Repeat-sprint conditioning

Setup

1. Use firm, flat grass or an artificial strip, not a match pitch. Mark two crease lines with cones 22 yards (20.12 m) apart at the stumps, with the popping creases about 1.22 m in front of each set; the running distance between popping creases is about 17.7 m.
2. Players work in pairs, one at each end, each carrying a bat. A second pair rests at the side and goes next.
3. Do this after a full warm-up, in sunscreen and hats on hot days, with water in the shade between sets.
4. Start with running shoes and no pads; add pads and helmet in later weeks so it matches a real innings.

How it runs

1. The coach calls 'one', 'two' or 'three'. The pair run it as fast as they can, sliding the bat over the line at every turn and at the finish.
2. The resting pair then run the next call while the first pair recover. Work and rest swap back and forth, so the rest is roughly the time the other pair take.
3. Run one set of six calls, mixing ones, twos and threes, then take a longer break with water. Do two to four sets depending on the group's fitness and the time of the season.
4. Time each three. The aim is to keep the last three of a set close to the time of the first, not to set a record on one rep.
5. Finish with a short walk and stretch, then talk about where time was lost: the start, the turns or the finish.

Coaching points

• Explode out of the crease: low, quick first steps, bat carried in front ready to ground.
• Turn so you face the side of the field where the ball is, switching the bat to the other hand if you need to.
• Slide the bat in, don't tap it. Run the bat over the line at full stretch, then plant and push back.
• Call loudly every rep, even in a drill. Tired players stop calling, and that's when run outs happen.
• Run the last rep the same way as the first: full speed through the line.
• Stop straight away with any sharp pain, dizziness or heat illness signs, and tell the coach.

Common mistakes

• Slowing down before the crease instead of running the bat in.
• Rounding off the turns with big, looping steps.
• Running the first run at half pace to save energy for later.
• Skipping water breaks on hot days.