Email This Article To Someone!

Twenty-two young Leinster wicketkeepers, along with 8 LCU coaches, were put through their paces in a 2 hour coaching clinic held at the new practice facilities at YMCA, Dublin last week. The clinic was run by South African wicketkeepers Wayne Murray (Eastern Province and YMCA) and Malcolm Stuurman (Boland and Pembroke CC) who demonstrated the latest techniques currently being used by the best glovemen in world cricket.

Murray went through the basic coaching points of the stance before demonstrating the three different methods used when standing up to the stumps. The ‘Semi Circle’ method is preferred by Murray, although time was also spent explaining the ‘Parallel lines’ and ‘K’ methods. Murray recommended the slip fielding stance when standing back, with the weight on the balls of the feet and taking the ball in line with your inside hip thus giving you extra room to take catches that come from the outside edge of the bat.

The various roles of the wicketkeeper were discussed with the participants including the importance of the dress code for wicket keepers.

Overall, the clinic was one of the coaching highlights of the summer. Many new ideas and training drills were learnt by those that attended and it is planned to hold many more ‘specialist’ sessions such as these during the winter months.