EQUIPMENT

You are probably familiar with most standard pieces of cricket equipment: stumps, balls, bats, batting gloves, keeping, gloves, pads, helmets, protectors and so on. It’s very important that these are in good repair and satisfy certain requirements.

Stumps and bails act as the target for the bowlers and fielders to aim at and are arguably the most significant pieces of equipment in the game of cricket – the game’s trademark if you like.

Three stumps make up a set, and one set is placed at each end of the pitch. Traditionally stumps are made from wood, but metal and plastic versions are also available and are often used for training and school cricket. Plastic stumps are more than adequate for younger cricketers, especially when the players are using soft varieties of balls.

Bails are pieces of wood that sit in the grooves on top of the stumps. Each set of three stumps has two bails. You can introduce wooden stumps and bails when players being to use leather balls.

GAME PROCEDURES

Following certain procedures at the start of the game ensures that the game runs smoothly and that coaches on both teams are aware of any special rules for the playing field or boundaries. Here are some of the elements common to cricket games:

- The home side sets up the stumps and boundaries (if required)

- The home team tosses the coin for the visiting captain to call. The captain winning the toss determines whether his or her team will bat or bowl.

- Each team has 11 players participating in the game at any time (although coaches may agree to variances of this rule)

Other variations in procedure include the following:

- Teams can bat or bowl more than 11 players

- Teams play 12 per side with a designated batter and bowler (ie one player can either bat only or bowl only)

- The team batting first generally can bat for a limited time or a limited number of overs; then when the other team has their turn to bat, they receive the same number of overs each.

Except on modified games, a batter can be out a number of ways, some of which include:

- Bowled – when the bowler bowls the ball and hits the stumps after being missed by the batter.

- Caught out – a member of the fielding team catches a ball hit by the batter, before it touches the ground and whilst still in the field of play.

- Hit wicket – when the batter hits or stands on the stumps in the process of hitting, trying to hit, or trying to avoid the bowled ball.
Stumped – when, in attempting to hit the ball, the batter moves out of his or her crease and misses the ball, and the wicketkeeper dislodges the bails with the ball in hand.

- Run out – when, on attempting to make a run, the wickets are broken by the fielders at the end of the batter is running to before reaching the creasing.

- Leg before wicket – when the ball hits a batter and umpire consider that it was pitched in a straight line between the wickets or on t he off side and would have hit the stumps.

Some less common ways being dismissed include when a players handles the ball, interference and timed out. Being timed out can occur if, at the fall of a wicket, the umpire feels that the incoming batter is deliberately wasting time so as to gain some advantage for his or her team. On appeal from the fielding team, the umpire can give the new batter out.

A batter scores a run by hitting the ball and running up and down the length of the pitch. Each time one length is run, one run is scored, so if a batter and his or her partner each complete three lengths of the pitch, then three runs are scored. If the balls passes over or into the boundary, then four runs are attributing to the batting team. If the ball passes over the boundary and lands on the other side, then the batting team is credited with six runs.

If the batters complete laps of the pitch after the wicketkeeper fails to stop the ball, which has not touched the bat or the batter’s body, then byes are scored for each length of the pitch run (or four byes if the ball goes to the boundary).

A wide is signaled when the umpire considers the ball bowled so far away from the batter that he or she cannot play a legitimate cricket shot at the ball. The batting team is credited with one run.

A no-ball should be called if the bowler fails to keep some part of his or her foot behind the batting crease, or if the bowler delivers the ball whilst the back foot is outside the return crease.

Any delivery deemed to be wide or no ball is bowled again. For more detailed information on rules and playing conditions, consult publications such as those available in libraries and state and territory controlling bodies.

UMPIRING

Umpires are officials who enforce the rules of the game. Junior games are usually umpired by the coach or manager from each team – one at the bowler’s end and the other at square leg.

The umpire at the bowler’s end decides whether the ball is a no ball or wide. That umpire also decides when the batter has been caught out or lbw or run out at the non striker’s end.

The umpire at square leg can call a no ball for above shoulder height (this rules varies from association to association), adjudicates on run outs and stumpings, and on rare occasion calls the bowler for throwing.

These umpires are generally volunteers, not professionals. Consequently, from time to time they will make mistakes. How you react when you think the umpire has erred is important. Be a good role model for your players. If you think a ruling is incorrect, quickly and calmly discuss it with the umpire, or accept it. Do not become involved in an argument, makes gestures venting your disagreement, or mutter in front of your players about the decision.

FIELDING POSITIONS

Cricket is played with 11 players on the field in defence. The busiest of these are the bowler and wicket keeper. Fielders are positions and those near the boundary are referred to as outfielders.

Players close to the bat can be positioned in places known as silly mid off, silly mid on, silly point, and short leg. These are very attacking positions that are stationed as such to take catches that pop up from defensive batting strokes. Such positions are generally discouraged or disallowed in junior cricket.

One of coaches’ biggest decisions is who should play in which position. Whenever possible, players should be given the opportunity to experience different positions. Put your strongest throwers in the outfield. Players who perform well at reflex catches should be favoured for positions such as slip and gully, and those who are quick and agile should be favoured in the cover and midwicket positions.

Some players will naturally take to wicketkeeping, however, very young aspiring keepers should still attempt to develop other skills, such as the different forms of bowling.

KEEPING SCORE

The novice scorer may find the scorebook or score sheet a daunting sight when initially recruited to the job. There are some complications due to the idiosyncrasies of some rules, but in general, the task is not as difficult as it would appear.

Fill in the details at the top, such as the competition, club, date and so forth. Fill in the batting team’s lineup under Batsmen or Batters. Write down at least the two opening bowlers in the Bowlers column.

Work to a pattern during the game; for example, start at the bottom of the page and work your way up.

COMMON CRICKET TERMS

Cricket has its own vocabulary. Becoming familiar with common cricket terms will make your job easier.

12th man – the 12th member of the team who can take an injured member’s position on the field. This position can only field; he or she cannot bat or bowl.

Appeal – A shout or statement made to the umpire for the batter to be given out. An appeal by the fielding side must be made for a batter to be given out. ‘How’s that?’ is a popular appeal by cricketers.

Declaration -  when the captain of the batting team ends an innings (usually first innings) before all 10 team members are out.

Draw – an unfinished match. Neither team has been beaten; one or both teams have not finished two innings; the side batting last has not scored sufficient runs to pass the opposition’s score, nor have they lost 10 wickets.

Follow On – when the batting sides bats immediately again after finishing their first innings, due to their not getting within a set number of runs of their opposition’s first innings score.

Runner – Any team member of the batting side who runs between the wickets for an injured batter.

TACTICS

Tactics can play a major role in cricket at both a senior and junior level for both players and coaches.

It is the coach’s responsibility to schedule productive time to develop skill, understanding and effective practical application of both attacking and defensive tactics.

Deciding which tactics to adopt can often spell the difference between success and failure.

The captain who wins the toss must decide whether to bat or bowl. The youth coach should guide the young captain by explaining all the factors that should be considered, such as state of the ground, state of the wicket (if on turf), the length of the grass, weather conditions, and so forth.

We recommend, however, that after giving the young player the factors to consider, it is left up to him or her to make the final decision.

A team’s player personnel may well have a bearing on the final decision. For instance, on a humid, overcast day a team with a good swing bowler may be advantaged by bowling first because the cricket balls are more conducive to swinging in these conditions.

NATIONAL JUNIOR CRICKET POLICY

Cricket Australia has a comprehensive policy relating to junior cricket, which Queensland Cricket adopts.

To read or get a copy of the policy, please click here.