Junior Cricket Guidelines

The guidelines set out herein establish a general framework for young cricketers playing at Bentleigh ANA Cricket Club (BANA). In developing our young cricketers, BANA are mindful of the need for transparency and fairness in the management of each individual child. Whilst these guidelines are not ‘set-in-stone’ rules, they are the default position and, in most instances, reflect the actual operation of the BANA junior cricket program.

Strictly speaking, cricket teams can only field 11 players in any one game. However, it is accepted practice in junior cricket that (where numbers exceed the required eleven), flexibility is required to ensure maximum participation from our young cricketers.

Where numbers exceed that required rotations may be necessary. Rotations will be based on the following guidelines;

Firstly, on a seniorority basis .. ie. .. 1st year players will be rotated first and, if required, 2nd year players will follow once all 1st year players have had one rotation each.

The order of rotations to be de decided by the Team Manager.

Should the team qualify for finals, rotations will be decided based on training attendance, behaviour, contribution to and commitment to the team over the whole season.

NOTE: Rotations will not be dictated by a player’s perceived ability!

Where a higher age group is short of players, cricketers from the age level immediately below may be asked to “play up’ from time to time. This will generally be limited to players in the 2nd year of the lower age level with consideration given to the players capacity and will be by agreement between the Team Manager, the Junior Coordinator, the player and his/her parents.

The opportunity to experience senior grade cricket may be offered to junior players from the 2nd year of U/14’s and up.

As part of the development of our young cricketers, ANA offer the opportunity for a number of our young players to experience senior cricket. Players may be selected for senior cricket at ANA within the following guidelines;

Players must be 2nd Year U/14’s or older

The player, their Team Manager, Jnr Coordinator and parent must all agree the player is ready for senior selection.

Players cannot play more than two games in a weekend. i.e.. An U/16 player may play Fri evening with the U/17 team and Sat morning with the U/16 team but is then unable to play Senior cricket on Sat afternoon.

Selection will be based on opportunities and the player’s capacity and will be made by Selection Committee in consultation with Junior Coordinator and/or Team Manager.

Bentleigh ANA (BANA) seek to develop leadership qualities in all our boys. With this in mind, the following leadership guidelines have been implemented;

Under 12’s – The position of Captain will be rotated amongst players who are playing in their last year of U/12’s only. Rotation will occur on a match-by-match basis. Comment: At U/12 level players are still learning the basics of the game in a relaxed, fun environment. At this age, the multitasking required for cricket captaincy is an unnecessary distraction for them. However, Team Managers should take the opportunity to share the strategies and thought process which drive decisions, field placings etc.

Under 14’s – The position of Captain, Vice Captain will be chosen from players in their final year of U/14’s. In consultation with the Junior Coordinator, Team Managers may exercise discretion by appointing Captain/V.C or Co-Captains as deemed appropriate. At U/14 level, the Captains are expected to take an active on field role. This involves setting/changing fielding positions (under the guidance of the Team Manager), discussing batting/bowling order with Team Manager with a view to understanding rationale behind decisions etc.

Under 16’s – The position of Captain, Vice Captain will be chosen from players in their final year of U/16’s. In consultation with the Junior Coordinator, Team Managers may exercise discretion by appointing Captain/V.C or Co-Captains as deemed appropriate. . At U/16 level, the Captains are expected to take control on field. This involves setting/changing fielding positions, implementing bowling changes as instructed by Team Manager.

BANA is a club which encourages and develops players of all abilities. We believe that junior sport should be both fun and challenging with all players sharing in the cricket journey regardless of ability, perceived or actual. In acknowledging this key tenet to the BANA Junior Program, parents and players alike can feel comfortable that each player will share, learn and contribute equally to the team.

Specifically;

Batting. In the circumstance where a ‘non-dominant’ player may not otherwise get the opportunity to bat regularly, he may be promoted in to the top half of the batting order in at least one of every 4 games.

Bowling. This also applies to bowling where each player should be given an opportunity to bowl at least 2 overs in each 2-day game.

Other. Where more than one player is keen to ‘wicket-keep’, keeping duties may be shared at the discretion of the Team Manager.

This is to protect all players’ development pathway and interest in the game, and further, to provide a satisfaction in contributing to the team cause after dedicating 6 months of a year to the BANA Cricket Club.This is in the interests of the player, the team, the player’s parents and BANA.

Due to various factors (i.e. physical development, maturity, confidence etc) many young players develop later in their teenage years, and it is the responsibility of each Team Manager to ensure that all players have the opportunity to discover this talent. Lack of opportunities can see the club lose a potential player to another club, or to the game altogether which is counterproductive to our stated goals.

IMPORTANT: It is expected that all players train and show a level of commitment to the team. As a general rule, a player who trains and shows a willingness to learn and develop will be given preference over one who does not – regardless of ability.