Sports

Sports

Focus on junior cricket
As the southwest monsoon gradually blows in to bring welcome rain, junior cricketers around the country commence their cricket season. In recent years administrators and followers of the game have been moaning that outstanding players have not emerged out of school cricket. Many reasons have been tossed around, in particular the points system in place for all the tournaments.

That will definitely be the case should restrictions be imposed in one and two day cricket. The Schools association find themselves to be the meat in the sandwich having to please sponsors with an attractive competition whilst also protecting the natural progress of the young players. An unenviable position to be in.

It is from out of the first eleven teams that those vying for higher honours will emerge. But it is around the ages of thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, that most careers take shape. Therefore it is what takes place during this school term that is so vital for the future. The good habits and the bad ones are absorbed during this stage of a youngsters cricketing sojourn.

True, no one stops learning something new, something different, until the boots are hung up for good. And still it is not the end. To combine natural talent with text book cricket, should be the prime objective when playing at the under 16 and under 14 age groups. Some changes, some corrections in batting techniques and bowling actions may be tough initially, but they must be implemented at the early stages, before changes become impossible.

The bodies are supple and growing. To affect change without too much discomfort is possible. To start tinkering later with techniques can be difficult, sometimes even disastrous.

During the past few seasons the junior tournaments were divided into a maximum of sixty overs for the team batting first and the of balance the allotted one hundred overs in the day for the other team. This of course is with the weather permitting. This season that limit has been withdrawn and the one hundred overs to be divided as the teams wish. It means the team batting first has got to make a sensible declaration, should they not be dismissed.

With the under 16 tournament just one week old problems have arisen. One leading Colombo school has batted for 75 overs before declaring, to leave the other leading Colombo school 25 overs to bat. Now is that going to develop the players? Certainly not.

Another school persisted in bowling well wide of the off stump, to a packed off side. This was after winning the toss and putting the opposition in to bat. They had bowled more than a dozen wides on the completion of about twenty overs. The young bowlers were confused as to what line to bowl as the innings progressed and the opposition plundered runs at will.

Almost all school teams have a coach who pulls the reins. Far too many of them are concerned about points and position. That is important it is true. But to manipulate by getting young cricketers to be negative and defensive is a crime.

Young cricketers must be permitted to blossom, nurturing natural talent and harnessing correct technique. It is their future that matters, much more than the coaches job!!

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