Edgbaston Indoor Nets

I will talk about the impact the indoor nets, and specifically the coaching, has had on my own game in a separate post. In this view from the boundary edge I wanted to share some observations from my weekly sessions at Edgbaston Indoor Nets.

First though, how great is it to have the opportunity to use the same facilities as the pros, and as regularly happens, at the same time as the pros! A membership benefit of Warwickshire County Cricket Cubs are the members nets which run throughout the off season every Thursday, 1 to 3pm for the more than reasonable cost of £5. We have access to two lanes, a bowling machine and coaching from Chris (not me, the one in the photo, who knows what he is doing).

The facilities are superb as you would expect and what a joy: nets with no holes in them, matting with an even bounce and no bald patches, clear markings for the crease and stumps i.e. knowing where to take guard, long run ups (not an issue for us two step bowlers), and more often than not a free net to practise throwing, fielding etc.

I have been very interested in watching the way they have been training as I have already taken my ECB Foundation Coach Course, am booked on my ECB Core Coach Course in January, and want to take the ECB Advanced Course at the end of the 2022 season. I want to be able to work one on one, and in small groups with the juniors as they progress into the seniors to install good habits and best practise and help them understand and develop their game on and off the pitch.

Of note so far has been the work the coaches do with the bowlers on their stamina as well as their technique. I am glad I am not a fast bowler because the run up, bowl, sprint to pick up the ball, sprint back to you mark and bowl – repeat until you throw up routine seems a killer!

Fair to say a lot of work goes into the fitness side of things. I particularly like the batters pairing up in the nets and running singles to rotate the strike, often on the call of the coach to work on their reaction times.

The two fitness areas which really stand out are the explosiveness and core: a lot of work is done on moving quickly and powerfully over a short distance, and with the core the focus seems to be on correct posture and controlling your body shape.

Another interesting aspect is the amount of work done on small, specific movements and technique and repetition, lots and lots and lots of repetition.

Plenty of drills for me to introduce to my own Off Season Training when I start again after a Christmas and New Year break, and it has got the cogs whirring about setting up to provide a combined mentoring, coaching and fitness service to club cricketers and clubs.

I just wish that I could get to Spain in the New Year for a two week training session – maybe a the end of March!?

4 thoughts on “Edgbaston Indoor Nets

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