The sport I have chosen to do my coursework on will be Cricket.

GCSE Physical Education (Sport & Coaching)

David Holmes 11JB

GCSE PE

COURSEWORK

GCSE PE Coursework

Section 1:

The sport I have chosen to do my coursework on will be Cricket.

The Perfect Player:

Cricket is an all round game with three main aspects of it. These are bowling, batting and fielding. Players can either be strong in one area, whereas strong in all areas of the game. The typical example of a perfect player in cricket would be the all-rounder. This is a player who is a talented bowler and talented batter. A successful all-rounder will be a very important player to any team. An example of an all-rounder is Andrew Flintoff or Jacques Kallis. Both these players are all round talented players and perform at a world-class level.

Batting:

To win a game of cricket runs must be scored, this is the job of the batsmen. In a five day test match runs are often scored at a rate of around 3 runs an over. But in a one day game the run rate is usually around 5 runs an over. Batting takes a lot of skill, because every ball faced will be different in speed, line, length and bounce depending on the condition of the pitch and type of bowler. When batting, many things must be mastered to score runs against any type of bowler. A firm grip of the bat is important to keep it steady in order to strike the ball cleanly and effectively. The stance of a batsman is one of the most important parts of batting. He will take a guard to ensure he is positioned to protect his stumps and to optimise shot potential. This can change depending on conditions and the bowler. Foot movement is particularly important when facing a quicker bowler. The speed to react is a lot shorter when facing a pace bowler. Players will move their back foot across towards the off stump to get them in-line with the delivery. More advanced batters will make two movements of the feet before playing a shot. This is usually back and across.

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There are many shots to play when batting, these are broken down to front foot and back foot shots. Front foot shots are when the ball is pitched up well and the foot is moved towards the spot where the ball bounces so that it is hit on the half volley. Some front foot shots are: forward defence, cover drive and the on-drive. Back foot shots are played when the ball is pitched short and bounces up to the batsmen’s waist or higher. The batsman steps back to make room then will strike the ball to the leg or off side. Back foot shots are: square cut, pull shot and the hook shot. These are often attacking shots. However, back foot shots can create easy singles. This can be done by using the pace of the ball and placing it down to the third man region for a comfortable single.

Running between the wickets can be essential especially in one day games, and a good understanding and communication between the batsmen is vital. When the shot is played behind the striking batsmen the non-striker will make the call. Otherwise the call will generally be the striker’s responsibility. Both batsmen must be able to judge if a run is there and how many. A good runner will call sensible singles and turn 2 runs in 3 runs by always taking the first run at a quick pace then judging weather a third run is possible.

Batsmen face varieties of bowling. Spin, pace, and swing. Detailed information about the varieties of bowling is found under the bowling section.

Bowling:

The types of bowling are: spin, pace, and swing.

Spin is when the bowler flicks the wrist to spin the ball. There are many types of spin. Advanced spinners can have up to 10 different deliveries, this is possible due to how the ball is released from the hand, the grip of the ball, the speed the ball is bowled and the part of the hand which is spinning the ball (wrist or fingers).

Pace bowling is simply bowling the ball at a very fast speed. Top international bowlers such as Shoiab Akthar and Brett Lee have bowled past the 100mph mark, to be specified a pace bowler you must be able to bowl an average delivery of around 85mph+.

Swing bowling makes the ball move in the air due to one side of the ball being polished allowing it to move through the air faster, while the other side is rough so it creates more friction in the air.

Fielding:

Fielding has become a very important part of modern cricket. It simply is how well the player can get the ball pick it up and make an accurate throw back to the stumps. Catching also comes into fielding. This is important as “catches win matches”. There are many fielding positions. The main catching positions are: slip, short leg, silly point, deep square leg and gully. Having a strong and accurate throw is vital if a fielder is to be successful. An example of a world-class fielder is Paul Collingwood. He has mastered every aspect of fielding.

Fitness Factors

Cardio-vascular fitness is very important in cricket a game can last up to 5 days. Muscles must be toned depending on the type of player. Bowlers must have a strong back and upper body as they can be required to bowl at least 20 overs a day in a test match. Muscular strength is important for batsmen to hit the ball hard for boundaries to be scored. Reaction time and timing are very important when batting because you have less than 1 second to react when facing quick bowling. Timing is important because a badly timed shot can lead to you getting caught out.

Hand-eye co-ordination is probably one of the most important parts of batting. You have to be able to judge the correct shot to play depending where the ball has pitched and use your body to play the correct shot. Muscular endurance and stamina must be achieved because fielders can spend a whole day fielding. If a player is in all round fit condition then they have the chance to be successful at the sport. Cricket is unlike sports like Rugby where the main fitness factor is strength.

Observation

I will be analysing and observing myself and comparing my skills in cricket to what I have written about the perfect player.

I will be assessing my ability at bowling.

Technical

Technical ability in bowling covers: run-up, bowling action and releasing the ball. When I bowl I mark my run up at 13 strides. I have never had any major problems with bowling no-balls so my run up is correct for me to bowl. The bowling action is complicated any every bowler has a unique action. When I bowl I can tend to lean my left shoulder down causing the ball not to go where I want it. I can work on this by keeping tall when I bowl the ball. When I release the ball I sometimes release the ball too late which makes it a short ball where runs can be scored. When I release the ball from my hand the seam is in an upright position which helps the ball to swing. However, if I bowl a slower ball I will hold the ball across the seam which slows the ball down when travelling through the air.

Tactical

Tactics when bowling mainly mean bowling the ball in a certain place and relying on the fielders to catch the batter out. It covers knowing the right place to bowl at a certain batter and the best way to get them out. Bowling a variety of balls to frustrate the batter can also lead to getting the batter out. When I bowl I will aim for the top of off stump. I will occasionally bowl a slower ball. When bowling towards the end of a game I will try to bowl Yorkers and slower balls to stop runs being scored. When I bowl at the end of a game I will try to put as much pressure on the batsmen by bowling dot balls. I have done this successfully in games but I have also conceded boundaries. When I am bowling a bad spell it is most likely because I am not keeping a consistent line and length. This is a basic requirement if I am to be successful at bowling.

Fitness

When I bowl I will use mostly my upper body. I have never had any major injuries when bowling. Common injuries are back pains or shoulder pains. The pace I bowl will be increased by the general strength of my upper body. Before I bowl I always loosen up and stretch my muscles so that the chance on injury is reduced.

Weaknesses when bowling: