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[mdl_1979]

Morning all,

I'm running a session indoors (in not the hugest space in the world, maybe 25m by 10m) tonight for U11s, U13s (together) and U15s (afterwards).  The session focus is on stopping the ball and backing up in the field.  I'd love to know any drills/games you guys use when practising these skills.  I have a few things planned, but the more creative the better.

Cheers,

Mark

[Buzz]

Fielding isn't someting that I consider myself to be any good at at all... however - the only thing I recommend is that when you are receiving the ball at the stumps, you should stand beside the stumps, not behind them, and as you catch the ball you "give" onto the stumps. Rather than taking the ball, giving with your hands and then pushing the ball to the stumps.
There is a really good example of this from the recent ODI series - in the first game Davies was keeping and took the ball behind the stumps and the batsman made it home, in the second (or third- I can't remember) game Prior ran someone out by a very tight margin where this made the difference.
If you have the Bob Woolmer coaching book, there is loads of stuff in there to consider and probably some drills.

Not sure that in anyway helps your request for fielding drills. Sorry for my rambling!!

[tim2000s]

Fielding isn't someting that I consider myself to be any good at at all... however - the only thing I recommend is that when you are receiving the ball at the stumps, you should stand beside the stumps, not behind them, and as you catch the ball you "give" onto the stumps. Rather than taking the ball, giving with your hands and then pushing the ball to the stumps.
There is a really good example of this from the recent ODI series - in the first game Davies was keeping and took the ball behind the stumps and the batsman made it home, in the second (or third- I can't remember) game Prior ran someone out by a very tight margin where this made the difference.
If you have the Bob Woolmer coaching book, there is loads of stuff in there to consider and probably some drills.

Not sure that in anyway helps your request for fielding drills. Sorry for my rambling!!

There was a ton of discussion about this in the tests, with the Aussies reckoning that it got in the way of the direct hits and slowed those down when prior was in front of/beside the stumps, meanwhile the Brits were putting across your point of view.

[Buzz]

The idea is you are beside the stumps so you don't get in the way of a direct hit, you guide the ball into the stumps. This is all a Bob Woolmer thing and the Aussies are wrong... in the Ashes we executed loads more runouts than them.

[johan95]

Isn't it that you shorten the distance the ball has to travel and thus facilitate the run-out much easier, I've seen Kieswetter stand in front of the stumps and in my short stint of keeping last year, I got a run-out by the same method, standing in front of the stumps and crashing the ball into the stumps - don't even think the guy was out lol!
I agree with Buzz on that, but there isn't a great amount you can do Mark..mostly just standard things I feel, need a big space really to do something more creative. :|

[mdl_1979]

Isn't it that you shorten the distance the ball has to travel and thus facilitate the run-out much easier, I've seen Kieswetter stand in front of the stumps and in my short stint of keeping last year, I got a run-out by the same method, standing in front of the stumps and crashing the ball into the stumps - don't even think the guy was out lol!
I agree with Buzz on that, but there isn't a great amount you can do Mark..mostly just standard things I feel, need a big space really to do something more creative. :|

I know - I have kicked off about the space, but it is what it is.  I get paid to come up with something so I will just have to get on with it.  I have already stopped the use of the nets in there as I feel the lighting is dangerous, so it's a challenge each week to come up with drills to challenge the kids and keep them, safe.

[ianbuchanan]

Try having 2 sets of stumps around 15 metres away from each other, as you would in a normal game (Apart from the decreased distance). Have a wicket keeper stood behind the stumps at the bowlers end, with 2 queue's each side of him, square-on with the stumps. And another queue behind the 'batting end' stumps.

The wicket-keeper starts of with the ball (Tennis ball, windball, incredairball etc.) And rolls the ball to his right, the first person in the queue picks the ball up one-handed and using an underarm throw aims for the stumps. The first person in the queue to the left of the wicket-keeper picks up the ball two-handed, and has an overarm shy at the other set of stumps. The people in this queue pick up the ball 2 handed and throw into the wicket keeper, and the process repeats. After a person has had their pick up and throw, they move to the next queue.

You can develop this by taking away stumps to aim at (If using kwik-cricket stumps), changing the ball, using left hand only, changing the ball, 2 balls on the go etc. etc.

Hope all that makes sense! It usually works well as you can using for a group of around 8-18 people, and focuses on all different aspects of fielding.

[mdl_1979]

Thanks Ian - sounds a nice drill.

[Rik]

The drill Ian has mentioned is an excellent drill - good fun, keeps everybody interested.

[alexrickyponting]

there might be a couple of useful ideas on here:
http://www.ecb.co.uk/development/ecb-coaches-association/coaching-practices,1743,BP.html
ians drill is v.good, not boring to do as a player and doesnt need masses of equipment either

[peplow]

there is a good one our coached used but may confuse the younger generation, as some of our older apparently wiser people dont have a clue.... i'll try draw!

X =group of people
W = wk
S = stumps
> = ball!


X1                            X2

        W           
                      S

            X3

So the wicket keeper starts with the ball and rolls out to group 1, who then throw to group two for a catch or roll it out in front of group two to field (you choose!), group two person then fields the ball and has a shy at stumps where group 3 person has to get into position to back up and field ball, they back up and throw to keeper who starts off again, everyone follows the ball so 1 goes to two, 2 to 3 etc etc so everyone is moving but nobody is in the way, it can be done with more than 1 bal too!
Good idea not to put group 3 in ideal backing up position to start so they must move to do it!

It works very well and our coach loves it

[johan95]

Sounds a good drill, I might recycle that one and use it with Club. Sorry to hijack as such, it's sort of related so I thought I would stick to this topic. If you're on your own () doing some fielding drills, what !do people recommend. We have a catching net at club, loads of stumps, good enough outfield. I was thinking warm up run, loads of catches with the net, shying at stumps sprint drills, pretty basic. I guess having someone hit balls with a tennis racket or cricket balls with a bat could work, but for on my own..? Any ideas...looking to get training outdoors ASAP, hopefully next week or in early March, weather permitting
Cheers!

[mattw]

Looks like a good drill to be fair. What about also having some stumps (+ plenty of balls) where the WK is and then Group 3 have to throw the ball above the stumps to the keeper?

[johan95]

Looks like a good drill to be fair. What about also having some stumps (+ plenty of balls) where the WK is and then Group 3 have to throw the ball above the stumps to the keeper?

But if there were plenty of balls the keeper would be in danger!! As he would have to offload balls and catch them if there were quite a few, though it is a nice idea...could work if the drill was done slowly and meticulously.

[peplow]

Looks like a good drill to be fair. What about also having some stumps (+ plenty of balls) where the WK is and then Group 3 have to throw the ball above the stumps to the keeper?

that is the idea mate, keeper has stumps infornt of him and group 3 wan git in to him over the top! its a cycle!