Wicket Keeping Tips

The wicket keeper is one of the most important players on the cricket pitch. A game that lasts four or five days might turn on a single play the wicket keeper makes. The wicket keeper, like a soccer or hockey goalie, must maintain concentration over the course of a long match and react quickly when the time comes.

  1. Position

    • Adopt a crouch stance, two feet behind the stumps, just in line with the offside edge of the stumps and in position to receive the ball. Crouch on the balls of your feet, bending your legs more than your back and low enough to touch the ground with your gloves.

    Shifting to receive

    • When the ball is bowled, it's almost always necessary to adjust your position to receive it. Shift laterally without coming out of your crouch. Move along the line where you originally positioned yourself, two feet behind the stumps, and move far enough so that the ball heads for your inside hip. If you're moving to your right, receive the ball on your left hip. If you're moving left (toward the leg side for a right-handed batter), go far enough to receive the ball on your right hip.

    Receiving the ball

    • Begin with your gloves touching the ground, palms outward and upward. The key to receiving well is to never point your fingers at the approaching ball. For low balls, keep your hands in their original positions. For balls up to waist height or slightly higher, turn your hands sideways, rotating your body to accommodate the movement of your arms. You should be able to reach this position from the start position without turning your palms away from the ball. For even higher balls, flip your hands around so the fingers point upward and catch the ball overhanded.

    Concentration

    • Try to concentrate in bursts, only when a play is headed your way. If you try to concentrate too hard for the entire game, you're sure to get burned out. Take your focus off the game whenever you can, so that when the time comes, you can exert all your powers of concentration on the play.