Supercharge your players' spin bowling

This week's session focuses on your players spin bowling, getting them to turn the ball effectively and improve the overall flight and length of their spin bowling. Read on to learn more!

All young players should be taught to and encouraged to spin the ball as much as possible. A spinner's ultimate aim is to deceive the batter with spin - putting as much spin on the ball as possible so that when it bounces it deviates, making it difficult for the opposition's batsman to hit.

To give your players an idea of what sort of line they should be bowling we set up mini-gates (using stumps) to the left/ right of the wicket for your players to bowl through - aiming to put enough spin to get the ball to deviate back towards the wicket.

It's also important for your bowlers to not become predictable - it's for this reason in this session we cover not only the basic bowling form but also three separate spins - Off Spin, Leg Spin and Loop Spin! Once your players have mastered the spin they can then look to accompany it with flight and variation

Can they field under pressure? Ground Fielding Principles Session

This week's session looks at using ground fielding techniques in a pressured game situation to help prevent fielding follies. Read on to learn more!

The key to a good out-fielding side is that they attack the ball. By attacking we mean come towards the ball and meet it rather than simply waiting for it to come to you. By being positive and alert you can get to the ball quicker and subsequently plant doubt into the batsman's mind by reducing the space that they can openly hit the ball into.

Your players should be used to getting their feet, legs and body behind the ball so that even on the bumpiest of pitches they're able to get the ball under control quickly to send it back towards the wickets. However, using the long barrier in a non-game situation is completely different to in a match when the stakes are raised.

It's for that reason that this session uses a series of conditioned games to see how your players use the ground fielding techniques they know in a pressurised situation - ensuring your players keep their eyes on the ball right until the moment it's in their hands.

After using this session you would hope to see your team play more comfortably in their next game, focusing better on the incoming ball and stopping it in its tracks.

Picking up quick singles - Keep the scoreboard ticking!

This week's session has been designed to help your players get off the mark at the start of their innings and start picking up singles! Read on to learn more!

As almost any batsman will tell you, the hardest part of batting is getting started and especially scoring that all important first run (nobody likes being out for a duck).

To help your players get started this week's session works on getting your players to score more singles to take the pressure off their shoulders at the start of their innings - as well as trying to get young players out of the 'four or nothing' mindset of batting!

Michael John Clarke, the Australian batsman, says that "the key to picking up singles is playing the ball with soft hands. This means you can drop the ball at your feet with as little pace as possible to give yourself more time to run to the other end."