start above the eyebrows, continue around just above the ears to the bump in the back of the head then back around. Remember that, in time, the internal padding will mould to the shape of your head. Look out for the helmets size adjusting mechanism these range from foam inserts to adjustable internal straps, adjusting wheels or in some cases no adjustment at all. Cricket helmets have either a polycarbonate or moulded carbon shell, and grille materials are either steel or titanium. The most expensive models are moulded carbon with a titanium grille, and are designed to withstand impact from genuinely fast bowling. But for me, the best model is a lightweight polycarbonate shell and steel grille construction with the right safety accreditation, comfortable lining, good ventilation, good vision and comfortable chinstrap.

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Helmets can be hot to wear, so ventilation is particularly important and especially so to prevent spectacles steaming up! As with all cricket equipment, fitting and feel is very personal so consider trying it on before you buy. And if youre buying online, its good to check that the seller has a suitable returns policy.

3.4 Cricket Bags

Cricket bags are possibly the most important cricket accessory, but often get the least attention. Its no use having the best cricket equipment in the world if you cant carry it easily. The best bags make good use of modern technology but dont have to cost the earth, so heres a rough guide about what to look for. Cricket bags live in a harsh environment. They're routinely crammed into car boots, dragged across muddy fields and trampled in crowded changing rooms, as well as being brim full of heavy cricket kit. So, they need to be durable. Hard wearing 1200 denier polyester fabric with anti-scuff corner protection is a good start. Look for a heavy duty integrated wheel system cricket kit is heavy, so a wheelie bag is essential. All zips should be heavy duty and rust proof, and the top and towing handles need to be suitably sturdy. End and side pockets are useful for carrying small items of clothing as well as essentials like bat tape, spare boot studs and stud keys, sun cream, bottled water and practice balls. A shoe tunnel keeps boots away from other kit, and an external bat sleeve will help to stop your bat being damaged by contact with metal objects like boot studs or a helmet grille. To state the obvious, your bag has to be at least long enough to hold a cricket bat, but short enough to fit in a car boot. A cricket helmet, pads and bat take a lot of space even at junior kit sizes, so its good to plan for expansion. Its tempting to buy from the wide range of bags available on the web, but its difficult to gauge their capacity without seeing them first. As a rough guide, a 90cm bag is long enough to hold an adult bat, but if you have a local retailer its still worth checking out what a large bag looks like. In my experience, its good to buy big because you always have more kit than you think!

3.5 Cricket Shirts

Thankfully, the days are gone when the only choice of cricket shirts was between long or short sleeved in white. This is the day where a hi-tech shirt in the design of your choice. The first decision you need to make is between function and fashion, that is, will the shirt be used for playing cricket or is it a fashion accessory?

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There is a great range of replica shirts available for cricket supporters, but they dont necessarily come with all the hi-tech comfort features that are needed by players. There is a third choice, of memorabilia shirts, but more of that later. Match play shirts are either three quarter sleeve or long sleeve. Good quality materials are 65% polyester and 35% cotton. The top of the range models have dual fabric construction, with a moisture management system and mesh ventilation panels - smart but comfortable. The Gray Nicolls Ice Shirt is a good example. The more basic versions are simply single layer polyester/cotton with a functional drop tail design. Dont be tempted by collarless designs a collar is an essential sun shade. Many first class cricketers now wear a base layer under their shirt. These closefitting vests use lightweight moisture management material to conduct moisture away from the skin. The objective is to keep skin dry and at a stable temperature, in either hot or cold weather. The Kookaburra Staydri climate control fabric is one variety. The Active shirt is recent innovation. This is a traditional match play or polo shirt, but in a 100% polyester fabric with a moisture control system to increase comfort. It does this by wicking moisture away from the skin. The major cricket equipment manufacturers all make active shirts, with a choice of national team logo. Replica cricket shirts are usually 100% polyester, without high-tech construction so arent designed for match play. However, there is a wide range of replicas of international shirts for all the test playing nations, ranging from test match, one day, Twenty20 and training versions. You can even choose the name and number of your favourite player for the back of the shirt. These are readily available from online stores such as World Cricket Store or Cricket Direct. If you need a completely personalised shirt design for a club or school cricket team, there are online services that cater for this. Try a Google search for personalised cricket shirt and take your pick! The best companies offer a wide range of shirt fabrics and designs printed designs are cheaper, but embroidered ones are more durable, and simply better quality. The price of cricket shirts varies considerably depending on technology content and the popularity of the team or player's name shown on the shirt. A top quality, 65% polyester, 35% cotton playing shirt with dual fabric construction, moisture management system and mesh ventilation panels costs around 30. A 100% polyester replica shirt varies between 20 and 40 depending on player or team popularity. Alternatively, if you dont want a replica shirt, try the real thing. For 40-50 you can find a high quality international cricket shirt, as worn by the players themselves. One source for the discerning buyer is the cricket memorabilia section on Ebay, but beware of imitations! As with all clothes, its good to try before you buy. However, in my experience, a reputable online company will be flexible enough to send you alternative sizes before you complete your purchase.

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Keeping cricket clothes "whiter-than-white" When it comes to cleaning, white was always a bad choice for cricket clothing, especially when the next match is just around the corner. Committed cricketers dont hesitate to dive to save a run or take a catch, or to keep a ball shiny by polishing it on their whites. But the resulting grass, mud and cricket ball stains can be a laundry problem. Throwing dirty cricket clothing into a hot wash just doesnt work, as the stains become ingrained. So, the offending marks must be removed first. Ive had great success removing grass stains with Vanish, but also recommended are oxi-stain removers, washing powder paste or methylated spirits - using a nail brush for deep cleaning helps here. Cricket ball stains can be removed in the same way, or by a suitable colour-run remover. Mud needs a different technique - brush off as much dried mud as possible, then remove the rest with lots of cold water mixed with a dash of lemon juice. If stains still persist, soak overnight in a cold solution of biological washing powder, then try again.

Once all stains have been removed, rinse thoroughly in cold water then wash with detergent on the hottest setting possible. Its quite a challenge to keep cricket clothes whiter-than-white, but its worth it - after all, standards on the field just have to be maintained!

3.6 Cricket Shoes

Cricket shoes design has improved to reduce weight, improve cushioning and increase stability. After being unchanged for years, heavy, leather soled shoes should now be a thing of the past. So, it's a good move to look for modern materials and design features in your new cricket footwear. Asics pride themselves on being ahead of the field in this. The key change has been from cricket boots to cricket shoes, which build on the technology used in running shoes. Look out for artificial leather construction, with breathable mesh and ventilation, locking support for the heel and Velcro strapping for extra support. Its important that the shoe flexes at the ball of the foot and not the heel. Extra cushioning comes from modern gel systems and internal padding. But there are no rights or wrongs here, and theres just no substitute for trying new shoes to see what feels best for you. The cut of the shoe is important ie, its height up the ankle. Bowlers may want to consider a higher cut to give enough ankle support, while a lower cut is more suitable for batting and fielding. Of course, the cost increases with the technology content, and most players will own only one pair of cricket shoes, so value for money means that theres a balance to be struck here.

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Modern lightweight materials make cricket footwear easier to wear for long periods. However, if youre a star batsman who spends a long time at the crease you might want to consider adding a little weight to your shoes with a reinforced toe box, as being hit on the toe by a fast cricket ball is no joke. The design of the soles is just as important as the uppers. Moulded soles are best with rounded contours in the areas that contact the ground. This is especially true for bowlers, as angular edges give more potential for turning an ankle as their balance transfers across the foot. The spike material and pattern is equally important. Youll find options for steel or rubber spikes, combination of steel spikes and PU rubber, and full or half cover of the sole. I favour steel spikes, as rubber spikes have never given me enough grip for batting, bowling or fielding. Of course, more steel means more weight, so part-steel in PU rubber mountings are a compromise. Full or part spike cover might depend on whether the shoes are for specialist batting or bowling. But for most purposes, full cover is most suitable. Most modern steel spikes are easily removable with a stud key, so its easy to remove them to adapt to the conditions if necessary. Its also good to tighten your spikes before each game, as they can become loose or fall out. So, its a good move to keep a stud key and a few spare spikes in your cricket bag. Cricket shoes live in a harsh environment, as do the feet theyre protecting. So, its good to spend time trying on those new shoes to make sure that theyre the best ones for YOU.

3.7 Cricket Balls

There is much more to a cricket ball than the classic red leather ball used in matches. Many innovative creations are also available for coaching, practice, high visibility or simply playing without risk of breaking windows. The traditional leather cricket ball has a cork core which is covered by layers of tightly wound string, and an outer case of leather. This case is in four quarters, with one hemisphere rotated by 90 degrees relative to the other. The two hemispheres are held together by six rows of string stitching, forming a slightly raised seam. The size of the ball is approximately 5.5 oz for men, 5 oz for women and 4.75 oz for juniors. See Law 5 for details. Cricket balls vary in price from high quality match balls to club or school practice balls, so you dont need to pay for test match quality to use for net practice. You can also economise by buying in bulk, as most types of ball are available in boxes of six. The leather of a new ball is polished, and the fielding side will try to keep one side of the ball shiny and let the other side become rough. A skilled seam bowler will be able to use this difference to make the ball swing through the air, or deviate

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off the pitch by landing it on the seam. A spin bowler uses his wrist and fingers on the seam to rotate the ball rapidly, so that it turns even more sharply off the pitch. For seam or spin bowling, bowlers need to keep the seam of the ball in the same orientation during it's flight. Its much easier to practice this when the two halves of the ball are different colours, so the bowler can easily see the orientation of the ball he has delivered. For example, the Gray Nicolls Technique is a red/white match ball, while their Wonderball is a red/white safety ball with foam interior, plasticised case and a six stitch seam. Other cricket balls are coloured simply to aid their visibility. Easton makes several variations of their original Incrediball safety ball, including all white, the red with white seam Visiball, and the luminous orange Twilight ball. White leather balls are used for improved visibility under floodlights in international matches, or simply for better sighting in evening or indoor cricket. For example, Readers can supply leather balls for these purposes in white, as well as orange, yellow and red/white. For either cricket training or simply having fun in the park or the garden, the Readers Windball is an all purpose soft orange ball that is highly visible and wont break any windows! For even more innovative training aids, try the Gray Nicolls Catch Master and Catch Reactor, and their Batting Master. The Warne Spin Ball also has spinning finger positions marked, so you can learn to emulate the great spin king himself!

4.0 Finding the Right Cricket Club

Finding the right cricket club is an important step for any player. Clubs vary enormously in size, facilities, traditions and atmosphere, so personal choice is important. The best clubs also have a development system that promotes cricketing skills and most importantly, cricketing confidence. These have several ingredients. The Cricket Ground Good playing surfaces are a must for building confidence. This includes the wickets and outfields used for matches and for practice. All cricketers must be able to trust that the ball will bounce evenly, because uneven bounce soon destroys player's confidence. Good playing surfaces can be produced by dedicated members, but a skilled groundsman is best. Good practice facilities are also vital. Look for a club with access to good standard cricket nets, either at its own ground or nearby.

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The outfield can be used for fielding practice or junior training routines, but regular net practice is essential for all players to develop their skills. This is the place that players can benefit most from coaching and learn from their mistakes. Match practice is good, but net practice makes perfect. Cricket Development The best clubs have a cricket development system, involving a fully qualified coach or coaches. In the UK, these qualifications range from Coaching Assistant, through Cricket Coach, Head Coach and Master Coach. Club cricket usually features the first two of these. Net practice must be supervised by a Cricket Coach or a more senior grade, so check this out while youre choosing a club. The health and safety culture at a cricket club is vital. Coaching qualifications include training in First Aid and child protection. Any club with a junior section should also have a child welfare officer. Child protection identifies risks to young people and vulnerable adults, and ensures that they are safe in any environment, including cricket. So, make sure that the club you choose has these issues covered. The Chance to Play The opportunity to play in matches is also vital. Some juniors will enjoy training for its own sake, but most will want to put what theyve learned into practice. However, though a club may field teams on Saturdays, Sundays and midweek, these can be dominated by adults. So, a good junior programme is also essential, to cover a wide range of age groups. Regular league matches or friendly fixtures are the key; cup games are fun, but there are no more games if your side gets knocked out. The clubs with the best facilities are also likely to be the strongest teams in the area, with high quality players at all levels. In these cases, be aware that there can be strong competition for team places. This is especially important especially if juniors are keen to play in as many matches as possible. So, ask the captain or coach exactly what opportunities there are for playing in a team. The X Factor Of course, once youve considered all of these issues and asked all the right questions, theres also the X factor. Will you and your junior cricketer enjoy being part of the club? Many cricket grounds are beautiful, all have their own character, but does it feel right for you? The only way to find out is to spend some time there before you decide. Finding a Club If you dont know where to find a good cricket club, there are lots of online resources to help you. Some national associations provide a searchable database, for example the ECB Play-Cricket network will help you find a club in the UK. Cricket Australia's Club Finder tool gives listings of cricket clubs in Australia, and Wisden Cricinfo provides a listing of cricket leagues and associations in the USA.

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Alternatively, the sports pages of your local newspaper are often a goldmine of information about local cricket. Many papers provide a full results service for the local cricket matches that were played the previous weekend, and will give you a feel for which clubs are in your area. If you cant find a local cricket club, take advice from the national association on where to look next.

5.0 Cricket Coaching Tips

Cricket should be fun! And, the right cricket coaching can give players lots of fun as well as improving their skills. Helping the Coach A club cricket coach will often be both a trainer and team manager. This is a big commitment, and all coaches appreciate help and support. If youre supporting your junior cricketer during practice or the match, why not offer to help? Youll learn what the coach is trying to achieve, and you might be inspired to become a coach yourself. You dont have to be a cricket expert to do this if you can learn the common sense safety rules, you will be a valuable assistant. If you have some knowledge of cricket and the ability to communicate effectively with children, youll be even more valuable. A good coach plans each practice to include some fun drills for developing cricket skills. The session will end with a cricket game that suits the age group. Want to get involved? Ask the coach how you can help him to carry out his plan. To support the Coach, there are additional coaching resources online, in books and on video. In particular, the BBC Cricket skills web page is a fantastic resource. And, just watching how the stars play live cricket is a great learning experience. As in any sport, the best players make it look easy by getting the basic techniques right every time - practice makes perfect! Coaching Frameworks Modern cricket coaching has a structured training framework organised in the UK by the ECB. The qualifications range from Coaching Assistant, through Coach, Head Coach and Master Coach. The Coaching Assistant course runs for four 3 hour sessions, while the Coach award runs over several weekends. Most club coaches will hold one or both of these awards (or their former equivalents). Coaching Assistants are trained to carry out coaching drills on the outfield, usually with a soft practice ball. In addition to this, Coaches are trained to work in the nets with a hard cricket ball.

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All responsible cricket clubs should have a certified child protection policy, which includes coach accreditation. Being in charge of children is a great responsibility, so the coach must be their guardian and be responsible for their safety and well being while they are with him. Modern, structured coaching methods are a massive improvement on those of only 10 years ago, and in a different league to much of what went before. So, todays junior cricketers have more opportunity than ever to improve their skills and to have fun while they do it!

5.1 Batting Basics

Successful players make batting look simple because they get the basics right. Of course, good technique doesnt just happen A respected Australian coach at my club demonstrates skills with the message practice that 100 times a day and youll soon get the hang of it!. Practice does make perfect. This web site isnt intended to be a coaching manual. But some coaching points arise so often at junior practice that its worth repeating a few of them here. You could treat these as background if youre using coaching books or videos. Remember, cricket is generally a sideways game the side on position figures highly in most cricketing skills. Most batting errors result from bad set up in grip, stance and backswing. Get this right and success will follow. Encourage practice in front of a mirror (without breaking it, as I once did). Or use a video camera, as freeze-frame can be a great coaching tool. The hands should be close together in the centre of the handle. The V between the thumb and forefinger of each hand should be in line, between the outside edge and splice. To find this position, try resting the handle on the inside of the leading thigh, with the blade forward, and place both hands on the handle naturally they should then be close to the correct grip. The feet should be around one foot length apart, parallel to and each side of the popping crease. The weight should be balanced equally on the balls of each foot. Bend the knees slightly to avoid overbalancing to the off side. The eyes must be level, facing the bowler open the front shoulder slightly to make this easier. The backswing must be controlled by the top hand on the handle, and be directly over the wickets. Roll the front shoulder slightly downwards as the blade is raised. Rest the bottom hand lightly on the handle try holding a squash ball against the handle to lift the bottom hand off it, and remember how this feels.

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Batsmen can only defend their wickets if the know where they are. Yes, obvious but how to achieve this? Ask your junior player to adjust his stance along the crease until his head is in line with middle stump, then mark the ground so he remembers this position. The head should move into the line of the ball as soon as possible, and watch the ball onto the bat. Amazingly, few junior players can do this intuitively without extensive practice. Finding the Best Trigger Movement Many cricket coaches will tell you that most batting problems stem from a poor set-up, or stance. But after this, its important to make the right trigger movement. This means making an initial movement or series of movements so that they move from their original stance to a ready position as the bowler releases the ball. This is known as a pre-delivery or trigger movement. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. The advantages include unweighting the feet to allow rapid movement, creation of rhythm, and helping with weight transfer into strokes. Disadvantages include causing head movement, poor balance and bias to particular strokes. Generally, good trigger movements are consistent, rhythmical, keep head and eyes stable and level, make for balanced easy movement forward or back, and help with successful stroke execution. As golfers always have to work on their swing, so batsmen need to work on their set-up and triggers Im currently working to correct an old habit of poor balance. Ever wondered how top batsmen play 90 mph bowling, that gives them about one third of a second to play a stroke? Next time you watch Ricky Ponting, see how front foot trigger movement gets his feet moving even before the ball is released.

Watch how the experts do the basics. Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting are classic stylists, and great models for junior players to copy. But, they didnt become this good overnight even the stars need to keep practising!

5.2 Bowling Basics

Bowling isnt a natural activity for most people, so its important to get the basics right to avoid injury. There is lots of fine detail to think about, but keeping it simple is the best way to perform well and stay injury free. There is an ECB directive on the number of overs that juniors should deliver depending on age group. This is to make sure that fatigue injuries dont develop.

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Many juniors want to be tearaway pace men like Dale Steyn or Shoaib Akhtar. The first steps toward this are not to have long, energy consuming run ups, but to perfect a correct one step action before trying to go faster. The run up should be smooth, balanced, rhythmic and consistent. Many juniors run too far, and many dont mark the length of their run up properly. For speed or spin, the aim is to have an identical run up for every ball. Its all about rhythm! Actions can be side-on, front-on or midway, and are controlled by the landing position of the back foot. Side-on actions mean that the back foot lands parallel to the crease, so the shoulders and hips point at the batsman before the delivery stride. Front-on actions mean that the back foot and chest point toward the batsman. Brett Lee has a classic side-on action, while Andrew Flintoff is front-on. Both styles are correct, but mixing them so that the body is twisted will lead to injuries. This is difficult to spot at full speed, but freeze-frame footage from a video camera is very helpful. You can help the coach by showing him suitable video stills. The leading arm is the rudder for bowling straight. It should be pulled down to form an arc in line with the wickets during the delivery stride. You can stand behind the bowler to check if he is doing this correctly. The eyes should stay level and focussed on the target from the start of the run up, through delivery and to the end of the follow through. This isnt an easy habit to develop, but will help him to deliver a straight ball. Try watching from behind the batsman to check this. Good bowlers work in straight lines straight run up, straight follow through, high front arm, high delivery point and eyes level. Easier said than done sometimes, but keeping it as simple as this does work wonders!

5.3 The Googly - Cricket's Deadly Weapon

The googly or "wrong 'un" is a delivery that looks like a normal leg spinner, but turns toward a right hand batsman like an off break. If youve ever faced up to a leg spin bowler, youll know that the "wrong 'un" is extremely difficult to detect. As a budding spin bowler, I learned the skill from watching Richie Benaud on TV. And, to my delight, I found that although most junior batsmen had enough difficulty playing a leg break, a well delivered googly was almost unplayable. The vital words here are well delivered, because leg breaks and googlies are difficult to bowl with consistency. As youll see, I found this out to my cost but you can learn from my mistakes. Both leg breaks and googlies impart strong spin using wrist action. At the point of delivery, the palm of the hand faces the batsman when bowling a leg break, but

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the "wrong 'un" shows the back of the hand to the batsman at the same point, meaning that spin is imparted in the opposite direction. The batsman sees the same wrist action, but he needs very sharp eyes to spot the different timing of the release of the ball. To bowl a googly, hold the ball as if for a normal leg break, with the top joints of the index and middle fingers across the seam and the ball resting between a bent third finger and your thumb. As you release the ball, rotate your wrist anti clockwise so the palm of your hand faces upwards, the back of your hand faces the batsman, and the seam points towards fine leg. The wrist and third finger do the work of spinning the ball anti clockwise flick out this finger toward the batsman. This is difficult to do, but practice makes perfect try using a soft ball to help improve your wrist flexibility while spinning the ball from hand to hand. Once you can do this, you can experiment with flighting the ball different ways, and develop intermediate deliveries like the top spinner. Leg breaks and googlies can be difficult to bowl accurately because of the wrist action involved, so you can expect to be hit for a few runs. But youll also take wickets more quickly because theyre so difficult for batsmen to play. Heres the big health warning. If you over bowl the googly, your bowling action will get bitten so that your natural delivery becomes the wrong un, and you lose the ability to bowl a leg break. This happened to me, and has been a massive loss to my bowling even until today. So, please take care to use the googly as a surprise, but deadly weapon.

5.4 Fielding Skills Games

Fielding Skills Win Matches Many junior and senior cricketers treat fielding as a chore that has to be done when theyre not batting or bowling. But, top fielding can make the difference between winning and losing, and it pays to practice this as much as other cricketing skills. Every ball is an event to be won by the batting or fielding side, and joining the dots is a great way for bowlers and fielders to build up pressure on the batsmen. The modern coach has a repertoire of many fielding games to make sure that players have fun while they learn these skills. Try the fast fielding challenge with your team mates to build up your speed and throwing accuracy. This needs one set of stumps, six cricket balls, one marker disk and a wicket keeper to catch any throws that miss the wickets. Measure out ten paces from the stumps, and place three of the balls about one metre apart in a line across your path. Measure out another five paces and place the marker, then another five paces before placing the other three balls parallel to the first set. Then, youre ready to test your skills against the clock.

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Starting at the marker, run towards the furthest line, pick up one ball, turn and throw overarm at the wickets. Run to the second line, pick up one ball and throw underarm at the wickets, then run back to the first line and repeat twice until you have thrown all six balls. The highest number of hits in the shortest time wins the challenge. Want to see how the experts put this into practice? Watch The Predator, Ricky Ponting, pounce in the covers and make a run out with a direct hit. Its amazing how many unsuspecting batsmen try and steal a run to Ponting and fall short in the process he strikes like lightning and rarely misses the direct hit. This doesnt happen by accident, and practice can help you be The Predator in your own team. How to Throw Like a Pro Every fielder needs a good accurate throwing arm, because an accurate throw can make the difference between winning and losing a match. To practise this, pick the ball up and form a low base with the knees bent and legs astride in the direction of the throw. Grip the ball across the seam with your index and middle fingers behind the ball, and thumb below it. Raise the throwing arm to 12 oclock behind your head and point your non-throwing arm at the target. Bring the throwing arm through in a vertical plane, and follow through with your throwing shoulder towards the target. Keep your eyes level throughout the throw, and keep your fingers behind the ball until the point of release. Keeping your eyes level and throwing from 12 oclock will help with accuracy and power. It helps me to aim slightly higher than the wicket keepers gloves, because I know that the ball will dip in its trajectory. A good practice drill is to stand about 10 metres away from the stumps, and try and hit them as many times as you can. Once this gets easy, try moving further away from the wickets. Practice makes perfect, so keep up the repetitions until you can hit every time. Then, try this drill on the move with a friend rolling the ball for you to chase. For inspiration, watch Ricky Ponting or AB De Villiers in action only the bravest batsmen will challenge these predators to a quick single!

5.5 Cricket Fielding Positions

The names of cricket fielding positions can be baffling to the uninitiated. It takes a little while before such names as fine leg, gully or third man become second nature. However, fielding is such a vital part of the game that all players need to be familiar with these strange terms. And, once you know them, listening to the radio commentary takes on another dimension. The fielders are placed by the captain, depending on his tactics. This is a challenge in itself, because out of the eleven players on the field, one must bowl and another must keep wicket. The nine remaining fielders are simply too few to defend all parts of a cricket field, so their deployment depends on the captains skill and the bowlers accuracy.

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No captain can set cricket fielding positions for bad bowling. However, a bowler who bowls to his field can pressurise batsmen, and pressure leads to falling wickets. In days gone by, fielding was regarded as a chore in between batting and bowling. Now, fielding skills are a vital part of the game, and can make the difference between winning and losing a match. Once the fielders can treat every ball as a big event, they are on their way to winning the game. This picture shows the standard cricket fielding positions for a right handed batsman. They are a mirror image for left handers. However, the positions can be varied almost infinitely, depending on tactics. If a position is described as deep or long, then the fielder is usually placed on the boundary, eg deep mid off. A position labelled as short is usually closer to the batsman than normal, eg short cover. And a position prefixed by silly is very close to the batsman, eg silly mid off. Other variations use the terms square and fine. The line of sight from a square fielder is at right angles to the wicket, eg square leg, or square cover. Conversely, the line of sight from a fine fielder is more parallel to the wicket, eg fine third man. Many players are expert in particular cricket fielding positions. Specialist slip fielders have the fast reactions and acrobatic agility to take catches that can come quickly and at all angles. Expert cover fielders have the speed and agility to cut off potential boundary shots, and to throw the ball fast and accurately over the stumps to the wicketkeeper. Deep fielders have good judgement for high catches, and a strong throwing arm to return the ball quickly and prevent runs. The wicketkeeper has special skills that are unique within any cricket team. He stands behind the wickets, and catches all balls that pass the batsman off the bat or otherwise. The faster the bowler, the further back from the wickets he will stand. However, for slow bowlers, the wicket keeper will stand close to the wickets to try and dismiss the batsman by stumping. The wicketkeeper is also well placed to tell the captain about any potential weaknesses shown by the batsman The slip fielders stand next to the wicket keeper. Their objective is to take catches that fly off the edge of the bat. The slips need to have fast reactions and often, acrobatic agility to take difficult, fast moving catches, or simply to cut off potential edges to the boundary. First slip is often set deeper than the wicketkeeper, because fine edges can travel very quickly indeed. Third man is usually viewed as a defensive cricket fielding position, to prevent anything passing the slips or gully from reaching the boundary. Third man is usually responsible for covering a large area. However, some bowlers place a short third man to prevent singles, or even take catches that fly past the gully.

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Gully must field shots that are often hit hard off the face of the bat. So, this is another specialist position that needs fast reactions and a safe pair of hands, to stop runs and take spectacular catches. Point is a very busy position, where the fielder must be prepared to field hard hit square cuts or drives off the face of the bat. Or, a slow bowler may place this fielder at silly point very close to the batsman, to catch any bat/pad chances. Any fielder in a silly position may have to take rapid evasive action to avoid any hard hit shots. ECB regulations also prevent junior fielders from standing less than 11 or 8 metres from the bat, depending on age. And, regardless of age, anyone fielding very close to the bat should wear a protective helmet and shin guards. The cover position includes the area between point and mid off. Its another key position for putting pressure on batsmen by cutting off runs and threatening run-outs. Many of the worlds outstanding fielders have fielded at point and cover. Mid off is a key cricket fielding position for cutting off straight drives and stopping quick singles. It is also a good position for the captain to field, so that he can discuss tactics with the bowler or simply offer encouragement when things are not going according to plan. Mid wicket and square leg are generally defensive positions for cutting off boundaries and preventing quick singles. However, they must also be prepared for sharp catches that may come their way from misjudged hooks and pulls. Fine leg is often treated by captains as the best cricket fielding position to rest his bowlers between overs, or after a long bowling spell. However, it can still be a busy area if batsmen are skilled at playing the ball square or fine off their legs. As with any deep position, it can be difficult to pick up the flight or line of the ball coming toward you, so make sure that youve picked these up before you move too far to avoid embarrassment!

5.6 More Cricket Skills Games

One of the best ways to learn cricket skills is through game like simulations, so that players can see a situation in practice that theyre going to see in a match. Sure, there are lots of ways to hone individual batting, bowling and fielding skills, but the next step for a coach is to create practice drills that bring them all together. These drills can be great fun for players, and their range is only limited by the imagination of the coach. So, heres a short selection that always goes down well at my cricket club, though theyre equally as good in the garden or on the beach. In the diagrams, the fielders are labelled as F, the batsman as B, wicket keeper as Wk, and the coach as C.

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Team Catching and Run Out Game This is good for developing the cricket skills of catching, throwing and running between the wickets. On cue, the wicket keeper throws the ball to the first fielder and the batsman sets off for two runs between positions B1 and B2. The ball must be thrown and caught by all four fielders, and returned to the wicket keeper. The batsman must complete two runs to avoid being run out. The arrows show the path of the ball. Variations include using rolling and ground fielding instead of throwing and catching, making the game non-stop until the batsman is run out, and turning the whole routine into a game between fielders and batsmen. The length of the pitch takes some fine tuning, so that its always a close race between the ball and the batsman. Circle Cricket This develops the cricket skills of batting and fielding. Batsmen must use proper technique and strokes, and learn the right tactics to score more runs like hitting the ball into gaps and only playing balls that are necessary. They will face the ball when turning, and slide their bat over the line. The fielders must restrict the number of runs scored by anticipating where the ball will be hit, and attempt run outs by returning the ball quickly to the in-fielders or by going for direct hits. Fielders must also back up the throws. They can surround the batsman, but must keep out of the 5m circle. Batsmen retire after they have scored 5 runs. Variations include increasing the number of runs, increasing/decreasing the number of fielders or size of circle or running area. Again, the best dimensions are those that make it a close competition between ball and bat. Pairs Cricket Pairs cricket is a great way to develop all cricket skills. The batsmen work in pairs, and have a set starting score, perhaps 100. They bat for a set number of overs perhaps four, and every run scored adds to the starting score. If they lose a wicket, 5 runs are deducted and the batsmen change ends. After their four overs, the batsmen retire and the next pair take over. This can be developed into a full scale match between two sides of 8 players, one batting and one

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bowling. Each batting pair has 4 overs each, every fielder must bowl at least one over and a maximum of 4 in a 16 over match. Wides and no balls count as two runs for the batting side, but no additional balls are bowled. The Horses Tail Game This is a really fun way to develop close catching skills. One end of the arc of fielders is named as the horses head, and the other the horses tail. The coach hits a variety of catches to random fielders, who return the ball to the wicket keeper. Each catch taken promotes the successful fielder one place in the arc towards the horses head, and each brilliant catch promotes him/her two places. But, each dropped catch moves the guilty fielder down to the horses tail. The object is to avoid being at the horses tail when the coach decides the game is over this might be a set number of hits, or a specific time. Its a recipe for competition, chaos and fun, as well as sharpening fielders reflexes.

The rules of all these games can be varied to suit the situation. But, this is just a start, as there are many more games that are great for developing cricket skills, as well as being fun in their own right.

6.0 Cricket Information

Although Im just passionate about playing the game, I get just as much pleasure from keeping up with the competition and controversies in international cricket. This isnt just about being a cricket fan, because watching the experts is also great way of improving your own game. So, here are a few ways that you can share my passion. They include tips on the best cricket web sites, how to keep up with the latest scores, televised coverage, cricket streaming, live commentary and cricket video.

6.1 Cricket Web Sites

There are literally hundreds of cricket information sites on the web. Here are some recommendations for those that give you the best quality information about the different aspects of the game. The BBC Sports Cricket web site provides top coverage of a wider range of cricket issues than any other leading site. Most cricket magazine sites give details about the latest international matches and controversies, but the BBC offers these and much more.

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For more details on skills master classes, laws and equipment, womens cricket, coaching, juniors and how you can get involved click here to find out more about BBC Cricket. Want to share your cricket photos, news and views with other fans on the BBC Cricket web site? Find out how you can make your presence felt using these social networking tools. Cricinfo labels itself as the home of cricket on the internet. Its one of the top 500 most popular web sites in the world. It opened in 1993 and its integrated with Cricinfo sites in all the test playing countries. It gives the latest scores and fixtures worldwide, and much more. However, there are no coaching or junior sections. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the governing body of world cricket. Their site is attractive and user friendly, and is high in the global web traffic rankings. If you need to know original information about any aspect of world cricket, this is the place to start. The site also displays the league tables for the ICC world test cricket and ODI championships, as well as providing details of rules and regulations, umpires, womens cricket and global cricket development. The national cricket associations are the best source of cricket information in your country. Of these, the ECB and Cricket Australia sites are outstanding, with information on national and domestic cricket. They include pages for cricket clubs, fans, women and kids, as well as cricket development, archive material and statistics. Cricket broadcasters have immediate access to the latest scores. Try the sites of ABC Sport, BBC Sport or Sky Sports, to keep in touch with the cricket news as it happens. The BBC Sport Cricket site has the added bonus of a comprehensive online coaching section, as well as details about how you can get involved in the game as a volunteer, coach, umpire or scorer. There are many independent cricket magazine sites, of varying quality. CricketNext, 123India, CricketWorld and Cricket365 are among the best, with detailed up to date articles about world cricket news and the latest scores. All four are well inside the top 1% of global web sites. They all take different editorial angles, so you may want to follow the one that suits your taste. Cricket is developing in parts of the world that would have seemed very unlikely, even ten years ago. Cricket information web sites are playing their part in spreading the word about the game. The USA has major potential for cricket development. Cricket is being slowly popularised by foreign nationals, despite massive competition from Baseball. However, there are new signs of grassroots support at junior level. You could try the USACA site for more details. China became an Affiliate Member of the ICC in 2004. The Asian Cricket Council has a 10 year plan to develop the game in China, with the support of the ICC.

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Cricket is alien to most Chinese, but has already been established at over 50 schools in Beijing and Shanghai. A Chinese Womens team toured Europe in 2007. What price China qualifying for the 2019 Cricket World Cup? There are many cricket portal sites, providing links to other cricket web sites. The portals rarely give unbiased descriptions of their partner sites, many of which are simply poor quality. However, Howstat is extremely popular and provides lots of well organised, high quality links, as well statistics and ratings. Its well worth a look. The top cricket sites have achieved a level of excellence that is helping to promote the sport globally. If you start with Cricinfo then explore the others on this page, youll soon find the high quality cricket information that you need.

6.2 Finding the Live Cricket Score

Do you just have to know the live cricket score? The latest technology can bring it to you whether youre at home, in the office or on the move. Score updates have moved on from TV text services, via mobile phones and PDAs, to auto-refresh desktop scoreboards powered by Flash graphics. This article shows some of the options that you can choose. TV text services are great for a one-off live cricket score check. However, you have to be a diehard armchair fan to watch the scorecard update itself every minute or so. Lifes just too short! But, there are lots of alternatives to this that free you from the TV screen. Live audio commentary is described elsewhere on this site, but read on for the latest hi-tech solutions. If youre on the move, the latest live cricket score can be sent to your mobile phone as a SMS message, via free or paid services. For example, Cricinfomobile provides scores on demand; you send an SMS including their code for your team, and receive an instantaneous reply listing the total score, batsmens scores, wickets, overs used and run rate, all for 25p per text. Alternatively, you can subscribe to a cricket alerts service. For example, register online with Cricmania, and they will send you an SMS alert or e-mail on the fall of wickets, change of innings or the end of the match. This is a free service, but you only get skeleton information. Next up the scale of sophistication is to receive the live cricket score on your WAP mobile or PDA. Try requesting this service from the BBC by texting the word cricket to 81010. You'll receive a return SMS with the link to their mobile cricket web site, giving you access to results, fixtures and live scores. They wont charge you for the information they send, but your mobile provider may do, as there are many tariffs for data usage. Once youre online via your PC, the options multiply for free live cricket scores. RSS feeds are available from many cricket web sites, and update your bookmarks

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with the latest score. If youre not familiar with RSS, youll need to do some preparation to receive information this way. This helpful review on CNET explains the pros and cons of different RSS news readers, while many cricket sites summarise how RSS works. You can find RSS feeds of live cricket scores on major cricket sites like Cricinfo, ECB, and Cricmania. However, the downside of RSS is that you still need to click on a bookmark in your browser to check the latest cricket score. Cricket fans want to see the updated score with minimum effort, and this is where the desktop scorecard comes into its own. You can find a full screen live cricket scorecard on many sites, including cricketnext, sabcsport, abc.net, BBC and Cricinfo. However, a pocket sized desktop scorecard frees up your screen for other uses, as it can be placed unobtrusively in the corner of your display. There are several varieties, but the basic principle is that you see a summary of the full scorecard that is updated ball-by-ball or once/twice per minute. These desktops vary in simplicity and in the use of Flash graphics. The Cricinfo version is simple, comprehensive and effective, and covers first class cricket around the world. Choose your match, then the summary score for team, batsmen, wickets, overs and run rate will be shown in a small window that can be dragged anywhere on the screen. There are good alternative desktops on the skysports and sabcsport sites. However, my favourites are the stickiewicket and BBC Sport versions, and its worth giving you a few details of these. Why not give them a try and take your pick? Stickiewicket provides a free download of a simple, Flash graphic "desktop ticker" that looks pleasing and keeps up well with live cricket scores. You can also choose a match, and link to a detailed scorecard. A nice touch is that its always the top window on your screen, so doesnt get covered by your other applications. And you can choose to see a brief Flash graphic alert at key moments in the game. Lots of fun! The BBC Sport desktop uses RealPlayer in an online, standalone window to show a live video scorecard. Its slightly bigger than some of its competitors, and displays more information, but is still compact enough to tuck away in the corner of your screen. It has a major advantage that it also plays the live audio match commentary. There are other variations in SMS, live scorecard and desktop score services, but this page shows you the basic options. So, whatever your location or your choice of technology, you can stay in touch with the big match and keep involved with the action. And, you can keep your family and friends involved too!

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6.3 Televised Live Cricket Coverage

The days of free-to-air, televised live cricket coverage are long gone. Most televised live cricket is now via satellite subscription channels, while free viewing is limited to highlights packages. But, the compensations include high quality commentary, and a wide range of high-tech analysis tools on TV. It would be very dull to simply list the forthcoming satellite TV fixture list. The TV channels that were licensed for the 2007 Cricket World Cup are still among the best in the business, so try this link to see who they are and what services they offer. The table at the end of the article is a really useful reference. Youll notice that some of these channels also broadcast live cricket on the internet, radio and mobile and transmit to large parts of the globe. The increased choice of media and wide global coverage by the major broadcasters is an increasing trend, and is good news for cricket fans, as a spot of healthy competition is sure to drive down pay-per-view prices. Pay-per-view cricket is widely available, so here is a little information about the biggest and the best channels. Your global location dictates which live cricket channel your TV can receive, and whether this is via satellite, cable or both. Sky Sports British Sky Broadcasting (Sky Sports) provide an excellent service to UK and Ireland viewers, but not elsewhere. Theres a high standard of commentary from ex test players, live action and highlights, and lots of high tech analysis to promote discussion. Sky shows live cricket coverage from all over the world, the next blockbuster series being England v West Indies then the much awaited England v Australia Ashes series this summer. If you subscribe to Sky Sports and Sky Multiroom, you can also receive the same Sky Sports live cricket coverage as a live stream broadcast over broadband internet on your PC. This is a new service and there are a few technology issues. You'll have to pay extra for each cricket event, as with other online streaming services. This is for the really keen cricket fan, as Sky Multiroom means that you can already watch the cricket on at least two other screens in your home. Setanta Sports The downside of Sky is the cost and commitment, as only their more expensive contract packages include Sky Sports. Alternatively, you might be interested in Setanta Sports who provide digital sports coverage in the UK and Ireland for 12.99 per month, with no long term contract. This buys you a 12 channel sports

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pack for satellite or Freeview, including cricket and several other premium sports channels. Channel Nine and ESPN Channel Nine has historically broadcast live cricket free-to-air in Australia, but since 1995, Fox Sports satellite coverage has provided stiff competition. However, ESPN Star Sports now have exclusive rights to broadcast Cricket Australias domestic and home international matches for four years, across TV, internet, mobile and radio covering the entire Asian region. Star Cricket The latest major development in live cricket broadcasting was in June 2007, when the ESPN Star cable TV network launched a 24 hour cricket channel called Star Cricket targeting Indian audiences.

ESPN Star has a massive audience, transmitting to 25 countries and 150 million households across Asia. Star Cricket is also available via the satellite broadcasters TataSky TV and Dish TV. It includes live cricket, highlights and cricket news updates, a real feast for cricket fans. This is all a major advance since the first edition of this article was written around a year ago, and Im looking forward to what will be available to us in another year. It does seem certain that technological advances and increased competition will bring us more options for live cricket coverage, and hopefully at a lower cost.

6.4 Live Cricket Streaming

Finding free live cricket streaming on the internet has become something of a search for the holy grail, where even the best information often leads to a complete myth. This myth can be a text service, a recorded highlights package, an up-front charge for a dodgy embedded video feed, or even an unsafe site. The point has been reached where free live cricket streaming is often attached to the description of an unconnected web page, just to attract visitors. Streaming packages So, where to find this holy grail? Despite the claims of some sites, very little is free on the internet, and free live cricket streaming is limited to short term packages from some of the major broadcasters. For example, ESPN Star provided free online coverage of the 2009 Womens World Cup. On the whole, you will need to buy a cricket pass or cricket ticket to cover a selected package of live cricket events. This might be a

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test series, or a package of test and ODI cricket, or even a one year pass to a selection of international cricket events. The packages vary in price and content, to reflect the current fixture list. For example, a package showing the produced and interactive highlights of the first four Ashes tests and live coverage of the fifth test of the 2006-2007 series cost around US $20. At the other extreme was last years 12 month package from Willow TV. This schedule covered the India tour of New Zealand, 2009 Indian Premier League, ICC Twenty20 World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and Champions League T20, for a mere $299. Do you have the power? There are also hardware and software requirements. For example, for Willow TV you will need Broadband, Internet Explorer 5.0 or above, Windows Media Player 7.1 or above, Windows 98 or later and a minimum of Pentium III, 128 Mb RAM, a 24 bit true colour card and 16 bit sound card. Willow TV do provide a test clip so you can check if your system can receive free video streaming. If youre on dial up, cricket streaming just isnt an option. But even with broadband, buffering delays and poor picture quality can still be a problem, so beware of any broadcaster who insists on taking your money before showing you the quality of their transmission. Best streaming So, who are the best online broadcasters? Willow TV has been the market leader since 2003, when it began live internet streaming of major cricket events. They are based in California, but with offices in Bangalore to keep in touch with Indian cricket fans. Their coverage includes nifty features like interactive scorecards and high bandwidth transmissions, as well as mobile and IM updates. Although Willow TV are a subscription service, their latest offerings include free live cricket streaming for a short term, providing you subscribe to one of their business partners. Cricket Australia TV (CATV) provides live cricket streaming and cricket highlights through Channel 9. Before you consider signing up, look at the Having problems watching the video? link on the CATV home page. Amongst other issues, this shows that their cricket highlights are available in many countries, but live coverage is very restricted. If youre already a subscriber to Sky Sports in UK or Ireland, then you can watch live cricket online using SkyPlayer, for no extra charge. If you dont have Sky, this is still available as a subscription service. Another option is to stream Sky Sports direct to your mobile phone using a mobile internet link, though dont expect great picture quality you can find out more on the Vodaphone Cricket web page. ESPN Star offer some intermittent streaming services to their Asian customers check out their web site for their latest online schedules. So, the options for genuine live cricket streaming are still limited. But, the Indian Premier League took a giant step by streaming IPL 2010 live and free on YouTube. Maybe this will raise the bar for the future of cricket streaming.

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6.5 Live Cricket Commentary

If you cant get to the big match, then live cricket commentary is the next best option for cricket fanatics. TV coverage can be high quality, but is often limited to subscription channels. If you just have to know the latest cricket score and dont have access to satellite TV, then audio or text services on radio or internet are the best source. Live radio commentary on internationals is often provided by the national network of the host country, for example ABC Local Radio (Australia) and SABC Sport (South Africa). Test Match Special However, in my opinion BBC cricket commentary is second to none. In addition to all England's home matches and major domestic cup matches, the BBC also provides world wide commentary on other key international series. It also has exclusive rights to cover matches from all major international sides visiting India for the next three years. The BBC coverage is provided by the Test Match Special (TMS) team. TMS has become a national and international institution, and even provoked a passionate debate in Parliament on proposed changes to the service. TMS has converted millions of listeners to cricket, including many who knew nothing about the game but became enraptured by the brilliance of the commentary, the rapport amongst the team, and their liking for cakes! You can now hear their commentary on analogue and digital radio, and the internet. The BBC web site shows where you can share the TMS experience. If you want the best of both worlds, try listening to the radio commentary with the TV sound turned down. Live Text - a New Art Form Many web sites promise live cricket commentary, but actually provide a live text ball-by-ball service instead of audio commentary. This sounds disappointing, but in a select few cases has improved dramatically in the last couple of years. These combine authoritative, often witty, ball by ball commentary with an interactive blog. There's a whole new art form developing here - try the BBC or Guardian versions and see what you think. Free unofficial" audio commentary on current international games is available on cricketworld.com/radio and on Indias matches on indiatimes.com. Live audio commentary is a great alternative if you cant get to the big match, but be prepared it can be very addictive!

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6.6 Cricket Video

Its so easy to drown in the sea of cricket video products, and if you want to enjoy more cricket or inspire your junior cricketer, youll need to be selective. There's just a vast range of cricket clips, live matches and cricket highlights online, to complement traditional VHS and DVD video. So, whats the advantage of all this choice?
Video Archives VHS tape and DVD cricket video are still popular, and dont have internet related transmission issues. So, its worth considering them for your collection, but consider the picture quality of archive TV footage before you part with your money. Remember that colour TV has only been around since the late 1960s, and that earlier black and white footage has variable quality. However, its still worth considering archive material, to see some of the all time greats at work. For example, Sir Donald Bradmans 1993 video on how to play cricket includes footage of the master batsman at his best in 1934. Picture quality improved through the VHS era in the 1980s. Good quality cricket video tapes are still available from around 1990, but the best quality pictures are on DVD. These formats are great for compilations of rare cricket occasions. For example, the 1960 tied test match between Australia and the West Indies at Brisbane was one of the all time great matches, and you can re-live the tension on a video from ABC TV sport. Want to know what VHS and DVD titles are available? The top specialist retailers are listed in Google under cricket video. Staying Compatible But, with such global suppliers, beware of the compatibility trap for both DVD and VHS. Youll need to make sure that the rare video product that you ordered from 10 time zones away, is actually playable on your own hardware. The world is divided into 8 DVD Regions , numbered 1 to 8. So, for example, a Region 3 DVD is only compatible with DVD players sold in Region 3. However, Region Free DVDs are the exception, and are compatible with players from any Region. TV picture format is another complication. NTSC is the standard North American TV picture format and differs from the European PAL system. So, if youre in the USA or Canada (DVD Region 1), make sure that your TV can read the PAL signal before buying a European (Region 2) DVD. Video tapes have the same issue. There are 3 global recording formats for commercial videos, NTSC, PAL and SECAM. If youre ordering a VHS tape from a far flung country, make sure that your TV can display it.

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Cricket Video Online The web takes cricket videos onto another level. Live international cricket and cricket highlights are now available online, and large volumes of archive material are available as cricket clips. As a coach, Im particularly interested in the brilliant online coaching resources. Free cricket clips and videos are abundant in the cricket sections of Google Video, You Tube and Metacafe. These range from beach cricket to events from classic test matches. You can have a fun time browsing through these, but finding exactly what you want in the maze of video offerings is less easy. There are some good video search engines on the web, but you'll need to be precise with your search query to eliminate the non-sporting cricket references. Got the Power? You'll need enough computing power to view online videos broadband is essential, as is good PC performance. Your machine needs sufficient processor speed, enough RAM and a suitable video card to display videos quickly, smoothly and with good quality. You could test it on the BBC highlights or one of the samples on Google Video or You Tube. You will also need a javascript enabled browser, and a suitable media player. Windows Media player is suitable for some online videos. Real Player and Flash are commonly used and are available as free downloads. The BBC Sport player is based on Real Player, and is available free from the BBC web site. This rough guide to cricket video highlights the main choices of product, where to find them, and some of the key technical issues involved. Of course, theres far more detail than this, but I hope that it gives you a start on finding a way through the video maze.

7.0 A Short History of Cricket

The history of cricket goes back at least 400 years, and maybe 1000 years in its earliest form. So, how excited do you feel about being a part of such a great tradition? With thanks to Cricinfo and Wikipedia, this page is a quick guide to the history of cricket and how it fits into the modern game, so that you can get a feel for the great tradition that you are following. Earliest Records The origins of the game are most likely to be in Northern Europe, before the 11th Century. This was a simple game, with one player propelling an object a piece of wood or some other form of ball - and another player striking it with a suitable club.

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Historians have placed this game in the Celtic, Scandinavian, Anglo-Saxon, Dutch and Norman-French lands, but clear evidence is lacking. However, even non-historians will recognise the link between this ancient pastime and the gladiatorial contests of the 21st Century, with Morne Morkel propelling a ball at over 150kph to Sachin Tendulkar. Court documents from 1597 provide the first clear record of the history of cricket in more recent times. They concern a dispute over the ownership of a plot of school land. A 59-year old coroner, John Derrick, testified that he and his school friends had played "kreckett" on the site fifty years earlier around 1550. By the early 1600s, village cricket was played in the English counties of Surrey, Kent and Sussex and was soon adopted as a leisure pursuit in many schools. However, the local Judiciary considered it a bad influence on young men, and in 1611 two men in Sussex were prosecuted for playing cricket on Sunday instead of going to church! A Dangerous Game It was a dangerous game the first documented fatal accident related to cricket was in 1624, at Horsted Green in Sussex. Sadly, Jasper Vinall died after being struck by a bat while trying to catch the ball. Its unclear if this was an accident, or if the batsman simply put too high a price on his wicket. Cricket matches between village teams are documented before the English Civil War (1642-1651). The game developed steadily after the war, as town and city teams developed. The history of cricket also records how the sport first attracted gambling for significant sums of money in the 18th century. This was an unattractive, though perhaps inevitable development, but did have the benefit of being the cause for the establishment of the first Laws of Cricket in 1744. The most famous early club was Hambledon in Hampshire, which became the headquarters of the game for about 30 years until the opening of Lords and the MCC in 1787. The MCC has been the custodian of the Laws of Cricket ever since then. English colonialism brought cricket to other parts of the world; to North America in the 17th century, to the West Indies, India and Australia in the 18th century, and to New Zealand and South Africa in the 19th Century. The USA played Canada in the first international match in 1844. The game developed into todays club, county and international structure through the 20th century. The International Cricket Conference (ICC) has become the global governing body, while the MCC remains the custodian of the rules. Keeping the Tradition When you play cricket on the beach, in the garden, or even for your club or county you are upholding a very long tradition. You may have thought that the old cry of injustice its just not cricket! is rather quaint, but theres much more to it than just an old catchphrase.

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8.0 Womens Cricket

Womens cricket has a long history. The first match took place in 1745 between Bramley and Hambleton, in Berkshire, England. However, it was almost 200 years before first test match in 1934, between England and Australia. The game grew steadily, and the inaugural womens world cup took place in 1973. Ten nations now have a women's test cricket team. International Matches International womens matches are organised by the ICC. You can find summary information about womens cricket on their web site, but the Cricinfo Women page gives more detail about the top womens teams and players. This also gives details about the latest international matches and ranking lists. Not only are Australia the top men's team in the world their womens team are also top of the womens rankings. Top fact - a woman was responsible for creating the over-arm bowling action that is now a key part of the modern game. This was devised by Christine Willes in the early 1800s, as a practical solution to avoid getting her bowling arm tangled in her huge, hoop skirt. Women's Cricket Development But, there's no need to be a test player to take part in womens cricket. The club game has expanded rapidly since the ECB took over the running of the women's game in the UK in 1998. A record number of women's teams have been entering the game at school, club and county level since 2000, and in 2003 the ECB stated that girl's cricket had over 2 million players. The same picture is also true in India, Australia and New Zealand. In the UK, the ECB are responsible for promoting the game, setting up new clubs and leagues, and introducing new girls to the sport. If you're excited about getting into the game and you want more information, the Women's Regional Cricket Managers can help you. Alternatively, try your own county Cricket Development Manager. Whatever your standard, theres a level of cricket that you can enjoy. Women's Cricket Coaching Girls don't necessarily have to play in a girl's team. Many club's junior sections will welcome girls to mixed coaching sessions, and will pick a mixed team based on merit. This works while junior players arrive at the ground already changed, as usually happens up to age 12 or 13. However, without separate changing facilities, girls will then take the path towards women's cricket. If youre keen to set up a women's cricket section at an existing club the ECB can offer guidance, and even a funding route. Their club development flowchart will

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help you with the right steps to take, including how to attract new members and how to set up links with ECB Cricket Development Managers. For coaches, most girls will not have played cricket before, so learning the basics through Kwik Cricket and Inter Cricket is a good starting point. As with all beginners, its good to emphasise how much fun they can get from the game on the field, and from the social side. Many girls find it difficult to play cricket at the same standard as boys of the same age group, so encouragement is vital if they are playing in mixed teams or at the same coaching sessions. From this viewpoint, separate girls teams are an advantage. However, at county and international level, there are many competitive and talented women players, so as with the boys, the rewards are there for the most determined. Nevertheless, the key to enjoying all forms of cricket is to have fun, and thats the message for all cricket parents to bring to the party.

9.0 Cricket Facts

Cricket facts have been generated for over 1000 years, and detailed records have been kept since the first test match in 1877. So, when youre facing a tricky question about, say, Nelson, or a Doosra, or whether both batsmen were ever run out at the same time, then you need to know where to look. By nature, the game has created vast amounts of statistics and records, as well as a rich collection of cricket terms and stories. These run into comedy, politics and drama, as well as a mind boggling depth of statistics. The Cricketers Bible Wisden Cricketers Almanack (Wisden for short) is the most famous cricket reference book on the planet. It was first produced in 1864 by the English cricketer John Wisden, and has been published annually ever since then. At around 1500 pages long, it is simply the Bible of cricket facts. The modern editions are complementary to Wisden's associated website Cricinfo. This is possibly the most comprehensive cricket site in the world, and contains a vast archive of cricket records and statistics. The Cricinfo Statsguru is a great tool for finding any cricket facts about countries, players, grounds and officials. Whether you need to settle a debate between cricket fans, or simply to check on form, then this is the place to look. Why Nelson? The sport has also generated an extensive list of cricket terms, some of which are baffling to newcomers to the game. A Google search on Nelson reveals much about the English sea Lord and a town in Lancashire of the same name.

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However, to English batsmen, Nelson means a score of 111 and is the unluckiest number in the game. The superstitious custom is to remove one or both feet from the ground until the score has moved on. Why 111? The term was invented in the belief that Lord Nelson was unlucky enough to have had only one eye, one arm and one leg. Nelson wasnt quite this unfortunate as he actually had two legs, but the cricket term has survived all attempts by historians to correct it. And the superstition watch out for the cricket umpire David Shepherd who keeps one leg off the ground by hopping from one foot to the other! The Other One And what of the Doosra. This bowling delivery is a variation of the off spinner, developed by the Pakistan test player Saqlain Mushtaq. Conventional off spin is imparted by the fingers of a right handed bowler with the palm facing the batsman, and spins from a right handed batsmans off side to leg side. The Doosra employs the same finger spin, but is delivered with the back of the hand facing the batsman and spins from leg to off. Doosra is from the Urdu or Hindi for other or second. Run Out or Not? The answer to the tricky question on run outs is that only one batsman can be run out at one time. The umpires must apply Law 29 to decide which batsman has to go. However, in a match between England and the West Indies, a throw from Michael Holding of the West Indies hit one set of wickets before going on to break the other set. Both batsmen were out of their ground, but the umpires were too confused to dismiss either of them. More Facts Various cricket lovers have already produced several listings of cricket terms. One difficulty with most of these is that they assume a certain level of cricket knowledge. However Wikipedia is a good starting point, as it gives the basics as well as providing links to more detailed explanations. Cricinfo also supply a useful list for beginners. If you fancy testing your knowledge of cricket facts, there are a number of cricket quiz web sites that are good family fun and free to use. And for a real challenge, can you find out the details behind the headlines Rabbit burns down pavilion, Hot-air balloons stop play, or Cricketers arrested for dancing naked? The answers are via one of the resources in this book!

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I hope you have enjoyed this book. For more top cricket information, visit http://www.cricket-for-parents.com

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How to Play Cricket

The author Anthony Jenkins has made every effort to produce a high quality, helpful and informative book. But, he makes no warranties or representation of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents of the book. He also accepts no liability of any kind for any losses or damages caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, from using the information contained in this book. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any way.

http://www.cricket-for-parents.com, 2006-2011