Batting Skills

Batting: 1. Three’s a Crowd Learner: 28x year 8 male and female students at a developing level of skill in 9 groups of 3 Equipment: 9 cones, 9 soft cricket balls, 9 cricket tees and 9 sets of stumps Space: 50x50 meter space on oval Time: 10-15 mins

Explanation: • The batter will perform a front-foot drive off a tee to the fielder • The fielder will then receive the ball and return it to the wicketkeeper who will place it on the tee ready for the next shot • Batters will hit 6 balls each off the tee then they will rotate clockwise KTP’s: Front-foot drive: • Weight is forward on ball and toes of front foot, feet shoulder width apart • Step, swing and drive are performed in or close to a parallel line with bat finishing above chest height • Non-dominant elbow leads the shot with dominant elbow the last body part to pass the waist • Shot is performed when ball is short to medium length and moderately central or on the offside • Step into the ball to generate momentum during the swing and follow through to maximise shot accuracy and power Wicket keeping • Positioned appropriate distance behind wickets depending on type of bowl • Crouched positioned with low centre of gravity • Fingers in diamond shape ready to catch the ball • On the balls of the feet ready to dive in the direction of the ball • Watch the ball into the gloves and ensure it is wrapped up quickly Variations: • Add a scoring system that allows batters to receive a point if they hit it within 2 meters of target Individual progressions Low ability: Low ability students can slow down their shot and if needed they can hit the ball off the ground into a bigger target area (4m)

High ability: • If students are finding it too easy, then the fielder can feed the ball through underarm throws to the batter

2. Rapid fire Learner: 28x year 8 male and female students at a developing level of skill in 9 groups of 7 Equipment:

4x cricket balls, 4x Cricket tee, 2x Cricket bats, 4x Wickets, 10x cones Space: 50x50 meter space on oval Time: 10-15 mins

Explanation: 1. One batting and one fielding team 2. Batting team - One batter at a time, hits the two balls off two tees and aims to hit the ball through the fielders to gain extra runs. 3. To stop batters from making more runs the fielders are required to catch or collect the balls and try return the balls back to the tees either by delivering balls to the wicket keepers or running the ball. 4. Once all balls are returned the batter must stop running and the next batter is up 5. Fielders cannot move their feet until all balls are hit off the tees 6. Fielding team – 3 out on the field and 2 wicket keepers. 7. Each round the fielding team must rotate wicket keepers Rules: - Batter hits through the fielders score extra 4 points - Batters must pass the crease to count the runs made - Fielders cannot move until all balls are hit off the tee - One batter at a time - Balls need to be placed back on tee and in appropriate area for batter to stop running. KTP’s: Front-foot drive: • Weight is forward on ball and toes of front foot, feet shoulder width apart • Step, swing and drive are performed in or close to a parallel line with bat finishing above chest height • Non-dominant elbow leads the shot with dominant elbow the last body part to pass the waist • Shot is performed when ball is short to medium length and moderately central or on the offside • Step into the ball to generate momentum during the swing and follow through to maximise shot accuracy and power Wicket keeping • Positioned appropriate distance behind wickets depending on type of bowl • Crouched positioned with low centre of gravity • Fingers in diamond shape ready to catch the ball

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On the balls of the feet ready to dive in the direction of the ball Watch the ball into the gloves and ensure it is wrapped up quickly

Variations: • Add a scoring system that allows batters to receive a point if they hit it within the cones Individual progressions Low ability: • Low ability students can slow down their shot and if needed they can hit the ball off the ground into a bigger target area (4m) High ability: • If students are finding it too easy, then the fielders and cones can be taken back further

Batting: 3. Man in the Middle Learner: 28x year 8 male and female students at a developing level of skill in 4 groups of 7 Equipment: 9 cones, 9 soft cricket balls, 9 cricket tees and 9 sets of stumps Space: 50x50 meter space on oval Time: 10-15 mins

Explanation: • The batter will stand at the stumps in the middle of the diamond of cones and must protect the stumps from the four feeders on the cones • 2 fielders will also be set between feeders to retrieve hit balls • The batsmen can hit any type of shot but must keep the ball low • The batter will face 6 balls and then swap with the next student and so on until each player has had an over each • If a student makes contact with the ball and it goes past the bowlers they receive 1 point, if the wickets are hit by the feeder or they are caught they will lose a point • Feeders can feed the over continuously but must be underarm KTP’s: Underarm Throw • Step, stretch and swing • Lean forward and push weight onto front foot prior to release • Throw ball at low trajectory to minimise time spent in the air • Look at target before releasing the throw General batting KTPS: • ‘Step, Swing, Drive’ • Watch the ball from Bowler’s release until contact with bat • Protect wickets at all costs through correct shot selection and stance • Dominant hand responsible for majority of power while other hand guides direction and follow through Fielding • Foot behind the ball to minimise chance of missing it • Fingers spread to increase size • Body low and centre of gravity close to the ground • Watch the ball

Variations: • 2 Groups come together and make it a 14-person drill with 4 feeders, 2 batters back to back and 8 fielders Individual progressions Low ability: Low ability students face balls when they are ready rather than continuous to make it easier High ability: • If students are finding it too easy, then they can be can receive faster over-arm feeds

4. Race Around the Base Learner: 28x year 8 male and female students at a developing level of skill in 3 groups of 9 Equipment: 5 hoops, 1 soft cricket ball, 4 sets of stumps Space: 20x20 meter space on oval Time: 10-15 mins

Explanation: • One team of 9 will be batting, they will have one player at the first cone and the rest lined up behind them • The second team will have a feeder in the middle hoop and have 8 players in the in-field, they will be positioned throughout the diamond • The last team will have all 9 players outside the diamond in the out-field • The feeder will deliver an underarm bowl to the batter who will hit it in-front of the stumps and first hoop and then run around the bases like in baseball • If the fielders get the ball to a base before the batter arrives they are out but if they get back to the home base they receive a point • Once all of the batters have had a turn then they will move into the in-field, infield will go to outfield and outfield will become batters and so on for 2 innings each • Top scoring team over both innings wins KTP’s: Underarm Throw • Step, stretch and swing • Lean forward and push weight onto front foot prior to release • Throw ball at low trajectory to minimise time spent in the air • Look at target before releasing the throw General batting KTPS: • ‘Step, Swing, Drive’ • Watch the ball from Bowler’s release until contact with bat • Protect wickets at all costs through correct shot selection and stance • Dominant hand responsible for majority of power while other hand guides direction and follow through Fielding • Foot behind the ball to minimise chance of missing it • Fingers spread to increase size • Body low and centre of gravity close to the ground • Watch the ball

Variations: • Base distance can be increased and all in-fielders can be pushed out to the outfield Individual progressions Low ability: Low ability students can hit the ball off a tee rather than from a feed High ability: These players can receive faster overarm-bowls instead of underarm