Here is something about Australian junior cricket that changes how a young batter should think, and that a lot of families have never had explained.
In the modified junior formats, batters are retired once they have faced a set number of deliveries rather than once they reach a certain score. The exact limit depends on the stage, the team size and the local competition, and coaches often have discretion to retire a player earlier so everyone gets a turn. Check the specific limits with your association, since they vary and are reviewed.
The consequence is significant. A junior batter does not have unlimited time at the crease. They have an allocation of balls, and when it runs out, their innings ends whether they are on four or forty. Every delivery is a resource that gets spent once.
Which means a dot ball is not neutral. It is a wasted opportunity from a fixed budget. And the skill that converts those deliveries into runs more reliably than any shot is running between the wickets.
The only cricket skill that needs two people to agree
Every other part of cricket is something a player does alone. Bowling, catching, playing a stroke. Running is the exception. It requires two children, under pressure, to reach the same decision in about half a second.
That is why it goes wrong so often, and why it is almost never practised. A batter can hit balls in a net for an hour without ever making a single running decision.
The good news is that most junior run-outs are not caused by slow children. They are caused by unclear communication, and communication is teachable.
Three calls, and who owns them
There are only three calls in cricket, and they should be loud, immediate and repeated:
- Yes, meaning run now.
- No, meaning stay.
- Wait, meaning hold while I watch the ball, followed quickly by yes or no.
The part young players get wrong is not the words. It is who is responsible for making the call.
The general convention is that the striker calls for anything hit in front of them, where they can see the ball, and the non-striker calls for anything behind square, where the striker cannot see what is happening. Whoever has the better view of the ball makes the decision.
Teach this once, and it removes most of the confusion. Two children both shouting, or neither shouting, is where run-outs come from. A firm no from the right player is a good call, not a negative one.
Turning ones into twos
This is where matches are quietly won, and it costs nothing but effort.
Most junior batters run the first run at a jog and then decide whether a second is on. By then it is too late, because the fielder has already gathered. Running the first run hard changes the entire calculation, since the decision about a second is being made while the ball is still travelling.
Two technical points make a real difference and are easy to teach:
- Carry the bat in the hand nearest the direction you will turn, so you can slide it in and turn without switching hands or losing sight of the ball.
- Turn low, looking back at the ball rather than at the ground, so the second run decision is based on information rather than guesswork.
These habits sit alongside stroke play rather than replacing it, and they benefit from the same repeated practice that develops any batting skill. If your child is already working on improving batting technique through regular practice, adding a running component costs almost no extra time and produces faster scoreboard results than most technical corrections.
The non-striker’s job
At the non-striker’s end, a young player should be backing up. That means walking a few steps down the pitch as the bowler releases, so they are already moving when the ball is struck.
Two cautions matter here. The first is that backing up too early risks being run out at the bowler’s end, and juniors should be taught to leave only as the ball is released. The second is that in some junior formats the bowler’s end setup differs from adult cricket, so it is worth knowing the specific conditions your association uses.
Backing up properly is worth a genuine yard on every run, and it costs nothing. It is also one of the clearest signs a young player is concentrating rather than watching from the other end.
Judgement, and the run out that ruins an afternoon
Being run out is the worst dismissal in junior cricket, because the child did nothing technically wrong and often loses their limited allocation of deliveries through someone else’s decision. Meanwhile the fielding side has learned that pressure works, which is exactly why sharp junior fielding creates run-outs against opponents who panic.
The judgement to teach is simple. Never run on a misfield until the ball is genuinely loose. Never take a risky single early in an innings when there are deliveries left to use. And once a call is made, both players commit, because hesitation halfway is what turns a tight run into a wicket.
How to practise it
Running is one of the few cricket skills that improves quickly, because most children have never worked at it at all.
Short, repeated efforts between two sets of markers build the turning technique and the fitness underneath it. Adding a caller who shouts yes or no at random forces genuine reaction rather than rehearsed movement. Working in pairs, with the same partner, builds the trust that makes calling automatic.
It also happens to be excellent conditioning. Repeated short sprints with turns are demanding, and they contribute to the broader physical benefits that cricket offers young players while looking nothing like a fitness session, which matters when the child is nine.
At our Craigieburn centre, running and strike rotation are treated as part of batting rather than an afterthought, alongside the core batting techniques that most players arrive wanting to work on. The two develop together.
A child who runs well makes every ball they face count. In a format where the balls are counted, that is worth more than an extra shot.
FAQs
Why do junior formats retire batters instead of letting them bat on?
The purpose is participation. Without a limit, one or two stronger players would occupy most of an innings and the rest of the team would barely bat. Retirement rules spread opportunity across the whole side, and retired players can usually return once everyone else has had a turn. It is a development decision rather than a competitive one.
My child keeps getting run out. Is it a fitness problem?
Almost never. Run-outs in junior cricket are overwhelmingly communication failures rather than speed failures, usually a call that was late, quiet, or made by the wrong player. Working out who should be calling for which shot fixes far more run-outs than any amount of sprint training.
Should young batters wear all their pads and gear when practising running?
At least some of the time, yes. Running in full batting equipment feels quite different from running in training clothes, particularly the turn, and a child who has only practised unencumbered will be slower and more awkward in a match. Alternate between both so the technique is learned freely and then tested realistically.
How do I teach calling if my child bats with different partners each week?
Focus on the convention rather than the relationship. If a child knows that the striker calls in front and the non-striker calls behind, they can bat with anyone. Practising with a regular partner builds confidence, but the underlying rule is what transfers to a new partnership on a Saturday morning.
Is running between the wickets worth practising if my child is a bowler?
Yes, because every player bats in junior formats. Lower-order batters often arrive at the crease when quick singles matter most, and a bowler who can rotate strike and run hard contributes runs without needing to play attacking shots. It is one of the most efficient ways for a non-specialist batter to add value.
Develop Your Skills. Build Confidence. Play Better.
| Batting is more than the shot
Most junior batting coaching stops at the stroke. Our sessions treat the whole innings as the skill, including how a young batter rotates strike, communicates with a partner, and converts a limited number of deliveries into as many runs as possible. It is the part of batting that changes scoreboards fastest, and it is the part most players have never been taught. To talk about where your child sits and what would help most, call 1300 310 769 or email info@conceptsports.com.au. Our centre is at 1/16 Poa Court, Craigieburn VIC 3064. Program information is at conceptsportsacademy.com.au. |