Know the Game

Cricket Guides

These guides cover the basics of playing cricket: batting, bowling, fielding, wicket-keeping, the laws of the game, training, equipment and match preparation. Each one is short, practical and written for someone learning rather than for someone who already knows the vocabulary.

Browse by topic if you know what you want to work on, or follow the learning path if you are starting from nothing. The path moves from the basics through skills and match awareness to strategy.

How the guides are written

Every guide sticks to established cricket practice — the grip that gives you control, the field positions and their names, what the laws actually say about leg before wicket. Nothing is presented as a shortcut or a secret. Where opinion differs among coaches, the guide says so rather than picking a side.

Plain language on purpose

The guides use short sentences and everyday words. Cricket has a large vocabulary of its own, and a beginner should not have to learn the jargon before learning the skill. Terms are explained where they first appear.

Practising what you read

Reading a guide will not change a technique on its own. Each one ends with something you can take to a session — a drill, a check to run through, or a mistake to watch for. Short, frequent practice with one clear aim beats long sessions without one.

Featured Guide fielding

How to Catch a Cricket Ball

Learn to catch a cricket ball safely with soft hands. Good catching wins matches.

beginner 1 min read

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What You Will Learn
  • Watch the ball all the way.
  • Move your body behind the ball.
  • Bring your hands together early.

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Beginner Essentials

Learning Path

  1. Learn the Basics Understand the game, rules and key terms.
  2. Build Your Skills Improve batting, bowling and fielding techniques.
  3. Match Awareness Learn strategies, tactics and situational play.
  4. Master the Game Refine your skills and become match ready.
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All Cricket Guides 24 guides

cricket-rules

How LBW Works

LBW is a way to be out in cricket. Learn the simple idea behind the leg before wicket…

Read Guide 1 min

Frequently Asked Questions

Start with the basics and add one skill at a time. There are 24 guides here covering batting, bowling, fielding, wicket-keeping, the rules, equipment, fitness and match preparation.

Yes. There is a beginner category, and guides such as the basic rules, how scoring works and the common mistakes beginners make assume you have never played. Nothing here needs a coach or a club to follow.

There is a guide dedicated to the grip, because it decides how well you can control the face of the bat before anything else you do. It sits in the batting category alongside timing and practice planning.

Less than most people expect for a first session, and more once you face a hard ball. The equipment guides cover choosing a bat and choosing gloves, and the protection guide explains what to wear when batting.

Reading one takes a few minutes. Where a guide is built around practice, it shows the practice time it is designed for, so you can fit it to the session you have.

The guides teach you how to do something and how the game works. The glossary explains what a word means when you hear it in commentary. They are meant to be used together.

About Cricket Guides

These guides cover the basics of playing cricket: batting, bowling, fielding, wicket-keeping, the laws of the game, training, equipment and match preparation. Each one is short, practical and written for someone learning rather than for someone who already knows the vocabulary.

Browse by topic if you know what you want to work on, or follow the learning path if you are starting from nothing. The path moves from the basics through skills and match awareness to strategy.

How the guides are written

Every guide sticks to established cricket practice — the grip that gives you control, the field positions and their names, what the laws actually say about leg before wicket. Nothing is presented as a shortcut or a secret. Where opinion differs among coaches, the guide says so rather than picking a side.

Plain language on purpose

The guides use short sentences and everyday words. Cricket has a large vocabulary of its own, and a beginner should not have to learn the jargon before learning the skill. Terms are explained where they first appear.

Practising what you read

Reading a guide will not change a technique on its own. Each one ends with something you can take to a session — a drill, a check to run through, or a mistake to watch for. Short, frequent practice with one clear aim beats long sessions without one.