Cricket is a beautiful game that has become increasingly popular around the world. There are several different ways to get into the sport, whether you want to play as a beginner or have done some playing before, there’s always something new to learn!
In this article we will discuss five key cricket net practices that can help anyone improve their performance. By practicing these skills, you will be helping yourself in your quest to master the game.
Net practice #1 – Keep moving
This one may sound very obvious, but it’s important to know how to do it properly. As mentioned earlier, cricketers spend a lot of time at the nets doing drills so they can hone their skills and concepts.
But too often, players simply go through the motions without really investing anything into it. You should try to make the session as fun for you as possible, but also need to put in effort into learning the basics.
You don’t just hang out in the batting box watching the ball come towards you, you have to move!
There is an art to timing your runs, knowing when to stay still and wait for the pitch to slow down, and being able to run effectively between the wicket and the fence.
Practice your footwork by running up and down the field with the appropriate amount of speed and intensity. Try to keep a steady rhythm going from front-to back and side-to-side.
Practice batting in the evening
After-school practices are great ways to hone your cricket skills while giving you some of the most important benefits of night time training. Most clubs have an informal practice where members can come watch, work on their techniques or play games with others.
Many international teams hold formal training sessions at night so that athletes do not need to travel during times when they cannot practise due to commitments like jobs, family, etc.
Practising at night helps reduce muscle tension and relaxation so that you can focus fully on the skill being practiced without feeling tired or distracted. This is particularly helpful for endurance sports like rugby, football or swimming, as well as team sports like hockey, netball or softball.
Drinking enough water and eating nutritious snacks before the session will help ensure you are awake and aware for the exercise.
Keep the ball dry
Most cricket nets have an area where the net is stretched out and sodden balls are left to drain. This can be done in your or another’s net, so most cricket associations offer this service to members.
By having this system, you will save money in the long run as the net does not need to be replaced too frequently. There are some who argue that leaving the ball wet for hours can actually damage it slightly, but we feel that this is negligible.
Most people do not realize how much of a difference letting the ball air-dry makes until they try it.
Use a thicker batting layer
As mentioned before, net practice is any activity that does not occur during a game or tournament. Most cricket nets have you use either a thick batting foam cover or grass to hit through.
Thicker covers help prevent weak shots from breaking down due to poor contact with the ball. This also helps mitigate power loss as the ball contacts the net more slowly. Power loss happens when the bat breaks away early because of lack of strength.
Grass can be used instead of normal turf if there are no markings for the length of the pitch. Grass has a higher friction coefficient than hard surfaces which give better control over the batsman’s swing.
Wearing sunscreen
One of the biggest mistakes cricket net users make is not using enough sun protection factor (SPF) when they practice or play the game. This can be tricky because some SPFs may cause your skin to become dry and wrinkled!
Too much sun exposure can also hurt your skin by causing it to overreact by developing harmful chemicals. This can result in more serious conditions like eczema or dermatitis, which require even higher levels of care!
Luckily, there are many good brands that feature products with an adequate amount of sun protection.
Wearing a hat
One of the most basic things you can do to improve your performance as a batsman is to put on a cricket cap or baseball cap. A batting cap is designed to hang down over the mouth, just like a hockey goalie jersey does!
The key difference between a hockey goalies jersey and a cricket helmet is that the chest area of the shirt is not protected. A good way to fix this is by using a cricket net t-shirt as an undershirt. This will give you some extra protection in the chest area while still showing off your muscles.
We have seen many examples of professional cricketers doing this, so it is definitely worth looking into.
Stay hydrated
As mentioned before, water is your body’s main element. If you don’t give it what it needs, it will perform less efficiently and even stop functioning completely. Therefore, make sure to drink enough of it!
Most people seem to forget this when they go about getting through the day. Some still feel thirsty hours later which explains why some people are unable to enjoy their favorite sports until hours later.
Drinking more than two cups of liquid can help prevent athletes from becoming dehydrated. This may mean drinking more milk or plain water instead of sugary drinks like iced tea or soda. Or perhaps finding other ways to be more conscious about how much fluid you consume during the game.
For example, if you love chocolate then an energy gel or glucose tablet could be helpful for keeping your blood sugar stable.
Rest your hand before a game
Before every cricket match, you must rest your hands! This is an important net practice that many people forget when they are preparing for a game. If you play professional sports like football or hockey, then it’s easy to understand why this may be overlooked.
But as we know, cricket is much more physically demanding than those other sports. So if you are a beginner player, you should pay attention to this tip.
By resting your hands before a game, you will give yourself a chance to recover properly. When you play sports, your muscles and tissues get tight, which can cause cramping and inflammation.
If you overuse your body parts, these things can become very serious so it is best to take time to re-focus on healing and relaxing your muscles.
There are two main reasons to rest your hands before a cricket game. The first is mental, and the second is physical.
Mental soft tissue relaxation helps you relax your mind and body, which in turn removes stress. For most people, the average workload for a cricket match is six hours, which is around three hours of gameplay per day. By taking time to rest between games, you allow your body to restore and refresh itself.
Play in the morning or evening
Most cricket nets have a schedule posted outside of when practice begins and ends. If you are too busy to make it to a net at its scheduled time, you can simply go out and play!
Net practices are usually an hour long and most people drop out before the end due to lack of motivation to train. You will need to be motivated the same way athletes are who train for hours every day.
By going early in the day or late in the night, your goal is the same as theirs – to improve your game. Either option will work well for you.
You can also choose to do both if one doesn’t work for you. I know many people that wake up early and then later in the day they feel tired so they don’t want to workout, but you must find what works for you.
There is no wrong time to exercise, so try different options and see which ones help you focus more fully on the sport.
