Cricket Skills

cricket batting

Fielding is about stopping the ball, catching it effectively and throwing it quickly and accurately to help the team. Fielding can be introduced in Foundation and Year 1, focusing on stopping a rolling ball and underarm throwing. Bowling in cricket is the skill of delivering the ball toward the batter with an overarm action, aiming to hit the stumps or limit scoring opportunities. It can be introduced during the early years, and further developed in Year's 2 and 3. Striking in cricket involves using the bat to hit the ball, typically with the goal of scoring runs. It is the most complex of the fundamental movement skills and can be introduced in the Foundation year. By Year 2 most children should be able to demonstrate a two-handed strike. 

Teaching cues

Fielding 

  1. Ready position – knees bent, hands in front of the body, pointing to the ground 
  2. Eyes on the ball 

Bowling 

  1. Little Star - bring your fist together at your chest. 
  2. Big star - open arms out wide. 
  3. Rock - rock on your back foot. 
  4. Bowl - bring your arm with the ball up straight and let the ball go. 

Striking 

  1. Grip – Hold the bat with both hands, one on top of the other. 
  2. Stand – Stand with your knees bent, like a surfer ready to move. 
  3. Bat Lift  – Lift your bat back, keeping your hands close to your body.
  4. Move & Swing – Move your body towards the ball step and swing the bat smoothly to hit. 
Teaching strategies

Fielding 

  • Focus on the ready position - teach knees bent, hands low, eyes on the ball.
  • Practice stopping rolling balls with two hands and body behind - known as ground fielding
  • Use soft balls to build catching confidence. 
  • Start with underarm throws, then progress to overarm throws.
  • Play games like Catch Me If You Can to develop basic fielding skills, Rapid Fire Throwing to build throwing confidence, or Race the Ball to practice throwing and catching under pressure. 

Ask questions:

  • How do you get ready to catch the ball (above waist/below waist) in cricket? 
  • What should your hands look like when you try to catch the ball? 
  • How do you stay low when fielding a ground ball? 
  • How can you make sure you catch a ball that’s coming fast? 
  • What should you do if the ball bounces before you catch it? 
  • How can you throw the ball quickly after you catch it? 
  • How do you position your body to collect a ball that is rolling on the ground? 
  • How do you stay balanced while fielding the ball? 
  • How can you make sure you're ready for a high catch? 

Bowling 

  • Focus on the basics: a straight arm action, proper grip and a side-on stance. 
  • Stepping through the action in stages with instruction can help build coordination and confidence.
  • Focus on short distances - have children bowl over shorter distances to build confidence and control.
  • Use visual aids - mark run-up spots and foot placement with cones, chalk, rope or foot/flat markers. 
  • Play games like Ready Aim Fire (modified with cricket bowling) or Rapid Fire Bowling to introduce the skill of bowling. 

Striking 

  • Start side-on to the bowler, keeping your eyes on the ball at all times.
  • Begin having children use their hands to strike soft balls or balloons hanging from trees to get used to the motion.
  • Progress to using pool noodles as bats to hit larger, soft balls to help with grip and swing.
  • Set up dome cones for hitting balls off the ground, teaching basic bat-ball contact.
  • Use foot markers to show where children should stand to ensure proper positioning.
  • Practice hitting soft balls off small cricket tees to introduce the motion of hitting while standing side-on.
  • Focus on hitting for distance, not accuracy, so beginners feel successful when making contact. 
  • Play games like Noodle Run and Pirate Treasure to introduce/reinforce striking and running skills. 

Fielding Skills

  • Emphasise quick reactions and balanced movement in the ready stance.
  • Introduce Ground Fielding Drills: Practice one-handed pickups for faster throws and accurate scoops under pressure.
  • Challenge children to catch balls thrown at a greater speed or distance. 
  • Focus on selecting the appropriate type of throw (underarm or overarm) for game situations and hitting targets consistently. 
  • Play games like Cricket Baseball to allow children to practice their fielding skills in fun games. 

Bowling Technique

  1. Hold – hold the ball with two fingers apart on top and your thumb underneath. 
  2. Run Up – start running towards the target with your arms close to your body. 
  3. Back Step & Transfer – take a big step or jump, plant your front foot, drop your elbow and shift your weight to your front leg. 
  4. Windmill & Release – swing your arm like a windmill, keeping it straight and release the ball when your arm is at the highest point. Finish by letting your arm swing across your body. 

Striking Technique

  • Use plastic cricket bats to strike soft balls, gradually progressing to harder rubber balls. 
  • Encourage children to step towards the target with their front foot, use markers to help with this (step & squash the cone). 
  • Focus on children striking the ball as hard as possible and following through with bat around the body. 
  • Introduce hitting a moving ball by rolling a soft ball to the batter. 
  • Introduce games like Rapid Fire (Striking) or Fetch Cricket

  • Practice catching on the move and diving when needed.
  • Game Awareness: Teach positioning, backing up throws and anticipating where the ball will go.
  • Progress to playing games like Continuous Cricket or Diamond Cricket to practice fielding skills while under pressure in game situations.
  • Try striking games that employ some strategy like 6 Or Safe or Golden Child
Skill criteria

Fielding

  1. Ready Position: Stand with knees bent, feet shoulder-width apart and hands low, ready to react.
  2. Tracking the Ball: Eyes on the ball, whether it’s rolling, bouncing or in the air.
  3. Ground Fielding: Using two hands to scoop or stop a rolling ball, getting your body behind it.
  4. Catching: Using soft hands, fingers pointing up for high balls and down for low balls, absorbing the impact.
  5. Throwing: Selecting the appropriate throw for the game situation:
    1. Underarm throw for short, quick distances.
    2. Overarm throw for long, powerful throws to a teammate or the stumps.
  6. Team Support: Always back up teammates to prevent overthrows or missed stops. 
  7. Decision-Making: Reacting quickly to decide the best action—whether to catch, stop, or throw—and executing it accurately. 

Bowling

  1. Grip the ball with fingers across the seam for control.
  2. Start side-on to the target, with the back foot parallel to the crease.
  3. Eyes on the target (stumps or batter’s intended area).
  4. Step forward with the front foot, driving momentum toward the target.
  5. Rotate the shoulders and hips as the bowling arm comes over the top.
  6. Release the ball with a straight arm at the highest point for accuracy and speed.
  7. Follow through with your body moving toward the target, finishing balanced.

Striking 

  1. Stand side-on to the bowler, with your knees bent to stay balanced.
  2. Keep your eyes on the ball the whole time.
  3. Hold the bat with your hands close together, top hand firm and bottom hand relaxed.
  4. Step forward with your front foot and keep the bat straight.
  5. Turn your hips and shoulders as you swing the bat towards the ball.
  6. Hit the ball with your arms straight, making sure the bat is in front of your foot.
  7. Follow through with the bat, letting it swing around your body for a smooth finish.
Common errors

Fielding 

  • Not staying ready to move quickly to the ball.
  • Dropping catches - hands in the wrong position or not watching the ball closely.
  • Forgetting to get your body behind the ball.
  • Throwing - not aiming properly or choosing the wrong type of throw for the situation. 
  • Not backing up - forgetting to help teammates by stopping overthrows.

Bowling

  • Forgetting to keep the arm straight when bowling.
  • Not standing side-on to the target.
  • Letting go of the ball too early or too late.
  • Running too fast, too slow or in a crooked line.

Striking 

  • Incorrect grip – hands apart or the wrong way around
  • Standing front on to the target
  • Not watching the ball

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