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[Tomp]

Hi All,

So my club is looking at adding a training day (increasing from 1 to 2 evening p/w) and a lot of people are keen to make one of them a 1st XI centre wkt session. My experience of this type of practice is that you're at training for a couple of hours, you get about 5 overs batting in pairs, field the ball 10-15 times and bowl a few overs (if you're a bowler). So basically not a very efficient use of time.

Does anyone have any better experiences of this, or have some good ideas for structuring the session that has less people doing not a lot at any one time?

Cheers, Tom

[jimmy23]

Hi All,

So my club is looking at adding a training day (increasing from 1 to 2 evening p/w) and a lot of people are keen to make one of them a 1st XI centre wkt session. My experience of this type of practice is that you're at training for a couple of hours, you get about 5 overs batting in pairs, field the ball 10-15 times and bowl a few overs (if you're a bowler). So basically not a very efficient use of time.

Does anyone have any better experiences of this, or have some good ideas for structuring the session that has less people doing not a lot at any one time?

Cheers, Tom

Sounds like a normal Saturday, train as you play and all that.

[edge]

How nets gets run will obviously vary but I'd guess in a 2 hour session most will get 15-20 mins batting, field for probably the same amount of time and bowl for an hour? So probably similar volume, but the practice may be better - I know I can get frustrated at times in nets if you rotate nets partway through and end up facing second team part timers etc. If we did centre wicket I'd probably get five overs from our openers/first changers which would be much more valuable practice as an opening bat.

[Kez]

Depends on what space and facilities you have available really.

Its great to get out on a grass wicket and face a couple of bowlers bowling overs rather than 6 bowlers in rotation. Roll on net so no need for fielders also helps!

[Buzz]

You are going to need to mix and match if you have a game. Have players rotate off fielding to have some through downs and do specific skills practice.
But there is no substitute for time in the middle as a batsman I think it is a good idea, you just need to manage it well.
Good for fielders too

[SD]

I have never really found this type of set up that useful given tjsy players will spent the majority of the time standing around in the field.  I think it works better with a net cage on the square with the bowlers coming of their proper runs and the batsmen who aren't batting or padded up waiting to bat doing fielding / fitness work on a different part of the outfield

[Neon Cricket]

I have never really found this type of set up that useful given tjsy players will spent the majority of the time standing around in the field.  I think it works better with a net cage on the square with the bowlers coming of their proper runs and the batsmen who aren't batting or padded up waiting to bat doing fielding / fitness work on a different part of the outfield

This is how our club works, we have a cage set up on a practice wicket and then most the bowlers are in the net and the rest are doing various fielding drills on the outfield - we just rotate the batsmen every 15/20 mins and likewise for bowlers/all-rounders etc. Everyone doing something useful as opposed to just standing around.

Also be weary of having training just for the 1st XI - big danger of alienating other club members, I've seen it before and it's always lead to more issue than benefit IMO. There's no reason all senior members can't train together on rotation (obviously you don't want the 3rd XI bowling at the 1st XI but that's where the rotation comes in).

[velvetsky01]

#together ;-)

[Neon Cricket]

#together ;-)

Better together than not training at all... 

[Bats_Entertainment]

I have never really found this type of set up that useful given tjsy players will spent the majority of the time standing around in the field.  I think it works better with a net cage on the square with the bowlers coming of their proper runs and the batsmen who aren't batting or padded up waiting to bat doing fielding / fitness work on a different part of the outfield

I helped out with a middle-practice session last season.  A young colt rcomplained that he had bowled 18 deliveries in a hour. He had.  A very time-inefficient exercise, and the lad would have certainly benefitted more from bowling for an hour in a net.

[Real Munson]

They are useful if ran in conjunction with nets, so that you can move people between the two. Possibly more useful for batsmen than bowlers, so that can practice running the ball around for singles etc, which is hard to practice in a net.

[Real Munson]

This is how our club works, we have a cage set up on a practice wicket and then most the bowlers are in the net and the rest are doing various fielding drills on the outfield - we just rotate the batsmen every 15/20 mins and likewise for bowlers/all-rounders etc. Everyone doing something useful as opposed to just standing around.

Also be weary of having training just for the 1st XI - big danger of alienating other club members, I've seen it before and it's always lead to more issue than benefit IMO. There's no reason all senior members can't train together on rotation (obviously you don't want the 3rd XI bowling at the 1st XI but that's where the rotation comes in).

Totally agree with this - means you can challenge talented youngsters, especially the bowlers, that might be in the lower sides, to bowl at better players. We used to have split training nights, 1st team squad one night, rest of the club another. You'd end up with about 5/6 people turning up to 1's nets, so wasn't really worthwhile.

[ch1p]

For me, nothing beats batting on grass (if you play on grass this is btw). Whether this be in a match scenario, an actual centre wicket practice or using a mobile batting cage on the square. Not only is it more realistic compared to the usual flat indoor surface, it stops me getting them annoying green "cherrys" on my bats which I can never seem to remove. 

We are fortunate at my club to have a cage and a fielding net which allows us to set up two lanes outdoors or block off one half of the outfield (either legside or offside). This free's up some of the fielders, as even though fielding is important, for me turning up after work to stand in a field in an uncompetitive environment for an hour and a half isn't the most fun.

This set up, also means that two groups can be set up with one taking on an actual fielding drill and the group netting can carry on. Bowlers/batsmen then rotate out of the fielding group and the netting group throughout the session as fatigue sets in or some variation is required.

It might not quite beat a fielding net or a mobile cage but if either of these are not available options then try and make a line of kit bags for those who have turned up to block off some of the field. Even if it saves you one or two fielders they could head off to take some catches, do some ground fielding work etc etc. It might not stop the ball at all times and of course people can hit over the top...

Some things to consider... Dont put the fielding group somewhere they are likely to have balls whacked at them from the netting group and vice versa really as some people hitting high catches do like to put snow on them and sometimes hit them a bit too far. Raining bombs on a set of bowlers or batsmen is not the way to go.   

Set a limit on the number of bowlers if you decide not to do overs. We've found that 2/3 seamers and one spinner is typically the best option if you can. Allows the batsmen to face up whenever ready and if the flow is good enough the seamers are not too far off their usual "over" time when they've bowled 6 balls. Stops bowlers getting too fatigued and batsmen should have no complaints that they've only faced a few balls.   

I'd agree on the point of the session not just being a 1xi - good for development of other players and the club atmosphere if you can have as many down as possible.

[SD]

I helped out with a middle-practice session last season.  A young colt rcomplained that he had bowled 18 deliveries in a hour. He had.  A very time-inefficient exercise, and the lad would have certainly benefitted more from bowling for an hour in a net.

If your numbers are so high that a bowler is sending down 18 balls in a session then you either need more than one grass net in operation or, if that isn't an option, the bowlers rotating with fielding work

[fros23]

Match style practices always sounds good in theory but in my view they are pretty inefficient.  If I'm turning up to a practice session for a couple of hours as a batsman and only facing 15 balls then it's pretty much a pointless exercise.  A net on the square is much more beneficial in my view.