Make The Batter Play

Overview:
This is a brilliant exercise for encouraging players to bowl straight.

Organisation:
Groups of 5 players are organised as illustrated. Player 1 bowls six balls attempting to make player 2 play at every ball. Player 2 is instructed to leave any ball that is off the line of the stumps. The remaining fielders (players 3 & 4) collect the ball each time, returning it to player 1. The bowler is awarded 1 point for each time the batter plays at the ball. Players rotate after each over and continue until all players complete the exercise.

Technique:
Keep the head still and the eyes level throughout the delivery; feet at right angles to the line of delivery; raise the non-bowling arm with the head looking behind it at the target; front knee raised and front arm pulled back; front arm pulls down through the target area; bowling arm draws the figure ’6′ finishing with a high release position; full swing of both arms towards the target and drive through of back leg to complete the action.

Adaptation:
To increase difficulty: Increase distance between bowlers and target; decrease size of target e.g. single stump (easier for batter to leave the ball); introduce competitive element e.g. score points for every time batsman must play the ball. To decrease difficulty: Decrease distance between bowlers and target; increase size of target e.g. extra set of stumps (harder for batter to leave the ball); use lighter balls e.g. inter cricket/tennis balls.