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."

Crease to Crease - Fitness and Speed Session

This week's Sportplan session looks at getting your players running from crease to crease, preventing the ball from reaching the boundary and working on their general fitness and speed. Read on to learn more!

When you look at the pros in action it's easy to overlook fitness for some of the more glamorous aspects of the game such as the bit hits and acrobatic takes.

However, fitness undoubtedly plays a very important part in all players' games and it's safe to say they would struggle if they weren't in shape. Strict county and country training regimes have ensured that there's no podgy-Pietersens or morbidly obese-Morgans in England's squad.

Running alone is no fun though, which is why we've made all of the exercises in this session a competition. By splitting your team in two you can race your teams against one another to see which group is quickest running between the creases. To make the games more match related the second part of the session will see the introduction of a fielders versus batters drill, the fielders will need to make two fast throws if they want to stand any chance of beating the running batsmen.

Don't let a lack of fitness hold your players back. Get them in shape and ready for 2012 today!