The Sydney Cricket Club Junior Tigers have been very fortunate to have opportunity to tap into the expertise and experience of a range of high-caliber guest coaches including Russel Arnold, Jon Moss and Neil Maxwell in this seasons program. For those players that missed Neil’s presentation at our last session and indeed anyone interested in how to improve and develop their game I am pleased to say we have Neil’s presentation recorded, to view it simply click on the link below.  Enjoy.

Mark

Neil Maxwell speaks to cricket’s stars of tomorrow about how to be a successful player

Following the IPL and Twenty20 World Cup it is great to have Test cricket back on the agenda. If the 2009 Ashes series can come close to the 2005 series in England in terms of competitiveness and pure excitement we will be in for a real treat. Of course in 2005 England regained the famous urn for the first time since 1985-86 only to have this compliment returned in 2006-2007 in Australia where Australia put the demons of 2005 to rest in emphatic fashion winning the series 5 – nil.

So the stage is set, however the landscape has changed significantly for Australia since 2006-2007, no longer does Australia have it’s host of champions to turn to, gone from the last Ashes series are some of the greats of the game – Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist, Hayden and Langer. Experienced performers like these not only control through the brilliance of their performances they also inspire their less experienced team mates with confidence and the self-belief that comes with knowing how to win.  They will be missed.

However despite the significant loss of such vast experience in a short time frame there is still plenty to like about this younger and aggressive Australian team including a strong if not settled batting line-up and a good pace bowling attack and team.

Although perhaps not producing the big scores that we have become accustomed to recently, my former Tasmanian teammate, Ricky Ponting is the premier batsman in the world and is to be underestimated at your peril. While I wouldn’t say that he needs runs, he will need to lead from the front with the bat and his contribution will be very significant for Australia. Simon Katich – Australia’s rock fought his way back into a baggy green through sheer weight of runs after losing his Cricket Australia contract for several seasons and can now be rightly ranked among the top batsmen in Test matches over the last 2 seasons. After starting Test cricket as a highly entertaining batsman Michael Clarke, through lots of hard work and careful thought now holds his wicket very dearly. With greater precision in his shot selection, a greater emphasis on meeting the ball with the full face of the bat and a more stable hitting and head position, he has transformed himself to a bankable test batsman of the highest quality.

Mike Hussey’s Bradman-like test batting average has come back to the field somewhat lately (now in the 50’s!). Complaining of staleness (an argument that doesn’t get much truck with most 9 to 5 ers) Hussey should be well rested and hopefully able to reach the standards of excellence we have come to expect from him. This is a big series for Hussey and he needs runs to avoid further questions about his place so he won’t lack for motivation. Philip Hughes has hit the ground running in international cricket and has youth and momentum on his side and it will be very interesting how the English respond to our newest batting star. Hughes aggression at the top of the order, in the Michael Slater style, is certainly not typical of an opener. His penchant for creating room on the back foot to slice his cut shot away behind point from the line of off-stump makes him hard to pin down as the South Africans found out. However this also provides a technical weakness that the English can exploit – whether they can or not is one of the big questions of the series. After a mixed start to test cricket Brad Haddin has grabbed his chance and is a fantastic, attacking option with the bat for Australia.

The real worry for Australia is the number 6 position and it appears that 3 candidates McDonald, Watson and North will contest this position. My firm belief is that no 6 is a specialist batting position and requires century making capability from the incumbent. On this count I would rule out Andrew McDonald for Test match cricket, although clearly he is a very a handy and competitive cricketer. Shane Watson has an excellent batting record at 1st class level but he is dogged by injuries and is yet to post a commanding performance in Test cricket with the bat and he must be running out of opportunities. My preference for no 6 would be Marcus North, he grabbed his chance in South Africa and is a highly competent and experienced player.

Australia’s pace bowling stocks are strong and the inclusion of Brett Lee and Stuart Clark will increase the depth of the squad and competition for places in the starting XI. Mitchell Johnson is perhaps the form pace bowler in the world at the moment and is at the peak of his game, with the worry for England being that he is starting to swing the ball. Peter Siddle is fast, aggressive and has grabbed his chance with both hands and must start. The third and fourth pace bowling spots in the test XII will be contested by Clark, Lee and Hilfenhaus and the selectors will have to think long and hard about this. I’d opt for Clark’s metronomic accuracy and steepling bounce and the swing and pace of Hilfenhaus. So, that leaves Lee out of the XII for the first test and this selection dilemma is a good problem to have. Champions like Lee cannot be written offer and it’s possible he will influence the series at some point.

Like the No 6 batting spot, the spinning spot is a worry for Australia with the significant difference being there are 3 candidates for the batting position and only Nathan Hauritz for the spinning spot. Like McDonald, Hauritz is a very good competitive player who has posted some strong one-day performances recently but is not an option for Test match cricket. Hauritz’s bowling is more effective in one-day matches where the batsmen are compelled to go after him, in Test and 1st class cricket where the onus is an the bowler to prize the batsman out, he is not effective unless conditions are favouring spin. Hauritz will be in the first Test XII as the only specialist spinner in the party but will have little impact on the series unless the wickets are raging turners.

The lack of a genuine Test match spinner is brought about by generational change that led to the retirement of Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill and the extremely poor handling of Australia’s next generation of spin bowlers. I believe that you can’t get into too much trouble if you stick to the basics, for example what’s wrong with the idea of identifying Australia’s best spinner and providing opportunities and support at the selection table? The revolving door antics of the Australian selection panel reflect that they are yet to even identify whom the best spinner is, let alone provide them with any support. Following in the footsteps of Shane Warne – one of the greatest players to ever play the game – was always going to be a hard act to follow and perhaps it is an impossible task, however by discarding spin bowlers (Casson, Krejza and McGain) after one or two opportunities is never going to develop a spin bowler and sends the message to the players that if you don’t perform – you’re out! What is perplexing about this is Jason Krejza took 12 wickets on debut, played one more Test and then was dropped. If Shane Warne was treated the same way after his first test, the history of Australian cricket 1991-2007 might look a lot different! Furthermore, now that the selectors seem to be sticking with a spinner in Hauritz, they seem to have backed the wrong horse as to my mind bowling spin or otherwise is about taking wickets, not containment and nothing contains like taking wickets anyway! It seems the selectors have chosen the bowler least likely to do this in comparison with the other candidates in Krejza and McGain.

Australia aren’t the cricketing superpower they once were but they are still a very, very good cricket team – perhaps the best Test match team in the world – they aren’t perfect but these imperfections possibly make them a more watchable team. Whatever your thoughts, it’s great to have the 5 day game back and should be a great series. Enjoy!

Cheers

Mark

I am pleased to announce that Elite Cricket’s first ever touring team will be heading to New Zealand in January 2010 to compete in the Nelson Youth Cricket Festival.  Due to the overwhelming level of interest in this tour we will be looking to for more opportunities to tour in the future.

The Elite Cricket touring squad is:

C. Booth
J . Dunn
S. Frost
L. Haldane
M. Heard
Z. Ince
H. Kutukoff
J. Liddle
L. Schirato
A.Wilkinson
M. Wilkins
J. Biddle
M. Atkinson – Coach

Cheers

Mark

Following on from our last newsletter I indicated that Elite Cricket was planning a tour of Auckland with Under 16 team in January 2010 but since then have been invited to take part in the 2010 Nelson Youth Cricket Festival. I believe that this will be a great opportunity for our team to compete against a variety of teams from New Zealand and Australia.

Games will be played on the 18th, 19th and 21st of January with a free day for local sightseeing on the 20th of January. The final (4th) round of games will be played on the 22nd of January. Nelson is located in the top northwest corner of the South Island and boasts the most sunshine hours in New Zealand! More info www.nelsonnz.com

Nelson College is within easy walking to Nelson City and all teams are accommodated in the College boarding houses, with games being played at their grounds or in fields close by. Should parents wish to join the tour we have received a quote for accommodation in a nearby motel.

We have had much interest in the tour already so, if after reading the outline below you are keen to take part, please come back to me as soon as possible with your full name (and names of any others accompanying you), your date of birth and your primary cricketing skill.

Once we finalise the team we will be in touch and requesting a deposit of $500 per player to be paid to Gulliver’s to secure our group booking. We believe we will have more players than places so if you’re keen please let us know as places will be allocated on a first in basis!

Please note that despite our earlier advice this tour may clash with Green Shield finals

TOUR OUTLINE

• Depart: Sunday 17th January
• Return: Saturday 23rd January

TOUR COSTS: Approx $1800

• Airfares
• Transfers, 6 nights accommodation and all meals
• Participation in the Nelson Youth Cricket Festival including all match arrangements (including umpires) and any necessary transfers

For further information and full tour details, please email Elite Cricket directly.

Cheers

Mark

Elite Cricket is pleased to confirm the venues and dates for our July 2009 School Holiday Program.

JULY SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM

The program is suitable for ages 7 – 14 and will be conducted from 9am to 3pm.

July 2009 School Holiday Program enrolment form

• St. Ignatius College, Riverview – 13th, 14th & 15th July 2009
• Lindfield Oval, Tryon Road – 20th, 21st & 22nd July 2009

JULY ‘ON THE BALL’ PROGRAM

‘On the Ball’ is for girls and boys from 5 -7 years, who have perhaps never played cricket or who have just begun their cricketing career. In these sessions run from 9am to 12pm and are a great way to have fun and learn about the game of cricket.

July 2009 ‘On The Ball’ enrolment form

• St. Ignatius College, Riverview – 13th, 14th & 15th July 2009
• Lindfield Oval, Tryon Road – 20th, 21st & 22nd July 2009

JULY HIGH PERFORMANCE – BOOT CAMPS

This program has a minimum skill requirement and is specifically designed for cricketers playing at representative level or its school equivalent and is limited to 22 players only per program.

Successful applicants for this elite program will also possess high levels of cricket skill and fitness, be self-disciplined, highly motivated and aged 13 years or above.

Our Academy players will train like first class cricketers and be challenged by an intensive multi-disciplinary program to further enhance their existing skills and match awareness by a range of high performance coaches.

The program features analysis of bowling action by video and extensive bowling machine batting technique work.

July 2009 Boot Camp enrolment form

• Five Dock Indoor Sports Centre – 23rd July 2009
• St. Ignatius College, Riverview – 24th July 2009

Cheers

Mark

More photos click here

Cricket is truly finished for the season for most young players, the pitches have been covered over and goal posts for the various football codes dominate local grounds. However on Sunday, 50 talented young cricketers donned their whites to take part in the Sydney Cricket Club’s Junior Tigers Program.

The Academy, run by Elite Cricket Coaching for the Sydney Cricket Club, is designed to provide a complete pathway for the development, coaching and mentoring of talented young cricketers who will eventually see the Sydney Cricket Club as their home as they mature into Grade cricketers.

The inaugural academy was held last year and head coach, Mark Atkinson was delighted with the outcome, “Happily I am able to report that 10 of the final 13 players selected for Green Shield in 2008/09 were Academy program graduates, of which 6 players have already progressed into grade cricket, including selections in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. Clearly, if talented young players are looking to progress into grade cricket and beyond, the Academy program represents not only a great stepping stone for their career but also an outstanding opportunity to develop their skills.”

At the conclusion of today’s session, ex Sri Lankan Test player Russel Arnold shared with the boys his views about succeeding in cricket and taking your game to the next level. Future guests include Tigers legends and former first class cricketers Neil Maxwell, Jon Moss and Greg Hayne.

The program takes place over 8 sessions and will focus on teaching correct techniques, developing tactical awareness and game sense, injury prevention and preparation for competition. New this year is a fitness component and the boys will be put through a challenging routine to ensure they are fit and match ready for when the posts come down and cricket pitches reappear on the grounds.

More information please contact Mark Atkinson 0422 787 727

Pre-Season Wicketkeeping Academy 2009 enrolment form

A good wicketkeeper is critical to the success of any team. They need to be reliable, fit, skilful, tough and at times brilliant but this key position can often by occupied by the player who is, at times, a forgotten man at practice. A good keeper can turn a game their team’s way with an outstanding catch, stumping or run-out and in order for a wicketkeeper to excel they must put in quality time and effort to work on all aspects of their game.

This intensive program is most suitable for aspiring wicketkeepers who have already had some experience in match play situations, covers all aspects of the art of wicketkeeping and leaves players feeling confident and ready for their best season behind the stumps.

Pre-season Spin Bowling program 2009 enrolment form

Designed for cricketers who are showing an interest in the more specialised area of spin bowling, this program is an ideal way to increase your skills and learn more about the great game of cricket.

Headed by NSW Blues Coach David Freedman this intensive, structured program focuses on developing the correct technique to optimise performance and prevent injury featuring video analysis, a customised individual high performance strategy and comprehensive report.

Pre-season Fast Bowling Program 2009 enrolment form

Designed for fast and swing bowlers, the program is an ideal way to increase your skills and learn more about the art of fast bowling.

Headed by Elite Cricket Senior Coach Paddy Little this intensive, structured program focuses on developing the correct technique to optimise performance and prevent injury featuring video analysis, a customised individual high performance strategy and comprehensive report.

One of the great challenges for bowlers is bowling at good batsmen when the wicket is slow and easy paced and there is minimal assistance for the ball – no pace, no bounce, no swing, nothing!

The first thing to realise is that there is nowhere to hide, so you need to accept the challenge for what it is – to get the other team out!

It is of critical importance that you keep this in mind throughout your performance. This risk of forgetting that you are there to get the batsmen out is settling for containment and, although tight bowling can be associated with wicket taking, you must never accept that you cannot get the batsman out. If you are aiming to contain and you succeed you will slow down the runs, whereas if you are aiming to take wickets and you succeed you’ll get players out and stop the runs – so be careful what you wish for!

The next step is to identify the best way to get the batsman out. In this situation the same principles of good bowling apply as in all conditions and you will need to be aggressive and relentlessly accurate in attacking the ‘top of off stump’.

Bowling to this plan gives you the maximum chance of taking wickets, as this strategy allows wickets to fall bowled, lbw and caught behind the wicket which are the most frequent ways batsmen are dismissed. Playing the percentages and persisting with this approach will give you a good chance of success. Additionally, bowling this line and length makes it difficult for the batsman to score freely as it does not give the batsman room to work with in terms of line and length.

However, there is another important dynamic that you will need to be mindful of when bowling on unhelpful pitches. If you are bowling all of your balls full and at the stumps (which is essentially the right idea), you may find that the batsman is settling into a routine of prodding forward. If you identify that this is the case you need to change the game. Batsmen love to settle into an easy routine of getting onto the front foot. If this is happening, you need to take the batsman out of his comfort zone and you can do this with use of your variation.

Here are some ideas:

• Make use of a few selectively used bouncers – Aggressive, short-pitched bowling with a surprise element is a great way to unsettle a batsman and force him onto the back foot. When you have pushed him back then you can look to attack at a fuller length again but the key idea is not to let the batsman settle and get comfortable. The bouncer is a great ball on a flat wicket as it may keep low and surprise the batsman, but most importantly it demonstrates your aggression and lets the batsman know that he can’t have it all his own way. You should aim to get your bouncer head high at the least!
• Vary your release points on the crease – Slight and subtle changes of the angle of release of the ball will, if nothing else, put the batsman on notice that he can’t get too comfortable against you and may lead to an error in judgment, particularly if the batsman is getting tired and lazy in terms of propping onto the front foot.
• Use your slower balls, cutters and Yorkers – Again, make the batsman work for his runs, don’t let him settle and the Yorker is a great ball anyway if bowled well, as if the batsman misses and you hit, you have a wicket. Cutters and slower balls help create errors in terms of catches to mid-on, mid-off, mid- wicket and cover and will break up a batsman’s rhythm.
• Attack new batsmen – The hardest part of a batsman’s inning is the start and no matter how flat the wicket you need to grab the opportunity to attack while it’s there by challenging the stumps, attacking fielders and channeled aggression.
• Set straight fields – If you are bowling the majority of your balls at the stumps you will need a straight field, including the key positions of mid-on and mid-off (these positions can be set a bit deeper than usual to let the batsman know he will have to hit the ball hard to score straight, which may cause him to make a mistake trying to overhit the ball), mid wicket, cover, first slip (no mater how flat the wicket is and how unlikely a nick may seem you never know your luck and don’t want to miss the opportunity should it arise) and fine leg.
• Bowl around the wicket – A change of angle will again make the batsman adjust to the different line and angle of release and going around the wicket is a very good variation for left arm bowlers to right hand batsmen and right arm bowlers to left hand batsmen when there is no swing.
• Be aggressive – Your job is to get the batsman out and you will need to be aggressive in your intent to dismiss the batsman, otherwise he will walk all over you. Show him with your body language and actions that you are after him and let him know he will have to bat very well to score runs against you.
• Be open to ideas form your teammates – Seek out the advice of you teammates in particular your captain and wicketkeeper, they may have some ideas or a different view of the game that may help you get a wicket.
• Enjoy the challenge – Although it will be hard work, knowing that you are able to compete with and dismiss batsmen when the conditions don’t suit you will be tremendously satisfying and great for your confidence.

Good Luck

Mark

The end of the competitive phase of the season is a great opportunity to take off your cricket cap and put on your thinking cap to reflect on your performances and work out the ways in which you can become a better player.

This process takes time, effort, honesty and thought but is well worth it as it can arm you with some invaluable insights and knowledge of your game that will make you a better player.

We all know how challenging cricket can be and as such if you wish to succeed and improve in this tough and highly competitive environment you need to make the effort to grab all the opportunities you can to be the very best you can be in games, at training (skills and fitness) and importantly in how you think about the game.

With this in mind I recommend that you check out two of my planning focused Masterclass articles.

• Masterclass: Planning For The Season
• Masterclass: Invest In Your Skills

There are also some other recently posted articles from a range of current and former first class players written exclusively for Elite Cricket, which offer a unique perspective on how professional players think about the game, enjoy.

• Masterclass: The Successful Allrounder – Jon Moss
• Masterclass: Technology Is Not The Answer – Steve Herzberg
• Masterclass: The Mental Art of Batting – Jamie Cox
• Masterclass: Captaincy and Slip Fielding – Dan Marsh
• Masterclass: Spin Bowling In Limited Over Cricket – Xavier Doherty

Our 2 day Pathway to Next Season coaching event on 20th and 21st April 2009 at St Ignatius College Riverview including ‘On the Ball’ beginners program (players 5-7 years) and 1 day Academy Boot Camp at Five Dock Indoor Centre on 23rd April 2009 are also a great way to get ready for next season working with the Elite Cricket team.

• April Pathway To Next Season enrolment form
• April On The Ball enrolment form
• April Academy Boot Camp enrolment

Cheers

Mark