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Peak Performance Cricket Extract

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Colin Sanctuary
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CRICKET
Elite cricket intelligent
training for young bowling success
At a glance:
The physical demands, injury risks and training needs of elite bowlers are
analysed;
A number of cricket-specific fitness tests are outlined together with ideal
performance standards;
An appropriate intervention based on analysis and testing is described in
detail.
The physical demands of cricket are often
underestimated, especially for bowlers.
According to Garry Tew, Colin Sanctuary and
Nick Ward, a periodised strength and
conditioning programme is needed from a young
age in order to optimise performance and
minimise injury risk
Introduction
In elite team sport, there is a tendency to attribute
success or failure to immediate or short-term factors
including the quality and experience of the team, the
availability or injury status of players, and the
technical and tactical directions provided by the
coach. The physical qualities of players, developed
over several years of training and competition, also
play an important role in success. The fine-tuning of
physical qualities over previous seasons is the
primary contributor to the current physical profile
of a given group of players or an individual player(1).
International cricket is undergoing a rapid
phase of change as it competes to attract a more
global audience. As a result, modern international
cricketers are now exposed to greater physical
demands through increases in 4/5-day and 1-day
games(2). Accordingly, resources and emphasis
need to be directed toward developing and
maintaining physical-fitness qualities in players
from an early age. Development programmes for
junior players are often based on the content and
practices of elite senior players(3). The process of
simply adopting an existing training method to
prepare future high-performance cricketers is a
compromised approach. A structured pathway for
cricket should entail the development of strength,
speed, power, and endurance, all critical to the
demands of competition(4), while also improving
PEAK PERFORMANCE ISSUE 253
the functional capacity of the players(1).
This article describes the requirements of a
strength and conditioning intervention based on
work conducted with bowlers in a first-class cricket
academy squad. The first step was to collate and
interpret knowledge regarding the physical
demands of cricket (needs analysis). Individual
profiles of each player were then established to
determine strengths, weaknesses and areas for
improvement.
8
Once these physical qualities were identified,
the systems for improving individual strengths and
areas for improvement were developed, and the
plan for integrating these systems was established.
The annual plan of the season was divided into the
pre-season, in-season, and off-season phases, with
weekly training microcycles involving the
manipulation of training loads through the
variables of intensity, duration, and frequency (5).
Needs analysis
The needs analysis involved collaboration of data
from the following sources: physiological and
movement analyses; injury analyses; cricket-
specific fitness testing; resistance training
technique analyses; and perceived needs from
players and support staff.
Physiological and movement analyses
Cricket is a striking and fielding game played
between two teams of 11 players(6). Cricket is played
at two levels (amateur and professional) and in two
very distinct forms (4/5-day and 1-day cricket).
The process of
simply adopting
In England and Wales, 18 professional cricket
teams contest four different competitions. With
an existing regards academy-level players, the team described
in this article had a total of 25 1-day matches
training method to scheduled for the 2006 season. Aside from
prepare future academy team matches, these players were also
high-performance involved in age group (under-17 and under-19)
and 2nd team fixtures, where a mixture of 1-day
cricketers is a and 3-day matches is completed.
compromised
approach. A Bowling: Movement analysis
An estimate of the physical activity in bowling
structured during a 1-day match suggests that fast bowlers
pathway for deliver about 64 deliveries in 40 minutes(7). During
cricket should this time, they are expected to run 1.9km in an
activity time of about 5.3 minutes, which is an
entail the average speed of 21.6kmh. The delivery action
development of would require approximately 64 seconds of upper-
strength, speed, body action as well as 64 episodes of lower body
deceleration.
power, and These authors went on to speculate that the
endurance, which stress of cricket is due to the repeated eccentric
are all critical to muscle damage resulting from the repeated
decelerations that occur during the delivery stride
the demands of (and during batting and fielding). It has been
competition
suggested that eccentric damage, under the
conditions of an elite sport can lead to a muscle
strain injury; therefore training programmes that
include a component of eccentric activity (which
may prevent an increase in vulnerability for
eccentric damage(8)) seems warranted for cricketers.
The faster the bowler runs into the wicket, the
greater the forces exhibited during both back foot
and front foot contacts(9). Therefore, the faster the
 CRICKET

bowler runs into the wicket, the more robust the
players musculoskeletal system needs to be to
withstand the ground reaction forces, particularly
at front foot contact. This can be 5 to 10 times the
body weight of the bowler for each delivery(9).
Insufficient strength of the thigh musculature can
also lead to the front leg collapsing during the
delivery stride, which makes the bowler lose height
and, therefore, efficiency.
Bowling: Injury analysis
Injuries in schoolboy cricketers in South Africa have
been reported to have a seasonal incidence of 49%
with most injuries (47.4%) occurring in bowling(10).
Fast bowlers have consistently been identified as
being at the greatest risk of injury, with a
combination of predisposing factors including poor
technique, poor physical preparation, and overuse.
Bowling involves repetitive twisting, extension
and rotation of the trunk in a short period, while
body tissues and footwear must absorb the large
ground reaction forces. It is the speed of the
delivery, and thus the force of the action, that
makes the fast bowler prone to a higher incidence
of injury(9). Contributing factors might also include
poor muscle strength, poor flexibility, trunk and
pelvis instability.
Cricket-specific fitness testing
At the beginning of the pre-season period,
anthropometric and performance tests were
conducted (see table 1). The tests included those
recommended as the fitness test battery by the
England and Wales Cricket Board(11): ie stature and
body mass; multistage fitness test (aerobic fitness);
1-minute maximum press-ups (muscular
endurance); 17.6m sprint (straight-line speed);
run-3 and 505 tests (cricket-specific speed and
agility); and countermovement jump (lower-body
explosiveness).
Testing sessions were repeated at the mid
(January) and end-points (March) of the pre-
season period. Repeated fitness assessment
allowed changes in fitness profiles within
individuals and throughout the team to be
measured. In this way, the appropriateness and
progression of the training regimen applied to the
players and the team could be gauged not only in
determining adaptation, but also failure to adapt
Jargonbuster and maladaptation (over-training) (12).
Training microcycles
The smallest Resistance training technique analyses
component of a Players were continually monitored during
periodised training supervised training sessions to ensure they
programme when maintained the correct technique for each exercise.
breaking the training Posture, range of movement, and joint tracking
programme down from were the main areas of attention. Monitoring these
the bigger picture factors allowed areas for improvement to be
(macrocycle to identified, for example muscle imbalances and poor
mesocycle to flexibility. Effective technique was demonstrated on
microcycle) to the numerous occasions, and the key aspects of effective
weekly goals technique were explained. Players were given
Eccentric muscle positive and corrective feedback during and after
damage each exercise, including video feedback(13).
Damage to muscle
fibres due to repeated Intervention
eccentric action Table 2 details the physical conditioning,
(lengthening under technical/tactical, psychological, physiotherapy/
load) medical, and other interventions used throughout
Joint tracking the cricket season. To enable players to embrace
Analysis of the the set strength and conditioning work, meetings
movement of a joint in were held between the player, head coach,
relation to the effective assistant coach and head strength and conditioning
execution of an action coach to identify specific areas of development.
Subsequently, this section describes the main
elements of the training programme cardio-
respiratory fitness training; resistance training;
speed, speed-endurance and agility training.
Cardio-respiratory fitness training
Cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) training can help
with weight/body fat management. Maintaining a
healthy body fat percentage may have direct sport-
specific benefits ie facilitating optimal speed,
agility, flexibility, and speed-endurance.
Improvements in CRF also appear to enhance
recovery between bouts of exercise. A certain base
level of CRF is desirable before progressing on to
speed and speed-endurance training(14).
It has been suggested that the minimal training
intensity that elicits the enhancement of CRF is
highly dependent on the initial CRF(15). The
players mean initial multi-stage fitness test scores
(see table 1) equate to an estimated maximum
oxygen uptake (VO2max) of 47mls/kg/min, which
is common for recreationally active individuals.
The players were therefore described as having
above average CRF.

Table 1: Initial testing results and ideal standards for senior and junior men(11)
PEAK PERFORMANCE ISSUE 253

Age Stature Mass MSFT 17.6m Run-3 505 CMJ 1-min

Player (years) (cm) (kg) (laps) sprint (s) (s) (s) (cm) press-up
Academy players 17.8 183.6 77.8 82 3.04 10.39 2.35 38 44
(n=12) (Mean s) 1.1 9.2 14.2 18 0.16 0.38 0.11 4 7
England U15s >99 <2.9 <10.25 <2.2 >25
England U17s >99 <2.8 <10.00 <2.1 >30
England U19s >106 <2.7 <9.75 <2.0 >40
England seniors >111 <2.6 <9.50 <1.9 >45
MSFT, multi-stage fitness test; CMJ, countermovement jump.

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CRICKET

Table 2: Pre-season training overview

Training Phase Month(s) Objectives Conditioning
Off-season October Cricket reviews Complete rest
Fitness, physio and medical assessments Rehab
Player profiling Other sports eg football, swimming, cycling
General November Base training Aerobic base
preparation Rehab/prehab General strength base/exercise technique
Goal setting Core stability and proprioception work
Technical analysis Flexibility development
Lifestyle education
General December Base training Aerobic threshold development
preparation Rehab/prehab General strength base
Technical development Core stability and proprioception work
Lifestyle education Flexibility development
Low-intensity straight-line plyometrics
Specific January Threshold and strength development Speed endurance development
preparation General preparation assessment General strength base
Technical development Role-specific exercises
Introduction of mental and visual skills development Speed and agility development
Flexibility development
Specific February Speed, power and agility development Threshold maintenance training
preparation Technical development Strength and power training (inc complex training)
Mental and visual skills development Speed and agility training
Flexibility maintenance
Pre- March Specific preparation assessments Threshold maintenance
competition Match-specific practice Strength maintenance
Match-specific fitness development Power, speed and agility development
Team goal setting Match-intensity work
Tactical awareness Flexibility maintenance
Competition April- Optimise performance Maintenance
September Recovery sessions

Between mid-October and early-January,
players were prescribed three CRF training
sessions per week. The mode of exercise was
typically running; however, other modes, including
swimming, rowing and cycling were also utilised.
To prevent boredom or over-training, and
stimulate a wide range of cardio-pulmonary
adaptations, continuous and interval running
sessions were also prescribed. Intensity guidelines
for the continuous sessions suggest that
adolescents need to train at intensities higher than
80% of maximum heart rate to expect a significant
improvement in maximal oxygen uptake(16).
Resistance training
The resistance training (RT) programme was a
composite of acute variables that included: muscle
actions used; intensity; volume; exercises selected;
the workout structure (eg number of muscle groups
trained) and sequence of exercise performance;
PEAK PERFORMANCE ISSUE 253
size and involvement (ie greater load increases
were used for large muscle group, multiple-joint
The rationale for
core stability
exercises than small muscle group exercises) when
individuals could perform the current intensity for
one or two repetitions over the desired number.
development is Intensity was progressed gradually on an individual
that it is pivotal basis, with the more experienced and stronger
players using loads that caused momentary
for efficient muscular fatigue between 8 and 10 repetitions,
biomechanical corresponding to approximately 70-85% 1RM,
function to towards the end of the pre-season period(17).
The majority of RT sessions involved 2-4 sets of
maximise force 7-10 exercises. Around half of the exercises were
generation and classified as core exercises (3-4 sets of large
minimise joint muscle mass, multiple-joint exercises, eg squat,
bench press, with 2-3 minutes rest between sets),
loads in all types and the other half classified as assistance exercises
of exercises, such (2-5 sets of smaller muscle mass, single-joint
as throwing and exercises with 1-2 minutes rest between sets). A
mixture of core and assistance exercises were
running, which

rest intervals between sets; repetition tempo; and
training frequency. The programme was
periodised so that general strength and technique
development preceded specific and explosive
strength development.
Initially, training loads were completed
between 12 and 15 repetitions, corresponding to
approximately 65-67% one-repetition maximum
(1RM). Training loads were progressed by
approximately 2-10% on the basis of muscle group
included as both have been shown to be effective
are crucial when for increasing muscular strength in the targeted
bowling
muscles.
Supplemental exercise routines were prescribed
to the players during the pre-season period. These
routines focused predominantly on core stability
development. The rationale for core stability
development is that it is pivotal for efficient
biomechanical function to maximise force
generation and minimise joint loads in all types of

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 CRICKET

exercises, such as throwing and running, which are interval training sessions involved 10-20 seconds
crucial when bowling. It has also been suggested running at speed interspersed with 10-30 seconds
that core stability development might also help jogging. Players typically completed four to five Garry Tew (MSc; BSc
prevent injuries to the lumbar spine, a common sets of 4-5 repetitions, with each set separated by (Hons); CSCS) is
injury site for bowlers(18). 60 seconds slow jogging. currently completing a
PhD in the effects of
Speed, speed-endurance, and agility Reflections on the strength and exercise training in
training conditioning intervention patients with arterial
Speed, speed-endurance, and agility work was This article reflects on the strength and disease
introduced at the specific preparation phase of conditioning intervention for bowlers in a first-
pre-season (January to March). The aim of the class Cricket Academy squad. However, the Colin Sanctuary (PhD;
speed and agility training was to improve players guidelines and discussion points raised/identified BA (Hons); BASES
ability to act and react quickly, and the aim of the within this article would also be applicable to other Accredited Sports
speed-endurance training was to increase players bowling and throwing activities such as baseball, Scientist; CSCS)
ability to sustain exercise at a high intensity. Both tennis and javelin. The conditioning work provided sports
forms of training were performed early in the produced significant improvements in the run-3, science support to
training session. Additionally, these sessions were 505 and 1-minute press up scores. Here, in Durham County Cricket
typically of short duration (less than 30 minutes) relation to a bowler and the need to effectively Club and is currently
and small volume (300-800m in any one speed and replicate an action, the improvements in the head of strength and
agility session). This is because fatigue leads to a repeated sprint efforts in the run-3 and 1-minute conditioning at
decrease in the intensity of exercise, interferes with of press ups are of particular interest. Wakefield Wildcats
coordination and develops and reinforces bad However, the work did not match the players RLFC
habits, which could also lead to injury from bad physical development against actual performance
form. Cricket-specific fielding drills were and this is an area that could be examined in future Nick Ward (MSc; BSc
developed to include speed, speed endurance and work. In addition, specific musculoskeletal (Hons); CSCS) is
agility. Here, recovery periods of 1-3 minutes were screening and incidence of injury rates could also currently the
provided depending on the drill and the ratio be monitored and matched against the players performance manager
between work and rest. The intensity of the purely physical development. for Canadian Bobsleigh

References
1. Int J Sports Physiol Perf 2006; 1:2-13
2. Br J Sports Med 2006; 40:119-123
3. Sports Med 2003; 33:1103-1126
4. Cricket Coach 1998; 28:1710-1713
5. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning
2000; 2nd Ed:513-528
6. Cricket 2001; 3rd Ed:1-12
7. J Sport Sci Perf 2000; 18:919-929
8. Exerc and Sports Sci Review 2005; 33:98-104
9. World Congress of Science and Medicine in
Cricket 2003; 18-28
10. SA Med J 1995; 85:182-184.
11. ECB Phys Support Group 2000
12. Science and Soccer 2003; 2nd Ed:21-46
13. J Strength Cond 2001; 23:61-68
14. ECB Fitness Advisory Group 1997; 2-12
15. Sports Med 2006; 36:117-132
16. Sports Med, 2003; 33:1127-1143
17. ACSM, 2000
18. J Strength Cond J 2004; 26:24-29

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY
Reports by Andrew Hamilton
Quercetin reduces post-
exercise illness risk
Quercetin is a naturally occurring bioflavenoid compound found
in a number of fruits and vegetables and which also acts a
powerful natural antioxidant in the body. However, more recently,
scientists have become extremely interested in quercetins
apparent ability to enhance immune function, especially after
intense exercise (see PP issue 245). And now a new US study
appears to indicate that this might indeed be the case.
In the study, 40 trained male cyclists were randomised into two
groups of 20; the quercetin group received 3 weeks of quercetin
polymorphonuclear oxidative-burst activity (POBA), and salivary IgA
output (sIgA) all of which can be used to assess immune activity.
The results obtained were both surprising and contradictory;
compared to the control group, the cyclists taking quercetin
showed no improvement in any of the immune function markers
tested above. However, when the researchers investigated the
incidence of upper-respiratory tract infections (coughs, colds, sore
throats etc) in the 2-week post-exercise period, they discovered
that quercetin supplementation significantly and dramatically cut
the incidence of illness. Whereas nine of the control group
became ill, only one of the quercetin group suffered an infection!
This study shows provides further evidence that quercetin may
help reduce the incidence of post-exercise infections; however,
how this protective effect arises is not yet understood in terms of
the usual markers of immune function.
PEAK PERFORMANCE ISSUE 253

supplementation (1,000mg per day) before, during, and for 2
weeks after a 3-day period in which subjects cycled for 3 hours
per day at approximately 57% of their maximum power output.
The control group followed exactly the same protocol, but instead
took a dummy (placebo) pill.
The scientists were particularly interested in the effect
of quercetin on markers of immune function, so blood and
saliva samples were collected before and after each of the
three exercise sessions and measured levels of natural killer cell
activity (NKCA), PHA-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation (PHA-LP),
Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007; 39(9):1561-9
Birthplace and athletic success
We all know that genetics, training and nutrition play a major role
in the development of athletic ability, but could the environment
in which you grew up in be important too? This is the question
that an unusual study carried out in Ontario, Canada had tried
to answer.
The scientists set about gathering information (using official

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