This is Lesson 3 of the Cricstars Under-10 Cricket Starter Plan. After children have practised batting, catching and bowling to a target, they are ready to learn how to become active fielders.
Many young players think cricket is only batting and bowling. Fielding teaches them that they are always involved. Every child can contribute by stopping the ball, picking it up, throwing accurately and making simple decisions.
What children bring from Lessons 1 and 2
Lesson 1 built comfort with the bat and ball. Lesson 2 introduced aiming at a target. Lesson 3 combines those ideas: move to the ball, control it, then send it towards the right target.
Session goal
By the end of this lesson, children should be able to move towards a rolling ball, get low, stop it safely and throw towards a target or teammate.
Recommended setup
- Duration: 45 to 60 minutes
- Equipment: soft balls, cones, hoops, buckets, stumps
- Space: open area with safe throwing lanes
- Group size: works well with small teams
Warm-up: Clean your room
Divide the area into two halves. Place soft balls or bean bags on both sides. Children move the items to the other teams side until time runs out.
This warm-up gets children running, bending, picking up and reacting without needing technical instruction.
Activity 1: Stop, pick up, throw
Roll a soft ball towards the child. They move to it, get low, stop it with two hands, pick it up and throw at a target.
Simple cue: Move, low, throw.
Do not worry if the technique is messy. Focus on getting children to move towards the ball instead of waiting for it.
Activity 2: Hit the target
Place buckets, cones or hoops at different distances. Children throw underarm at close targets and overarm at longer targets.
Scoring idea
- 1 point for a clean pick-up
- 1 point for stepping towards the target
- 2 points for hitting the target
Activity 3: Pepper fielding
One batter gently hits or rolls the ball to a group of fielders. The fielder stops it and returns it quickly. Rotate the batter often.
This drill teaches reaction, teamwork and repeated fielding actions. Keep the ball soft and the tempo friendly.
Decision-making: Where should I throw?
Add two targets: one close and one far. After fielding the ball, the child decides where to throw. This is the first step towards game awareness.
Ask simple questions:
- Which target is safer?
- Where can you throw quickly?
- Can your teammate catch it?
Common mistakes to avoid
- Standing still: encourage children to move early.
- Throwing too hard: accuracy matters more than power.
- Shouting too many instructions: use one cue at a time.
- Only praising the fastest child: praise brave attempts and clean stops.
Progress markers
- The child moves towards the ball.
- The child bends knees instead of only bending from the back.
- The child can stop a rolling ball safely.
- The child throws towards a target.
- The child starts choosing where to throw.
Home practice
Roll the ball along the ground. The child fields it and throws at a bucket, wall target or parents hands. Ten good repetitions are enough. Keep it short and fun.
How this prepares for Lesson 4
Lesson 3 teaches basic stopping and throwing. Lesson 4 goes deeper into gathering and throwing, especially how to pick up cleanly and return the ball under control.
Previous lesson: Lesson 2: Bowling to a Target
Next lesson: Lesson 4: Gathering and Throwing
Back to the full Under-10 Cricket Training Plan
Minute-by-minute session plan
- 07 minutes: Clean Your Room warm-up.
- 718 minutes: stop, pick up and throw practice.
- 1830 minutes: Hit the Target challenge.
- 3042 minutes: Pepper fielding game.
- 4252 minutes: two-target decision game.
- 5260 minutes: recap: move early, get low, throw at the right target.
Why fielding is important early
Fielding gives every child a role. In a match, only two children bat at a time and one child bowls at a time, but everyone fields. If children learn early that fielding is active and exciting, they stay involved in the game instead of waiting for their turn to bat.
The decision-making layer
Do not only teach children to throw. Teach them to choose. A simple decision like throw to the close target or the far target starts building cricket awareness. Later, this becomes choosing the right end for a run-out or knowing when to throw safely to the keeper.
How to coach without stopping the game
Fielding improves with repetition. Avoid stopping every throw to explain. Let children complete several attempts, then give one clear cue. For example: This time, try to get lower before picking it up. Then let them try again.
Make it easier or harder
For beginners, roll the ball slowly and use a large target. For confident children, roll the ball slightly to the side, add a time limit or ask them to throw to a moving partner. The challenge should increase only when the child can stay safe and balanced.
Coach checklist
- Are children moving towards the ball?
- Are they bending their knees?
- Are they using two hands when possible?
- Are they stepping towards the target?
- Are they starting to think before throwing?
Parent take-home version
Roll the ball to the child from five different angles. After each pickup, call out bucket or hands so the child chooses whether to throw at a bucket or back to you. This builds movement and decision-making together.
Teaching children to attack the ball
A common habit in beginner cricket is waiting for the ball to arrive. Children stand still, the ball reaches them, and then they react late. This lesson should gently change that habit. We want children to move towards the ball, not away from it.
A useful phrase is: Go and meet the ball. This sounds simple, but it changes the childs mindset. They stop waiting and start attacking the ball safely. In cricket, this becomes the base for better ground fielding, quicker returns and more confidence in the field.
Simple decision games for young fielders
Once the child can stop and throw, add small decisions. For example, place one target close and one target far. After the child fields the ball, call safe or hero. Safe means throw to the close target. Hero means try the far target. Children love the game, and they learn that not every throw has to be the biggest throw.
You can also use colours. Red cone means stop and hold. Blue cone means throw. Green cone means run the ball in. This builds listening, awareness and decision-making without making the game too technical.
How this helps future match play
Later in cricket, fielders must decide which end to throw to, whether to attack the stumps, whether to keep the ball safe, and whether to stop extra runs. Lesson 3 is the very first version of that thinking. At this age, we are not teaching match tactics in detail. We are teaching the habit of looking, choosing and acting.
What parents should notice
Parents should not only watch whether the throw hits the target. They should notice whether the child is moving earlier, bending lower and staying brave. A child who runs towards the ball and misses it is still developing the right mindset.