The Physical Differences Between Faster and Slower Elite Male and Female Pace Bowlers

The physical profile of female cricketers: An investigation between playing standard and position

The primary aim of this study was to present the physical profile of female cricketers. Secondary, was to assess any differences between playing standard (professional vs. non-professional) and position (seam bowler vs. non-seam bowler). Fifty-four female cricketers (professional seam bowler [n = 16]; professional non-seam bowler [n = 17]; non-professional seam bowler [n = 10]; non-professional non-seam bowler [n = 11]) undertook a battery of physical and anthropometric assessments during the off-season period. Participant's physical profile was assessed via the broad jump, countermovement jump, isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), 20 m sprint, run-2 cricket specific speed test, and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level-1 (Yo-Yo-IR1). The sum-of-eight skinfold measurement was also recorded for professional cricketers only. Differences between playing standard and position were assessed with a two-way ANOVA. Seam bowlers possessed a significantly (p < 0.04) greater stature and had a higher body mass than non-seam bowlers. Non-seam bowlers recorded significantly (p < 0.01) further broad jump, higher normalised peak vertical force during the IMTP, and ran greater distances during the Yo-Yo-IR1. Professional cricketers produced significantly further run distances for the Yo-Yo-IR1 and faster run-2 times for the dominant turning side than non-professional cricketers. This study provides valuable insights into the physical profile of female cricketers across playing standards and positions which practitioners can use to direct and enhance training outcomes.

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.

The Physical Qualities of Elite Australian Pace Bowlers: Typical Characteristics and Longitudinal Changes in Men and Women

Purpose: To determine whether the most important physical qualities in elite Australian male and female cricket pace bowlers change with age and phase of the cricket season. Methods: An existing longitudinal database (7 cricket seasons) of selected and routinely collected physical testing data from 103 male and 58 female elite Australian pace bowlers age 18–30 years was retrospectively analyzed. Male and female physical testing data from the isometric midthigh pull, 1-repetition-maximum bench pull, run-of-3, and countermovement jump (male only) were analyzed separately by performing linear mixed models on each of the physical qualities. Type III analysis-of-variance tests were conducted to determine if a significant effect existed within the fixed effects of age, season phase, and the age × season phase interaction. Appropriate pairwise comparisons were conducted. Results: Absolute and relative measures of force in the isometric midthigh pull and strength in the 1-repetition-maximum bench pull tests were significantly greater in older male and female pace bowlers. Older male pace bowlers demonstrated significantly faster absolute and relative best run-of-3 times. Conclusions: Most physical qualities across both male and female pace bowlers demonstrated an improvement with age. This is likely due to a training effect and would be anticipated to lead to a gradual enhancement of ball release speed, in accordance with previous research. Future research should look to investigate the relationship between the development of physical qualities and ball release speed among elite male and female pace bowlers.