miCoach | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips

6 ways to boost your cricket confidence

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This article has been written by Ryan Maron, Assistant Coach to the Netherlands national cricket team, VRA player coach and Director of Ryan Maron's Cricket School of Excellence in South Africa.

Are you making the muscles in the head work as hard as those in your body? The consistent finding in Sports Psychology research is the relationship between levels of confidence and success.

Fielding Drills: Square Catching

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Purpose: To allow 5 fielders to practice throwing and flat catching (with a little ground fielding thrown in too). This drill seems a little complex at first but don't be put off. It is excellent and flexible practice especially for before games.

Description: Player 1 rolls the ball to player to who runs in, picks up and throws to player 3 to catch. He then follows the ball to where player 3 is standing (figures 1 and 2).

How to warm up for cricket: The video

This 2 minute video has been created to help with your cricket warm ups. You can see more on warming up for cricket here and here.

 

Variety and spice: How the arm ball can turn you from stock spinner to strike bowler

The arm ball, or floater, is probably the single best weapon an orthodox finger spinner can have. Ray Illingworth says he once took 41 wickets of 135 in a season just with the arm ball.

At first the ball seems counterproductive. Spinners should spin the ball hard, hoping to impart enough revolutions on the ball for it to dip late in its flight and move off the pitch. This is true for the stock delivery and is what you should do at least 80% of the time.

3 Ways to play swing bowling

Good swing bowling can literally be unplayable. If a ball swings late enough nobody, not Sachin, not Lara, not Bradman, has ever had good enough reactions to counter the movement. It's a physical impossibility.

 

Yet somehow great players manage to build epic innings when the ball swings. How do they do it?

While science has no answers yet, there are some interesting theories to explore.

Should club cricket still have declarations?

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A recent article in Wisden looked at the format of club cricket, questioning whether the game should be played in a declaration or limited overs way.

In England at least I feel there is no choice in the matter. One day declaration cricket is more fun, more challenging and leads to better games.

Do you have the skills to apply for cricket captaincy?

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Today's article is a mock 'job description' for a cricket captain. If you were applying would you get the job?

 

The details have been supplied by Ryan Maron, Assistant Coach to the Netherlands national cricket team, VRA player coach and Director of Ryan Maron's Cricket School of Excellence in South Africa.

2 Reasons you are planting your front foot you may not have thought of

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Take a look at the picture of Sachin above. It's another drive from the Little Master executed with precision, balance and timing.

Fielding Drills: Big circle, little circle

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Purpose: To practice throwing and catching under pressure and to develop cricket specific agility/coordination.

Description: On the call of 'go' from the coach player A sprints around the inner circle. At the same time the players on the corners of the outer circle throw the ball around back to the start position without dropping it. Player A must attempt to get back to the start before the ball. Players then change places.

Ask the Coaches: Getting out in the twenties

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 This week's Ask the Coaches is a question from Madhavan:

Of late I have been getting out in the twenties and thirties after playing fluently. I having been giving away my wicket and failing to convert those good starts in to big scores. What do I need to do to convert those good starts in to big scores and get that three figure mark?

Thanks for the question. If you have one of your own you can ask away.