A cricketer can be a specialist batsman, a bowler, and even an all-rounder but every cricketer has to be a fielder. Good fielding can make all the difference between a win and a loss. Grabbing that opportunity to run out the batsman, diving and sliding to cut off boundaries, taking those all-important catches and sprinting across to make even singles appear risky; every incremental effort can make a monumental difference to the outcome of the game. Fortunately, cricket fielding is a skill that can be mastered through cricket fitness exercises and regular practice. Read through to know more about exercises for cricketers that can help them improve their fielding skills.
Cricket Fielding Exercises
Spectacular cricket fielding is all about agility and focus. While a consistent cricket workout will help build on the agility, constant on-field practice can help you master the art well. Here are some simple exercises that can help you refine and polish your fielding skills:
1. Target Practice
One direct hit and the batsman is back in the pavilion. Targeting to hit the wickets directly from different distances, fielding positions, and heights can prove to be a great cricket fielding exercise. The more you practice, the higher will be the chances to pull out magnificent run-outs that can help change the outcome of the game.
You can use any object that has the height and width of real stumps. Set these stumps in the centre of the field and simply run around in the playground aiming to hit the stumps from different angles.
2. Ball Throwing
Executing an overarm throw with speed and accuracy is an important cricket fielding skill. Sprinting, diving, and grabbing the ball in no time can prevent the batsmen from taking singles. Complementing it with a perfect return throw to the wicketkeeper or at the bowling end can double-up the fun. Throwing the ball back like a rocket requires perfect technique and muscle power. No wonder the ball throwing exercise forms an integral part of the list of exercises for cricketers, especially when it comes to fielding.
3. Dose Catches
Catches at slips, silly point, and gully position are short distance catches. To execute such catches cleanly, the fielder requires a great degree of concentration, quick reflexes, and unmatched agility and flexibility to move around in any direction quickly. To practise dose catches, you’ll require to rope in a competitor or use a ball feeder machine. Add variation with different types of balls bowled from different distances and at varying speeds. Make sure that the fielding practice is fast-paced so that it hones your decision-making power too.
3. High Catches
Nailing those towering catches at the boundary can make or break the game. The key is to carefully watch the ball right into your hands and a stable grip to hold onto it. This fielding practice session works best between two teams. But make sure the players don’t just smack the ball around in no-man’s land. Instead, make the high catches look testing but possible. This will encourage the players to move around quickly to catch those seemingly impossible catches.
4. Running Catches
In a match, the batsman will ensure that he hits the ball everywhere and anywhere. But it’s the unparalleled fielding skills that can help the player get underneath any kind of ball. Whether it’s a forward running catch or a backward running catch, the key is to keep the eyes on the ball. Watching and controlling your run in the mind and stretching and diving or jumping at the right moment to grab the ball will only be possible through great practice.
Cricket Fielding Drills
Including cricket fielding drills in your daily cricket workout routine will not only hone your fielding skills but also work as perfect cricket fitness exercises. Some of the proven cricket fielding drills include:
1. Corner Ball Drill
In a square field, place stumps in the middle and 4 balls, one at each corner. Stand at the stumps, at the sound of ‘go’, run towards one ball, pick it up and aim at the stumps. Run back to the stumps and go towards the 2nd ball. Repeat with all 4 balls and do 3 sets.
2. Chase and Throw Drill
Place 3-4 balls at different distances from the stumps. At the shout of ‘go’, run towards the stumps, field the ball and return to the keeper or aim at the stumps. To add variation and intensity, use a bowling machine so that the ball comes out moving and in different directions.
3. Ladder Catch and Throw Drill
Place an agility ladder or use mini hurdles like cones. Start running from one end focusing on running technique and speed without hitting the obstacles. Take the catch fed from the other end, aim to hit at the stumps and run back to the start position. Repeat 5 times and do 3 sets.
4. Fielding Circle Drill
This drill usually works best with 5-6 trainees. All fielders run on a circular path with the coach in the centre. While the players are running, the coach may call out one player’s name and throw the ball toward him. The player has to catch the ball and aim at the stumps. The throw is backed by the opposite fielder who returns it to the coach.
5. Underarm Throw Drill
The underarm throw proves to be helpful when you are near the stumps and are looking to hit them. Two players stand opposite each other about 20 m apart. One player rolls the ball towards their partner. As soon as the ball is thrown, the other player runs in to grab the ball rolling on the floor and with an underarm throw, returns it to their partner. To make it tougher, try aiming at the stumps with an underarm throw.
6. Overarm Throw Drill
The overarm throw is all about power and accuracy. The players can stand scattered on the field. The coach may start the drill by calling out a player’s name and throwing the ball high in the air. The coach will now call out another name to whom the 1st player must return the ball. So, the 1st player runs in to catch the ball and turns around to throw the ball towards the 2nd player. Depending upon how far the 2nd player is standing, the 1st player will adjust their power and throwing speed of the throw to help the 2nd player collect the ball with ease.
Conclusion
The key to perfect fielding is practice. Good cricket fielding training sessions thus focus on developing muscle memory. Repeating and practising the movements several times makes the body comfortable with each movement. So, invariably, they are executed without thinking. This cuts down on the decision-making time and helps generate great results in microseconds.
For basic cricket training at home, a bat, ball, and stumps are all that is required. But if you want to take your cricket fielding practice to the next level and wish to compete on bigger platforms, it is worth investing in modern fielding equipment. They will help you make the most out of your cricket workout and execute the cricket fielding exercises and drills to perfection.
