You may of wondered how some of the squad have been looking so sharp at nets on Saturday mornings, here Mike Leggett in a piece for www.pitchvision.com/micricketcoach explains what the squad have been upto and the theory behind the extra training.

 

 

The sessions are designed with specific aims to improve speed between wickets, reduce run outs suffered whilst preparing fielders in the outfield in a bid to save runs, reach catches, and gain that extra yard.

 

“These sessions have been designed to give the team that extra physical edge so that our cricketers can perform to their greatest potential” says session organiser and Level 2 UKSCA Strength & Conditioning Coach Mike Leggett.

 

“The sessions are broken up into two sections, Speed & Agility and Speed Endurance. Everything is cricket specific and involves catching, fielding, and running in full batting gear”

 

The Speed & Agility section sees players working on a variety of drills that improve the players speed and acceleration over 5-20 metres, their reaction speed over 0-5 metres and a players change of direction speed. This involves technique work, speed & agility drills, running at 100% max effort for short distances. It involves sprinting over various distances starting from different positions such as a fielding stance, the batting lunge, and dive positions. These include the changing of direction at speed to simulate running half way down the wicket only to be refused by your batting partner and having to change direction as fast as possible.

 

The Speed Endurance section includes shuttle runs of various distances such as 4 sets of 4×22 yard shuttles with a rest ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 all done at 100% maximum effort, this is then repeated after 2 mins rest. A variation on this can involve completing the shuttle work in full batting gear to simulate a cricket game.

 

“Cricket is an extremely explosive sport” confirms Leggett “As cricket mainly involves running short distances but at maximum effort it is therefore is very important to simulate this, the sessions are designed to give the squad an extra sharpness to enable us to hit the ground running at the start of the season”

 

As a Level 2 UKSCA Strength & Conditioning coach along with being an effective left arm seamer, Leggett who plays for Watsonian CC is currently studying Sport & Exercise Science and works part-time as Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Scottish Rugby Union where he works with age group players, he is also involved in the East of Scotland Institute of Sport where he works with all sorts of different athletes of various ages.

 

The sessions are held on Wednesdays, 8pm to 9pm in the small hall at Mary Erskines. For more information contact Club Captain Steve Paige

 

 

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