Cricket

Lead-up games such as Kanga Cricket develop the basic skills for cricket. Safety rules and procedures are important because of the type of equipment used and the duration of play.

As part of the process of safety self-regulation, all persons engaging in this activity should identify the hazards, assess their significance and manage the potential risks including any additional hazards not mentioned here

Hazards that may be encountered in this activity include:

• equipment (e.g. bats, balls, wickets)
• dehydration

The categorisation of these conditions is subjective and offered as a starting point for risk management planning. The actual degree of risk is best ascertained by persons with intimate local knowledge present at the site of the activity.

Participation in outdoor cricket involves medium risk (level 2).

One adult present should have knowledge of, and an ability to perform, first aid procedures.

If an adult other than a registered teacher is engaged for instruction, a teacher should be present to take overall responsibility.

The qualifications listed in this section are minimums for each type of situation. Leaders are encouraged to seek training to raise their qualification level above the minimum listed.

The leader should be:

• a registered teacher with experience (previous involvement in the activity) in the teaching of cricket
• an adult who has Level 1 (Development) coaching qualifications from the Australian Cricket Board

A first aid kit should be available at all venues where lessons and competitions are conducted.

Initial introduction of the activity should include:

• appropriate warm-up and warm-down activities
• rules, safety procedures and prerequisite skills before students play the game
• progressive and sequential skill development
• specific exercises and lead-up activities for fast bowlers
• modified games that match skill and fitness levels of students.

Activities should be sited away from buildings, pedestrians and other activities.

Activities should be sufficiently spaced to prevent any equipment entering another playing area.

The playing area should be level and free from obstacles and loose objects.

The wicket surface and the outfield area should be safe and suitable for the ability level of the students.

Protective netting, pitches and approaches in practice nets should be kept in good repair.

Plastic or metal stump sets should be used for practice and in modified games.

Boundary markers should be made of non-injurious materials.

Fasteners used to affix portable wicket covers firmly to the ground should be non- injurious.

Pitches should be sited in a north-south direction to limit visual interference from the sun.

Situations during catching practice where the catcher's vision is impaired by the sun should be avoided.

Equipment should be checked for damage before play commences and removed from use, if necessary.

Leg guards, protectors and gloves should be worn by batters and wicket-keepers.

A specifically designed cricket helmet and face guard should be worn by all batters when playing in a match or at practice where a hard ball is being used.

Males need to wear protectors when batting and when fielding close to the wicket.

Students who field close to the wicket (including wicketkeepers keeping up to the stumps) should wear shin guards and a helmet with face guard when playing in a match or at practice where a hard ball is being used. Students 14 years or younger should not field closer than 10 metres from the striking batter at any position on the leg side of the wicket or at any position forward of point on the off side of the wicket.

The number of balls a fast bowler bowls at practice and during matches should be limited to suit the bowler's age and development.

Only the batter should be positioned inside the nets unless appropriate wicket-keeping practice to slow bowling is required.

Students should not collect balls from inside the nets while bowling is in progress.

Appropriate safety procedures should be implemented when practice is conducted in adjacent nets.

Students should be instructed to watch the ball in play and during net practice.

Adequate water needs to be consumed before and during the session to prevent dehydration.

• HLS-PR-013: Developing a Sun Safety Strategy
• SCM-PR-002: School Excursions
• HLS-PR-005: Injury, Illness and Dangerous Event Recording and Reporting
• HLS-PR-003: First Aid for Schools and Non-school Locations