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Cricket: Use of feet To Defend

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Kanishka

DESCRIPTION

Looking to defend ball after using feet coming down the wicket

Quick feet from the batter are essential when getting to the ball.

When advancing down the wicket, batter must aim to keep head as still as possible, and eyes level.

Batter needs to be in a still position by the time they make contact, and well balanced.

Encourage player to loosen bottom hand upon impact, and maintain their weight into the shot by leaning forward not back. Bat coming through straight s key, with soft hands, with player looking to drop the ball at their feet, making impact underneath their eyes.

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OFTEN USED WITH...

Sweep Drill:

This drill can be done in pairs/groups of three (minimum one batter and one feeder required), with six tennis balls per pair/group.

Batter plays shot from one knee and progresses to ordinary stance when competent in the kneeling sweep position.

The types of feed should be rapid fire feeds, where hands only move, and balls are fed quicker. Move onto the types of sweep below, hitting:

Orthodox sweep
Paddle sweep
Slog sweep
Reverse sweep

Feeds need to be altered slightly here, quicker for the paddle, and wider and more looped for slog sweep.

Techniques

Example of advancing down wicket:

Can be done in pairs/ groups of three. One batter and one feeder minimum required. 6 tennis balls per pair/group.Feeder stands 4 meters away from batter, feeding ball as a drop feed, with arm out horizontally, and standing on the batters off side for safety. (adjust height of arm depending on height of feeder, and speed of batter to ball)Batter must use their feet and move down the wicket, meeting the ball on the second bounce, before hitting the ball through the cones.

PROGRESSIONMake target smallerAllow player to hit over the top (aerially) – still keeping shape of shot and not leaning back or hitting to hard/to the leg side.Alter distance batter has to advance to get to the ball.

Techniques

Pull Shot:

Can be done in pairs/ groups of three. One batter and one feeder minimum required. 6 tennis balls per pair/group. Each batter will have two rounds of 6 balls each.Feeder must feed over arm, bouncing the ball in the feeding zone, at height of feed number (1) as seen in the short ball drill.Batter plays pull shot, looking to hit ball along the ground. Nets would be essential for this practice.

PROGRESSION

Feeder can come closer, and feed on the full, under arm at batter for improved accuracy. This feed would also allow for rapid fire feeding, where only the hands move in the execution of the shot.Cricket balls may be used for this.

Techniques

Sweep:

Played to a length ball pitching on or around line of the stumps

Can be done in pairs/ groups of three. One batter and one feeder minimum required. 6 tennis balls per pair/group.

Feeder looks to feed the ball around middle stump, using an underarm 'bobble' feed. Already down on one knee in sweep position, batter looks to play orthodox sweep shot (shot number 1), aiming for the line indicated on diagram.

Front foot batting

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