Ground Fielding
The key point I will stress with out-fielding is
to attack the ball. By "attacking" the ball I
mean you come towards the ball if it is hit to
you, rather than standing still and waiting for
it. If you can do this, it puts more doubt in
the batsmen's mind. A common catch-cry is "walk
in with the bowler", which is very important. As
the bowler is running in about to bowl, you as
the fielder should start walking in from a few
steps behind your original fielding position.
When the bowler releases the ball, a good idea
is to stop and "spring" with your knees. This
allows you to transfer you weight of either
foot, enabling you to react to the left of the
right. Chris Harris is one that uses this
technique of "springing".
The main technique used to stop balls along the
ground is called the "long barrier". This occurs
when your body forms a "barrier" behind the
ball, giving the fieldsman the best chance of
stopping the ball. Make sure you keep your eye
on the ball right up until the point it reaches
you, as it could be costly. It is demonstrated
below.
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When throwing, it is important to transfer your
weight from the back to the front foot, much
like a javelin thrower. Use your non-throwing
arm for aiming (and to steady yourself) and your
front foot in the direction of the target.
Swivel from your back to your front foot.
Practice accuracy rather than power, as chances
are you will field in the inner circle at the
start of an innings. This calls on accurate
throwing especially if a run-out chance occurs.
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