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Physical Education

Cricket Fielding Skills

Overview

Children practise the three fielding actions used in cricket — stopping a rolling ball, picking it up, and throwing to a target.

Learning Objective
Children develop the core fielding skills of cricket: stop, pick up, and throw accurately to a target.

Resources needed

  • Balls or round stones
  • Target markers (stones or sticks)

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Teach the long barrier: kneel on one knee, other foot beside it — block a rolling ball.
  2. 2 Roll the ball to a partner who stops it using the long barrier.
  3. 3 Pick up the ball with two hands and throw to a target from 5 metres.
  4. 4 Progress to a moving ball — fielder runs to meet it.
  5. 5 Set up a stumps target (three sticks in the ground).
  6. 6 Roll a ball, fielder stops it and throws at the stumps.
  7. 7 Count direct hits out of five attempts.

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Fielder must return the ball before the roller runs to a marker and back.
  • Two fielders — practice backing up the throw.
  • Gradual distance increase for throwing.
More information

Teach: field, stop, pick up, throw, target, stumps, long barrier. Demonstrate each action before drilling.

Closer targets and slower balls for less confident children. Focus on the stopping technique first before adding the throw.

Is the long barrier position blocking the full width of the ball's path? Is the throw overarm and aimed at the target?

Round stones as balls, sticks in the ground as stumps. No specialist cricket equipment needed.

Children reach for the ball with one hand instead of using the long barrier. Reinforce: get the body behind the ball — use the leg as a second barrier.

Fielding is the most practised skill in cricket but the least taught. Good fielding is based on stopping the ball reliably — technique matters more than athleticism.

Activity details
Primary Medium 20 minutes 5 minutes prep Small Group, Whole Class Outdoor
Topics
Cricket Fielding Throwing