Children's Cricket Lessons: Facts & Ideas
Expert advice and interesting facts
Interesting facts
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Cricket can be dated back as far as the 1500s!
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In 1611 two Sussex men were prosecuted for playing cricket on a Sunday instead of going to church.
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Before the Battle of Waterloo British soldiers played a game of cricket on a park in Brussels. Ever since, the area has been called la Pelouse des Anglais (the Englishmen’s Lawn).
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The first ever international cricket match was in 1844, between the USA and Canada!
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The longest marathon playing cricket is 105 hrs by members of Blunham Cricket Club in Bedfordshire, England from 26-30 August 2010. They played a succession of 19 matches before drawing stumps (declaring the game over). They beat their previous record of 59 hrs 33 min.
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The blade of a cricket bat is a wooden block that is generally flat on the striking face and with a ridge on the back. The bat is traditionally made from willow, specifically from a variety called Cricket Bat Willow which is treated with raw linseed oil to protect it. This willow is used as it is very tough and light-weight.
How to pick a cricket club for your child
Key questions to ask a cricket club:
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What does your child need to wear? Do they have to purchase a club shirt to play in matches?
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Do they need their own bat, helmet, batting gloves and pads? Do you need to purchase these items before your child starts playing cricket or can he/she wear their own clothes initially in case they decide not to continue?
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Can you leave your child at the club? Alternatively are there facilities where you can stay during matches and training?
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Does the club play in local competitive leagues? Does the club run 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams for all age groups so that all children have the opportunity to play competitively?
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Do they operate in the winter? While cricket is a summer sport, some clubs will have access to indoor facilities where they can train until the spring.
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Do you have to pay an annual membership fee to be a member of the club? Do you pay weekly, monthly or termly?
National associations & clubs
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was established in 1997 as the single national governing body for all cricket in England and Wales. It created, for the first time, one unified body responsible for the management and development of every form of cricket for men and women. This included clubs, schools, juniors and youth, disabilities cricket, representative, first class and international cricket - the whole game from playground to the Test arena. It has its headquarters at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
Cricket Scotland - The official website of Scottish cricket.
Cricket Wales - The official website of Welsh cricket.
Cricket Ireland - The official website of Irish cricket.
Play-Cricket is the ECB’s on-line cricket network for all Clubs, Leagues, Cup Competitions and County Boards. It is the official source of all information and statistics on club cricket for all cricketers and supporters.
Qualifications & exams
Qualifications of tutors/coaches etc
The ECB provides a Coaching Pathway with different levels of qualification and aims to ensure that cricket is able to “provide appropriately trained and skilled coaches to support players at each stage of their development through the most successful and respected Coach Education programme in the world”.
- ECB Coaching Assistant (UKCC1)
- ECB Coach Award (UKCC2)
- ECB Performance Coaching (UKCC3)
- ECB Master Coach Award (UKCC4)
- ECB Coaching Fellowship
Learning from the activity
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Agility
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Physical Fitness
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Gross Motor Skills
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Stamina
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Reflexes
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Hand / Eye Co ordination
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Team Work
A cricket team has a wide variety of roles which means a player may become a wicket-keeper, opening batsmen, spin bowler, fast bowler or an all-rounder depending on his/her strengths.
Becoming part of a team and a local cricket club will give your child a strong sense of community and team spirit. This also provides an opportunity for children and parents to socialise with families in the community and even join the club themselves!
Famous people
Andrew Flintoff MBE (born 6 December 1977), nicknamed Freddie Flintoff, is a broadcaster and former English cricketer.
Sir Donald George Bradman (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time.
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards OBE (born 7 March 1952) is a former West Indian cricketer. Known as Viv, Richards was voted one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts.
