Geraint Jones is the English wicket keeper who will show you some basic wicket keeping techniques.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

Adam Gilchrist

A wicket keeper is one of the important fielder in cricket.Confidence and concentration is much needed for a wicket keeper.Taking the ball behind the stumps becomes easier as you practise more.

Basic wicket keeping tips

step1

After adopting the correct stance, the body should rise as you judge the bounce of the ball.Move the feet and body to get into the line with the ball.

Step 2

• If the ball is below the chest height,then take the ball with the fingers pointing down.
• If the ball is above the chest height, then twist the head and body and take the ball with hands horizontal.

Video showing wicket keeping tips

Related Posts:

• A wicket keeper whose all fingers have been broken

Powerplay in cricket is nothing but an implementation of fielding restrictions in the One Day International (ODI) cricket, which gives temporary advantage to the batting side to score runs quickly.It was first introduced in 2005.

Before 2005 there was a 15-over period at the start of an innings in which only two fielders are allowed to field outside the 30-yard circle.The aggressive batsmen can take advantage of this and can play big shots with a lower risk of being caught out.

In an attempt to make the limited over game more exciting in the middle overs Powerplay was introduced by the ICC.There were amendments compared to the previous rule.Powerplay can be used for a total of 20 overs in which it is implemented to the starting first 10 overs of an innings.Then it can be used as a block of five overs each at any time of the innings, of which one may be used by the fielding captain, and one may be used by the batting captain.

Implementation in the ODI cricket

• The first ten overs in the One Day International cricket is called as the Powerplay one or PP1.The fielding restrictions during this period are absolutely same as the old ODI rules in which only 2 players are allowed to field outside the 30-yard circle and two fielders are required to be placed in the close catching position.
• The first block of five overs can be preffered at the discretion of the relevant captain (as mentioned above).This is called as Powerplay Two or PP2.The captain can decide at which point of the innings he should carry out this rule and he can only implement this rule at the beginning of an over,provided he informs the umpire.At this point of time only three fielders can field outside the 30-yard circle but there is no mandatory number of close catchers during PP2.
• The second block of five overs, with the same rules as that of PP2, is called Powerplay Three or PP3.
• When the relevant side’s captain informs the umpire that he likes to enact a powerplay, the official will signal so by moving his arm in a circular motion.

Umpire signalling powerplay

• If the fielding and batting captain failed to exercise their Powerplays according to their discretion.The remaining Powerplays will start at the latest available point in the innings, i.e. at the start of the 41st and 46th overs in an uninterrupted innings
• When the Powerplay rule was first introduced, the decision regarding when Powerplays Two and Three was at the discretion of the captain of the fielding team.
• Since October 2008 (starting from the one-day series between New Zealand and Bangladesh) rules were changed in that the batting team can decide when to implement either the second or third Powerplays.
• The Powerplay rule was first encountered in the One Day International between England and Australia on 7 July 2005

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis-The men behind the D/L Method

Every one who loves cricket or plays cricket knows most of the cricket rules, but i think no one knows exactly what Duckworth and Lewis method exactly is, even most of the cricket officials.Here is a chance to know about it.This method is actually an eluding mystery for most of the people.Earlier when rain interrupts the game the cricket match will either postpone or abandon, but nowadays there will be surely an ultimate result in the cricket match, which will either rejoiced or bitterly cursed by the die-hard cricket fans.

As the name of the method suggests, there were two men behind this D/L method.The interesting fact is that both of them were British statisticians who never played professional cricket before and also they didn’t officiate in any international cricket matches.One of them is Frank Duckworth , consultant statistician, and the editor of the Royal Statistical Society’s monthly news magazine  in the UK.  Tony Lewis ( not the cricketer)  is a mathematician and by inference  jointly  developed the Duckworth-Lewis method . It  was developed  from an undergraduate final-year project at the University of the West of England.

Duckworth-Lewis Method (D/L method) is a numerical way to calculate the target score of the team who is batting second if the match is interrupted by rain or other circumstances in a limited over match like One Day International or Twenty-20 cricket games.Actually most of the cricket officials favors the method since it is the best way to set a target for the second team batting when the match is interrupted due to any weather conditions.It also generates some controversy since it will change the game dramatically over its natural conclusion.

The D/L method was first implemented in the second International cricket match between Zimbabwe and England in a One Day International series in 1996/97, which Zimbabwe won by 7 runs.Then the International Cricket Council (ICC) officially adopted the method in 2001 as the standard method of calculating the target scores when the rain shortened limited over cricket matches.

Time before the introduction D/L method

There are lot of methods before the introduction of D/L method in which all the methods were not standard and are applied according to the condition of the matches.The methods were

• Run-Rate ratios

• The score that the first team had achieved at the same point in their innings

• Targets derived by totaling the best scoring overs in the initial innings

• The best scoring method

All of these methods have faults and its own difficulties to carry out and these kinds of methods could be easily exploitative.For Instance,the run-rate ratios did not account for how many wickets the team batting second have lost but only account for the runs.This can be easily exploited by the team who is batting second since they can only concentrate on their targeted runs by scoring quickly at the point of time the match was interrupted and not on wickets.

“The best scoring method” was used in the 1992 world cup in which South Africa needed 21 runs from just one ball which is really impossible since the maximum runs that could be taken from 1 ball is six runs.Prior to the interruption of rain, South Africa needed 22 runs from 13 balls which is an achievable task.But when the rain interrupts the game the target was reduced by only 1 run, to be scored from 12 fewer balls which is really an impossible task.When D/L method is carried out in this case, South Africa needed 5 runs to win from the final delivery, which means that D/L is the better method compared to other methods.

The D/L method can be used for interruptions in the first or second innings.For Instance, In the 4th ODI between India and England in the 2008 series, the first innings was interrupted by rain on two occasions resulting the match was reduced to 22 overs a side.India (batting first) made 166 runs and the target for the England cricket team was therefore set by the D/L method was 198 runs from 22 overs which obviously made difficult for the English batsmen and they took only 178 runs in 22 overs and so the Indian team won the game by 19 runs by D/L method.

Another example of an interruption in the second innings was the first One Day International (ODI) between India and Pakistan in their 2006 ODI series.India batted first and and they were all out in the 49th over for 328 runs.In response to this Pakistan took 311 runs for the loss of 7 wickets and the match was stopped due to bad light.This is the time where D/L method comes into play.And indeed, application of the D/L method resulted in a target score of 304 at the end of the 47th over, with the officially listed result as “Pakistan won by 7 runs (D/L Method)” much to the disappointment of the Indian fans.

D/L method is quite a simple theory although many times it becomes difficult for fans and players to understand.The “Resources” are the key essence of the D/L method.

The essence of the D/L method is ‘resources’. Each team is taken to have two ‘resources’ to use to make as many runs as possible:

• The number of overs they have to receive

• Number of wickets they have in hand

At any point in any innings, a team’s ability to score more runs depends on the combination of these two resources.When D/L method is applied to 50 over matches both sides has to bat at least 20 overs before D/L can decide the game.In the case of Twenty20 cricket matches each team has to face at least 5 overs.
The D/L method has been criticized based on the fact that wickets are (necessarily) a much more heavily weighted resource than overs, leading to the observation that if teams are chasing big targets, and there is the prospect of rain, a winning strategy could be to not lose wickets and score at what would seem to be a “losing” rate (e.g. if the asking rate was 6.1, it could be enough to score at 4.75 an over for the first 20-25 overs).

Another criticism is that the D/L method does not account for changes in the proportion of number of overs during which field restrictions are in place compared to a completed match.

Another common criticism by the cricket fans and the journalists are that this method is more complex and is hard to understand.For instance, in a one-day match against England on 20th March 2009, the West Indies coach John Dyson called his players in for bad light, believing that his team would win by one run under the D/L method. In fact Javagal Srinath, the match referee, confirmed that the West Indies were two runs short of their target, giving the victory to England.

Related Posts:

• D/L favors India in the 3rd ODI against West Indies
• Cricket fielding positions
• The D/L method for runs adjustment needs to be context sensitive
• Tips to play a pull shot in cricket
• Video showing how to play a square cut in cricket

cricket coaching

The England and Wales cricket board has implemented a new training system which opens the door to become a good cricket coach.There are five levels and each level takes about two years to complete.There is also a compulsory workshop between the levels,three and four.

Courses on Offer

ECB Coaching Assistant
This course qualifies the candidates to assist the more qualified coaches which is also a part of the training system.This will help the candidates to improve their coaching knowledge from the more experienced and qualified coaches.

ECB Coach
A trained ECB coach will be qualified to deliver and review coaching sessions.
This course will help you to be able to:-

* Introduce and develop the cricket to the people of all ages in an enjoyable way
* Develop the basic movement skills
* Develop and improve players specifically at basic things and L2T(Learn To Train)stages of the LTAD(Long Term Athlete Development) model.
* Improve your own coaching skills and knowledge
* Demonstrate the competence against the UKCC2/National standard for coaches

Requirements Needed to fulfil the course:-

* Attend the good practise and child protection course
* Attend the Cricket Coach First Aid Appointed Persons course
* Assignments set have to be completed
* Home study packs and associated assessments have to be completed
* Successful completion of the support practise module and the candidates have to produce the associated evidence to get the benefits
* Prior to your assessment day,submit your records of coaching and assignments
* You have to attend an assessment day where you will be told to coach a few players and have a follow up exam on this.The records of your coaching and assignments will be with an ECB assessor.
* You have to describe the competences required for an ECB assessor

ECB Head Coach
This is the next step which helps the candidates to plan,implement and revise annual training programmes

ECB master coach
This will take a long time for the candidates to reach at this level.If you decided to go upto  this level you can be a vital part of the English cricket in future. The Master coach course trains the candidates to design,implement and evaluate the process of training which is an outcome of the experience that the candidates got through the years.

Related post:-want to be a cricket umpire?

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

Billy Bowden And Rudi Koertzen

If you have a deep passion or ambition to become a cricket umpire,here are some details regarding the courses on offer.

Introduction To Umpiring
This is a new course which is designed to attract the occasional umpire-mother,father,coaches and tutors.This course can be completed in maximum one or two evening classes.

GL6 Course
This course is designed for a beginner (player or umpire) who wants to increase his/her knowledge and skills regarding cricket.This course gives an outlook regarding all the laws of the cricket which are related to one-day,single innings games.If you get 80% marks in a 60 question multiple choice exam,you have passed in this course.Those successful at GL6 course are qualified,mainly,to stand at club 2nd/3rd XI or school cricket.1 or 2 years field experience is needed before moving on to the next level.

GL5 Course
Candidates have to pass the GL6 exam before taking this course and this course culminates in a multiple choice exam.This course covers all 42 laws in greater depth and the course also includes detailed study of field-craft and man-management techniques which are the essential requirements of a good umpire.Success at this course makes the candidates eligible to stand at all levels of club cricket and the opening rounds of national competitions.

There are also One-Day Seminars for those who want to focus on specific subjects like in-depth study of some laws,field techniques etc

Related Post-want to become a cricket coach?

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

Protected Area In Cricket

The area of the pitch where the players (mainly bowlers) have to keep off.The protected area on the pitch is not marked,its an imaginary rectangle that runs right through the middle of the pitch.A bowler’s follow through after the delivery to the middle area of the pitch sometimes creates rough patches or cracks on the pitch which will create plenty of problems for the batsmen to play.

The protected area in cricket is normally marked with two little horizontal lines 5 feet from the popping crease on either side of the pitch by the groundsman.This helps to give an indication for the umpire of the area where the bowler must avoid while following through.

when a bowler runs on to the protected area,they are given a warning by the umpire.The 1st umpire then inform to the square leg umpire,captain of the fielding team and to the two batsmen that the bowler has been admonished.

The umpire will again warn the bowler if he commits the same mistake the second time.But if the same bowler does the same mistake the third time,the umpires will inform to the fielding captain to change the bowler immediately and he also will not be allowed to bowl for the rest of that particular innings.

The fielders can also be the charged of this unfair play or behavior,as Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi was banned for a test and two One-Day-Internationals after scraping his boots on the protected area during the 2nd test against England at Faisalabad.

Related Posts:

• How to bowl a faster ball in cricket?
• Cricket team Pakistan proved it under pressure
• The king of swings,Wasim Akram tips Pak to win T20 world cup
• Captain Clarke Had Done It For Australia
• All-round Clarke ensures series lead

1. Caught:-Being Caught is the most common way of getting out for a batsman.A batsman is out caught when a fielder catches the ball directly off the bat,before it has hit the ground
2. Bowled:-If a bowler manages to get a ball through and knock off the bails (The two wooden bits resting on the top of the Stumps) it is called Bowled.
3. Leg Before Wicket (LBW):-If a batsman obstructs the ball from hitting the stumps with any part of his body (Usually Pads) other than bat.It is called LBW and the decision is taken by the umpire after the appeal by the bowler.
4. Run Out:-When a batsman is going for runs between the wickets,but fall short of the batting crease when the stumps are broken by the fielding team.
5. Stumped:-If a batsman comes down the crease to hit the ball,and if he misses the ball there is a chance of getting out by stumping with the ball by the wicket keeper.
6. Hit Wicket:-This dismissal happens when a batsman himself knocks their stumps over while playing a shot or when leaving a delivery.
7. Handling The Ball:-If a batsman tries to obstruct the ball with his hand he can be got out.They can only knock the ball from rolling back on to the stumps with pads,feet or bat.
8. Hit The Ball Twice (Double Hit):-When a batsman hit twice a ball while playing a shot.This kind of dismissal is very rare and the batsman can go out only if the second hit is deliberate.
9. Obstructing The Field:-The umpire can give a batsman out if he feels the batsman has got in the way of a fielder who is about to take a catch or attempt a run out.
10. Timed Out:-When a batsman got out and if the next batsman fails to reach within 3 minutes,the umpire can give him/her out.This is the most rare form of getting out in type of cricket.

The first Five are the common ways of getting out in Cricket while the last five are the uncommon means of getting out

Related Posts:

• Use Of Hawk-eye In Cricket

When a specialized batsman got out at the end of the day’s play in a test,the batting team will usually send a non-recognized batsman to see out the rest of the overs.They are doing so in order to protect the next specialized batsman for the next day rather than run the risk of losing another batsman on the same evening.The conditions in the evening with fading light and creeping shadows which makes the recognized batsman to play more difficult and there is a great risk of losing the wicket.The team wants their better batsman to make the most of morning conditions rather than to play in the evening.

Normally,the night watchman will be one of the bowlers of the batting team who can play defensively rather than to play aggressively.Their job is to save a wicket for the day rather than to make runs.Pakistani cricketer Nasim-Ul-Ghani is the first night-watchman who scored a century (101 runs) against England at
Lord’s in 1962.Australia’s Tony Mann was the second to score a century (108 runs) against India at Perth in 1977.Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie also joined the group when he scored his maiden test century against Bangladesh in Chittagong.

Related Posts:

• Merit has became the main criteria for getting into the South African cricket team and not color
• Warne expressed his willingness to serve Indian cricket
• IPL Warned Pietersen For Showing Dissent On His Dismissal
• India Rose To The Second Spot In The ICC ODI Rankings
• The Most ODI Hat-Tricks By The Cricketers

Indoor Cricket Court

Indoor Cricket like Twenty-20 is full of entertainment and excitement.This cricket as the name suggests is played inside a warehouse type space called indoor cricket court which is 30 metres by length and 10 metres by breadth with nets surrounding the court.There is an astro turf on the top and the ground is concert.The length of the cricket pitch (22 yards) is same as that of the normal cricket and a tennis ball with cricket casing is mostly used to play indoor cricket.

The rules of the indoor cricket are:-

• The game is played for 16 overs for one side
• Each Playing team consists of 8 Players
• Bowlers can bowl only for 2 overs while the batsmen can only bat for 4 overs
• Batsmen can get caught out of the net
• When a batsman get out his team will lose 5 runs but he can play his full 4 overs
• When a bowler bowled a no ball or wide it will cost him 2 runs

The rest of the rules are same as that of the conventional cricket

A faster version of the game exists where each side is reduced to 6 players and each innings lasts for 12 overs instead of 16.Scoring consists of 6s and 4s as of the conventional cricket but in Indoor cricket there consists of bonus runs.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts