The Best Fitness Routine for Cricket

Though cricket appears to include long spells of rest in the field, regular short bursts of activity and long periods of batting take their physical toll. The best cricketers have fitness on their side. For example, you're unlikely to bowl at your best if you're breathing heavily after just a few balls. And you're more likely to make a basic batting error if you're panting after a previous run. But if you want to to play better cricket, there are ways to get fit.

Cardio Fitness
Whether batting, bowling or fielding, cricketers require good cardiovascular fitness. Cardio, or aerobic, fitness relates to how well your body takes in oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide. Aerobic exercises may also help prevent muscle injuries and fatigue. Useful aerobic exercises for cricket include running, cycling and swimming. Another tip is to practice running with full pads and cricket gear on. You may be able to run 100 feet wearing a t-shirt, but running in full pads is another matter.

Best Fitness Routine for Cricket

Cricket Training in the Gym
Training at the gym for cricket fitness poses the question of which machines and exercises to try. In a 2007 Pitch Vision article about cricket fitness in the gym, David Hinchliffe suggests several cricket-specific routines. For example, leg lunges work the muscles used for positioning yourself for perfect batting shots and gaining a fast sprint start. Bench pressing and dumbbell exercises work the muscles needed to hit big shots or bowl fast balls. However, strength more than bulk is usually the aim of cricket fitness programs. Using the rowing machine helps you develop good overall upper body strength for cricket.

Cricket Circuit Training
Developing a circuit training program is an excellent way to improve cricket fitness. Exercises should focus on a combination of explosive power and stamina. You need no specialist equipment for these exercises. For example, in the DPH Sports Series book "Cricket," Ashok Kumar suggests including pull-ups, burpees, back raises, push-ups, abdominal curls and sprint runs as part of an overall fitness program for cricketers. Aim to include eight exercises in your session. Perform each exercise with as many repetitions as possible for around 60 seconds.

Explosive Power and Flexibility
Flexible fielders can make the most acrobatic of catches. Flexibility also helps batsmen move their body into position quickly for a shot and even prevents bowlers from picking up too many injuries. Pilates and yoga are two useful ways to get limber for cricket, according to "Cricket for Dummies." Short energetic exercises, such as an indoor group cycling session, can improve your overall endurance and explosive power. Try sprint exercises with varied pacing to help you get used to the stop-start nature of cricket.

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Best Fitness Routine for Cricket

Though cricket appears to include long spells of rest in the field, regular short bursts of activity and long periods of batting take their physical toll. The best cricketers have fitness on their side. For example, you're unlikely to bowl at your best if you're breathing heavily after just a few balls. And you're more likely to make a basic batting error if you're panting after a previous run. But if you want to to play better cricket, there are ways to get fit.

Cardio Fitness
Whether batting, bowling or fielding, cricketers require good cardiovascular fitness. Cardio, or aerobic, fitness relates to how well your body takes in oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide. Aerobic exercises may also help prevent muscle injuries and fatigue. Useful aerobic exercises for cricket include running, cycling and swimming. Another tip is to practice running with full pads and cricket gear on. You may be able to run 100 feet wearing a t-shirt, but running in full pads is another matter.

Best Fitness Routine for Cricket

Cricket Training in the Gym
Training at the gym for cricket fitness poses the question of which machines and exercises to try. In a 2007 Pitch Vision article about cricket fitness in the gym, David Hinchliffe suggests several cricket-specific routines. For example, leg lunges work the muscles used for positioning yourself for perfect batting shots and gaining a fast sprint start. Bench pressing and dumbbell exercises work the muscles needed to hit big shots or bowl fast balls. However, strength more than bulk is usually the aim of cricket fitness programs. Using the rowing machine helps you develop good overall upper body strength for cricket.

Cricket Circuit Training
Developing a circuit training program is an excellent way to improve cricket fitness. Exercises should focus on a combination of explosive power and stamina. You need no specialist equipment for these exercises. For example, in the DPH Sports Series book "Cricket," Ashok Kumar suggests including pull-ups, burpees, back raises, push-ups, abdominal curls and sprint runs as part of an overall fitness program for cricketers. Aim to include eight exercises in your session. Perform each exercise with as many repetitions as possible for around 60 seconds.

Explosive Power and Flexibility
Flexible fielders can make the most acrobatic of catches. Flexibility also helps batsmen move their body into position quickly for a shot and even prevents bowlers from picking up too many injuries. Pilates and yoga are two useful ways to get limber for cricket, according to "Cricket for Dummies." Short energetic exercises, such as an indoor group cycling session, can improve your overall endurance and explosive power. Try sprint exercises with varied pacing to help you get used to the stop-start nature of cricket.

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Best Cricket Bats in World

Cricket bats are made from fibrous wood from the English Willow tree or the Kashmir Willow tree that grows in India. According to the Cricket Equipment Guide, most bat manufacturers prefer English Willow because of its high performance when striking the hard cricket ball. Kashmir Willow is generally used as a substitute for English Willow. The best cricket bats are crafted from English Willow. There are numerous bat manufacturers ranging from specialists -- such as Gray Nicholls who have been making cricket bats since the nineteenth century -- to general sports equipment manufacturers, such as Slazenger.

The Manufacturing Process
The process of making the best cricket bats starts with the planting of English Willow trees in select areas of the U.K, says the Cricket Equipment Guide. Fifteen to 30 years after planting, the trees are chopped down and the complex crafting process begins. The bats have to meet specific rules regarding shape, width, length, coverings and adhesive usage. These rules are laid down in appendix E, rule six of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The MCC is the custodian of cricket's laws.

Grading the Wood
Ranked in a descending order, there are five grades of English Willow, according to the Cricket Equipment Guide The highest is grade 1+[A]. Bats made from this grade have straight even grains, with minimal markings or discoloration on the bat face. Manufacturer-sponsored batters generally use bats made from the highest grades. Based on these criteria, these are some of the best cricket bats in the world.

The Historical Bat Makers
Gray-Nicholls, based in Sussex in the U.K., started making cricket bats in 1867. They manufacture a range of bats. Some of these include the Legend, the Kaboom, the Dynadrive and the Nemesis. Top of the range is the Legend bat. According to the Gray-Nichols website, the Legend bat used by former England Captain Andrew Strauss is made from the finest available Willow. Strauss was Captain between 2009 and 2012. Though Gray-Nicholls are the oldest bat makers in the world, it is arguable that they have a monopoly on the world's best bats. The world's best batters continually search for the best bats and a large number appear to prefer Slazenger bats. This suggests Slazenger makes some of the best bats in the world.

The Batter's Choice
Slazenger makes a range of bats. According to Cricketbats.com, English batters, Eoin Morgan and Paul Collingwood use Slazenger bats. Australian captain Michael Clarke uses the Slazenger V389 that comes in six models. According to Cricketbats.com, the V389 MC-AUS is crafted from grade-1 English Willow. It is a heavy bat with thick edges that suits the big hitters who love hitting the ball a long way. Heavy bats are sometimes unwieldy with poor balance. But the V389 MC is crafted with precisely measured weight-balance technology. This helps the batter wield the bat with a smooth economical motion.

Made in Australia
Kookaburra cricket bats are manufactured in Australia. The highly rated batter South African A.B.Devilliers uses a Kookaburra. Crafted from unbleached English Willow, it is a heavy bat with thick edges and designed with a "dynamic power shaped face" to help the batter maximize the power of his or her strokes. The bat is pre-conditioned to reduce preparation or "knock in" time before use. This process can take the batter up to 10 days. Part of it involves oiling the bat. Then hitting the bat-blade with a specialist mallet before applying fiber tape to the edges and an anti-scuff sheet on the front of the blade.

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Signs of Cracking in Cricket Bat

Cricket bats are typically made of willow wood, and should be given proper care before use to ensure long life. Proper preplay care includes knocking in the bat and oiling it if needed. Even the best cricket bat will crack or split eventually, however, due to repeated hits with a cricket ball. Knowing the warning signs of cracking in a cricket bat will help you avoid damage that could seriously affect how you bat.

Cracking in the Handle
One common warning sign of cracking in the handle of the cricket bat is that the handle suddenly feels loose, as though it has been broken, but no visible crack can be found. This feeling may mean that the rubber adhesive inside the handle has broken. If you continue to use the bat, the handle will crack all the way through. To fix this warning sign before an actual split occurs, carefully remove the string on the handle. Using gentle pressure, pull the canes apart just enough to insert a thin layer of superglue. Retie the string and let the bat rest for 24 hours before testing it by batting some small throws. If the handle does not feel solid, you may need to take the bat to a professional cricket bat repair shop.

Cracking in the Toe
The toe of the bat is the weakest part of the bat, yet it is also the part that faces the heaviest damage. As a result, the toe of the bat is more likely to crack or split than any other part of the bat. Always examine the toe of the bat thoroughly after every use to see if any hairline cracks have formed. Small cracks in the toe of the bat may be repaired with superglue. If the crack is more than two inches long, however, you may need to use a high-quality PVA adhesive. Do not use epoxy, as it is not flexible enough to prevent the bat from cracking further.

Cracks in the Face of the Bat
Small horizontal and vertical cracks in the face and edges of a cricket bat are normal, even if the bat has been properly knocked in. When cracks begin to appear depends on the individual bat. Some bats begin cracking almost immediately, while some may not crack for a year or more. Patch small cracks with superglue to increase the life of the bat. Take large cracks to a professional for inspection and repair.

Preventing Cracks in a Cricket Bat
All cricket bats will crack with sufficient use. However, you can prevent cracks that shorten the expected life of the bat with proper bat care. Always oil your bat using only raw linseed oil. Never dip your bat in oil or apply so much oil it forms drops or drips down the bat. After oiling, knock in your bat thoroughly. It is always better to take more time than you need to knock in a bat than to take too little time. Finally, applying an adhesive-backed facing to your bat can stop cracks already forming on the face and edges of the bat and prevent new cracks from starting. You should especially consider applying facing if your bat's face or edges crack within the first few games you use it.

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Different Cricket Slang Terms

Cricket is a game is played in innings, with one inning consisting of each team taking a turn batting and fielding. The fielding team tries to throw a ball, an action called bowling, and hit the wicket, which is three stakes in the ground. The batting team tries to keep the ball from hitting the wicket by swinging a wooden bat at the bowled balls. There are many terms used in the game of cricket, some of which are slang.

Batting Slang
Collectively, the last four positions in the order of batters is called the "tail," and these players typically are better at bowling; when the players in these positions bat well, the tail is said to "wag." A "block" refers to the swing of the bat in a defensive manner, keeping the ball from hitting the wickets. A swing of the bat is called "full blooded" if the stroke uses the full physical force of the batter.

Bowling Slang
"Bouncer" is a term used to describe a fast pitch that rises quickly to chest level and might strike a batter who doesn’t take evasive action. A "spinner" describes a bowler who puts a lot of spin on the ball. A "flipper" is an underhand throw in which the ball travels initially fast but has backspin. A "jaffa" refers to a throw that is unplayable. A "pie thrower" is a bowler who is ineffective.

Performance and Gear Slang
"Duck" is a term for a batsman removed without having scored. This term comes from the shape of a duck egg, which is oval like the number 0. A "pad" refers to a protective leg covering that wicket keepers and batters wear. "Sledging" is a term used to describe the action of denigrating your opponent’s play to your opponent.

Fielding Slang
"Silly" refers to any fielding position that is near the wickets, resulting in the potential for injury. The "slip" refers to fielding positions near the wicket keeper, who is the person standing behind the wickets and batter. An easy catch of the ball is called a "dolly." The "deep" refers to the farthest outfield, while the "field" is the ground or the oval on which the cricket match is played.

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The Cricket for First Timers

Even if cricket is your cup of tea, you may have a hard time following the in's and out's of the game. Especially the "out's." The Laws of Cricket are constantly being revised and upgraded and if someone isn't up-to-date, confusion on the lower levels of the game can occur. However, when you're out, you're out and here's an explanation why.

You're Out!
Umpires can give cricket batsmen an out for a number of reasons. One involves a "run out." This usually occurs when a fielder hits the bales with the ball while the batsman is running to his safe zone, known as the crease. While running, the two on-field batsmen cross over. Run outs tend to happen near the end of games when a team is chasing a score or during one-day matches in which fast scoring wins matches.

The Cricket for First Timers

Scoring Runs
A batting team scores by accumulating runs. Each run represents one switch between the two batsman on the pitch running to their opposite crease. When the batsman leaves his crease to attempt a run, he's out of his safe zone. During that period, if a ball hits the stumps and takes off the wooden bales, then the batsman closest to that end is given an out.

Run Out Rules
When batsmen run, they usually keep the bat held out in front of them. This is because a batsman needs to have some part of his body or bat touching the ground in the crease to be judged safe. If a batsman wanders out of his crease while the ball is in play, he can be run out without even trying to score a run.

Cross Over Run Out
Batsmen cross over while running to their opposite creases. If a wicket falls before the batsmen cross, then the batsman running away from that crease is given an out. If the two have crossed and a wicket falls, then the batsman running toward that crease is out. In short, the closest batsman to the fallen wicket is given an out for run out no matter when or if the batsmen cross over on the pitch.

Exceptions
The run out rule has several exceptions in which the batsman is safe despite the wicket falling. For example, if a batsman stands in his crease but has to duck or jump out of the way to avoid being hurt by a moving cricket ball or player, then she can't be given an out. Similarly, if the ball rebounds off a player's helmet and directly onto the stumps while the player is out of the crease, it's not deemed an out.

Considerations
Like many decisions in cricket, the difference between in and out may only be by a few millimeters. During international cricket games umpires frequently refer run out decisions to the third umpire. The third umpire can review slow motion footage from different angles and make a more accurate decision. In particular, the third umpire may look for signs of dust being thrown up as the bat hits the ground.

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Benefits of Playing Cricket Game

A popular bat and ball sport especially in the Commonwealth of Nations, cricket allows you to spend time outdoors while engaged in a competitive and physical match. In cricket, two teams, consisting of 11 players each, compete to score the most runs in an inning. Along with fresh air and friendly competition, cricket contains numerous physical and social benefits.

Benefits of Playing Cricket Game

Physical

Like most sports, cricket helps you to develop muscles and burn calories while improving your coordination and stamina. A physically active game, cricket requires pitching the ball, hitting the ball with the long, flat bat, sprinting from wicket to wicket and throwing and catching in the field. Strong, fast legs help players to score runs. Upper body strength lends to improved throwing and hitting the ball. And hand-eye coordination, along with flexibility, helps you to catch and keep the ball in play.

Social

One of the benefits of playing sports is making new friends and enjoying the camaraderie of your teammates. Cricket matches can last several hours, and within that time you must work with your team in a cooperative manner to develop and initiate game strategies and win the match. Celebrating wins and commiserating losses are more fun when done with your friends.

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