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[Simmy]

i keep wicket and my style varies from some of the methods on here.

One thing i would say is that standing back is very easy ONLY if you stand in the right place. It is essential that you are catching the ball at the height of its trajectory so that the catches carry to you. its worth asking the point to see if you are catching the first few before the ball is dipping. Also remember the first over from the openers are always a little slower than the next few.

The foot position for me depends on the type of bowler. If he is bowling inswing, left foot on off stump and face your body towards the stumps .... not the bowler.... it may feel like he is running towards you at a funny angle but stick with it.

Away swing stand wide off the off stump and face the stumps again with your body, this will mean that the ball will straighten up towards you as it passes the batsman and the ball is coming into your body not away from you. if there is a nick then you are in a good position to take off. For left arms same again but face the bowler and stand very wide outside off stump.

Standing back, staying low isn't that much of an issue if you are stood in the right position as the ball should be hitting you at waist height before it is losing speed and dying on you.

Standing up is where it gets a little tricky. You must stay relatively still and rise with the ball. Strictly speaking you should not be moving if a full toss is bowled as you are waiting for it to bounce. Feet wise line up your left for with off stump and always keep it there and just step across to take the ball with you weight on the left leg, that way you will be quicker for a stumping.

Down legside, step the left leg as far as possible .... the ball will pass the batsmen at some point and you can not see the ball, stick your hands in the place where you think the ball is hope for the best!!! If you get your body across you will probably take it on the chest. when moving across you need to try to get your weight on your right foot and lean into the stumps.

Your hands are another issue. I always take the ball with my hands moving in the direction of the stumps and go for a stumping EVERY BALL but miss the top of the stumps. if the batsmen lifts his foot then you just carry on and hit the stump. It cant be that you catch it then realise he is out of his ground then move your arms to the stumps especially to slow spinners.

I have kept wicket in mens cricket since i was 11 and get over 25 stumping a year, every year. I usually spend 50 overs stood up unless a quick bowler is on. As clayton Lambert used to say to me ....... "up to the stumps maan, keep him in his crease, no worry about the byes maan, one is one"

just enjoy it ............ doesnt matter if you are sh!te dint worry about it.

Another thing I have found is that it is good for your batting, you really really watch the ball before and during delivery as you are looking for the variations in the bowler. Look out for the spinner with his finger down the seam, the medium pacer with his off spinner grip, delivery wide of the crease which is going down leg if it all goes horribly wrong....... etc etc

this is pretty much 100% how i keep so top advice



specially this bit,

"Your hands are another issue. I always take the ball with my hands moving in the direction of the stumps and go for a stumping EVERY BALL but miss the top of the stumps. if the batsmen lifts his foot then you just carry on and hit the stump. It cant be that you catch it then realise he is out of his ground then move your arms to the stumps especially to slow spinners."