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10 February, 2010

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Cricket - health benefits

Cricket has been an established team sport for hundreds of years and is one of the most popular sports in the world. It originated England and is today very popular in countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, the West Indies and South Africa.

Competitive cricket is essentially a bat and ball sport. It is played by two teams on a pitch and involves batting, fielding and bowling. There are 11 players a side and a game can last anywhere from several hours to several days.

Suitable for all ages
Cricket can be played both socially and competitively, by males and females of all ages. While competitive cricket is mostly played on a pitch on an oval field, cricket just for fun can be played in backyards, parks, streets or on the beach.

Health benefits
Although there is some standing around, to play cricket you need to be fit and strong, and have good hand–eye coordination and ball-handling skills. Cricket involves sprinting between wickets and running to stop balls, as well as bowling and throwing. Health benefits include:

Endurance and stamina
Balance and coordination
Physical fitness
Improving hand–eye coordination.

Other benefits
As well as physical health benefits, cricket can also bring other benefits and opportunities such as:

Eye–hand coordination
Team skills
Social skills like cooperation, communication and learning how to cope with winning and losing
Social interaction – it’s a great way to meet new people and make new friends.

Getting started
To play backyard cricket you just need some friends, a bat, a ball and wickets. To play competitively, consider joining a local club. To learn the skills, try participating in a clinic.

Competitive cricket – is it right for you?
There are over 1,000 cricket clubs and more than 100,000 registered cricketers in Victoria. So playing competitive cricket is a popular way to keep fit and have fun. Before you decide whether competitive cricket is right for you, there are some factors to consider:

Cricket is a team sport. It’s important you are up for some company and for communicating with others.
Cricket clubs will mostly hold matches on the weekends, both Saturdays and Sundays.
Playing competitive cricket usually involves committing to regular matches or practise sessions.
Umpiring and scoring are other ways to become actively involved in competitive cricket.

Competitive cricket – costs and equipment
If you want to start playing competitive cricket, you’ll need to join a club. This will often mean you will have to pay club membership and competition fees. For competitions you will also need to buy pants and shirts to play in (cricket whites) and cricket spikes (shoes with spikes) for playing on the turf.

Avoiding injury
Some tips to avoid injuries when playing cricket include:

Drink water before, during and after play.
Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat, even in cloudy conditions.
Always warm up, stretch and cool down.
Good technique and practices will help prevent injury.
Pace bowlers should restrict the number of overs bowled during play, taking into account their physical maturity and fitness.
Wear the right protective equipment. While batting, wear body padding including gloves, leg pads, boxes and forearm guards. When wicket keeping, batting or fielding in close, also wear a cricket helmet with a faceguard.
Seek professional advice on footwear.

Where to get help

Local cricket club
Cricket Club Finder – to find a club in your area
Cricket Australia Tel. (03) 9653 9999
Smartplay Tel. (03) 9674 8777
‘Go for your life’ Infoline Tel. 1300 739 899

Things to remember

Cricket can be played for competition or for fun.
Cricket is a good sport for developing overall fitness, stamina and hand–eye coordination.
Cricket uses a hard ball, so protective gear should be worn to avoid injury.

You might also be interested in:
Cricket - preventing injury.
Exercise - injury prevention.
Exercise programs.
Exercise safety.
Physical activity - choosing the one for you.
Physical activity - it's important.
Physical activity - men.
Physical activity - overcoming the barriers.
Physical activity - staying motivated.
Physical activity tips (1) - think active.
Sporting performance and food.
Sports and physical activity facts.
Sports injuries.

Want to know more?
Go to More information for support groups, related links and references.

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