Close catching reactions

Setup

1. The coach stands at the batting crease with a bat. A feeder stands about 8 to 10 m away and throws to the coach's bat.
2. Fielders take positions at short leg, silly point and slip, at the distance they would stand in a match.
3. Start with incrediballs or soft balls. Move to a hard ball only when every close fielder has a helmet with a faceguard, a box and shin pads, and the catching is secure.
4. The coach controls the deflection pace. Nobody else hits the ball towards the fielders.

How it runs

1. Round 1, one fielder at a time: the feeder throws, the coach guides the ball off the face, the edge or the pad towards a named fielder. Six each.
2. Round 2, any fielder: the coach chooses where each deflection goes, so all three must be ready on every ball.
3. Score as a group: 1 point for a clean catch, 2 for a catch that needed a dive or a reflex movement. Set a target for the group to beat.
4. Rotate positions after each round so everyone experiences each spot.
5. Finish with the hard-ball stage only if the group is ready, with full protection and the coach guiding the ball more gently.

Coaching points

• Get set early: feet a bit wider than shoulders, knees bent, weight forward on the balls of the feet, hands relaxed in front and low.
• Watch the bat, not the feeder. The ball comes off the bat faster than you expect.
• Stay down as the ball is played. Rising early leaves you reaching up at a ball that stays low.
• Soft hands that give with the ball. Fingers down for low balls, fingers up for anything above the chest.
• Short leg and silly point: hold your ground and protect yourself. Turn the head and shoulders away if a ball is hit hard at you; your helmet and kit are there to be worn properly.
• Slip: stay low with eyes level; let the ball come to you rather than snatching at it.

Common mistakes

• Standing too upright with stiff hands.
• Flinching or turning away early on balls that are catchable.
• Watching the feeder's throw instead of the bat.
• Moving to a hard ball before the soft-ball catching is reliable.