Congratulations on being selected as captain for the Under 10 game. A captain of a cricket team has lots of things to think about and do in the actual game – far more than in football , rugby and hockey
A few questions about captaincy
Who was the best captain you played under in any sport and what were the things they did that made them a good captain ?
Was the best captain you have played under the best technical player ?
What do you think is the most important thing that the captain does ?
When parents watching game and the players in the team look back on the game that you captain , what would you want them to remember most ?
Preparing for the game
As Captain its important to put your personal friendships aside and ensure that everyone in the team is treated fairly. You are obviously trying to win the game but its important to remember that you are a team and everyone in the team needs to participate in a meaningful way.
Think about the batting and bowling orders ahead of the game and discuss your ideas with the coach before the game. You may need to modify the plans because the coach may be aware of some other factors eg Sussex players in the opposing team.
Teams usually bowl their Sussex bowlers in the first and the last few overs. It is usual put our experienced batters (batters who are able to hit fours regularly) in the first and last pair as they are able to deal with the faster bowlers. For the other pairs it is usual to pair up a big hitter and a developing batter.
Be flexible with your plans – they made need to change during the game – eg a bowler who is usually very accurate is having a bad day.
Make sure that your kit is clean so you are setting a good example to the rest of your team.
Arriving at the game
Be one of the first to arrive at the grounds
Get a few balls out in readiness for the other players to arrive and do a few warmup activities with your players – eg high catches , low catches, bowling practice , etc
The Toss
The Umpires/coaches will invite you to the middle to meet the other captain and to discuss a few things about the game and to do the toss to decide who will bat and bowl first.
Before doing the toss think about whether you will elect to bat or bowl first and discuss with the coach. Factors to consider are players arriving late , weather conditions, etc etc
Bowling
Tell the first few bowlers what number they will be bowling
As the game progresses , give every bowler at least one over’s notice to let them know that they are bowling and can warm up
What will you say to a bowler if they are having a bad day ?
Try and make sure that every player bowls at least 1 over – better if they bowl more
Fielding
Get the players together in a huddle on the field before you start fielding – it will show the opposition that you are a team. Remind your players to focus from the very first ball
Where will you be fielding ? Usually close to the bowlers
What are the key fielding positions ? Who should field in those positions ?
How will you move the field around to cater for the left handers ?
How can you put pressure on the batters when you are fielding ?
How will you adjust the field for the Sussex batters to stop the fours ?
Top tip : Be clear with your communication with the players – lots of pleases and thank you’s.
Batting
Get the team together and let them know the batting order
Make sure that each player gets warmed up before they bat (if their parent isn’t at the game – ask one of the the players to throw the ball to the batter to make sure that they are hitting the ball cleanly before they go in)
What will you say to the batter before they go in to boost their confidence ?
How do you make sure that you are focussing on your own game in addition to looking out for the whole team ?
Drinks
At the halfway point in a home game ensure that the opposition are aware that we provide drinks and biscuits and they should be offered the opportunity to have the drinks before our players
At the end of the game
Shake the hands of the opposing team and congratulate them if they won the game
If your team wins the game dont over celebrate in front of the opposing team
Thank the umpires and scorers
Get your team together and talk a little bit about the game . What were the highlights, If you lost , what were the positives . Thank everyone for their efforts
After the game
Write the match report and try and mention everyone’s name. Think of the key moments in the game – did someone bowl well, who took a catch, who bowled well , etc . Please click here for ideas to consider when writing the match report
Reflect on the game . What were the key learning points for you as captain ? what would you do differently ? what did you learn that you could take into the next game ?
Hope you enjoyed the experience of captaining the team and the enjoyed the game