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Most people with intellectual disabilities have comorbid health conditions, which will impact optimization of sporting performance. Classification is used in Paralympic events to ensure that those with similar levels of functional ability compete fairly against each other. An evidence-based approach needs to be developed for athletes with intellectual disabilities to be classified in relation to their overall functional capacity into competition groups of similar ability. This research builds on previous work using the taxonomy of The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to group athletes with intellectual disabilities into comparable competition groups as an approach to Paralympic classification. Three groups of athletes—Virtus, Special Olympics, and Down syndrome—are compared using the ICF questionnaire indicating functional health status in relation to sporting performance. The questionnaire was found to discriminate between athletes with Down syndrome and other athletes, and an approach to using a cutoff score to develop competition classes is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) and 360° video can provide new opportunities for testing and training in sport. Both options offer different benefits in terms of efficacy for training, ease of use, and cost. This creates questions about the implementation of immersive technologies, and research is required to further understand their use. We aimed to gain initial evidence of athletes' perceptions of face validity and fidelity in VR and 360-video. Thirty-nine international pathway cricketers experienced five overs in VR cricket and in a 360-video recording. After trying each technology, players completed questionnaires to measure perceptions of presence and task workload. Participants reported immersive experience in both methods, but higher levels of realism, possibility to act, physical effort, temporal constraints, and task control in VR. 360-video offers a better possibility to visually examine the environment, while VR offers enhanced realism and physical elements, but 360-video may still offer affordable solutions for visual tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary A trend to study entomological options as food is turning the practice of entomophagy into a novel research field in search for sustainable and accessible sources of nutrients. In this work, cricket (Gryllus assimilis) was processed into flour (CF), and then extracted using different solvents to obtain oils and defatted flours. The repeatability of CF obtention, its nutritional profile, and some of its physicochemical properties were studied. Results showed repeatability with a 28% mass yield for CF production. The CF presented adequate amino acid, mineral, and fatty acid profiles, a high content of dietary fibre, and low available carbohydrates, thus being considered a suitable alternative for inclusion in healthy human diets. Using data obtained from the total nitrogen content, the amino acid profile, and the total dietary fibre determinations, the CF protein digestibility was estimated at 67.4%. Based on experimental data, a mean nitrogen‐to‐protein conversion factor of 5.76 was calculated for a G. assimilis meal. The study showed that nutritional cricket flour and derivatives can be obtained using non‐sophisticated methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the determination of the centre of pressure (COP) on spherical sports objects such as cricket balls and footballs using gyroscope data from Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). Conventional pressure sensors are not suitable for capturing the tangential forces responsible for torque generation. This research presents a novel method to calculate the COP solely from gyroscope data and avoids the complexity of isolating user-induced accelerations from IMU data. The COP is determined from the cross-product of consecutive torque vectors intersecting the surface of the sphere. Effective noise management techniques, including filtering and data interpolation, were employed to improve COP visualisation. Experiments were conducted using a smart cricket ball and a smart football. Validation tests using spin rates between 7.5 and 12 rps and torques ranging from 0.08 to 0.12 Nm confirmed consistent COP clustering around the expected positions. Further analysis extended to various spin bowling deliveries recorded using a smart cricket ball, and a curved football kick recorded using a smart football demonstrated the wide applicability of the method. The COPs of various spin bowling deliveries showed adjacent positions on the surface of the ball, traversing through backspin, sidespin and topspin, excluding the flipper and doosra deliveries. The calculation of the COP on the surface of the soccer ball could only be achieved by increasing the data sampling frequency sevenfold using curve fitting. Knowledge and use of the COP position offers significant advances in understanding and analysing ball dynamics in sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of an eight-week off-season strength training program upon lower-body strength, power, eccentric capacity, front foot contact (FFC) kinetics, and ball release speed (BRS) in pace bowlers were investigated. Ten elite-academy pace bowlers completed the intervention, and pre- and post-testing. Pre- and post-testing included: double (DLDL) and single leg (SLDL) drop landings; isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP); countermovement jump; and pace bowling performance (two-over bowling spell measuring BRS and FFC kinetics). Changes from pre- to post-testing were assessed with paired sample t tests (p≤ 0.01), effects sizes and statistical parametrical mapping. Post-testing revealed a significant decrease in peak normalised vertical force during DLDL and SLDL with large effects and a significant, moderate effect increase in IMTP. There was no significant changes in BRS. Concomitantly, neither discrete scalar (p= 0.15-0.58) nor vector field analysis kinetics during FFC indicated significant changes. No significant alterations in FFC kinetics may explain the lack of improvement in BRS (pre = 31.55 ± 1.44 m/s; post = 31.79 ± 1.33 m/s). This study indicated an eight-week strength training program can improve strength and eccentric capacity in pace bowlers, and these changes when developed in the absence of skills training neither improved nor decreased pace bowling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of an identity leadership-framed reflective practice intervention on perceptions of leadership, social identity, and psychological safety in cricket. Building on previous evidence, an eight-week design included three intervention group coaches and their athletes (n = 32) and three control group coaches and their athletes (n = 34). Measurements of perceived coach identity leadership, social identity, and psychological safety were completed by cricket athletes at week 0 and week 8 for both groups. Intervention group coaches completed three identity leadership-framed reflective tasks in weeks one, three, and five, while the control group coaches continued their regular practices. Controlling for baseline scores, our analysis indicated that compared to the control group, the intervention group athletes reported significantly greater coach identity leadership behaviours, social identity, and psychological safety following the intervention. Social validation data highlighted shared identity, relationships, and learning as potential mechanisms for the positive results seen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an experimental study on the pressure field changes caused by the transverse spinning of a cricket ball in a wind tunnel. The study focuses on modern cricket techniques where bowlers deliver the ball with near-horizontal arms. Using a wake survey rake pressure measurement system and simultaneous traversal-imaging methodology, the study investigates pressure changes at constant Reynolds number and varying spin parameters. Key findings include the expansion and intensification of low-pressure zones near the ball when spin is applied, with these zones shifting and diminishing downstream. At higher spin rates, a persistent bi-lobed low-pressure zone is observed. The results align with Magnus effect theories and provide valuable insights for improving unconventional bowling techniques in cricket. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the agreement in peak ball speed measured using a radar gun and motion capture system then examine the influence of angular position. Peak ball speed was recorded with the radar gun in-line with the ball trajectory (0° offset) and at 5° offsets up to 35°. Agreement between devices was calculated at 0° and for grouped offset bins (0–5°, 10–15°, 20–25°, and 30–35°). At 0°, a strong correlation (r = 0.99) and intraclass correlation coefficient (.984) were observed with a systematic overestimation by the radar gun (1.7 ± 0.8 m/s). The residual speed between devices at the 30–35° offset was significantly different to both 0–5° (p <.001) and 10–15° (p <.001) offsets. The radar gun consistently overestimated peak ball speed up to a ~20° offset and thus can be positioned out of the line-of-throw to avoid obstructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cricket in India has evolved much beyond its fundamental definition as a game or form of entertainment in the present century. The liberalization process in the 1990s, followed by the drastic social changes in the country, impacted the game, leading it to acquire new meanings as cultural text. Currently, Indian cricket forms part of collective enjoyment, forming people's habitus and playing a central ideological role in the politics of ethnonationalism. This article attempts to analyze Indian Cricket using Slavoj Zizek's concept of "national Thing," to critically understand its potential to evoke hyper‐nationalism in the Indian polity. The concept of "national Thing," proposed by Zizek, postulates that the recourse to nationalism can cause a pleasure‐in‐pain situation and evoke extreme "enjoyment" (jouissance), which functions on the idea of sudden sense of loss. Drawing insights from this, this paper theoretically investigates sport‐induced nationalism in cricket in the backdrop of escalating neo‐nationalist sentiments in India. Additionally, the article expounds on how cricket becomes a "lost Thing" in Indian popular culture by critically analyzing the Indian film Kai Po Che (2013), in which cricket emerges as a social and political entity, intervening with the lives of ordinary youths in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique physical profile of each player's role in sub-elite women's cricket is vital for optimizing performance as these players progress to the elite levels. This quantitative, cross-sectional study investigates the physical profiles of sub-elite women's cricket players as a group and compares these profiles across different player roles. Sub-elite female cricket players in the South African domestic women's cricket league were included in this study. A battery of physical assessments were conducted at the start of the 2022/23 season. The physical assessments included body composition, individual muscle strength testing using dynamometry, 2-km time trial (TT), countermovement jump (CMJ), single-leg jump (SLJ), isometric mid-thigh pull, push-up, and hop test on force plates. A total of 44 female players (20.86 ± 1.6 years) were included in the study. Differences were found in muscle mass (p = 0.004) and peak power (p = 0.040) for all-rounders and bowlers. Player roles presented with different dominant (p = 0.006) and non-dominant (p = 0.066) knee flexion strength. The bowlers' body composition and physical strength profile are compromised compared with batters and all-rounders. There were several physical strength and power differences between pace and spin bowlers in CMJ and SLJ tests for jump height (p = 0.009) and peak power (p = 0.006). Batters performed the best in the 2-km TT. Body composition and musculoskeletal profiles for each player role can be baseline markers in sub-elite women's cricket. Stakeholders can use this information to guide physical preparation for players advancing to elite levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cricket is the second most popular sport after soccer in terms of viewership. However, the assessment of individual player performance, a fundamental task in team sports, is currently primarily based on aggregate performance statistics, including average runs and wickets taken. We propose Context-Aware Metric of player Performance, camp, to quantify individual players' contributions toward a cricket match outcome. camp employs data mining methods and enables effective data-driven decision-making for selection and drafting, coaching and training, team line-ups, and strategy development. camp incorporates the exact context of performance, such as opponents' strengths and specific circumstances of games, such as pressure situations. We empirically evaluate camp on data of limited-over cricket matches between 2001 and 2019. In every match, a committee of experts declares one player as the best player, called Manof theMatch (MoM). The top two rated players by camp match with MoM in 83% of the 961 games. Thus, the camp rating of the best player closely matches that of the domain experts. By this measure, camp significantly outperforms the current best-known players' contribution measure based on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (dls) method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 19,587 balls bowled by fast bowlers across two One-Day International (ODI) cricket tournaments were analysed, with the aim of exploring the relationship between bowling lengths and foot-based batter decision-making. Initially, a Chi-Square test of independence was used to determine if bowling lengths were associated with the foot-based decision-making of batters. Subsequently, the relationship of specific foot-based strokes with different bowling lengths were further examined through a Logistic Regression. Post-Hoc analysis of standardised residuals from Chi-Square tests suggest an association between foot-based decision-making and dot balls (χ2(1) = 99.798, p <.001). Furthermore, Logistic Regression results reveal that all length zones except the half-tracker length show statistically significant association with front-foot and back-foot strokes. Respective coefficients of these length zones also show an organisation of specific strokes with front-foot stroke dominating lengths close to the batter (yorker, full-toss, half-volley and good length) and back-foot strokes dominating zones further away from the batter (back of a length and short length). The results confirm interdependence between batter-bowler performances and suggest that batters in ODI cricket prefer meeting the ball on the front foot in their search of scoring runs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to i) determine the prevalence of anxiety/depression symptoms in professional cricketers and ii) identify factors associated with symptoms of anxiety/depression. One-hundred and seventy-seven (n = 177, response rate of 76%) professional cricketers completed the General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12). Odd ratios (OR) for anxiety/depression symptoms were related to players' career, family and education. Prevalence of symptoms of anxiety/depression was 59% (n = 104/177). Anxiety/depression symptoms increased when players were contracted for more than 2 years (OR: 5.0; 95% CI: 1.2–21.3; p = 0.028) and if they played their last offseason overseas (OR: 3.5; 95% CI: 1.3–9.6; p = 0.013). Anxiety/depression symptoms decreased by 70% when players made "productive use" of their time in the offseason (OR: 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1–0.9; p = 0.036) and contracted for 2 years (OR: 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1–1.0; p = 0.049). These findings can be incorporated into cricket mental health literacy programmes to improve awareness and understanding, and to encourage early help-seeking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study explores match related factors and their impact on the batting strike rate in Twenty20 cricket – an aspect which can generate excitement and fan engagement in cricket matches. Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected from www.cricinfo.com using a web scraping tool based on R programming from February 17, 2005, to October 25, 2022, numbering 4,221 men's Twenty20 international innings featuring 41 national teams that had taken place in 85 venues across 11 countries of play. Hypothesis testing was conducted using one-way ANOVA. Findings: The findings indicate that batters score faster in the first inning of a match, and mean strike rates also vary significantly based on the country of play. Further, the study analyses the top performing national sides, venues and country of play in terms of mean batting strike rate, thus providing insights to cricket boards, international regulating bodies of cricket, sponsors, media companies and coaching staff for better decision-making based on batting strike rate. Originality/value: The originality of the study lies in its focus on using non-marketing strategies to increase fan engagement. Further, this study is the first one to examine different venues from the perspective of batting strike rate in men's Twenty20 international matches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate inter- and intra-athlete technique variability in pre-elite and elite Australian fast bowlers delivering new ball conventional swing bowling. Ball grip angle and pelvis, torso, shoulder, elbow, wrist, upper arm, forearm, and hand kinematics were investigated at the point of ball release for inswing and outswing deliveries. Descriptive evaluations of group and individual data and k-means cluster analyses were used to assess inter- and intra-bowler technique variability. Inter-athlete technique and ball grip variability were identified, demonstrating that skilled bowlers use individualised strategies to generate swing. Functional movement variability was demonstrated by intra-athlete variability in successful swing bowling trials. Bowlers demonstrated stable technique parameters in large proximal body segments of the pelvis and torso, providing a level of repeatability to their bowling action. Greater variation was observed in bowling arm kinematics, allowing athletes to manipulate the finger and ball position to achieve the desired seam orientation at the point of ball release. This study demonstrates that skilled bowlers use individualised techniques and grips to generate swing and employ technique variations in successive deliveries. Coaches should employ individualised training strategies and use constraints-led approaches in training environments to encourage bowlers to seek adaptive movement solutions to generate swing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast bowling in cricket involves a complex multiarticular action performed at high speed. Functional movement variability plays an important role in helping the performer to maintain the consistency of performance outcomes, although this has not previously been examined in cricket fast bowling in relation to maintaining consistent delivery speed. Therefore, this study investigated how variability of delivery stride movement timings contributes to maintaining consistent bowling speed. Footage of six deliveries from 92 male fast bowlers were analyzed. Delivery speed was recorded, and the time of back foot contact, front foot contact and ball release were identified. The variability of movement timings and the delivery speed were determined using the coefficient of variation. Results showed greater variability in delivery stride movement timings compared to delivery speed. These findings suggest that bowlers may use movement variability to adjust their functional movement coordination pattern during the bowling action to achieve consistent bowling speed. Highlights: Variability of movement timings may play an important functional role in assisting cricket fast bowlers to adapt to the constraints of the task to achieve a consistent performance outcome.Findings support previous research in skill acquisition by highlighting that variability in movement patterns is necessary for consistent performance outcomes.This study presents preliminary evidence that functional movement variability in cricket fast bowlers contributes to achieving consistent delivery speed, challenging traditional views on minimizing movement variability for successful performance outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scapular dyskinesis entails an aberrant alignment of the shoulder blade from its typical position. Its prevalence among Cricket Fast Bowlers is estimated at approximately 10%. Understanding the interplay between scapular and core stability is pivotal, as weakened scapular muscles, the primary drivers of scapular dyskinesis, can subsequently diminish core strength. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare core stability among Cricket Fast Bowlers with and without scapular dyskinesis. Ninety asymptomatic professional Cricket Fast Bowlers, aged 18 to 25 years, voluntarily participated in this study. The participants were categorized into 2 Groups: Group A (With Scapular Dyskinesis) and Group B (Without Scapular Dyskinesis). Core stability was assessed utilizing McGill Endurance Tests, which encompassed the Trunk Flexor Endurance Test, the Biering- Sorenson Test, and the Side Bridge Test. Statistical analysis of the data was conducted using the Student's unpaired t-test. Cricket Fast Bowlers with scapular dyskinesis demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the McGill Endurance Test of core stability, i.e., the Flexor Endurance Test, the Biering-Sorenson Test, and the Side Bridge Test for the dominant side with P < 0.01 than the fast bowlers without scapular dyskinesis. Hence, the findings indicate that the Cricket Fast Bowlers with scapular dyskinesis exhibited a decrease in core stability compared the Bowlers without scapular dyskinesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Accepted by: Phil Scarf We present a player rating system for One-Day International (ODI) cricket using the Modified Duckworth-Lewis model. We used ball-by-ball data of 1764 uninterrupted One-Day International (ODI) matches played from January 2004 to June 2021 to estimate model parameters. The proposed method is then used to rate players who appeared in the ICC Men's World Cup 2019. The method is novel because the rating depends on the state of the match, so that pressure and non-pressure situations are accounted for. The method also considers a pitch effect (high or low run scoring). Moreover, the batsman performance can be compared to all-rounder and bowling performances. The results rate Shakib Al Hassan of Bangladesh as the tournament's best player, followed by R.G. Sharma (India) and J.J. Roy (England). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Player performance is the most critical parameter for a match's outcome. The selection of a certain set of players according to various parameters, including consistency, Form, performance against the particular opponent, performance in the specific venue, the tournament in which the match is being played, the pressure of the type of match, etc., elevates the probability of a team winning the game. The following research aims to analyze and predict the player's performance based on the player's performance parameters. The problem is segmented into two parts, i.e., batting performance and bowling performance. The problem is presumed to be a classification problem. Runs scored, and wickets taken are classified in distinct ranges. Naïve Bayes', Decision Tree, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine (SVM) are the algorithms used in the research. Random Forest and Decision Tree were almost identical and, hence, the most accurate for the result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coaches utilise augmented feedback to help channel learning and skill acquisition in sports. However, the rationale and pedagogical approaches underpinning feedback (and technology) strategies employed by coaches remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to explore cricket coaches understanding towards the role of feedback, and how feedback (and technology) strategies are enacted within practice settings, viewed within pedagogical frameworks. An online questionnaire (Qualtrics) consisted of fixed-text and free-text questions. Fixed-text responses were analysed exploring associations (frequencies, chi-square) or differences (Mann-Whitney U) between coaching groups, with free-text questions examined through reflexive thematic analysis, exploring approaches to presenting athletes with feedback (and technology use). Overall, 134 coaches (94% male, 6% female) aged 18–69 years from 12 countries responded to the questionnaire. Following silhouette and k-modes cluster analysis, results were explored for two coaching groups: community cricket coaches (n = 84, 63%) and higher-performance coaches (n = 50, 37%). Significant differences showed greater coaching experience, qualifications, and time spent coaching per week for the higher-performance coaching group (p < 0.0125), in addition to higher self-efficacy around feedback, albeit with a small effect size (p < 0.001, r = 0.29). Community coaches showed a significant difference in manipulating feedback strategies on motivational factors (p < 0.0125). Reflexive thematic analysis identified different rationales for the perceived role of feedback and use of technology across coaching groups, underpinned by contrasting pedagogical approaches (coach-centred versus athlete-centred). Responses highlighted the co-adaptive properties of coach-athlete dyads (evident in how/why feedback was manipulated). Overall findings present opportunities to further coach education to improve understanding and operationalisation of feedback (and technology). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although many cricket-playing nations have conducted research on bowling volume (BV) and injury risk, this relationship amongst international South African pace bowlers is yet to be investigated. Environmental, socio-economic and training strategy differences warrant similar research in a South African context. The purpose of this preliminary study was to establish whether South African pace bowlers have similar BV and injury associates compared to other elite fast bowlers. Methods: This study was a prospective, observational, cohort study that monitored match and training BV and injuries amongst pace bowlers playing for the South African national team between April 2017 and April 2019. A sample of convenience that included 14 bowlers was selected. Bowling volume was quantified as the number of deliveries bowled during training and competition. Acute-, chronic- and acute:chronic BV ratios were independently modelled as association variables. Results: There were 39 injuries with the most being to the lumbar spine (25.64%). Moderate-to-low and a moderate-to-high acute:chronic bowling load ratios were associated with a lower risk of injury. Chronic bowling load was associated with injury (z = 2.82, p = 0.01). A low acute workload, low chronic workload, moderate-high chronic workload and moderate-low acute:chronic ratio were also associated with an increased risk of injury. Conclusion: These findings confirm that there appears to be a dose–response effect between training BV and the likelihood of an injury occurring with a moderate-to-low and a moderate-to-high BV ratio being optimal. Considering the small sample size, the findings should be interpreted with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Utilising fathers to support their daughters and enhance their cricket skills may be an innovative approach to addressing traditional socio-cultural views of cricket relating to gender, by improving girls' enjoyment, participation and long-term retention in in the sport. Purpose: To assess the feasibility of the 'Daughters and Dads Cricket' programme. Methods: In a single-arm, pre–post study, fathers (n = 34, 43.1 ± 4.4 years) and daughters (n = 34, 9.4 ± 1.5 years) from Newcastle, Australia were recruited. The 9-week programme was delivered by trained facilitators and included weekly educational and practical sessions, plus home-based tasks. A priori feasibility benchmarks targeted recruitment (20 dyads), fidelity (≥80%), attendance (≥70%), compliance (≥70%), satisfaction (mean: ≥ 4/5) and retention (≥85%). Preliminary efficacy outcomes included cricket skill proficiency, daughters' enjoyment in cricket, intention to keep playing cricket and long-term retention in cricket. Results: Feasibility benchmarks were exceeded for recruitment (n = 34 dyads), fidelity (98% education, 100% practical), attendance (88%), satisfaction (fathers: 4.6 of 5, daughters: 4.8 of 5) and retention (97%). Home-programme compliance fell short of the benchmark (64%). Preliminary efficacy was confirmed with medium-to-large effect size changes in 11 of the 13 daughters' cricket skill proficiency outcomes. Promising findings were identified for daughters' enjoyment of cricket, intention to continue playing and long-term retention in cricket. Conclusion: A cricket-focused programme targeting daughters and dads was feasible and led to medium-to-large improvements in cricket skill proficiency among the daughters. Additionally, daughters were engaged with cricket, as shown by high levels of enjoyment, intention to continue playing and their long-term retention. Examining future efficacy in a larger trial is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world, right behind football, and it is played between 105 nations that are members of the ICC. In cricket, speed plays an essential role as the faster the speed generation the more the number of singles taken & saved during fielding. Agility is required in the infield of cricket because fielders are closer to the batsmen and have less time to react. Ladder drills improve footwork & coordination in players performance level which makes players easy to catch, strike or block or tackle. In Agility Ladder, jumps are performed without obstacles & in multidirectional ways with fast ground contact time. Aim: To compare the effect of Ladder Training versus Plyometric Training on agility & speed among cricket players. Method: 38 male cricket players (under -19) were selected by convenient sampling. Participants who met the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated into two equal groups: Ladder Training group and Plyometric Training group. Baseline data was collected by Illinois agility test & 40m Sprint test. The training duration was 3 sessions/ week for 6 weeks. Results: The data was analyzed using paired -- t test for within group and Unpaired -- t test for between group. Results showed that both the training methods produced significant improvement in agility & speed performance but ladder training method showed statistically significant difference in agility (p<0.0001) & speed (p<0.0002) than plyometric training. Conclusion: The present study concludes that Ladder training has an added advantageous effect for improving speed and agility in cricket players over plyometric training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine whether the most important physical qualities in elite Australian male and female cricket pace bowlers change with age and phase of the cricket season. Methods: An existing longitudinal database (7 cricket seasons) of selected and routinely collected physical testing data from 103 male and 58 female elite Australian pace bowlers age 18–30 years was retrospectively analyzed. Male and female physical testing data from the isometric midthigh pull, 1-repetition-maximum bench pull, run-of-3, and countermovement jump (male only) were analyzed separately by performing linear mixed models on each of the physical qualities. Type III analysis-of-variance tests were conducted to determine if a significant effect existed within the fixed effects of age, season phase, and the age × season phase interaction. Appropriate pairwise comparisons were conducted. Results: Absolute and relative measures of force in the isometric midthigh pull and strength in the 1-repetition-maximum bench pull tests were significantly greater in older male and female pace bowlers. Older male pace bowlers demonstrated significantly faster absolute and relative best run-of-3 times. Conclusions: Most physical qualities across both male and female pace bowlers demonstrated an improvement with age. This is likely due to a training effect and would be anticipated to lead to a gradual enhancement of ball release speed, in accordance with previous research. Future research should look to investigate the relationship between the development of physical qualities and ball release speed among elite male and female pace bowlers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of investment in women's cricket has led to the development of new professional pathways. However, there is lack of specific evidence to support the development of these athletes. This study aimed to take a first step in understanding the participation histories of female cricketers selected into English women's professional academies. 84 players completed the Participation History Questionnaire (PHQ) to capture details of activities engaged in across development, including milestones, cricket activity, and engagement in other sport activities. There were relative age effects where players' birthdate distributions differed from national norms (X2 = 8.451, p =.003, V = 0.227), and more players than expected attended independent schools (X2 = 7.980, p =.005, V = 0.232). Participants engaged in cricket informally before coach led training, have siblings (particularly brothers) interested in cricket and often played boy's cricket before engaging in the girl's or women's game. Developmental activities were characterised by early engagement, high levels of diversification, and very low levels of play compared to high levels of formal practice and match play. These findings have implications for the advancement of talent identification and development policies and processes in women's cricket. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sports analytics utilizes data analysis techniques and computational methods to gain insights, make informed decisions, and facilitate improvements in the performance of individuals and teams. Cricket is one of the most popular games and continues to evolve worldwide. The availability of ball-by-ball data demands in-depth investigation of player strategies, team dynamics, and the impact of contextual variables. Existing studies explored various aspects of cricket analytics, including detecting key events, predicting outcomes, and ranking teams. However, the literature lacks a comprehensive integrated framework that processes unstructured sports commentary, extracts actionable insights, conducts a thorough player analysis, and develops strategic plans while considering contextual factors. This work aims to propose a bowling and fielding strategy to contain a batsman. For this purpose, we developed a comprehensive context-aware framework that collects data, extracts insights from commentary, identifies player strengths and weaknesses, and proposes cricket bowling and fielding strategies according to the given context. To evaluate this work, we implemented a case study that simulated different scenarios, and our framework suggested bowling and fielding strategies. In these simulations, the proposed strategies consistently demonstrated a substantial reduction in the number of runs that were scored. On average, the framework reduces the batsman's score rate by 33%. These findings underscore the practical effectiveness of research in optimizing field placement and effectively reducing scoring opportunities. Finally, by bridging the gap between data analytics and cricket game strategy, this methodology provides a competitive advantage to coaches, captains, and players. In the future, we aim to involve temporal patterns to understand the evolving behavior of players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, social media platforms such as Twitter have become popular among fans to discuss and share their opinions about the matches. This research aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on utilizing the sentiments expressed through messages on social media platforms to predict outcomes of matches in the sport of cricket. This research work provides insights into the effectiveness of sentiment analysis techniques in forecasting match outcomes, which can be beneficial to cricket fans, and cricket analysts. In this work, sentiment analysis is carried out based on models developed using various machine-learning techniques. The work also explores the impact of different features, such as the number of tweets collected, the timing of tweets, and the sentiment analysis techniques on the accuracy of the prediction. The results of this study have implications for cricket fans, sports analysts, and the broader field of predictive analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the ever-evolving world of cricket, the T20 format has captured the imaginations of fans worldwide, intensifying the anticipation for match outcomes with each passing delivery. This study explores the realm of predictive analytics, leveraging the power of machine learning to alleviate the suspense by forecasting T20 cricket match winners before the first ball is bowled. Drawing on a rich dataset encompassing factors such as past team performance and rankings, a diverse ensemble of predictive models, including logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM), random forest, decision tree, and XGBoost, is meticulously employed. Among these, the random forest Classifier emerges as the standout performer, boasting an impressive prediction accuracy rate of 84.06%. To assess the real-world applicability of our predictive framework, a post-case study is conducted, focusing on the high-stakes World Cup T20 matches of 2022, where England emerges as the triumphant team. The dataset underpinning this study is meticulously curated from ESPN CricInfo, ensuring the robustness of our analysis. Moreover, this paper extends its contribution by offering a comprehensive comparative analysis, scrutinizing performance metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and the F1-score across benchmark machine learning models for cricket match prediction. This in-depth evaluation not only validates the efficacy of our models but also sheds light on their superior execution time and statistical robustness, further bolstering their utility in the realm of cricket outcome forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the influence of biomechanical and physical characteristics on ball release speed in cricket using correlation data. Search was conducted across PubMed, Cinhal, Scopus, SportDiscus and Web of Science, with eighteen studies included. The ball release speed had a moderate correlation with overall biomechanical (r = 0.42, p < 0.001) parameters and a strong correlation with physical (r = 0.65, p < 0.001) characteristics. Furthermore, individual biomechanical and physical parameters were also correlated with ball release speed. The run-up speed had a strong correlation (r = 0.50, p < 0.001) and front knee angle at ball release had a moderate correlation (r = 0.40, p < 0.001). Poorer correlations were identified for centre of mass velocity at ball release (r = 0.16, p = 0.134), front knee angle at front foot contact (r = 0.26, p = 0.015) 25 and vertical ground reaction force (r = 0.13, p = 0.659). Strong and significant correlation was found for total arm length (r = 0.65, p < 0.001) and shoulder strength (r = 0.58, p < 0.001). This review highlights the biomechanical and physical parameters that are major determinants of faster ball release speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cricket is a sport highly sensitive to natural weather conditions such as temperature, rainfall, and sunlight. In regions with hot and humid climates, like Sri Lanka, cricket players often encounter significant physiological challenges, resulting in substantial fluid loss and dehydration. This dehydration can have direct or indirect consequences on their precision and tactical performance during matches. This study primarily aimed to explore the broader implications of various environmental factors on the dehydration levels of cricket players and how this condition influences their motor and skill performance. The research findings revealed a noteworthy negative impact of excessive hydration on the physiological, motor, and skill performance of cricket athletes, particularly in the context of hot and humid conditions, as frequently experienced in Sri Lanka. Understanding these effects is crucial for cricket players and their support teams to develop tailored strategies that optimize hydration, mitigate performance decline, and enhance overall gameplay in challenging environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite evidence that elite-level cricket umpires are highly accurate in making leg-before-wicket (LBW) judgements, there is limited understanding as to how they make these judgements. In this study, we explored the explicit LBW decision-making expertise of elite-level cricket umpires (N = 10) via 10 individual semi-structured interviews. Using thematic analysis, we aimed to identify the sources of information that umpires incorporate into their decision-making process. Results indicated that umpires engage in intentional pre-delivery information-gathering to guide their expectations, and to set context-specific parameters as to what would constitute an LBW dismissal. Not only do umpires use information about the ball trajectory, but they also use additional information about the condition of the pitch, the action-capabilities and susceptibilities of players, and the unique requirements of different match formats. Umpires reported employing a gaze-anchor strategy when gathering information for each delivery and described the process of this information as initially intuitive, before engaging in deeper post-hoc reasoning. Findings highlight the importance of including contextual information when exploring officials' decisions and may inform future training interventions for cricket umpires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the late nineteenth century, baseball became enshrined as America's national sport. Across American culture, the game became imbued with a series of values and characteristics that seemed redolent of life in the Gilded Age and beyond. This article explores the ways in which this process played out in the pages of popular magazines directed at the children of the nation's elite. These neglected resources provide us with an extraordinary lens through which to chart both the changing place of the national game within the lives of American children and the changing meaning of baseball within the life of the nation. In poems, stories, illustrations, editorials and even reader's letters, children were newly acculturated into the sporting life in ways that had profound implications for wider questions of childhood, gender, race, class and national identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attending and consuming events are integral to many peoples' leisure lives. However, as the literature attests, events represent significant sites of contestation over who does and does not belong. This paper explores such contestation in the notoriously elitist and traditionally exclusionary sport of cricket, and specifically The Hundred; the most recent attempt to democratise the sport by appealing to a more demographically diverse spectator base. It uniquely blends extensive semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (n = 33), and a synthesised theoretical framework of mediatisation, media events and digital leisure studies, to argue that the apparent success of The Hundred in attracting and including new audiences has been enabled by incorporating elements of media spectacle. We therefore, use The Hundred to further delineate the processes described in the extant literature, and extend analysis of the 'digital turn', by drawing attention to the tensions between the speed and trajectory of these developments and the constraints imposed by cricket's history. We illustrate how digital and analogue leisure remain highly interdependent, and argue that the ongoing contestation of game forms championed by different cricket stakeholders makes it improbable that The Hundred can achieve its twin goals of being economically viable, while increasing the popularity and, ultimately survival, of other cricket formats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bounce and penetrometer resistance (PR) of a cricket pitch for three different crack-control conditions was investigated. In total, 15 miniature cricket pitches were prepared using the conventional procedure, natural grass roots and geotextile roofing felts combined with varying proportions of fine sand and bentonite clay. The rebound ball height and ground PRs were measured with a designed bounce meter and pocket penetrometer, respectively. The properties of the pitch soils (e.g. crack width, moisture content and field densities) were also measured. The results of the test programme indicated that the pitch with the geotextile crack-control system provided a higher coefficient of restitution (CoR) and PR than the other two systems. The test results also suggested that, in order to reduce significant growth of crack widths to provide a good cricket pitch, the clay content under geotextile roofing felt should be kept at 50–65%. Several equations relating the CoR and PR with crack width and the physical properties of the pitch soil were developed for use in pitch characterisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Swing bowling can influence the outcome of cricket matches, but technique characteristics and coaching practices have not been investigated at an elite level. This study aimed to provide insight into the perceived technique parameters, coaching practices and variables contributing to conventional new ball swing bowling in elite cricket. Six Australian Test match fast bowlers and six Australian international and national-level coaches were interviewed. A reflexive thematic analysis of interview transcripts generated themes associated with swing bowling. Most bowlers reported their technique allows them to naturally create either inswing or outswing, with technique variations used to create swing in the opposite direction. To increase delivery effectiveness, bowlers and coaches recommended pitching the ball closer to the batter in length and varying release positions along the crease. Coaches recommended making individualised technique adjustments, but suggested all bowlers could benefit from maintaining balance and forward momentum to create a consistent release position in repeated deliveries. This study could inform training strategies to alter techniques and improve swing bowling performance. Future research should investigate the physical qualities of fast bowlers and use biomechanical analyses to provide a deeper understanding of swing bowling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the presentation and management of lumbar bone stress injuries (LBSI), recurrent LBSI, and lumbar nonunited defects in elite Australian male and female cricket players. Design: Retrospective case series. Setting: Professional domestic and international cricket teams over 13 seasons. Participants: Elite Australian cricket players. Independent variables: Symptomatic LBSI requiring time off cricket and lumbar nonunited defects, both confirmed by imaging. Main outcome measures: Incidence, presentation, history, healing, and management. Results: 211 LBSI were identified at an average incidence of 5.4 per 100 players per season. LBSI were most common in male pace bowlers younger than 20 years of age (58.1 per 100 players per season), however, were also observed in older players, females, and non-pace bowlers. Recurrent LBSI accounted for 33% (27%-40%) of all LBSI. Median days to return to match availability was 182 (128-251) days for all LBSI, with a shorter time frame observed for new and less severe injuries, and male spin bowlers. Healing was demonstrated in 87% (81%-91%) of all LBSI cases. 29 nonunited defects were identified and predisposed subsequent pain, LBSI, and spondylolisthesis. Conclusions: LBSI are experienced by approximately 5.4 in every 100 elite Australian cricket players per season, with a high time cost of approximately 4 to 8 months. Nonunited defects also have a high time cost with associated subsequent lumbar spine issues. The findings of this study reinforce the importance of early detection and conservative management of LBSI, particularly for younger male pace bowlers and players with recurrent LBSI, which may be supported by MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cricket is a popular sport with a lengthy duration that makes it challenging to watch in its entirety. Therefore, video summarization techniques are essential to providing viewers with a condensed version of the match's exciting moments. Automated cricket video summarization is difficult due to the sport's regulations and extended sessions. Existing methods often include repetitive shots, making the summary less concise and informative. Therefore, this paper proposes a hybrid video summarization framework that uses audio and text features to extract exciting clips from the raw cricket video. The framework employs the Multi-Scale Hard Switch YOLOv4 (MSHS-YOLOv4) network to accurately detect and label exciting events, including small details such as a ball hitting the stumps. A significance score is computed for each event to generate a summary that includes the most exciting and significant moments. The proposed method eliminates replay shots, reducing redundancy and making the summary more concise. The proposed method combines audio and video features to identify the most exciting moments, uses the MSHS-YOLOv4 network to detect and label exciting events, computes a significance score for each event, and eliminates replay shots to generate a concise summary. The proposed method outperforms existing summarization techniques in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and error. The analysis shows a significant increase in performance compared to the existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current article explores cricket in one of the oldest schools in Zimbabwe and its introduction as a popular sport by the colonial administration of Britain. Zimbabwe's most successful sport, cricket, survived isolation from international competition during United Nations imposed sanctions (1965-1980) and blossomed in stature thereafter. The sport was introduced in the 1890s, and the first match on home soil occurred in August 1890 near Masvingo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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