The modern day fielder could be mistaken for a parkour enthusiast or ninja warrior contestant. The standards of fielding continue to improve year on year, but what separates an aspiring fielder from a world class fielder? And what skills do you need to learn in order to support your development to the top?

Get uncomfortable with being uncomfortable

Everywhere you go you’ll find extremely accomplished cricketers that operate as technicians with the bat and or ball, but when it comes to stopping, deflecting or catching outside of their path, they often go “missing”.

Getting comfortable with the ground often requires an uncomfortable beginning. If a child is brought up with the opportunities to play freely with their friends and is exposed to disciplines like gymnastics, rugby, invasion games and martial arts, you’ll often find limited hesitation when it comes to fielding. Especially when it comes to committing to the ground.

The art of fielding is made of a variety of physical techniques and psychological characteristics, and the most neglected is often ground fielding. Ground fielding can be broken up into a number of sub sections, but for the purpose of this article, we’ll be focusing on just three techniques; rolling, sliding and diving.

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Rolling

1. Side Roll

A technique typically used when stopping the ball out in front of you, often used when forced off balance during a pick up. When introducing this technique, many will prefer to start closer to the ground, developing both confidence and competence in the early stages before gradually moving to their feet.

Key coaching points:

• Take the ball out in front and remain front on to the ball
• Initial points of contact with the ground; thigh, hip and side take the load
• A lower centre of mass upon impact = smoother transition out of the roll

2. Blind Roll

Often used by wicket keepers or when fielding square or the wicket when reaction time is limited. This allows the fielder to take the ball later and when forced outside the line of the ball. Once again, a bottom-up approach is recommended, gradually layering the technique with speed and adjusted start positions.

Key coaching points:

• Take the ball late and level (outside the line of the ball)
• Catch with your outside hand (reach across your body, allows you to rotate)
• How close can you get your to the ball, will dictate the direction of your roll

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Sliding

1. Hip Slide

A technique used to improve efficiency and speed up the pick up into release. This is largely due to the hip slide allowing the fielder to move past and around the ball, picking up in the slide and releasing in one motion. Fielders being exposed to this technique for the first time often opt to knee slide or trap their trailing knee in the ground. Pre-requisites when practising the hip slide are a soft/wet outfield or matted area and a scaffolded framework to progress safely.

Key coaching points:

• Slide past the ball (emphasis on horizontal energy)
• Create the number 4 with your lead leg (hip and thigh make contact)
• Speed in = speed out (speed is your friend when hip sliding, less friction)

2. Front Slide

Often the technique is introduced once confidence on the ground is established and competency within the other disciplines are of a high level. That said, the front slide is still one that evades professional cricketers, largely due to the exposing truth of having to throw yourself at speed onto your belly, chest and thighs. It's important to note that some female cricketers with larger chests, premenstrual discomfort or for other reasons may wish to avoid this technique competitively, within a game environment. That said, exposing them to versions of the technique can still be beneficial and most importantly confidence boosting.

Key coaching points:

• Access the ground from a low point of entry (think sprint start positions)
• Slide past the ball with speed (emphasis on horizontal energy)
• Head up, arms out (brace the core, whilst chest, belly and thighs take the impact)

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Diving

The process of diving is essentially the initial stages of an attempt to stop or catch the ball whilst in the air, subsequently once you reach the ground you either opt to roll or slide in order to break your fall.

The fundamental advantage and purpose of a dive is to allow you to obtain access to the ball when running alone is insufficient. A form of locomotion and real asset to have within your toolbox for every aspiring fielder. Not being afraid to dive forward (into a slide), to the side (into a roll) or even reversing the dive (backtracking or over the shoulder attempts).

Whilst there is technique involved to help carry out the dive itself (such as opening the hip, leading with the head and hands), the athletic contribution towards the movement largely dictates success. For example; if you’re unable to produce sufficient power to push off, adopt athletic positions to support prerequisite movements or react and change direction to the stimulus that is the ball (agility). An athletic foundation is often the limiting factor and must be appreciated before asking a lot of the players.

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Cricket fielding ground based practices & drills

You know the theory, now let’s see some practical cricket fielding drills you can implement with to improve these fielding skills

Side roll mechanics

Reach and rotate

Hip slides

Front slide

Front dive catch progressions