5 Sure-fire wicketkeeping techniques that work
So you want to take up wicketkeeping but you are worried your hands will be like Teflon and your feet buried in concrete?
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But until then, follow these simple tips (and work on your chirping) and before you know it you will be on the way to becoming the hub of the fielding unit.
1. Positioning
The ‘keeper stands away or near to wickets depending upon the type of bowler. Law requires you to have all your body behind the stumps; if any part is in front of stumps before the ball reaches the batsman it is called a no-ball.
When keeping to a right hander, your left foot is line of the middle stump. This angle proves helpful as most balls are taken outside off stump.
Keep yourself well balanced and alert. If you are keeping to a fast bowler, judge the position where the elevation of the ball starts to decrease, that would be the ideal place for you to stand.
After you have positioned yourself according to the speed of the bowler, be ready to catch the ball.
Keep your eye on the ball from the moment bowler starts to run in. When bowler starts his run up, go into a comfortable crouching position. As the ball pitches, rise with it (getting up too early leads to missing balls that stay low).
3. Taking the ball
When the ball reaches, catch it with relaxed but strong hands. Have a steady head with your eyes on the ball all the way into the gloves. Your hands should be in line of your body and ideally you should take the ball below your chest.
Your fingers will usually be pointing downwards as most takes will be below chest height. Keep your thumbs comfortably apart to create a wide catching area. The ball should be caught in palm of the gloves not in fingers.
Be ready to move your body across quickly to catch the ball. Get your head straight in line of the ball, by shuffling your feet quickly sideways but staying facing the bowler. You won’t be able to get into line every ball, but the intent must be there.
Diving often compensates for poor footwork so make sure you are moving your feet well if you find you dive a lot.
However, diving becomes necessary for the keeper when the ball is hopelessly out of his standing range. A thick edge on the ball would make it go away from you so you have to dive to take the ball.
When you are standing up from the crouch position, you are on your toes, weight evenly distributed, which allow you to execute a dive easily. Try and look to catch the ball with two hands, but one hand expands your diving reach and looks spectacular.
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Comments
hi, somehow i dont fully agree with the positioning aspect of what is written in this article. i feel the wk should position himself with his left foot just approximately 5 cms outside the off stump (to a RHB) for the following reasons:
1. to get a clear view of the bowler
2. sice most balls are taken on the off side(as in this article) it is easier to collect the ball in line of the body.
The key for me is that you are comfortable and can see the ball at the point of delivery. The other thing to remember is if the ball is swinging, then you may need to adjust where you stand.
hi, I was wondering when you crouch in your stance, should you be on the balls of your feet or with your feet flat on the floor?
Ideally, on the balls of your feet - it gives you more 'mobility' and means you're ready to react. Of course there will always be exceptions to the rule but 99% of top class keepers will be up on their balls when crouching.
Should your knees be fully bent?
You need to be comfortable with a low position. the back of your leg doesn't have to touch your calf or anything, but look to get to about 90 degrees flexed at least to give you a strong, low position to move out of quickly.
Does the stance you crouch in have any effect on being able to catch edges? I'm having real trouble trying to react quick enough to take edges. Unless it,s a really bouncy pitch and I'm stood miles back, it's just luck if i catch it.
With stance, the odd cm here and there while standing back shouldn't make a difference if your footwork is good enough.
Standing up, I like to have my left foot directly behind off stump - I think a lot of it is personal preference; its not a huge deal as long as you move quickly, can see to take the ball, and can make it back to the bails.
Ben - the stance helps to give you the power to move. If you're dropping catches then chances are it is as much about your glove work as anything else.
Well I deffer with this. Though I am a makeshift keeper and keep only if the main guy is injured, what Sridhar says is an easy way rather than the correct way.
While playing a division level when you are sure that bowlers don't err that much in line & Length and they know what they are doing you can assume the 5 cm rule mentioned by Sridhar as okay.
But when you are playing in corporate level where people are not that skilled and don't sometime know how to control the swing/drift towards the leg side then this rule will find you in pretty sticky waters.
Remember you still have a little assistance on off side by slips, but on leg side there is nothing, and a good keeper's first obligation is not to give a single bye.
HI,
I'm a keeper for my team and usually stand with my left leg either just inside the WIDE crease or sometimes even outside the WIDE crease. There have been a point where I have stood almost half way thru 1st slip.
Some other teams have objected to this as saying the Keeper should always be within the wicket box(between both the left/right WIDE crease).
Is there a rule where the Keeper needs to be in the box or it's his decision where he stands ?
Help in this matter is highly appreciated.
Thanks,
Aj.
agree!
I think the balls might come on the leg side also so the keeper must be ready to collect those balls also which r in the blind spot.
it will helpful to me as a wicktetkeeper
it is most important about the topic positioning
most important thing of a wicketkeeper is positioning in fastbowl
positioning