wicket keeping to spin

opener21

New Member
wicket keeping to spin

hi again,
usually a part time leg spinner, i've taken up keeping this year to help the team out, and while im reasonable keeping to pace, i always have trouble keeping to spin, especially to quick spin, any ideas?
thanks..
 
Re: wicket keeping to spin

opener21;402707 said:
hi again,
usually a part time leg spinner, i've taken up keeping this year to help the team out, and while im reasonable keeping to pace, i always have trouble keeping to spin, especially to quick spin, any ideas?
thanks..

It's a tough job i reckon. A big sideways step to either side if the bowler spins it both ways. No more than one because you have to swoop gloves back in one go every ball if batsman misses.

Your a spinner so you have a headstart. watch out of hand for seam direction if you can, drift is a big clue to which way it will spin.
 
Re: wicket keeping to spin

The key word as always is practice. You're not going to be able to rock up and keep prefectly without having the tools to do so, or knowing the bowlers to some degree. Communication is also vital, have a sign when the bowler is going to push it through quicker, flatter or wider for example. Nothing elaborate but something which gives you a heads up.

As for practice, you need to do a few things. Start by simply keeping to the spinners but with then focussing on one side of the wicket. Off, then leg, then off etc. After a while get them to mix it up. This will give you a chance to watch their actions and learn to pick what they bowl.

From here, the next system is keeping with distractions. Put a chair in front of the stumps, or have someone playing at the ball with a flexible cone (enough to clip but not deviate the ball). Better still get someone with two stumps to wave at the ball as it goes through. Anything to simulate a batsman in front of the stumps.

You will also need to consider agility - moving from side to side and diving. There are plenty of drills and ideas around but be inventive.
 
Re: wicket keeping to spin

mas cambios;402732 said:
...You will also need to consider agility - moving from side to side and diving. There are plenty of drills and ideas around but be inventive.

Absolutely! You also need to be comfortable in the 'K'. Have a read of http://www.bigcricket.com/forum/t57579-10/. Although it discusses Keeping generally, it does have some really good tips in places :).
 
Re: wicket keeping to spin

as a leg spinner, who rarely gets to bowl at decent keepers, my main piece of advice would be to learn your fellow spinners bowling! if you play for a club with the same regular spin bowlers, then set yourself up some stumps at practice, get behind them, and have a bowler bowl at you. every spinner is different, but each has their own methods. if you learn those methods, and also learn what to watch for, then youll be able to keep to them much better.

there are obviously physical and technical aspects as well, such as agility, positioning, glovework, etc. i cant help on those because im not a keeper or a coach. but youll definitely make major improvements just by practicing your keeping to the spinners bowling, irrespective of those other factors. a couple of keepers that i regularly play with are getting better and better as the season progresses off my bowling. its purely because they are learning my favoured areas.

as a leg spinner yourself youll probably find leg spin quite comfortable to keep to (i reckon its probably easier anyway, as the ball turns from leg to off so you can easily judge deliveries based on their line in flight and make a simple decision on your initial position).
 
Re: wicket keeping to spin

As a spinner as well I'd agree with Jim there, not only get used to the bowler but also become quite friendly with him. If they are good enough you are going to be getting quite a few deliveries coming down at you, and you are going to have to be good enough to pick them all up.

I've bowled a keeper that had trouble pouching them before (although worked very well as a backboard :D), and my advice to him was to stand back. I don't mind missing the odd stumping chance (although you can still throw the ball back onto the stumps) if I can be assured of the keeper being able to get all of the balls to end up staying in the gloves. Standing back gives you that extra bit of time and less of a distraction to see it into the gloves. Work on the other tips given to you in practice up to the stumps, but if I were bowling to you, I'd suggest standing back an extra 1-1.5 metres during the games only and slowly working up to it once your comfortable through the practice outside of that.
 
Re: wicket keeping to spin

I think i can answer this fairly easy! I have the best coach in the World for Wicket Keeping.

You need to start with the basics

Head
Hands
Feet

You get your head in line with the ball, take the ball with your hands under the line of the head and your feet will follow. Simples

Your start position also needs to be from a good Base, and its all about balance. works differnetly for different sized keepers.

But just Watch KP, keeping in this video, bearing in mind the guy bowling at him is bowling at about 75mph (KP is keeping in the second innings for those who dont know who he is! starts at 4.30 )

YouTube - ‪Ware CC Champions (Indoor 2009).m4v‬‎
 
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