| The wicket keeper is an essential and key | | | | therefore on you are crouched a little on off |
| part of the cricket team. Every team needs a | | | | side. Try to keep your head still and eyes |
| reliable wicket keeper. As well as taking | | | | level during the delivery to help you judge |
| catches, stumping the batsmen and taking run | | | | the pace and line. You should be balanced and |
| outs, the wicket keeper is one of the team's | | | | relaxed with your weight slightly forward on |
| most important players: motivating and | | | | the balls of your feet. Be alert and ready to |
| inspiring the bowlers and fielders to raise | | | | react to the delivery. |
| their game and WIN. | | | | |
| | | | Catching the ball |
| To be a wicket keeper you need fast reactions | | | | |
| and precise judgement as you have very little | | | | When you are catching the ball, aim to get |
| time to react to such things as fast | | | | your head/eyes above the line of the ball and |
| deliveries especially if there are changes | | | | your body behind the line of the ball. As the |
| and deviations in the balls line due to | | | | ball rises from the pitch, rise from the |
| variations in swing, movement off the pitch | | | | crouching position with the ball, so you |
| and edges. | | | | mirror the height of the ball. Watch the ball |
| | | | into your hands and catch it with your |
| You need to be alert and have high levels of | | | | fingers pointing downwards. You'll need to |
| concentration. Like a top batsmen you want to | | | | cushion the impact of the ball hitting your |
| be able to 'switch on and off' your | | | | gloves when catching by 'giving' with your |
| concentration between deliveries and overs to | | | | hands. If the ball continues to rise as it |
| avoid getting mentally tired, as it's | | | | reaches you, step with your outside foot |
| impossible to fully concentrate non-stop for | | | | backwards and across, rotating your body |
| hours at a time. High levels of fitness and | | | | outwards, taking the ball on one side of the |
| flexibility are also very important for a | | | | body. To catch a ball delivered on the off |
| wicket keeper as it can be very tiring | | | | side or leg side, move your feet and body |
| because you are effectively doing hundreds of | | | | across immediately to get your head back into |
| squats and diving around the field. So stay | | | | line with the delivery. (Move the outside |
| fit, warm up and down and stretch thoroughly | | | | foot first and follow with the inside.) Rise |
| to remain in peak condition and avoid injury. | | | | with the ball as discussed above and 'give' |
| | | | with hands to reduce the impact. |
| Equipment for wicket keeping | | | | |
| | | | If you are standing back which you should be |
| -Wicket keeping gloves (and inner gloves), | | | | to medium and fast bowlers take your stance |
| | | | as discussed above, however stand in a |
| -Box, | | | | position so that the ball is taken once it |
| | | | begins to drop. |
| -Wicket keeping pads, | | | | |
| | | | Sometimes you may have to dive to take wide |
| -Helmet. | | | | deliveries or thick edges, always try to take |
| | | | the ball in two hands if possible, roll after |
| Basic technique: Wicket keeping stance | | | | the dive if you can to reduce the impact of |
| | | | landing and changes of injury. |
| You can stand up to spin bowlers and slower | | | | |
| paced bowlers. The wicket keepers stance is | | | | Stumping |
| quite straight forward, you need to stand | | | | |
| about one step behind the stumps, making sure | | | | You can attemp a stumping if the batsman is |
| no part of your body or equipment is in front | | | | out of the crease after you have caught the |
| of the line of the stumps. | | | | delivery. Once you've taken the ball move |
| | | | your body weight towards stumps and move |
| Crouch down with your left foot (reverse for | | | | hands fast to break the wickets. |
| left hand batsmen) inline with middle stump, | | | | |