Juniors go Teeball

[Rik E Boy]

Nah REB Teeball won't effect Test Cricket...........

Latest news up here is that Qld Junior Cricket associations are preparing to ditch two day games at the junior level in favour of Teeball in order to boost falling numbers. While I conceed that increased participation in the game of cricket is a positive but I have to ask once again, what sport is it that they are participating in?

My son currently plays junior cricket at Under 16 level. Bowlers can only bowl a maximum of seven overs in a spell and cannot come back into the attack until after an hour of play has passed. In Teeball your junior cricketers are obviously going to be bowling much less. How in the hell are the kids supposed to learn how to bowl?

At Under 14 level the kids have to retire at 50 so that everyone gets a go. Are kids going to be asked to retire at 30 to facilitate the same levels of actual participation? How in the hell are the kids supposed to learn how to bat?

What will happen is that 'good' kids will get to participate and despite the increased levels of initial participation, the drop out levels will increase just as fast as a lot of kids will be doing is fielding for 20 overs.

The end result is that the 'good' kids will be playing less quality cricket and more hit and giggle just to sign over less interested and able players for a season before they realise that fielding is not all that much fun.

In my opinion this is a shocking move that will do little for Qld Cricket.

regards,

REB

[Lightning McQueen]

Correct weight REB, I've been a big advocate in the PDCA to get the kids playing longer version games or compulsory batting rotations where the lad who was due to go in next must bat first the next match.
You do see parents/ coaches though encouraging suicidal runs to get the good batsman in, I agree with you wholeheartedly, leave T20 for seniors only.

[Booney]

You watch juniors develop bowling actions with no follow through. T20 will have them deliver and prop in anticipation of the ball being driven ( with an open stance off the back foot - text book style ) ferociously right back at them.

[mal]

As a kid I had always thought the games we played were too short at school
I hated batting 6-7-8 as you rarely got a hit, or when you did there was limited batting time available
My way of dealing with this was to pester my coach and skipper to open the batting
By opening it gave me greater opportunties to make big scores
Making 100s + taking 5 wickets + is what its all about[not making 25s and taking 2 fors]
You know, do what you wanna do be what you wanna be

I remember playing those ridicolous 35 over games in the Hard wicket comps
I hated them
I batted 4 and had to become a slogger
The enjoyment level dropped
I just wanted to play 65-75 over games over 2 weeks

I ended up my career playing Sunday 40 over games in the PDCA[when I was too old and too slow !]
I batted as the opener, just to guarentee a hit !!!

20/20 is not a vision I am liking
I imagine myself now as a kid playing cricket
How the hell do we develop middle order batsman into techniquelly sound batters ?
They will have to come in and bat afridiac or pollardiac to excel
What will become of the Steve Waughs and the Allan Borders of the future ?

I will re-iterate
I love watching 20/20
But I am not enjoying the ramifications to cricket