Making Net Practice Count
Also known as: net practice, net session, batting in the nets, practise in the nets, nets practice, how to practise in the nets
Go into every net with one or two clear goals, such as leaving well outside off stump or rotating the strike against spin. Bat in match scenarios with a target and count your dismissals honestly. A short, focused net with some pressure helps more on match day than a long, aimless hit.
Many batters treat the nets as a chance to hit the ball, then wonder why match day feels different. Start with a plan. Pick one or two things to work on, ideally from your last few dismissals. Tell your bowlers what you want, such as full balls outside off or short balls at the body. Then bat as if the session matters.
Scenarios make a net more like a match. Set a target, such as 24 runs off 18 balls, or survive 20 balls of new-ball bowling. Imagine a field, and call your shots as runs, dots or out. If you would have been caught, count it as a dismissal and decide how to respond. Mix blocks of repetition with spells of random deliveries. Repeating one shot helps you learn it. Facing mixed balls helps you choose the right shot under pressure.
Nets are shared space, and they are only useful if they are safe. The ECB suggests no more than 6 to 8 players per net at a time. Bowlers should bowl only when the batter is ready and from a legal distance. Never lean head-first into the netting to get a ball back. Exit behind the bowlers rather than across another lane. Under-18s must wear a helmet with a grille against a hard ball in nets too.
Tips by skill level
Write down one goal before each net, such as 'play straight' or 'leave outside off'. At the end, ask a bowler how often you managed it.
Finish each net with a pressure scenario that matches your role. That might be the last five overs of a chase or seeing off a new ball. Keep score honestly.
Example
Before a net, a batter tells her bowlers she wants to work on leaving outside off. For 15 balls she leaves anything wide and scores off anything straight. Then she bats a scenario of 20 needed off 12 balls.
Why it matters
Most batting time is spent in the nets. Using it with purpose turns practice into better decisions and scores in matches.
Common mistakes
- Slogging every ball because there are no fielders
- Ignoring nicks that would have been caught in a match
- Batting with no goal and no feedback
- Leaning into the netting or crossing lanes while balls are being bowled
Frequently asked questions
How should I practise in the nets?
Go in with one or two goals and tell your bowlers what you need. Bat in scenarios with targets, count dismissals honestly and mix repeated balls with random ones.
How do I make net practice more like a real match?
Set a target or a number of balls to survive, imagine a field and call each shot as runs, a dot or out. Count edges that would have been caught as dismissals.
How many players should be in a cricket net?
The ECB suggests no more than 6 to 8 at a time. That means one or two batting, one or two padding up and four to six bowling.
Sources
Related terms
- Leaving the BallLeaving the ball means choosing not to play at a delivery and lifting your bat and hands up out of its path. As a result, it goes through to the keeper. Leave balls you judge will miss the stumps, usually those wide of off stump or bouncing over the top. Move your feet into position first, then lift the bat high and keep watching the ball until it passes you.
- Building an InningsBuild an innings in stages. Spend your first balls getting used to the pace and bounce, scoring mainly from singles and bad balls. Once you are set, widen your scoring shots and push the rate. After a milestone, reset and start again instead of relaxing.
- Run Chase and Required Run RateIn a run chase, the required run rate is the runs you still need divided by the overs left. To pace a chase, break it into small targets, keep wickets in hand and avoid long runs of dot balls. Plan to attack harder when you have batters to come and fewer overs left.
- Random PracticeRandom (or variable) practice mixes skills, shots, or conditions in a session. Studies often find it beats blocked repetition for long-term retention and transfer to real play.
- Practice TransferPractice transfer is how much a skill learned in a practice environment carries over to real performance — the ultimate measure of whether your training actually worked.
Cricket analysis is in development
Motion Lab does not analyze this sport yet. Keep exploring the terms in this section.