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Sports training

Cricket warm-up

No cricket warm-up has been tested on injury rates, so this one is ours, built on our warm-up guide: raise your heart rate, move your hips, trunk and shoulders through their range, wake up your trunk and legs, then rehearse sprinting, turning, throwing and bowling. It takes about 12 minutes before nets, fielding practice or a match. For bowlers aged 19 and under, run-throughs at or near full pace count towards the day's overs under the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) limits. You need a light resistance band and a ball, and a partner for the catches.

12 minBeginner17 movesCardio machine · A wall · A band · An anchor pointQuads · Calves · Hip abductors · Glutes · Hip flexors · Hamstrings
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Raise

  1. Treadmill jogging2 min
    Intermediate · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoA lap of the outfield, easyEasier: Treadmill walkingHarder: Sprint intervals
  2. Side-stepping (sideways walking)2 × 20 m
    Beginner · Hip abductors, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoLow and quick, leading with each sideHarder: Lateral band walk
  3. Skipping2 × 20 m
    Beginner · Calves, Hip flexors, Quads · 3D demoEasy and springyEasier: Ankle bounces (mini pogo)Harder: Alternate-leg bounding

Hips and trunk

  1. World's greatest stretch3 each side
    Intermediate · Hip flexors, Adductors, Glutes · 3D demoReach up as you turnEasier: Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)Harder: Active pancake lift-off
  2. Reverse lunge with rotation4 each side
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Abs · 3D demoStep back and turn your trunk over the front legEasier: Reverse lungeHarder: Deficit reverse lunge (from a platform)
  3. Front-to-back leg swings8 swings each leg
    Beginner · Hamstrings, Hip flexors · 3D demoHold a stump or the sightscreen; let the swing growHarder: Contract-relax hamstring stretch (PNF)
  4. Side-to-side leg swings8 each leg
    Beginner · Adductors, Hip abductors · 3D demoSide to sideHarder: Lizard pose (Utthan Pristhasana)

Shoulders

  1. Shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations)3 slow circles each arm
    Beginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoWork around any pinch rather than through itEasier: Arm circlesHarder: Sleeper stretch
  2. Standing band external rotation10 to 12 each arm
    Beginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoA light band, elbow by your sideHarder: Side-lying external rotation
  3. Band pull-apart15
    Intermediate · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoSlowly, shoulders downEasier: Prone Y-T-W raisesHarder: Tuck back lever

Trunk and legs

  1. Forearm plank20 to 30 s
    Intermediate · Abs, Shoulders, Glutes · 3D demoLong body, steady breathingEasier: Stomach vacuum (drawing-in)Harder: Plank walk-up
  2. Side plank20 s each side
    Intermediate · Abs, Hip abductors, Shoulders · 3D demoHips highEasier: Knee side plankHarder: Side plank with leg lift
  3. Bodyweight squat10
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoKnees over the middle toesEasier: Sit squat (partial squat)Harder: Dumbbell goblet squat
  4. Walking lunge6 each leg
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoUpright and steadyEasier: Split squatHarder: Split squat with dumbbells

Balance

  1. Single-leg stand5 catches each leg
    Beginner · Hip abductors, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoCatch and return a partner's underarm throws while standing on one legEasier: Tandem stance and heel-to-toe walkHarder: Single-leg reach matrix

Speed

  1. Treadmill running3 × 20 to 30 m
    Intermediate · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoBuild to near full speedEasier: Treadmill walkingHarder: Sprint intervals
  2. Shuttle runs2 × two runs
    Advanced · Quads, Glutes, Calves · 3D demoTurn low, grounding the bat or your hand, as between the wicketsEasier: Treadmill jogging

Tips

  • Bowlers: finish with 4 to 6 run-throughs at half, three-quarter and then full pace. Fielders: throws building from 10 to 30 m.
  • For bowlers aged 19 and under, balls bowled at or near match intensity count towards the ECB's limits, in the nets too.
  • Keep Nordics and Copenhagen planks for the strength workout, and out of the 48 hours before a match (our suggestion).
  • Under-18s must wear a helmet with a faceguard or grille whenever they bat against a hard ball, nets included.
  • Back pain that lasts more than a couple of weeks or hurts when you arch back: stop bowling and get it checked, as our spondylolisthesis guide advises.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

More sports training

Injury prevention exercises for runners

Foot, calf, balance and hop exercises taken from the running trials with positive results, in a 25-minute home routine for 3 or 4 days a week.

25 minBeginner11 movesOther / check instructions, A bench or box

Plyometrics for runners

A 20-minute hop and bound session for runners: ankle bounces to pogo hops, one-leg hops and bounding, building foot contacts slowly over 10 weeks.

20 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine

Strength workout for cyclists (gym)

A 50-minute gym session for cyclists: heavy squats, one-leg presses, hip flexion and calf raises as in the cycling trials, plus jumps for bone.

50 minIntermediate13 movesCardio machine, A barbell

Questions people ask

How long does the cricket warm-up take?

About 12 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: Cardio machine, A wall, A band, An anchor point. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is written for beginners. 13 of its 17 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.