Cricket

Physical Profiles of All-Rounders, Batters, and Bowlers in Sub-Elite Women's Cricket

ABSTRACT

Jacobs, J, Olivier, B, Brandt, C, and Jafta, G. Physical profiles of all-rounders, batters, and bowlers in sub-elite women's cricket. J Strength Cond Res 38(6): 1095-1102, 2024-The unique physical profile of each player's role in sub-elite women's cricket is vital for optimizing performance as these players progress to the elite levels. This quantitative, cross-sectional study investigates the physical profiles of sub-elite women's cricket players as a group and compares these profiles across different player roles. Sub-elite female cricket players in the South African domestic women's cricket league were included in this study. A battery of physical assessments were conducted at the start of the 2022/23 season. The physical assessments included body composition, individual muscle strength testing using dynamometry, 2-km time trial (TT), countermovement jump (CMJ), single-leg jump (SLJ), isometric mid-thigh pull, push-up, and hop test on force plates. A total of 44 female players (20.86 ± 1.6 years) were included in the study. Differences were found in muscle mass (p = 0.004) and peak power (p = 0.040) for all-rounders and bowlers. Player roles presented with different dominant (p = 0.006) and non-dominant (p = 0.066) knee flexion strength. The bowlers' body composition and physical strength profile are compromised compared with batters and all-rounders. There were several physical strength and power differences between pace and spin bowlers in CMJ and SLJ tests for jump height (p = 0.009) and peak power (p = 0.006). Batters performed the best in the 2-km TT. Body composition and musculoskeletal profiles for each player role can be baseline markers in sub-elite women's cricket. Stakeholders can use this information to guide physical preparation for players advancing to elite levels.

Accessibility of Motion Capture as a Tool for Sports Performance Enhancement for Beginner and Intermediate Cricket Players

Motion Capture (MoCap) has become an integral tool in fields such as sports, medicine, and the entertainment industry. The cost of deploying high-end equipment and the lack of expertise and knowledge limit the usage of MoCap from its full potential, especially at beginner and intermediate levels of sports coaching. The challenges faced while developing affordable MoCap systems for such levels have been discussed in order to initiate an easily accessible system with minimal resources.

The effect of attentional focus instructions on performance and technique in a complex open skill

External focus of attention has been shown to promote more automatic motor control, yielding better performance and more efficient technique, than an internal focus. However, most research has used closed-skill tasks in novices. The extent to which the reported pattern of findings generalises to more complex, time-constrained tasks requires further investigation. In this study, we investigated the effect of attentional focus instructions on performance and technique in an open-skill task in skilled performers. Thirteen skilled cricket batters batted from a ball projector in four conditions, receiving instructions to focus on the movement of their hands (internal focus), the movement of their bat (proximal external focus), the flight of the ball (distal external focus), or no instruction (control). Performance and technique were measured by quality of bat-ball contacts and step length/knee flexion, respectively, whilst playing straight drives. Compared to external focus and control conditions, focusing internally yielded significantly worse batting performance and shorter step lengths, with the largest effects observed between internal and distal external focus conditions. Quality of bat-ball contact data suggested that participants' ability to protect the wicket (as evidenced by more miss/edge shots) was more negatively affected by focusing internally than their ability to play shots to score runs (as evidenced by fewer good bat-ball contacts). Findings suggest that, for skilled performance of open-skill tasks, a distal external focus yields more effective performance and technique compared with focusing internally. Findings highlight the need for further research on attentional focus effects between different skills within specific sports.Highlights A distal external focus of attention enhances performance and technique of skilled cricket batters compared with an internal focus.Providing skilled batters with no instructions yields similar performance benefits to distal external focus instructions.Focusing internally differentially negatively affects skilled cricket batters depending on the strategic intention of the shot being played (e.g. protecting the wicket vs attempting to score runs).

Joint and segment sequencing and its relationship to ball velocity and throwing arm kinetics in professional pitchers

BACKGROUND

Temporal variations during the pitch have demonstrated significant impacts on the kinetic chain, and as such, have implications in injury risk.

PURPOSE

To determine the effect of varying chronological orders of maximum joint and segment velocities on ball velocity and upper extremity kinetics.

METHODS

Professional baseball pitchers (n = 287) were assessed with 3D-motion capture (480 Hz) while pitching. Pitches were categorized into one of the following groups dependent on the first maximum joint or segment velocity achieved out of chronological order in an inferior to superior direction: knee extension (DscK), pelvis rotation (DscP), trunk rotation (DscT), shoulder rotation (DscS), forearm pronation (DscF), and Proper (for pitchers with the correct temporal sequence), and Total Population, for all pitchers. Ten normalized throwing arm kinetic variables were compared among groups. Regression analysis was conducted on the timing of maximum velocities with ball velocity.

RESULTS

The majority of pitches were in the DscK group (64.5%). The DscK group had a significantly slower maximum lead knee extension velocity compared with the Proper group (253°/s vs. 316°/s, P = .017). The Proper group had a significantly faster ball velocity compared with the Total Population (39.0 ± 1.9 m/s vs. 38.3 ± 2.1 m/s, P = .013). The DscP group had a significantly slower maximum pelvis rotation velocity compared with the Proper group (596°/s vs. 698°/s, P < .001). The Proper group had no significant difference in kinetics relative to the population. For every 1 standard deviation delay in attaining maximum lead knee extension velocity, ball velocity increased by 0.38 m/s (B = 3.5, β = 0.18, P < .001). For every 1 standard deviation delay in timing to achieve maximum pelvis rotation velocity, maximum pelvis rotation velocity and ball velocity increased by 22.5°/s (B = 1107.0, β = 0.23, P < .001) and 0.48 m/s (B = 23.4, β = 0.23, P < .001), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Pitchers with a discordant sequence of knee extension and pelvis rotation velocity timing had significantly slower corresponding segment/joint velocities. Conversely, pitchers with a proper sequence had the fastest ball velocity with minimal differences in throwing arm kinetics. To maximize ball velocity, professional pitchers should consider achieving maximal velocities in an inferior to superior chronological sequence, with a particular focus on the knee and pelvis.

Increased Shoulder Distraction Force and Shoulder Horizontal Abduction in Professional Baseball Pitchers With Discordant Torso Rotation Order

BACKGROUND

Inefficient energy transfer from the pelvis and trunk has been shown to increase compensation at the level of the shoulder. Kinetic chain sequencing of the core segments is underexamined in professional baseball pitchers, especially as it relates to changes in upper extremity kinetics.

PURPOSE

To evaluate elbow and shoulder kinetics in a cohort of professional pitchers differentiated by instances of discordant pelvic to upper torso sequencing during the pitch.

STUDY DESIGN

Descriptive laboratory study.

METHODS

285 professional baseball pitchers were evaluated using 3D motion capture (480 Hz). Pitchers were divided into "chronological" and "discordant" groups based on whether maximum pelvic rotation velocity occurred before (chronological) or after (discordant) maximum upper torso rotation velocity during the pitch motion. Pelvic, upper torso, and shoulder kinematic parameters, shoulder distraction force, shoulder internal rotation torque, and pitch efficiency (PE) were compared between groups.

RESULTS

Pitchers with discordant torso sequencing (n = 30; 110 pitches) had greater shoulder horizontal adduction at maximum external rotation (mean difference, 3.6°; 95% CI, -5.2° to -2.0°; t = -4.5; P < .001) and greater maximum shoulder external rotation (mean difference, 3.7°; 95% CI, 5.7° to 1.5°; t = -3.5; P < .001) than chronological pitchers (n = 255; 2974 pitches). PE did not differ between groups (P = .856), whereas ball velocity was significantly faster in the discordant group (mean difference, 0.6 m/s; 95% CI, -1.1 to -0.3 m/s; t = -3.3; P = .0012). Chronological pitchers had significantly reduced shoulder distraction force (mean difference, -4.7% body weight (BW); 95% CI, -7.9% to -1.5% BW; t = -2.9; P = .004) with no difference in shoulder internal rotation torque (P = .160). These kinematic and kinetic differences were not observed when accounting for interpitcher variability.

CONCLUSION

Between pitchers, those who had a discordant pelvic to upper torso sequence experienced significantly greater shoulder distraction forces, potentially compensating by increasing maximum shoulder external rotation and horizontal abduction. Achieving maximal pelvic rotation velocity before maximal rotation velocity may be advantageous in preventing compensation at the upper extremity and excessive throwing arm loading.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Identifying risk factors for increased upper extremity forces has potential implications in injury prevention. Specifically, mitigating shoulder distraction forces may be beneficial in reducing risk of injury.

A Systematic Review of the Batting Backlift Technique in Cricket

There has been an extensive amount of research into the batting elements of cricket. However, there is limited research specifically on the batting backlift technique (BBT). Therefore, this review aims to provide an understanding and consensus of the BBT in cricket at varied skilled levels. A PRISMA flow chart revealed 38 studies that were reviewed (both coaching and scientific literature), which reported on the backlift in cricket. The databases searched were PubMed, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Library and Sabinet. This review shows that the lateral batting backlift technique (LBBT) is a likely contributing factor to successful batsmanship at all levels of cricket ability (junior, adolescent, semi-professional, professional, international and former elite/successful cricketers). It was also found that coaching a LBBT to young batsmen may be challenging to teach, and therefore, further coaching models should be developed to assist cricket coaches. As much as a LBBT may be a contributing factor for success, there is still a need to answer a number of questions through further in-depth biomechanical investigations and through interventions that are more meticulous. A way forward for further research in this area of cricket batting is documented at the end of the review.

Analysis of Cricket Ball Type and Innings on State Level Cricket Batter's Performance

Background: The aim of this investigation was to compare the type of cricket balls utilized and innings on cricket batting performance in the First-Class Australian competition.

Methods: Batting performance measures of 43 state level cricket batters were collected from two seasons of the Sheffield shield tournament (N = 60 games) that incorporated both Kookaburra^™ (n = 30 games) and Duke^™ (n = 30 games) cricket balls.

Results: First-innings batting performances were significantly greater for the average number of runs scored (37.5 ± 13.4 vs. 31.2 ± 11.3), balls faced (60.7 ± 26.2 vs. 49.9 ± 23.6), boundary 4s (3.8 ± 1.9 vs. 2.9 ± 1.4), and boundary 6s (0.2 ± 0.3 vs. 0.1 ± 0.3) scored per game (p < 0.05), as well as centuries scored (5.74 ± 8.56 vs. 1.49 ± 5.14%) compared to second innings performances (p < 0.05). There were no differences for any batting performance measures as a result of ball type (p > 0.05). However, significantly more wickets were taken by pace bowlers during Duke^™ ball games (85.0 ± 12.8 vs. 76.4 ± 13.9%), while relatively more wickets were taken by spin bowlers during Kookaburra^™ ball games (14.2 ± 12.5 vs. 22.0 ± 14.1%; p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Cricket batting performance was comparable in games involving the Kookaburra^™ or Duke^™ ball. However, pace bowlers were more successful transferring their skill to the Duke^™ ball, while spin bowlers were more successful with the KB^™ ball. Subsequently, batters may be able to effectively adapt their movement technique, and transfer their skill to the Duke^™ ball conditions. Future research is suggested to examine the influence of the cricket playing surface’s deterioration on cricket batter’s interceptive performance.

Moderating factors influence the relative age effect in Australian cricket

BACKGROUND

The relative age effect is a commonly occurring phenomenon whereby there is a tendency for relatively older players to be over-represented during high level competitions. This effect is often seen to diminish as player's age, however, there has been far less investigation on other potential moderating factors.

METHOD

This study investigated the impact of the relative age effect, and potential moderating factors, within the talent selection process of Australian cricket. Relative age distribution of 2,415 male and female junior and senior state level cricket players, who played in the Junior National Championships or State competition (senior level) between 2011 and 2015, were analysed.

RESULTS

Players born in the first quartile of the cricket season were significantly over-represented in both male Under-15, Under-17, Under-19 and female Under-15 and Under-18 levels. However, there was no significant difference at the senior state level for either male or female cricketers. Further investigation of the relative age effect in the junior talent pathway revealed that male all-rounders, batters and pace bowlers, and female all-rounders and batters, born in first quartile were over-represented. Right-handed batters and bowlers were also influenced by the relative age effect at all Junior National levels, while left-handed batters and bowlers were only influenced at the Under-15 and Under-17 levels. These results highlight the impact relative age has on junior cricket talent pathways, including sex, age, handedness and primary skills. Only state level, and left-handedness at the Under-19 level, were unaffected by relative age.

DISCUSSION

The findings of this study highlight the influence of relative age effects for both male and female junior cricket players. Interestingly, there may be an advantage to being left-handed that is more prevalent at the older (male Under-19; female Under-18) age levels.

Coaching implications of the lateral batting backlift technique in men's cricket: a discussion and food for thought

Cricket coaching manuals published after 2009 accept as a norm for batsmen to lift the bat in the direction of the slips. A mixed-methods study conducted among 161 coaches around the world showed that most cricket coaches (83%) coach the straight batting backlift technique (SBBT) as opposed to the lateral batting backlift technique (LBBT) at various proficiency levels of the game. The LBBT (more beneficial for cricket batsmen) is one in which the bat is lifted laterally in the direction of second slip or gully. Using this technique, the face of the bat faces towards point or the off-side. In contrast, the backlift in which the bat is lifted towards the stumps or first slip and the face of the bat points towards the wicket-keeper or the ground, is known as the SBBT. This paper attempts to provide implications for coaching the LBBT and understanding some important aspects of cricket batsmanship in men's cricket.

The influence of ball-swing on the timing and coordination of a natural interceptive task

Successful interception relies on the use of perceptual information to accurately guide an efficient movement strategy that allows performers to be placed at the right place at the right time. Although previous studies have highlighted the differences in the timing and coordination of movement that underpin interceptive expertise, very little is known about how these movement patterns are adapted when intercepting targets that follow a curvilinear flight-path. The aim of this study was to examine how curvilinear ball-trajectories influence movement patterns when intercepting a fast-moving target. Movement timing and coordination was examined when four groups of cricket batters, who differed in their skill level and/or age, hit targets that followed straight or curvilinear flight-paths. The results revealed that when compared to hitting straight trials, (i) mixing straight with curvilinear trials altered movement coordination and when the ball was hit, (ii) curvilinear trajectories reduced interceptive performance and significantly delayed the timing of all kinematic moments, but there were (iii) larger decrease in performance when the ball swung away from (rather than in towards) the performer. Movement coordination differed between skill but not age groups, suggesting that skill-appropriate movement patterns that are apparent in adults may have fully emerged by late adolescence.

Novel coaching cricket bat: can it be used to enhance the backlift and performance of junior cricket batsmen?

Background

In the current literature, it is questionable whether cricket bats in their current form and dimensions allow a young cricketer to hit the ball effectively. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a novel coaching cricket bat among junior cricket batsmen with regard to enhancing performance and the direction of the backlift.

Methods

A cross-sectional research study with analytical research methods was employed, in which 2 groups (coached: n=12 and uncoached: n=35) of participants (ages 9–13) took part in a pilot and intervention study. Participants were required to use a novel coaching cricket bat in a coaching game format. Biomechanical and video analysis was conducted in the frontal and lateral planes. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated to determine the effectiveness and the level of significance was set at p<0.05.

Results

Pilot study results demonstrated that participants scored an additional 100 runs when using the coaching cricket bat compared with a conventional cricket bat (p=0.003). 6 weeks postintervention (training with the coaching cricket bat), the experimental group displayed improved performance (ES=5.41). Players' backlifts had subsequently become more lateral, which may have promoted more effective ball striking as a result of this training effect.

Conclusions

The recommendation from this study is that coaches should encourage young cricketers to use the coaching cricket bat as it is perceived to be a potentially significant training aid for enhancing their performance and the direction of their backlift when they use conventional cricket bats in match play.

A descriptive analysis of batting backlift techniques in cricket: Does the practice of elite cricketers follow the theory?

One of the first principles of cricket batsmanship that is coached from a young age is to play with a straight bat. Limited studies to date have examined whether top international batsmen use this traditionally described technique. Accordingly, we performed a descriptive, observational study of the backlift technique adopted by 65 of the most successful batsmen of all time, based on their career averages, strike rate and runs scored. The batsmen were divided into two groups depending on whether they played the game before or after 1954. Surprisingly, more than 70% of these successful batsmen did not adopt the traditionally taught technique. Instead, they adopted a more looped action in which the initial movement of the bat was in the direction of the slips, and in extreme cases it was either towards the gully/point region or to have the face of the bat directed towards the off-side. This suggests that traditionally taught batting coaching techniques may hinder, rather than enhance future cricketing performance. Since the vast majority of cricketers are not coached in this technique, this finding probably indicates that this looped technique is likely a contributing factor to effective batsmanship.

Pick-up of early visual information to guide kinetics and kinematics within a group of highly skilled baseball batters

This pilot study integrated sport expertise and biomechanics methodologies within a baseball batting task. Purpose was to examine differences within a highly skilled group of baseball batters to use visual information to guide weight transfer and bat movements. One batter who played at Major League Baseball (MLB) level was compared to five batters who played at Australian Baseball League (ABL) level in a case-control design. Batters faced pitchers in a simulated competition and attempted to hit pitches, while vision was temporally occluded during ball flight or not occluded. Time of weight transfer (kinetics), as well as bat downswing initiation and duration (kinematics) from the point of ball release, were compared between the MLB batter and ABL batters. Results indicated that the MLB batter coordinated his striking pattern by completing his weight transfer earlier than the ABL batters. His bat downswing was also initiated earlier than some ABL batters, but there was no difference in duration of bat downswing between batters. All batters initiated bat downswing prior to completion of weight transfer. Understanding of motor expertise is furthered using a novel methodology.

Are current coaching recommendations for cricket batting technique supported by biomechanical research?

Coaching manuals are an invaluable tool for coaches, used in player skill and technique development, especially at grass-roots level. Commonly developed by former players and coaches, this information is generally based on anecdotal evidence and in general lacks the scientific rigour of a peer-reviewed journal. Thus there is a need to establish the level of agreement and support between the coaching and biomechanical literature. In doing so, evidence-based coaching practices can be optimally developed. Moreover, this will ensure the technique and skill development practices implemented at grass-roots level are supported by successful performance in the later stages of player development. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the latest batting biomechanics research, providing a comprehensive and up-to-date insight into the kinematic and kinetic aspects of batting in cricket. Furthermore, this review compared and contrasted this research with a selection of coaching literature, establishing a strong level of support and agreement between the coaching and biomechanical literature in recommendations for cricket batting technique. Although the ambiguity in a number of coaching concepts still exists, coaches and players can be confident in the successful implementation of both sources of information in a player's technical development.

Biomechanics and visual-motor control: how it has, is, and will be used to reveal the secrets of hitting a cricket ball

Cricket batting is an incredibly complex task which requires the coordination of full-body movements to successfully hit a fast moving ball. Biomechanical studies on batting have helped to shed light on how this intricate skill may be performed, yet the many different techniques exhibited by batters make the systematic examination of batting difficult. This review seeks to critically evaluate the existing literature examining cricket batting, but doing so by exploring the strong but often neglected relationship between biomechanics and visual-motor control. In three separate sections, the paper seeks to address (i) the different theories of motor control which may help to explain how skilled batters can hit a ball, (ii) strategies used by batters to overcome the (at times excessive) temporal constraints, and (iii) an interpretation from a visual-motor perspective of the prevailing biomechanical data on batting.

Hitting a cricket ball: what components of the interceptive action are most linked to expertise?

Differences in interceptive skill between highly skilled and lesser skilled cricket batsmen were examined using a batting task that required participants to strike front-foot drive strokes from a machine-projected ball to a specified target. Task difficulty was manipulated by varying the width of the bat (normal, half, and third width) and target accuracy, and quality of bat-ball contact was monitored along with temporal and sequential elements of the hitting action. Analyses revealed that the highly skilled batsmen were distinguishable from less skilled counterparts by their higher accuracy under the normal and half-width bat conditions, significantly earlier initiation and completion of the front-foot stride, greater synchronization of the completion of the front-foot stride with the commencement of the downswing of the bat, and consistent timing of downswing relative to ball bounce and impact. In keeping with studies of other hitting sports, temporal and spatial coupling of the downswing to ball bounce to help minimize temporo-spatial error at the point of interception appeared critical to skilled performance. Implications for the understanding of interception and for coaching practice are briefly discussed.

The associations between fast bowling technique and ball release speed: A pilot study of the within-bowler and between-bowler approaches

The inability of the between-bowlers methodology to control parameters external to technique could lead to erroneous significant and non-significant associations being reported between fast-bowling technique and ball release speed. Using Pearson's product - moment correlation, we first examined the effectiveness of a within-bowler methodology to identify associations between technique and ball release speed of an elite semi-open fast bowler over 20 deliveries. These results were compared with associations identified from a between-bowlers methodology in which 20 single-performance trials bowled by elite fast bowlers adopting a semi-open shoulder alignment were collated. Sufficient variation was observed in within-bowler ball release speed to allow f relationships to be identified between technique and ball release speed. Although greater variation in bowling technique parameters was observed in the between-bowlers methodology, no associations were identified between technique and ball release speed. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that 87.5% of the within-bowler variation in ball release speed can be attributed to run-up velocity, angular velocity of the bowling arm, vertical velocity of the non-bowling arm, and stride length. The within-bowler methodology provided significant detailed information about the individual bowler that the between-bowlers methodology overlooked, forming the basis of a performance enhancement programme. It is recommended that within-bowler methodology be used in future investigation of technique relationships.