Cricket Blast Drills for Kids Under 10

The Cricket Blast philosophy

Cricket Blast is Cricket Australia's entry-level program for kids up to age 10, built entirely around fast, fun, skill-based games rather than traditional drills. The whole point is to avoid the classic cricket training trap — one kid batting while everyone else stands in a field doing nothing.

The fix is simple: while one small group plays a modified game, run skill-based activities for everyone else. No one is ever just standing around.

Four drills that work well

1. Catching circle

Kids form a circle and throw a soft ball across to each other, calling names before each throw. Builds catching confidence and throwing accuracy without the pressure of a real bat-and-ball situation.

2. Target bowling

Set up a target (a cone or a hoop) on the pitch. Kids take turns bowling toward it, focusing on a straight arm and consistent run-up rather than speed. Great for building bowling technique one repetition at a time.

3. Tee batting stations

Set up 2-3 batting tees so multiple kids can practice their swing at once, rather than one batter facing live bowling while everyone waits. Coaches can rotate between stations giving quick technique tips.

4. Modified mini match

Split into small teams for a short, modified game — fewer overs, smaller boundaries, everyone gets a turn batting and bowling. This is the heart of Cricket Blast and usually the part kids talk about on the way home.

Structuring a 1-hour session

A simple structure that avoids standing-around time:

• 5 min warm-up — running and stretching games
• 15 min catching circle — everyone involved at once
• 15 min target bowling and tee batting — run as parallel stations so no one waits
• 20 min modified mini match — putting it together
• 5 min cool down

The biggest mistake to avoid

Running drills in a single line — one kid bats, the rest watch — is the fastest way to lose a group of under-10s. Wherever possible, split into 2-3 smaller groups running parallel activities, so every child is doing something every few minutes, not waiting for their turn.