by Richard Pybus
(Question from Pierre Wiese, Aliwal-North , Eastern Cape, South africa)
Hi Coach, I am coaching junior cricket and I am having trouble with …
1)getting my batsmen to focus for longer innings(avge innings length is 5-7 overs)
2)Basic batting techniques
3)My bowlers run-ups and basic techniques
Do you have any drills I can use to practice more than one kid at a time ?
Hi Pierre, well done on the great work, coaching the juniors is tough but it lays the foundation for their love of the game.
I used to take the primary school boys on the tennis court at Selborne Primary so that I could handle a group of 8-10 and we did skills one week and then a game the next. That included net sessions where they would slowly build the skills we worked on when we were on the tennis court. I chose the court because it gives a consistent bounce with tennis and slaz balls.
The drills you do in the CSA level 1 and 2 are fine, just lots of repetition !
I used to work through a syllabus of basic drills each week, building up the core skills. The boys would work in pairs and we would set goals and targets to allow the boys to challenge their skills.
Repetition is the mother of learning, so don’t worry about them getting bored training fundamental skills over and over, the interest comes for the player by the level of challenge being raised. So if they were working on a straight drive and have become proficient, then challenge the skill by asking them to hit an on drive through a 2m goal through mid on. Your raising the level of challenge, that keeps them engaged. Don’t make the challenge too tough though, that switches them off.
Same with the bowling, hitting targets on a length, yorkers etc. 18 – 24 balls at a time.
Make it as much fun as possible, don’t be in a rush, they build the skills up year after year.
If you don’t have a tennis court, then do a net first, then ask the boys or girls who want to do skills to stay behind and do extra work. Then you can spend quality time with them.
Concentration: Set up in training the same situations they will play in the match, so get the opening batters to work through the first part of their innings in the nets. It’s important for all batters to work on the first part of their innings, so they practice ‘getting in’ and rotating strike.
The key is to simulate match situations in practice, either in the middle or in the nets and then develop simple strategies to become proficient in them. Ask the players to think how they should play in these situations so they can do their own thinking.
Concentration comes from setting goals, 5 runs at a time is always a good way of holding focus, the batters then can work on this together whilst they build their partnership.
Same with bowling, to focus during the over ( when in the nets or middle practice) get them to count the ball they are bowling so they know where they are in the over.
Run Ups: For children who have a problem with their run up, get them to measure a run up they are comforatble with and then to practice it so they can learn the stride pattern and timing of their bound.
Hope this helps …
Best Wishes Coach
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About Richard Pybus
I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.