Junior cricket comeback part of summer sport community recovery

Junior cricket is bouncing back after Covid, new data shows.

More kids signed up to play club cricket in each of the two seasons since the pandemic began, according to the 2021-22 Australian Cricket Census.

There were 114,400 junior club registrations last summer, up from 109,400 the summer before.

And both these figures were higher than the pre-Covid 2019-20 season, when 107,500 kids were local cricket club members.

Cricket Australia executive general manager of community cricket James Allsopp said Covid-19 created enormous challenges for all community sports, along with the severe floods that devastated many regions.

But dedicated club volunteers had helped keep the sport alive.

“I am delighted that so many players were able to return to cricket last summer or play for the first time,” Mr Allsopp said.

“For a second season, the volunteers who run our community clubs and Woolworths Cricket Blast centres did an amazing job ensuring thousands of people could play cricket in safe, fun and inclusive* environments.

“It has been a challenging time for all sport, so we are particularly pleased that our retention rates* remain strong and kids and teenagers are continuing to enjoy the benefits of cricket in large numbers.”

Despite growth in the junior ranks and female participation, overall registrations were down 16 per cent on pre-Covid levels. A total of 598,931 players were registered in the 2021-22 season, the Cricket Census revealed.

Are you preparing to pad up for the cricket season this summer? Aussie all-rounder Marnus Labuschagne has these top tips for young players:
1. Make practise fun!
At the end of the day, cricket is a game, we play it because we enjoy it. The better you get at it, the more fun you’ll have. Practise doesn’t have to only be in the nets in an organised setting. Playing backyard cricket with your friends or creating fun little games at home to hone* any cricket skill will help you improve and maintain your love of the game. It certainly does for me!
2. Work on every aspect of your game
Learning the different skills of the game will help you think smarter and clearer about the game, as well as helping you to better understand what your opponent is trying to do. For example, if you’re a batter, working on your bowling will not only help your team when they need an important wicket, but will also make your batting better by giving you a greater understanding of what you’re facing when you’re batting.

3. Keep your kit and your hands clean
Your parents and teachers will have probably been constantly reminding you, over the past few years, to wash and sanitise your hands. That advice is also important in sport. We can all help protect the game we love and the people who play it this summer with healthy hygiene* habits, like washing our hands and wiping down our kits after we play. Remember, there is nothing worse in the changerooms than a smelly, dirty kit bag with smelly, dirty equipment. Take care of your tools of trade*.
4. You’re part of a team
Your teammates are there to support you on and off the field. Building lifelong friendships and having fun are all an essential part of the game of cricket.

5. Batting tip
Batting is all about decision making. Some balls are meant to be left, some blocked and others hit to the boundary for four. By spending a lot of time in the nets and training with the same level of intensity* that you play with, you will get a far better feel for what balls you can hit for runs and what balls you miss-hit or even get out on. Cricket is a physically and mentally tough game, especially batting, so if you work on in-game situations when you’re training, you’ll be a lot better prepared to score runs out in the middle.

GLOSSARY

• inclusive: including everyone, not leaving anyone out
• retention rates: the percentage of players who return from one season to the next
• hone: sharpen, improve over time
• hygiene: the practice of keeping yourself clean to maintain health and prevent disease
• tools of trade: the equipment needed to perform a job or task
• intensity: great energy, strength and concentration

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QUICK QUIZ

1. How many juniors were registered to play cricket last summer?
2. What has caused “enormous challenges” for all community sports in the past two years?
3. Who does James Allsopp credit for the strong junior registration numbers?
4. What is Marnus Labuschagne’s No. 1 tip for young crickets preparing to play this summer?
5. Why does Marnus encourage young players to work on every aspect of their game?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Cricket popularity
Why do you think cricket has become more popular since before Covid times?

What good skills and life lessons does cricket teach kids?

How many more registrations are there this year, compared to last summer?

How many more registrations this year compared to the pre-Covid numbers?

Does your school have a cricket team? Perhaps you could organise a lunchtime game or competition? Is this kind of activity something you think other kids might enjoy and benefit from?

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Health and Physical Education; Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Design or think of a game that kids could play that practises some of the skills you need in cricket (bowling, catching, running etc).

Design your game, write down some basic rules and how it is scored.

Give your game a name and teach some younger children your game at play time.

You might need to tweak a few rules depending on how it works.

Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Health and Physical Education; Personal and Social; Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
VCOP dodgeball
The normal rules of dodgeball apply. Two teams throw soft balls at each other and if you get hit, you have to sit out. The team who knocks out all the players on the other team wins.

VCOP challenge: when you get eliminated, collect a mini-whiteboard and a basic clause from the sidelines. Up-level the sentence (make it better) by adding VCOP. When you show the teacher your completed sentence, you can return to the game.

Play for a set amount of time and the team with the most players left on the court wins.