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North Middlesex Colts
NOTES FOR PLAYERS: INDOOR LEAGUE
2007/2008
Welcome to the excitement of Indoor Cricket! It's fast and furious - and you will like it.
We hope that North Midd. Colts will be fielding two U11 teams (as well as U13 and U15 teams) in the Middlesex East Area Leagues. This winter, the games will be played at
THE ISLINGTON ARTS AND MEDIA SCHOOL, Turle Road, Finsbury Park, N4 3LS
on Saturday afternoons. This means a commitment to playing on 4 or 5 Saturdays between October and March - and for league winners there will be County Finals in April. In 2005/06, the U11s won the county-wide Middlesex Indoor Cup; last year we tied in the semi-final, but were knocked out because we lost one more wicket than our opponents This year, we hope North Midd can win the title again.
North Middlesex has the best record of any club at Indoor League:
* North Midd U11s: County Champions 4 times; losing finalists twice; East Area Champions 9 years out of twelve.
* North Midd U13s: County Champions three times; losing finalists once; East Area Champions 5 years out of eleven.
INDOOR RULES
Indoor League cricket is played to the same rules as the outdoor game except:
8 a side instead of 11. There are 12 overs maximum per innings, with maximum three overs per bowler. Batsmen (who must wear helmets) score by hitting the ball on to the walls up to 4 feet off the ground (2, 3 or 6 runs) and by running between the wickets (2 runs). Balls hit on to the walls above 4 feet do not score. Batsmen retire when they reach 30, and cannot return. An overthrow hitting the wall is 1 run. Batsmen may be caught out from a ball hitting the side & back walls or ceiling. Batsmen change ends at the end of every over. A hard plastic ball is used, and spring stumps.
All players should be in WHITES - with white indoor trainers. Bring all your cricket equipment, the same as for an outdoor match: pads, box, gloves, helmet - and get it all ready in good time before setting out for the match. Try to arrive as early as possible - 20-30 minutes before start time. USE ANY PRACTICE TIME AVAILABLE TO THE FULL. Don't stay up late the night before!
How To Enjoy the Game, How To Win
Indoor League is not for slackers! Each game takes about 80 minutes and, after two games, you should be exhausted. Even more than the outdoor game, Indoor League is a TEAM GAME. Everyone has a job to do. Because it is such a FAST GAME, every player on the pitch - batting, fielding or bowling - has to be on his toes ALL THE TIME.
Batsmen
It is the batsmen's' job to score runs as FAST as you can - looking for runs right from the first ball. Which means that it is ESSENTIAL to WATCH THE BALL on to the bat, and be ready to move your feet to play the right shot. Runs are scored by hitting the ball on to the walls - even 'snicks' through the slips will score 2. The top score of 6 is given for straight drives on to the wall behind the bowler. IN ADDITION, an extra 2 runs are given for the batsmen running between the wickets (except for a score of 6 where the ball is 'dead' as it hits the wall).
Because of the relatively small size of the indoor hall, batsmen have to think FAST - All the things you do outdoors, but FASTER! This applies particularly to BACKING UP & CALLING. Very often there are easy runs to be taken behind the wicket: for instance, batsmen can usually take a run on 'snicks' which do not go direct to the wicket-keeper or fielder - but only if the bowler's end batsman is RUNNING IN with the bowler (not walking in) and both batsmen are thinking positively and are READY TO RUN AT ALL TIMES. Balls which are not cleanly taken by the wk can also mean a run for FAST thinking batsmen. Remember, batsmen taking quick runs will upset the fielders, and make it easier for you to continue taking runs! CALL LOUDLY FOR EVERY BALL: only YES or NO, but try to think 'YES' wherever possible. N.B. Leg-byes also score 2 if the ball hits the back wall. CALLING: Each pair of batsmen must TALK together and decide on the policy for calling. Normally, the bowler's end batsman will call for balls going behind the stumps AND balls hit square of the stumps, the batsman on strike calls for balls hit in from off the wicket. However, if an experienced player is in with a less experienced batsman, the best player can decide to make all calls. Just make sure YOU KNOW what to do!
BATSMEN: FIND THE GAPS. Batsmen will score more quickly by placing the ball BETWEEN fielders, by angling the bat - even when playing forward defensive.
The placed shot, the gentle shot, just dropping the ball in front of you with a dead bat may well score MORE runs than hitting the ball very hard.
If you do hit the ball hard, be AWARE of where the ball will rebound off the walls - it may go straight to another fielder. It is vitally important that the top two or three batsmen get good scores and keep up a good scoring rate (it is quite possible to score 15-20 runs per over) but with a certain amount of caution - take chances between the wickets and pressurise the fielders - but don't be silly. The middle order batsmen must also be more cautious if wickets have fallen quickly and there aren't many runs on the board. But if the early batsmen have done their job, batsmen numbers 4,5,6,7 & 8 have to still GET ON or GET OUT: don't get bogged down. If you find that you are not able to score, let another team member have a go. It may be better to be out for 0 first ball than stay around for 6 overs scoring 20. But it is important to bat out the overs so that we have at least one batsman at the crease at the end of 12 overs.
If the top batsmen have not done so well, the later batsmen must set their sights lower. A very good score is about 140-150 - but a winning score in the first innings may well be 100-120. An even lower score can be defended with excellent bowling and fielding. Keep an eye on the scoreboard, talk to your partner at the end of EVERY over and be aware of the required run-rate per over.
To sum up: FAST THINKING
FAST & LOUD CALING
FAST RUNNING &
MAXIMUM BACKING-UP
THE SHOUT: GET ON! MEANS 'GET ON OR GET OUT'
Bowlers
There is only really one important thing for bowlers to remember:
LINE & LENGTH. What is required of the bowler in an indoor match is steady line & length bowling - OFF STUMP/MIDDLE STUMP only. To do that requires a steady head, and eyes that are fixed on the target. Don't try to bowl too fast. You help your team by keeping a good line; your captain will be able to release a leg-side fielder to assist on the offside. Short pitched bowling & full tosses will be knocked away; leg side bowling also makes life difficult for your wk. Bouncers or beamers will be punished by a call of NO BALL. The WIDE rule is not quite so rigidly enforced on the off as down the leg side. Wides and No Balls score 3 to the batting side and no extra ball. Bowlers NOT bowling wides is as important as batsmen getting fast runs. We have often won games simply by bowling many fewer wides than the opposition.
To sum up: LINE & LENGTH
STEADY
OFF STUMP/MIDDLE STUMP
Fielders
Because of the small size of the pitch, all fielders have to be ready JUST LIKE SLIP-FIELDERS for every ball. On your toes, ready to stop the ball hitting the walls. WATCH THE BALL on to the bat and anticipate where the ball is going to go. Be ready to take the ball and get it back to the wk or bowler as quickly as possible - BUT DO NOT THROW HARD AT THE STUMPS unless you are certain you will hit. Make life easier for bowler & wk by getting the ball into their hands. An overthrow hitting a wall means a run to the opposition; fielders should be ready to BACK UP behind the bowler or wk to make sure this doesn't happen. Also be ready to take a catch off the ceiling or off the walls (though this will not be judged to be a catch if the balls gets caught in netting). If your position is right on the side wall - STAY IN POSITION. Do not move forward or sideways unless instructed by your captain. Do not get upset by a free scoring batsman - keep your head, keep trying. He will be gone before long - either out or retired!
WICKET-KEEPER: your job is very much the same as outdoors; get your body in line with the ball - & remember every bye that hits the back wall is 2 runs for the opposition, and every wide that hits the back wall is an extra 1. To slow bowlers, move up and watch for stumping chances.
To sum up: ON YOUR TOES FOR EVERY BALL & STAY IN POSITION
STOP THE BALL HITTING THE WALLS
THROW BACK TO BOWLER/WK's HANDS
DON'T THROW DIRECT AT STUMPS
BACK UP BOWLER/WK
The End Game....
Many games are won and lost on the last ball of the second innings. If your team is BATTING ALWAYS GO FOR THE RUN. Both batsmen should talk to each other and know they will both go for a run whatever happens. The backing up bat should be down to the striker’s end almost before the ball.... and there may be another run if the fielders are confused.
If your team is FIELDING, HOLD THE BALL. Walk to the nearest stumps, or throw
in carefully to bowler or wicket-keeper. Better to restrict the batsmen to a single than give away 2 or 3 from overthrows.
Final Thoughts
Always remember this is a team game; whenever you are on the pitch as bowler, batsman or fielder you have a specific job to do TO HELP THE TEAM TO WIN. As you go out on to the pitch concentrate on what that job is, and do your best to achieve it. And with a bit of luck as well, you will win! Never give up - a game can be turned round from possible defeat to victory by one or two good innings, or 2 or 3 quick wickets. Never Panic! ENCOURAGE the rest of your team by applauding good performances - all through the match, and most of all when things are not going so well. I am sure you will enjoy the game; it will help to develop the skills needed to play outdoors next summer. And we have a reputation to maintain as the most successful Indoor Cricket club in Middlesex over the last few years.
Brian Lake
October 2007
020 7267 2307 (home) or 020 7631 4220 (work)
email: brian@jarndyce.co.uk
If you have any questions, please give me a ring.
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