Cricket Sessions
These cricket sessions focus on developing striking, sending, receiving, movement and team work skills within small-sided games. Lessons are progressive and suitable for indoor or outdoor delivery.
Lesson Plans
Lesson 1: Throwing Session
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To develop accuracy and control when throwing.
- To apply throwing skills in a simple target-based activity.
Success Criteria:
- I can use good technique for both underarm and overarm
- I can aim at a target with increasing accuracy.
- I can adjust the power of my throw depending on distance.
Key Words:
- Technique
- Accuracy – power and aim
- Underarm
- Overarm
Equipment:
- Medium sized balls & tennis balls
- Cones for set up
- Bibs
- Cricket stumps
- Spots
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Germs & Medicine
Choose 3-4 taggers (germs) who will have a bib and the same number of releasers (medicine) who will start with a different coloured bib. Those without bibs need to get away from the germs. The germs need to tag as many people as possible. If you are tagged, stand still with hand in the air. The medicine will release you back into the game by giving a hi 5.
Progression:
>Give the medicine a tennis ball instead.
>To get back into the game, medicine must throw the ball to those who have been tagged, who will catch the ball and throw back to the medicine. Use the underarm throwing technique for this game
Skill Development
Frog jumps
Children to get into pairs. Each group will need one tennis ball (frog) and one spot (lily pad).
The children will start placing the spot in the middle and taking 2-3 steps back each from the spot. This is your target.
The idea of the game is to throw the ball to the spot, making the ball bounce on the spot and reaching their partner on the other side. We are going to use both the underarm and overarm technique for this game.
Progression:
>We can go from using the underarm technique to the overarm technique.
>We can also take more steps back to make it more difficult for us to hit the target
Game – Hitting Wickets
Split the children into teams that will have 4-5 children per team. Each group will be given a ball each and a set of wickets. Each team will have a lane that they will play in. The wickets will be placed around 5-6m away.
The aim of the game is for the children to use either the underarm or overarm technique to hit the stumps (the ball can only bounce once before hitting the wickets). Allow the children to begin by practicing hitting the target before turning this into a game.
In the game, the teams will be given a number of times they have to strike the stumps e.g. 10 times. The first team to reach this target are the winning team
Progression:
>We can look to increase the distance to the wickets to make it more difficult.
>We could also say that we have to directly hit the wicket rather than allowing the ball to bounce before hitting
>We could also increase the numbers of times we have to hit the stumps.
Teaching Points:
- Underarm technique – starting with the ball down by your side, non throwing arm should be used as an aimer, pointing towards the target (which is the spot). Swinging throwing arm back and then forward, stepping the front foot forward and releasing towards the target.
- Overarm technique – This time the ball starts above the shoulder. Again, non throwing arm should be pointed infront aiming at the target (which is the spot). This time push the ball forward, steeping on to the front foot, again aiming for the target.
- Remember to reinforce that we are looking for good accuracy in the session. This is all about aiming and hitting a target (whether a spot or stumps). We don’t need to see power immediately, as this may affect our aim. Look to improve aim and then add power later
Key Questions:
- What do we mean by the term accuracy?
- What two things do we need to think about to improve our accuracy?
- When using both techniques, what should we be doing with our non throwing arm?
- How could we increase the power in our throw?
National curriculum links:
- Using running and throwing in isolation and combination
- Developing control and technique through playing cricket
Social/environmental skills:
- Showing encouragement and empathy to others
- Developing resilience in their work by looking for improvements
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
Lesson 2: Catching Session
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To learn how to catch the ball using correct technique
- To be able to combine throwing and catching together
Success Criteria:
- I can use good technique when catching
- I understand the two types of catching and when each would be used
- I can get into a ready position.
Key Words:
- W shape
- Cupping technique
Equipment:
- Cricket/tennis balls
- Cones for set up
- Bibs
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Germs and medicine
Choose 3-4 taggers (germs) who will have a bib and the same number of releasers (medicine) who will start with a small ball. Those without bibs need to get away from the germs.
The germs need to tag as many people as possible. If you are tagged, stand still with hand in the air. The medicine will release you back into the game by throwing the ball to you will become the medicine
Skill Development
Creative catching
Each child given a ball and asked to find a space. They are going to move around the area, throwing the ball above their head and catching the ball. Concentrate on the ‘cupping technique’ for this activity. Explain to the children that they should use this technique when the ball is in the air straight above them
Progression:
>Can we throw the ball higher and catch the ball
>Can we clap before catching the ball
Throwing pairs
Children to get into pairs with one ball between them. They will stand around 3-4m apart to begin with. The aim is to throw the ball to their partner who must catch the ball using the ‘W shape technique’. Explain to the thrower that they can use either the underarm or overarm technique from last week to throw towards their partners hands. Catcher needs to be in the W shape
Progression:
>Standing further apart
>Creating a scenario where both straight and high throws can be done so that the catcher can use both the W shape and cupping technique
Game – Ball-extrix
Children to be in groups of 4, creating a square standing around 4-5m apart. The ball must make its way around the square, using both the underarm and overarm technique and both the W shape and cupping technique (which one they use will be determined by their decision making).
Start off by practicing throwing the ball around the square and then create a competition between groups where the team quickest to throw their ball around the area wins.
Progression:
>Standing further apart/closer to each other depending on how the game is going
>Combine 2 groups together and add another ball in. The balls should start at opposite sides of the circle. The aim is to not allow the balls to overtake one another. This could also be done as a whole class adding in an appropriate number of balls depending on the class ability. The higher the ability, the more balls that could be added
Teaching Points:
- Cupping technique – Hands together, little fingers stuck together and creating a cup or bowl for the ball to land in and bringing their hands into their chest.
- W shape technique – Knees slightly bent, hands together with thumbs touching creating a W with their hands. Again, when the ball is caught, bring the ball into the chest.
- Reiterate to the children the difference between the two techniques and when they should be used. They should use a cupping technique when the ball is looped high and is traveling slowly down towards them. A W shape should be used when the ball is traveling faster and straight towards them.
- To make it easier to catch the ball, the children need to understand to aim towards their partner’s hands. This will give the catcher a greater chance to be successful in their catch
Key Questions:
- Can you name both catching techniques and demonstrate each?
- When would you use both techniques?
- How can we make it easier for our partner to catch the ball?
National curriculum links:
- Use running, throwing and catching in isolation and combination
- Develop control and technique through playing cricket
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Developing communication skills
- Developing resilience in looking to improve their work
Lesson 3: Fielding Session
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives:
- To return the ball quickly and accurately using correct techniques
- To learn the different cricket positions
Success Criteria:
- I know the different roles in cricket
- I can use the long barrier to stop the ball.
- I can collect and throw the ball smoothly.
Key Words:
- Fielders
- Wicket keepers
- Short barrier
- Long barrier
Equipment:
- Cricket/tennis balls
- Cones for set up
- Bibs
- Cricket stumps
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Know The Roles
Use 4 cones/markers of different colours in each corner of the area. Explain that each corner is a role in cricket:
>1 corner is fielder
>1 corner is batter
>1 corner is bowler
>1 corner is wicket keeper
The children will move around the area in a creative way. This could be jogging, sidesteps, running backwards, skipping, hopping etc. When the teacher shouts out one of the roles, the children must move to that corner.
Skill Development
Short and long barrier
Get the children into pairs and ask them to stand around 5m apart with a ball between them. The partner with the ball will roll the ball along the floor to their partner who must create a short or long barrier and collect the ball in two hands before rolling it back to their partner who will do the same
Progression:
>Increase the distance between the groups
>Get the player with the ball to roll the ball to the side so that those fielding need to move to the side before getting into position
Hit the wicket
Get the children into even groups with a ball and a set of wickets. The team line up to the side of the stumps with one person acting as the wicket keeper behind the stumps. One fielder will position themselves at a distance away from the wicket keeper.
The wicket keeper rolls the ball out to the fielder who will use a short or long barrier to stop the ball, and then throw the ball towards the wicket. If they hit the wicket, they get a point. Once they have been the fielder, they become the wicket keeper and the wicket keeper joins the back of the fielding queue.
Progression:
>Increase the distance between the fielder and the wickets.
>Place the fielder at different angles to the wickets to make it more challenging to hit the wickets.
Game – HOWZAT!
Split the groups into even teams. 2 teams will play each other in an area with a set of wickets at either end of the area. The idea is for the team to get the ball to their opponent’s wickets and hit the wickets whilst defending their own wickets.
They can only use underarm technique to roll the ball, using the short and long barrier to stop the ball. 1 point awarded for hitting the wicket.
Teaching Points:
- Short barrier – Turn the foot sideways and place it behind the ball with hands in front to collect the ball. If you miss the ball with your hands, the foot should act as a barrier. This can be done if the ball is rolling slowly
- Long barrier – Bend one knee (using the back leg) down towards the floor to again act as a barrier. This surface area is larger so is harder for the ball to get through. This can be done if the ball is rolling more quickly.
- Get the children to understand when each of the barriers should be used when playing a game. The short barrier should be used either when the ball is travelling slowly or when you need to quickly run out a player. The long barrier should be used when the ball is travelling quicker and you are at risk of missing the ball
Key Questions:
- Can we name the two types of barriers?
- Can we name the positions on the cricket pitch and the role of each player?
- When should we use the short barrier and when should we use the long barrier?
National curriculum links:
- Use running, throwing and catching in isolation and combination
- Developing control and technique through playing cricket
- Play competitive games against others, applying basic principles for attacking and defending
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Developing good communication skills
- Developing resilience in looking for improvements to their work
- Showing creativity in their work
Lesson 4: Bowling Session
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To develop a consistent bowling action.
- To bowl with accuracy towards a target.
Success Criteria:
- I can bowl with a straight arm (overarm)
- I can aim at the stumps.
- I can bowl within the rules.
Key Words:
- Bowling
- Accuracy
- Technique
Equipment:
- Tennis/cricket balls
- Cones for set up
- Cricket stumps
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Windmills
Get the children to find a space inside the area. Explain to them that they are going to move around the area skipping whilst rotating their arms (like a windmill).
As the teacher says go, the children will complete this. As they are rotating say the following instructions – Forward (rotate arms forward), backwards (rotate arms backwards) and windmill (this is where the arms are opposite, 1 up and one down whilst rotating)
Skill Development
Bowling technique
To begin with, show a demonstration of the bowling technique without a ball
Allow the children to find a space and practice this technique without a ball. Get them to move around the area, taking 2-3 steps before using the technique
Progression:
>Now give each child a ball. They should not throw the ball whilst completing the technique
Bowling practice
Children to get into pairs. One ball between two. They are to stand around 3-4m apart from one another.
The idea is to use the bowling technique to bowl the ball to their partner. Explain to them that the ball should only bounce once before reaching their partner. In this exercise we are not looking for accuracy, we are looking for good technique.
Progression:
>Introduce a spot in between the partners. Now we are looking for accuracy when bowling. Can we hit the spot?
Hit the wickets
Class split into teams of 4-5 (class size dependent). Each group given one ball, a spot and one set of wickets. The group will take it in turns to use the bowling technique to bowl towards the wickets. One person in the group will be the wicket keeper behind the wickets to retrieve and roll the ball back to the next person in the queue.
Rotate the wicket keeper once each person in the group has had a go at bowling. Make sure the children are using the correct technique and ask them to only allow the ball to bounce once before hitting the wickets. Ask the children where they think is best to aim when bowling so that the ball bounces once and then hits the wickets.
Game – Run & Bowl
Children to be split into groups of 4. Each group is then split into two teams of two. One of the pairs will be the bowler and wicket keeper whilst the other pair are batsman. You will need one ball, one set of wickets, two cones and two bats. (you can do this in bigger groups. If you are, the bowler becomes the wicket keeper and the wicket keeper joins the bowling line)
The wickets will be set up so that the bowler is a similar distance to the last game. There will be two cones set up to the side of the bowling game at the same distance. The two batters start on a cone and their job is to run between the wickets as many times as they can, switching each time. At the same time, the bowler and wicket keeper will try to hit the wickets a set number of times. Set the number dependent on the ability levels of the class.
The bowler bowls, the wicket keeper retrieves and rolls the ball back to the bowler. They switch roles after 3 bowls each or after each time if in bigger groups.
The game finishes when the bowler and wicket keeper teams has reached their target. The teams then swap roles and the team who manages to get the most runs in the time are the winners.
Teaching Points:
- Bowling technique:
>Non bowling arm starts straight above head, ball should start on line with nose facing sideways on with the same foot as your non bowling arm being in front.
>As you step forward, create a number 6 with the bowling arm using the windmill technique the same as in the warm up (as the bowling arm goes down then up, the non-bowling arm should do the opposite creating that windmill technique).
>Each arm should be straight and the bowling arm should brush the ear as it comes up - Holding the ball – Index and middle finger to grip the ball whilst the thumb is to the side of the ball
- We are looking for good technique throughout the session. The accuracy of the throw becomes secondary. We want to perfect the technique before starting to work on the accuracy of our throw. Encourage the children to do this throughout the session
- When aiming and throwing, the ball should only take one bounce before striking the wicket or moving past the wicket. We do not want to see the ball bouncing multiple times or rolling. Make sure the children are aiming close to the wicket as they throw. We want to see the ball bouncing just before the target
Key Questions:
- Can we demonstrate the bowling technique?
- Where should we position our fingers on the ball?
- What should we be doing with our non throwing arm? And how will this help us?
- Where should we be aiming when throwing the ball?
National curriculum links:
- Use running, throwing and catching in isolation and combination
- Play competitive games against others
- Develop technique and control through playing cricket
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Developing good communication skills
- Showing encouragement and empathy to others
- Showing resilience through trying to make improvements
Lesson 5: Batting Session
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To develop a correct batting stance and grip.
- To strike a ball with control.
Success Criteria:
- I can hold the bat with the correct grip.
- I can stand side-on in a balanced stance.
- I can hit the ball into space.
Key Words:
- Batting
- Grip
- Drive shot
Equipment:
- Cricket/tennis balls
- Cricket bats
- Cones for set up
- Cricket stumps
- Bibs
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Tunnel Tag
Select 3-4 children to be taggers. Their job is to tag as many people as possible. If you are tagged, stand with legs apart to create a tunnel. Select 4-5 children to be given a ball. To get back into the game, those who have been tagged stand with their legs apart.
The person with the ball will roll the ball through their legs and collect the ball from the other side. Ask the children how they should roll the ball. How much power should we put into the roll?
Skill Development
Cone drive
Get the children into pairs. Give them one ball, one bat and one cone between them. Get the batter to place the ball on top of the cone and practice using the drive shot. Their partner should be stood around 5m in front to collect the ball.
It is important that the children use the correct technique as they strike the ball and try to keep the ball low to the ground as they strike it. Ask why it is important to keep the ball low? (to stop the fielders from catching the ball). Swap after 5 turns each
Partner drive
Again, the children to be in pairs with a ball and a bat for the group. They should be standing around 5-6m apart. Ask the bowler to bowl the ball underarm towards their partner.
The batter should then use the drive shot to strike the ball back to their partner. We are looking for the batter to try to keep their strike low to the ground using good technique. Swap roles after 6 turns
Progression:
>Get the bowler to stand 7-8m away and use the bowling technique to bowl to their partner.
Game – Run Batter Run
Get the class into groups of 5. They will be given 1 ball, 1 bat, one set of wickets and 2 cones. One person will be the batter, one person will be the bowler, one person will be the wicket keeper and two people will be the fielders. The wicket is set up with a cone 2m either side of them.
The bowler will bowl the ball to the batter who uses the drive shot to strike the ball. When struck, the fielders need to retrieve the ball and get it back to the wicket keeper. As this happens, the batter needs to run around one of the cones to get a point. If they think they can get around a cone again, they can and will receive a second point.
However, if the ball goes back to the wicket keeper who taps the top of the wicket, the batter loses the points they have gained in that shot. Remember when throwing the ball to the wicket keeper, it needs to be rolled.
After 6 turns, the batter adds together their runs. Each person has a go at batting and the person with the most runs at the end are the winners
Teaching Points:
- Demonstrate how to grip and hold the bat – Grip the bat with 2 hands. The dominant hand should be at the bottom of the grip with the non-dominant hand above it. Grip tightly with both thumbs pointed towards the floor or gripped around (whatever is more comfortable)
- Drive shot – Standing side on, swing back until the bat is horizontal, then drive the bat forward until horizontal in front of them. As they swing the bat forward, they should step forward with their front foot.
- We are looking for good technique in their strike action. Explain that we don’t want to swing the bat too hard or too fast. If we can make good contact between the bat and ball, we do not need to concentrate on hitting the ball as hard as we can as if we do, there’s a chance we will miss the ball
- Explain to the children to keep your eye on the ball as you go through your technique
Key Questions:
- Can we explain the drive shot?
- How do we grip and hold the bat?
- Why is it important not to swing the bat too much or look to swing with too much power?
- When striking the ball, where should we be aiming?
National curriculum links:
- Use running and throwing in isolation and combination
- Develop technique, balance and control through playing cricket
- Play competitive games against others
- Comparing their performance against a previous attempt and looking for improvements to their technique
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Developing good communication skills
- Showing and developing resilience in trying to improve
Lesson 6: Cricket Games
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives:
- To apply skills in a competitive game situation.
- To follow rules and play fairly.
- To demonstrate teamwork and respect.
Success Criteria:
- I can play cricket games following the rules.
- I can show fair play and respect to others.
- I can use the correct skills during a game.
Key Words:
- Rules
- Respect
- Sportsmanship
Equipment:
- Cricket/tennis balls
- Cricket bats
- Cricket stumps
- Cones for set up
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Creative Team Warm Up
Split the class into 4-6 even teams (min 5 per group)
Allow each team to go away and lead their own warm up. This will include a dynamic movement, each person in the group picking a stretch, and practicing their bowling and fielding technique. You may want to give each group 3-4 balls each to practice this so they can go into smaller groups within their team
Game – Run Batter Run In Teams
The game is the same rules as the game last week. Fielding team need to have a wicket keeper, bowler and others being fielders spread out.
Batting team take one shot at a time to strike the ball and then run around the cones as many times as possible. If the ball is returned to the wicket keeper who taps the wickets before the batter gets back into position, their points are taken away. Each batter in the group gets 3 strikes of the ball and then the team adds the score together.
If you are concerned about batters running, you can make it so that if they strike the ball they get a run instead of running.
The teams will then swap roles. The team with the highest number of runs when both teams have been are the winner. We will then swap over the teams so that the winning team play the winning team and losing team plays losing team
Teaching Points:
- When batting, remember that we are looking to make good contact with the ball. We don’t necessarily need to strike with a lot of power, it is about making good contact and looking for the spaces so we can achieve a run. We need good communication with our partner in order for us to successfully run between wickets and not be run out
- When bowling, we want the ball to only bounce once before reaching the batter. Can we get the ball to bounce just before reaching the wickets. Again, we are looking for good technique. If the children can’t gain enough accuracy using the bowling technique, allow them to use the overarm throw. Again, if the accuracy is poor, use the underarm technique
- For fielding, we want the children to be in the ready position. This will allow them to react quickly to the ball. Remember to explain the two barrier techniques and when they should be used. When returning the ball, we want the wicket keeper standing next to a set of wickets and the bowler standing next to a set of wickets. The fielders should then look to throw the ball to one or the other (normally depending on which one they think the batter won’t reach before the ball, resulting in a run out). Think tactically about where the fielders should be placed, to give them the best chance to either catch or return the ball quickly
Key Questions:
- When batting, how can we ensure we make good contact with the ball?
- When bowling, how can we ensure we have good accuracy?
- When fielding, how should we be standing to ensure we can react quickly?
- Why would good communication help both the fielding and batting team?
National curriculum links:
- Use running, throwing and catching in isolation and combination
- Play competitive games against others, applying basic principles for attacking and defending
- Develop technique and control through playing cricket
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Developing good communication skills
- Showing creativity in coming up with tactics
- Showing good sportsmanship throughout the session
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