14 Changing Formats , Improving Experiences
CHANGING FORMATS , IMPROVING EXPERIENCES
You ’ ll have heard about the All Stars Cricket project for 5-8 year-olds , but that ’ s only one of many new formats being explored in junior club cricket . We look at the research behind these changes and the impact they could make on the junior game .
S maller sides . Shorter pitches . Bowlers sharing overs , and the batting order being rotated . Batters having a second life , but losing one if they play out a maiden .
These are some of the more striking features of Charley Cricket , an experimental form of the game which introduced in parts of the Country several years ago in an effort to make cricket more exciting and rewarding for youngsters around the ages of 10-12 .
Now , after engaging with more than 400 junior leagues for feedback and researching appropriate pitch lengths in partnership with Loughborough University , the ECB are piloting three new formats along similar lines for the under-8 – 9 and under-10-12 age groups in 2018 , as part of the Junior Participation Pathway – details of how to find out more below .
The Junior Participation Pathway ’ s mission statement is as follows .
To provide kids with a world-class experience of cricket and one that more closely replicates the professional game . To increase junior retention , ensure sustainable participation and better develop the skills of the game .
That ’ s the what and the why . The obvious and crucial next question is clearly “ How ?”
That began with the feedback from those 400 junior leagues - what games were they playing , what rules did