Cricket insights with Paul Ryan; A coach and first grade captain facilitate the best centre wicket practice

Cricket Insights | March 13, 2026

Former St George District Cricket Club First Grade Premiership Winning Captain Paul Ryan shares some terrific insights into how a club coach and first grade captain facilitated the best centre wicket practice session.

Key Takeaway

Great training does not always involve bat and ball.

Sometimes the most powerful sessions focus on understanding, communication, and shared thinking.

The idea

A coach and first grade captain ran a compulsory centre wicket session for an under-16 team.

Players arrived ready to bat and bowl but were asked to leave their equipment behind and step onto the field with only their spikes.

The focus was simple.

Learn the game from the middle.

What the session involved

• Players stood together on the wicket and moved through every fielding position
• Each position was discussed in detail
• Why the position exists
• What the role is
• How it supports the bowler, captain, and team
• What cues fielders should read from the batter

No drills.

No rotations.

Just shared learning.

What happened

Early on, players were quiet.

As the group moved into point, cover, and the inner ring, discussion increased.

Players began:

• Asking questions
• Offering suggestions
• Debating angles and positioning
• Talking about who should field where and why

By the time they reached the outfield, players were fully engaged. Some even experienced positions they had never fielded in before.

The impact

After the session:

• Fielding communication improved noticeably
• Players understood their roles more clearly
• Anticipation and awareness increased
• The team talked more in games
• The captain led with greater confidence and clarity

Players felt involved, informed, and trusted.

Why it worked

• It respected players’ intelligence
• It gave context, not just instruction
• It created shared ownership of decisions
• It strengthened the relationship between coach, captain, and team

Players want to understand the game, not just perform skills.

The leadership lesson

When coaches and captains teach the why, not just the what:

• Engagement increases
• Confidence grows
• Teams think together rather than react individually

The challenge

For coaches and senior captains in community and premier cricket:

• Run a centre wicket session without equipment
• Walk the field together
• Talk the game
• Invite questions
• Build shared understanding

Sometimes the best training session looks nothing like training at all.