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Common Cricket Mistakes for Beginners

Avoid the most common beginner mistakes in cricket. Small fixes can make a big difference.

1 min read 15 min practice
Common Cricket Mistakes for Beginners
Table of Contents
  1. Batting
  2. Bowling
  3. Fielding
  4. Between the wickets
  5. Step-by-Step Instructions
  6. Important Tips
  7. Common Mistakes

Most beginner problems are a small number of habits, and all of them are fixable. Recognising them early saves seasons of frustration.

Batting

  • Taking the eyes off the ball — usually to look where the shot is going.
  • Gripping too hard with the bottom hand — which closes the face and produces edges.
  • A late backlift — starting the bat back after release leaves no time.
  • Playing at everything — leaving wide balls is a skill, not timidity.

Bowling

  • An unmeasured run-up — inconsistent approach means inconsistent length.
  • Trying to bowl too fast — accuracy takes more wickets than raw pace at this level.
  • Changing the plan every ball — a plan needs an over to work.

Fielding

  • Standing still — not walking in with the bowler costs a step on every ball.
  • Wrong hand position — fingers up above the chest, down below it.
  • Not backing up throws — overthrows are the cheapest runs a side can give away.

Between the wickets

Unclear calling causes more run-outs than slow running. Call yes, no or wait, loudly, and make the call the striker’s if the ball is in front of the wicket.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. 1Do not take your eyes off the ball.
  2. 2Do not grip the bat too hard.
  3. 3Do not skip your warm-up.
  4. 4Do not run without a clear call.
  5. 5Do not try to hit every ball hard.

Important Tips

  • Keep your game simple.
  • Learn one skill at a time.

Common Mistakes

  • Trying to fix everything at once.

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