Cricket Diary: Pre Match Routine

The off season Rehab and Training this winter has been hard, very hard, with more rehab than training unfortunately. I still have a bit of time to work on a few areas, but I have a week’s rest scheduled and my attention is now on playing, and in particular managing my playing and training time.

I now have a far better understanding of how my body works, what it can do, what it will be able to do with more work, and what it will never do.

I also seem to thankfully have found some of the old focus and determination I used to have. I have been more disciplined over the winter than for many a year and I am going to need this over the season.

One very clear activity the winter has highlighted a need for is a pre game routine. My body works better when it keeps moving.

With luck (still no clarity) my main games will be on a Tuesday for Staffordshire Seniors which will bring two new challenges: the occasional overnight stay before games, and longer journeys on some match days.

As a rule I like to do 30 mins on my exercise bike and go through my stretching routine before leaving home. This will require a walk instead of the bike when stopping overnight but no issue with that.

With long journeys I will need to get into the habit of stopping more regularly and stretching my hamstrings, lower back and shoulders as these are a real problem area when driving, a legacy of the million miles I have done transporting cats and dogs!

Don’t envisage any real issues with either of the above: they just require discipline and me making time.

The last routine though I think will be harder.

Pre game at the ground I need to have a proper warm up: couple laps of the ground, some shuttle runs, stretching, bowl a couple of overs (all of which I can do on my own), the throw downs, catching and fielding I will need teammates to participate.

May all seem basic, straightforward but it isn’t something I have religiously done, and it certainly isn’t something the teams I have played in have done.