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Effects of prolonged running on Achilles tendon properties were assessed after a 60 min treadmill run and 140 min intermittent shuttle running (simulated cricket batting innings). Before and after exercise, 11 participants performed ramp-up plantar flexions to maximum-voluntary-contraction before gradual relaxation. Muscle-tendon-junction displacement was measured with ultrasonography. Tendon force was estimated using dynamometry and a musculoskeletal model. Gradients of the ramp-up force-displacement curves fitted between 0−40% and 50−90% of the preexercise maximal force determined stiffness in the low- and high-force-range, respectively. Hysteresis was determined using the ramp-up and relaxation force-displacement curves and elastic energy storage from the area under the ramp-up curve. In simulated batting, correlations between tendon properties and shuttle times were also assessed. After both protocols, Achilles tendon force decreased (4% to 5%, P < .050), but there were no changes in stiffness, hysteresis, or elastic energy. In simulated batting, Achilles tendon force and stiffness were both correlated to mean turn and mean sprint times (r = −0.719 to −0.830, P < .050). Neither protocol resulted in fatigue-related changes in tendon properties, but higher tendon stiffness and plantar flexion force were related to faster turn and sprint times, possibly by improving force transmission and control of movement when decelerating and accelerating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased focus on power hitting in Twenty 20 cricket makes it relevant for cricket strength and conditioning coaches to consider novel methods to increase cricket bat velocity. Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether a novel, weighted ball training program would increase cricket bat velocity. Eight academy cricket players (18.3 ± 0.5 years, 178.4 ± 5.1 cm, 76.5 ± 8.9 kg) completed a 2-week (9 sessions) training program. At the end of each skill session participants hit the weighted balls by playing a front foot drive to a drop feed (total repetitions per session increasing from 12 to 32). Throughout the training, four players used balls weighing 290 g and four players used balls weighing 233 g (standard cricket ball 168 g). Before and after the training program, maximum bat and ball velocity were determined (3D motion analysis system) for the front foot drive when hitting a stationary cricket ball as hard as possible. Due to the small sample size, both the 233 g and 290 g weighted ball groups were combined together in the final analysis. Ball velocity increased 4.1% (24.09 ± 1.42 to 25.08 ± 2.17 km.h-1) but the effect size was small (0.5) and the difference was less than the typical error (4.2%). Bat velocity increased 5.8% (13.95 ± 1.08 to 14.76 ± 1.47 km.h-1) with a moderate effect size (0.6) but the difference was less than the typical error (9.6%). In conclusion, cricket bat and ball velocities were similar pre-and post a 2-week, weighted ball training program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]