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Kids Fielding. Too Static. How to Galvanize?

Hurray

Cricket Spectator
Hi all,
I've been training cricket to 11 years old french kids since last year. The session runs for an hour and half. First half, I teach them bowling, batting and fielding basics. Since the kids love to play a match, I finish off each session, the second half, with a match. 2 batsmen and everyone else fields, 2 overs per pair, 4 balls per over.
However I have realized that the kids who are fielding lose their concentration quite quickly. After few minutes they start playing with their hair, have their arms crossed, and some even squat down.
What can I do so that the game stays interesting to these kids? How can I involve the fielders more?
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The ball needs to head in their direction often enough that they expect it. If the batsmen are only hitting it to certain parts of the ground you need to rotate the fielders a bit between pairs.
 

Hurray

Cricket Spectator
Thanks.
The training is done in a gymnasium. I do rotate the fielders after each over. But with 8 fielders waiting, and batsmen hitting most of the times in the same direction, it still seems slow.
 

harsh.ag

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Can you create two teams?

If yes, pitting them against each other helps. Fielders need to want to beat the other side.
 

vcs

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Tell them they don't get to bat unless they field properly
 

GotSpin

Hall of Fame Member
I've been experimenting with different kinds of games to keep the kids interested in cricket at school. It's always a challenge to balance the really good players and keep the lesser ones motivated and interested as well

Standard 6 ball overs but the two batsmen must score 8 runs off the 6 balls. They essentially form a partnership. If the bowler can prevent them from scoring 8 runs, both batsmen are out. The bowler can then bat with one of the fielders. No hit and run

Say a batsmen gets out caught or run out early in the over, the responsible fielder forms a new 'partnership' with the other batter and the over resets. If one batsmen faces the whole over without the other facing a delivery, only one of them is out and the bowlers get too bat.

Essentially, the idea is to get the batters imaging themselves in a partnership. They develop more skills in terms of shot placement and running between the wickets while the fielding team is constantly motivated

Our games normally run between 6-20 kids and 8 off 6 is a perfect amount when you consider the odd wide and no ball. We don't play boundaries either as I want them running between the wickets more

The format really works in terms of keeping everyone engaged and I've definitely noticed an improvement in skills
 

GotSpin

Hall of Fame Member
I've changed this sometimes to just having multiple bowlers line up like in the nets. Eventually some kids just like to field by choice because there are catches on offer and they have a chance at batting. Works really well
 

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