Your Cricket New and want to start...

[danielallum]

First post here,

I'm an 18 year old from Watford (just outside London) and for many years I have been a fan of Cricket but the idea of playing it never appealed to me until this year. I have never bowled or batted a competitive ball in my life, so i fear if i turn up at a cricket club i might just be told i'm too bad and to go home haha. A few of my friends have told me that due to my height (6"4) I could be a handy fast bowler but any advice anybody has is more than appreciated thanks!

 

[SpitfiresKent]

It's not what you know, it's who you know. If you have some friends that play for a club just ask them if you can tag along to a net session or just go down and watch one of their matches to show that you're interested in joining. You say that you've never played before? It shouldn't really be an issue as most clubs should cater for all abilities.

This happened to me last summer. I wanted to join a local club but as soon as I told them that I had never played competitively before they got put off and never got back to me like they said they would Fingers crossed my knee is fully healed in the next couple of months and i'll try again this summer to join a club.

Good luck.

 

[IceAgeComing]

You planning to go to uni next year? Unless you get into Oxbridge, or one of the MCC unis then the uni team will probably be a bunch of guys that just have fun playing cricket and will be OK with new guys. I went not knowing a thing and although I'm still not good, I'm getting better and am a lot more confident. You only get games in late April-early June; but its a lot less of a daunting thing than lots of clubs will be since the guys will usually be young.

Whatever you do; just show up on time and try to make an effort to learn. The more initiative you show; the more that your teammates will see that you're being serious and will help you out. The guys on my uni team who show up to just mess around don't get many chances to bat and aren't really respected; while those of us who turn up and seem to be trying probably are favoured with decent batting time and other things.

Also; before you do anything, buy your own box. They cost like ?5; and you don't want to turn up to a training session without one and need to use a club one if you get a chance to bat! Even if you don't stick in, then hey, its only ?5; lots of people spend a lot more than that on hobbies that they fall out of...

 

[sania250]

You need some practice before starting it.