This is Lesson 7 of the Cricstars Under-10 Cricket Starter Plan. By this stage, children have built movement, batting, bowling, fielding, throwing and communication. Now we bring those skills into simple attacking and defending games.
Children love protecting things and knocking things down. That makes target games perfect for under-10 cricket. They build accuracy, teamwork and early tactical awareness without needing complex cricket language.
What children bring from Lesson 6
Lesson 6 taught speed, accuracy and communication. Lesson 7 adds a purpose: protect the target, attack the target and work together.
Session goal
By the end of this lesson, children should understand simple attacking and defending roles. They should be able to aim at targets, defend space and work with teammates.
Recommended setup
- Duration: 45 to 60 minutes
- Equipment: cones, soft balls, large ball, stumps, buckets
- Space: open area split into zones
- Safety: use soft balls and clear throwing rules
Warm-up: Guard the castle
Place cones in the middle as the castle. One team protects them while the other team tries to knock them down with soft balls.
This game immediately teaches defending, aiming and teamwork.
Activity 1: Bombard
Place a large ball in the centre. Teams throw smaller soft balls to move it across the opponents line.
Children learn that accuracy and repeated effort can beat power. They also learn to work together towards one target.
Coaching focus
- Throw at the same target.
- Use safe, controlled throws.
- Communicate with teammates.
Activity 2: Defend the zone
Create a scoring zone using cones. One team tries to roll or hit balls into the zone. The defending team stops and returns them.
This starts to feel like cricket fielding. Children learn that defending space matters.
Activity 3: Bowl to protect
Set up stumps and ask children to bowl at them. One team bowls to hit the stumps while another team fields and returns the ball quickly.
This connects Lesson 2 bowling with Lesson 7 target defence.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Letting games become wild throwing: pause and reset safety rules.
- Too much competition: keep the energy high but friendly.
- Ignoring quieter children: assign roles so everyone contributes.
- Making targets too hard: success keeps children engaged.
Progress markers
- The child aims before throwing.
- The child understands attacking and defending roles.
- The child communicates with teammates.
- The child tries to protect a zone or target.
- The child enjoys team challenges.
Home practice
Set up three cones as a castle. Ask the child to knock them down using underarm throws, then overarm throws, then bowling action. Keep score, but praise accuracy and control.
How this prepares for Lesson 8
Lesson 7 gives children a sense of team roles. Lesson 8 brings everything together through skill stations and a friendly mini match.
Previous lesson: Lesson 6: Speed and Accuracy
Next lesson: Lesson 8: Mini Match and Progress Check
Back to the full Under-10 Cricket Training Plan
Minute-by-minute session plan
- 08 minutes: Guard the Castle warm-up.
- 822 minutes: Bombard target game.
- 2236 minutes: Defend the Zone.
- 3648 minutes: Bowl to Protect challenge.
- 4856 minutes: attack v defence mini game.
- 5660 minutes: recap roles: attacker, defender, teammate.
Why target games work so well
Children understand targets. They understand knocking something down, protecting a cone or stopping a ball from entering a zone. That makes target games a natural bridge between drills and cricket strategy.
Teaching roles without adult tactics
You do not need to explain field settings or match tactics. Start with simple roles: one team attacks, one team defends. Ask children what worked. Did they throw together? Did they protect the middle? Did they watch the target? These questions create early tactical thinking.
How to keep it safe
Because children get excited in target games, safety rules must be clear. Use soft balls. No throwing at faces. Throw only from behind the line. Stop the game immediately if throws become wild. Safety keeps confidence high.
How to adapt the games
For beginners, use bigger targets and shorter distances. For confident children, make the target smaller, add defenders or set a time limit. If a child is struggling, give them a closer target so they can feel success.
Coach checklist
- Are children aiming before throwing?
- Are they working as a team?
- Are they defending space, not just chasing the ball?
- Are they staying safe and controlled?
- Are quieter children getting meaningful roles?
Parent take-home version
Set up three plastic bottles or cones as a castle. Ask the child to knock them down with underarm throws, overarm throws and bowling action. Then swap roles and let the child defend while the parent attacks gently.
Continuity note
Lesson 7 gives children team roles. Lesson 8 brings those roles into a friendly mini match where every skill from the series appears again.
From individual skill to team purpose
Lesson 7 is important because it gives skills a purpose. Bowling, throwing and fielding are no longer isolated actions. Children are now trying to protect something, attack something or help teammates succeed.
This is how cricket starts to feel like a real game. The child learns that a throw is not just a throw. It can defend a zone, stop a run, hit a target or help the team reset.
How to teach attacking and defending simply
Use language children already understand. Attack means try to score or hit the target. Defend means protect the space or stop the ball. Once they understand those two ideas, they can play many cricket-like games.
You can ask after each round: What helped your team defend? or Where was the best place to aim? These questions create thinking without turning the session into a classroom.
Giving every child a role
In target games, confident children often take over. Give roles so everyone matters. One child can collect balls, one can guard the middle, one can aim at the target, and one can call instructions. Rotate roles every round.
This helps quieter children feel included and teaches stronger children that leadership means helping the team, not doing everything alone.
Making the games cricket-specific
After children understand the basic target game, connect it back to cricket. Ask them to bowl instead of throw. Ask defenders to field and return. Ask attackers to aim at stumps. This gradually turns a fun target game into a cricket learning experience.
Coach observation note
Look for children who understand space. Do they guard the target? Do they chase every ball without thinking? Do they communicate? These are early signs of cricket awareness.
Why this prepares children for Lesson 8
Lesson 8 includes a mini match. Children will need to bat, bowl, field, run and work as a team. Lesson 7 gives them the idea of roles, which makes the final lesson much easier to understand.