Scoring From Behind

Any observer of a match with the modified format of under 10's cricket on the Gold Coast would notice the significant number of runs scored from behind the wicket, and more often than not without the bat.  It is common place to have a wide or wayward delivery go for four runs.  In fact, anything that gets past the keeper usually results in four runs.

This situation is the logical outcome of the modified format as it stands with the combination of undersized fields, reduced player numbers and mandated fielding positions.

Cricket should be a game where there is a natural balance between the bat and the ball.  I believe that this balance is particularly difficult to strike with the less skilful players in the younger ages of junior cricket where outcomes are often (not always, and never solely) determined by the quality or lack of quality of the bowlers.  The modified rules for Under 10's achieves a fair balance, except that a team is excessively disadvantaged for any poor bowling, and outcomes can be determined by which team has the fewer poorly bowled overs on the night.

Prior to the modified rules teams would have a fielder at third man, and sometimes at deep backward square leg, or better, at fine leg (once in a while you would even see a player at long stop where the bowler was particularly quick or the keeper inexperienced).  Setting a field with these positions greatly reduced runs scored from misfielding and poor bowling - arguably characteristics of under 10's cricket.  It restored some balance to the game.

I would recommend that the scoring on anything between the arc between gully and leg gully or third man and fine leg be limited to one run which must be run unless the ball reaches the boundary - this would apply to deliveries that are hit, byes, leg-byes and overthrows.  Within that arc wide and no-ball deliveries should accrue no additional runs, only the established penalties themselves (bearing in mind that the no-ball already receives a free hit).