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).

A Call To Modify The Rules For Under 10s

Here on the Queensland Gold Coast junior cricket plays by a modified rule set, as is no-doubt the case in many other places.  As the age group increases the rule modifications diminish such that the under 10s have the most heavily modified set of rules, and the under 17s have very few modifications at all.

In the past several years the modifications for the under 10s has increased and now includes a a definition of a no-ball extends to a ball that does not pitch on the pitch, a free hit forward of the wicket from a cone for a no-ball, runs scored off of a no-ball are the extra and any runs scored from the bat.

The changes also reduce the number of players on a team to eight (some caveats apply) and stipulate field placement for those players.

I am broadly supportive of these rules, and I believe the changes around the no-ball do much to balance play when bowlers are still trying to learn the basics of their art.

However, I do believe that there is justification for a further, simple, tweaking of the rules which is in some ways an extension of the intent of the no-ball rule where the free hit from the cone must be hit forward of the wicket.  That rule is there because there are no fielders behind the wicket except for the wicket keeper, and so any hit behind the wicket is an almost-certain boundary.

The same goes for leg-byes and byes - with the reduced field size most byes and leg-byes will quickly run to the short boundary for four.

If the first few matches of the season are anything to go by, somewhere in the vicinity of a quarter to a third (I am giving benefit of the doubt and estimating on what I feel is the low side) of all runs scored in a game are scored behind the wicket with the vast majority of those from byes resulting from a wayward delivery or a miss from an inexperienced keeper.

To achieve a better balance and a fairer outcome I would like to see the rules about team size and field placement enhanced by a change that limits the number of runs behind the wicket to those run and a boundary from any reason restricted to one run.

You may download a copy of the current rules for junior cricket on the Gold Coast from here.

Recommendations on field sizing

There is a broad recommendation of a field size of forty meters for under 10's.  This is an increase over previous years where the recommended size was thirty or thirty-five meters; and it is significantly larger than the fifteen meters I have seen on the smallest field set.

The coaches have some degree of autonomy in selecting the size of the field for a match, and I want to put forward a suggestion on how to find that right size.

I believe that a field should be large enough that:

• when the keeper is unable to take a delivery from all but the fastest bowlers that it does not go for four byes (it doesn't reach the boundary with speed)
• only the most powerful batsmen can readily strike boundaries, and few can achieve a six
• players will need to relay the ball when thrown in from the furthest boundaries

and that a field should be small enough that:

• batsmen can still hit boundaries
• bowlers can still reach the boundaries if batsman and wicket keeper miss the delivery
• players can throw in from the short boundaries without need of a relay

Field sizes should be adjusted downwards for wet and/or long grass, and upwards for short and dry grass - I would go with 10 or 15% upwards for each of dry and short, and the same downwards for each of wet and long.

The cricket season itself is effectively made up of two halves - before and after the Christmas break.  I would look at increasing the field size by five meters after the Christmas break - the players are growing, gaining in strength and skill, and this should mean that the boundaries are flowing more freely.

Why this is important?
Setting the field size properly helps to achieve a balance in the game - wayward bowling or misses by a keeper are not unduly penalised; running between the wickets is encouraged; and, playing shots in the air is discouraged.  Also, it allows skill to match power on a more even footing.

Marking the field
Use a string with a loop on one end and a knot or marker at the desired field size.  From each centre stump circumscribe a half arc facing away from the opposite wicket.  Join the two ends of the arcs on either side of the wicket as the side boundaries of the field.

Field boundaries using a string and centre stump

The Batting Order

In Under 10's cricket, particularly at the start of the season, many of the players may not have played together before, and there can be wildly varying degrees of fitness, abilities and experience.

Given the often short time between sign-on and the first match I believe that a reasonable method for determining the batting order would be to mark two parallel lines twenty to twenty-five meters apart.  Line the players up on one of these lines.  Have them run (all either with or without bats) four times non-stop - all this is is running between the wickets for four runs.  Alternatively, line them up and do a one hundred meter dash.

Either way you do it, the finishing order is your batting order.

Why this way?
Simply, one of the frustrations in cricket is having a batting partner who is a complete mismatch with running between the wickets.  It results in run-outs, friction between the players, and lost opportunities as the players doubt their partners ability to complete the runs.

This does not take into account communication, decision making and understanding between the players - but this is an early predictor that can be used to start them off on the right foot when little else is known about the players.

StraightShooter's Pearls of Observation for Under 10's

Under 10's cricket occupies a pretty unique place in club cricket - it's a major entry point for inexperienced players, players who have played Kanga and Have-a-go cricket, and a few returning players.  This nexus of pathways provides a fairly broad spectrum of skills and abilities within most teams, and at the start of the season this will be most pronounced.  Under 10's cricket is also played with a fairly high degree of modifications to the format and rules of the game.

It is this combination of factors that results in conditions which can make the experience at times frustrating for many players.

As much as Millsy has played under 10's cricket, his mother and I have been right there with him all along the way.  During that time we have observed many matches, and match after match, year after year we kept seeing the same things (although sometimes we seemed to have been watching different games).  This is my top half-dozen things that to me mark the difference between teams that win consistently and those that can struggle, and more importantly, the teams that provide the best cricketing experience for their players.

When throwing at the stumps always throw underarm
This will save overthrows, a whole lot of overthrows.

When fielding always support your team-mates by backing up - in pairs
This will reduce overthrows and runs scored from misfielding.

When bowling it's better to flow than to throw
What I mean by this is that accuracy (we'll settle for legal deliveries, though) is better than blistering pace.  That is only going to be achieved by maintaining control, and that control will be lost if the bowler is over-exerting.

When batting always look for runs, and look like you are looking for runs
You will score more runs, and you will frustrate the opposition as they overthrow and this often leads to even more overthrows.

When batting never reach or stretch to hit the ball
Even if you are not caught or stumped, you are unlikely to make any runs and there's every chance that you will be run out.  Take my advice and take the run for the wide - it's usually the best outcome.

When batting never hit at a really poor delivery
As  often as not you will be bowled or caught.  That delivery that dribbles down the pitch will get right under your bat and bowl you; and that one that doesn't make it down the pitch or rolls off the pitch - hit it and as likely as not you will be caught.

A Bonus Pearl, well not so much a pearl as just a little bit of advice.

When bowling keep your front foot well back from the popping crease
A lot of boys flirt with the line and find themselves frustrated when a no-ball is called.  At this age they are just too young to be flirting.

And finally, one for the parents

Encourage your children while they are playing, but don't call instructions out to them
As tempting as it may be, this can cause confusion, indecision and doubt in the children.