Strength and Sprint Time Changes in Response to Repeated Shuttles Between the Wickets During Batting in Cricket

Hamstring Stiffness and Strength Responses to Repeated Sprints in Healthy Nonathletes and Soccer Players With Versus Without Previous Injury

BACKGROUND

The effect of 10 × 30 m repeated sprints on passive and active stiffness of semitendinosus (ST) and biceps femoris long head (BFlh), and knee flexor maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and rate of force development (RFD), and whether athletes with previous hamstring injury have a different response, is unknown.

HYPOTHESIS

Repeated sprints would (1) increase BFlh stiffness and decrease ST stiffness and knee flexors MVIC and RFD in healthy participants; and (2) greater magnitude of response would be seen in athletes with previous hamstring injury.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series (experiment I) and case control (experiment II) study designs.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 3.

METHODS

Healthy nonathletes attended 2 replicated sessions (experiment I, n = 18), while soccer players with (n = 38) and without (n = 67) previous hamstring injury attended 1 testing session (experiment II).

RESULTS

In both experiments, the knee flexors MVIC and RFD decreased after the sprints (P < 0.05). In experiment I, the ST and BFlh passive stiffness reduced after the sprints (P < 0.02), while a small BFlh active stiffness increase was noted (P = 0.02); however, no correlation was observed between the 2 testing sessions for the postsprint muscle stiffness responses (r = -0.07-0.44; P > 0.07). In experiment II, only an ST passive stiffness reduction was observed after the sprints (P < 0.01). No differences were noted between injured and noninjured lower limbs for any variable (P > 0.10).

CONCLUSION

Repeated sprints are likely to decrease the knee flexor's maximal and rapid strength, and to alter the hamstring stiffness in the nonathlete population. Previous hamstring injury does not apparently affect the footballer's hamstring functional and mechanical responses to repeated sprints.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The responses of hamstring stiffness and knee flexor strength to repeated sprints are unlikely to be associated with hamstring injury.

An analysis of specific batting demands in the women's The Hundred competition

Background

No research has investigated the shortest format of the game of cricket, The Hundred competition. Furthermore, women's cricket research is particularly limited, with most focusing on injuries and little literature investigating specific batting demands. These demands are important if training programmes are to mimic the game's movement patterns.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to analyse specific batting demands and variables associated with the women's The Hundred competition.

Methods

Thirty-one matches from the Women's 2021 The Hundred competition were analysed using Hudl Sportscode Elite. Variables analysed included: bowler type (seam or spin), free hits, no ball runs, reason for no ball (height/wide/front foot), run scored (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6), type of key event (fall of wicket, bowling referral, batting referral, umpire referral, bowling time out, rain delay, or injury) as well as time between deliveries and sets, overall and between the power play and non-power play. A total of 6073 deliveries were analysed.

Results

A significant difference (p<0.05) was observed for time between deliveries for spin bowlers (26.90±22.16 s) compared to seam bowlers(31.70±20.37 s) as well as time between sets for the power play (58.00±13.28 s) and non-power play phases (63.70±42.00 s). Additionally, in the power play, most runs were made up of "1's" and "4's". In the non-power play phase, "1's" made up the biggest contribution of runs (as a percentage).

Conclusion

The fact that singles make up a significant portion of a typical match means that strength and conditioning coaches should incorporate high-intensity sprint-type training into training programmes to mimic these demands.

Physical profiling of international cricket players: an investigation between bowlers and batters

This study aimed to develop a physical profile of international cricketers, and investigate if positional differences exist between bowlers and batters. Nineteen, international male cricketers, eleven bowlers (age 24.1 ± 5.2 years; height 179.73 ± 5.27 cm; weight 73.64 ± 6.65 kg), and eight batters (age 22.9 ± 3.8 years; height 180.25 ± 5.57 cm; weight 77.01 ± 8.99 kg) participated in this study. The physical test battery included; power, speed, strength and aerobic fitness tests. Batters demonstrated significantly higher scores for the countermovement jump (p < 0.03; ES = -1.55) and squat jump (p < 0.03; ES = -0.98). Furthermore, batters showed non-significant but small ES for faster 0–5 m (ES = 0.40) and 0–10 m (ES = 0.35) sprint times, superior hand grip strength (ES = -0.20), and higher Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test scores (ES = -0.46). Bowlers showed non-significant but small ES for faster 5 km time trials (ES = -0.51), lower bodyweight (ES = -0.42) and lower body fat percentage (ES = -0.30). However, intra-positional (i.e., seam and spin bowlers) and individual differences amongst players were observed. The physical profiles presented in this study can be used by coaches responsible for the physical development of cricket players to compare their existing data with. Furthermore, it is recommended that practitioners account for individual physical fitness profiles in addition to team profiles, to effectively design and evaluate tailored programs, with the aim of improving both physical and cricket performance.