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Analysis of Specific Speed Testing for Cricketers

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 ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC SPEED TESTING
CRICKETERS
ROBERT G. LOCKIE, SAMUEL J. CALLAGHAN, AND
Exercise and Sport Science Department, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah,
Australia
ABSTRACT
Lockie, RG, Callaghan, SJ, and Jeffriess, MD. Analysis of specific
speed testing for cricketers. J Strength Cond Res 27(11): 2981–
2988, 2013—A characteristic of cricket sprints, which may require
specific assessment, is that players carry a bat when running
between the wickets. This study analyzed the relationships
between general and specific cricket speed tests, which included
30-m sprint (0- to 5-, 0- to 10-, 0- to 30-m intervals; general); 505
change-of-direction speed test with left and right foot turns (gen-
eral); 17.68-m sprint without and with (WB) a cricket bat (0- to 5-,
0- to 17.68-m intervals; specific); and run-a-three (specific). Sev-
enteen male cricketers (age = 24.4 6 5.0 years; height = 1.84 6
0.06 m; mass = 86.9 6 13.9 kg) completed the tests, which were
correlated (p , 0.05) to determine if they assessed different
physical qualities. The subjects were also split into faster and
slower groups based on the 17.68-m WB sprint time. A 1-way
analysis of variance ascertained between-group differences in the
tests (p , 0.05). The 17.68-m WB sprint correlated with the 0- to
10- and 0- to 30-m sprint intervals (r = 0.63–0.78) but not with
the 0- to 5-m interval. The run-a-three correlated with the 505 and
17.68-m WB sprint (r = 0.62–0.90) but not with the 0- to 5-m
interval. Poor relationships between the 0- to 5-m interval and
cricket-specific tests may be because of the bat inclusion, as
the sprints with a bat began with the subject ahead of the start
line, and bat placed behind it. Furthermore, although the 17.68-m
WB sprint and run-a-three differentiated faster and slower sub-
jects, the 0- to 5-m sprint interval, and left foot 505, did not. The
results indicated the necessity for cricket-specific speed testing.
The 17.68-m WB sprint and run-a-three are potentially valuable
tests for assessing cricket-specific speed. A bat should be incor-
porated when testing the running between the wickets ability.
KEY WORDS sprint and agility testing, running between
wickets, cricket bat, run-a-three, quick single
Address correspondence to Robert G. Lockie, robert.lockie@newcastle.
edu.au.
27(11)/2981–2988
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Ó 2013 National Strength and Conditioning Association
Copyright © National Strength and Conditioning Association Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
FOR
MATTHEW D. JEFFRIESS
INTRODUCTION
C
ricket has undergone dramatic changes in recent
years, with the development of 1-day and
Twenty20 cricket altering some of the vital char-
acteristics of the game. The shorter game formats
tend to be more physically intensive when related to match
duration, incorporating more maximal sprints when fielding,
bowling, and batting (26). As a result of these demands,
running speed has become an essential athletic quality for
cricketers and therefore must be assessed correctly. Appro-
priate speed assessments can provide an indicator of an ath-
lete’s level of ability (11,29), and be used to monitor physical
development (19,31). Typical sprint distances often used to
assess team sport athletes include 5 m (18,19), 10 m (7,18),
20 m (9), and 30 m (12,32). These shorter intervals are likely
to have great value for cricketers. The mean sprint distance
when fielding in 1-day internationals and test matches is
approximately 15–18 m (27), and maximal sprints between
the wickets when batting are conducted over a pitch dis-
tance of 17.68 m. As a result, linear sprint tests for cricketers
should incorporate the distances that focus upon the accel-
eration phase of a maximal sprint (i.e., #30 m) (4).
A “quick single” involves a batsman sprinting maximally
over the 17.68-m crease-to-crease distance in an attempt to
score a run. Given that running speed is the main contributor
to a player’s performance in running between the wickets
(20), and effective running between the wickets can contrib-
ute to greater run scoring (6), correctly assessing a cricketer’s
ability to run between the wickets is essential. Smith et al.
(30) have suggested a protocol for measuring a 17.68-m
sprint, which uses a standing start and sprint without a bat.
However, the use of a bat is an important factor for sprinting
in cricket, because reaching with the bat when running
between the wickets may reduce the effective length of
a sprint. Batsmen can start a sprint with only the end of
the bat behind the initial crease, and can finish by reaching
and sliding the bat into the opposite crease. Additionally, the
act of holding a bat when running between the wickets can
affect the sprint performance. Houghton (15) stated that
carrying the bat in the dominant hand resulted in faster
singles when compared with carrying the bat in 2 hands
or the nondominant hand. Unfortunately, this is the only
research that has provided analysis into the influence of
VOLUME 27 | NUMBER 11 | NOVEMBER 2013 | 2981
 Speed Testing for Cricket
carrying a bat during a cricket speed test. Further under-
standing of the use of a sprint test simulating a “quick single”
for cricketers is clearly required.
Not all sprints in cricket are completed linearly. Running
between the wickets requires batsmen to reach for the crease
and turn to sprint back in the direction of the opposite crease
to score more runs. This up-and-back action encompasses
movements similar to that of the 505 change-of-direction
speed test. The 505 test has been used for sports such
as soccer (21), basketball (33), and softball (23) and has been
recommended for cricket (30). However, there are little
data to indicate whether the 505 is an appropriate test of
change-of-direction speed in cricketers. A more specific
change-of-direction speed test that has been used for cricket
is the run-a-three (15,16,20,25). The run-a-three simulates
the movement of completing 3 runs on a full-length cricket
pitch, and incorporates the use of a bat. The bat can be used
to reach the crease in between the first 2 runs, and slide
through the crease when completing the final run. It could
be argued, however, that the run-a-three resembles a repeat-
sprint task comprising of 3 maximal efforts and 2 changes of
direction over a distance of approximately 53 m. Cricketers
who are faster in the 505 test may not be faster during the
run-a-three, because of different metabolic requirements for
each test. A longer duration change-of-direction speed test
may start to rely less on energy supply from the phosphogen
system and more from anaerobic glycolysis (34). Therefore,
the relationship between a general change-of-direction speed
test recommended for cricketers (i.e., the 505), and a cricket-
specific test (i.e., the run-a-three), must be clarified.
Speed tests for cricketers should be specific, because assess-
ments that replicate match activities are more likely to be
effective in distinguishing players of varying ability levels (10).
Although there are certain cricket-specific sprint tests in use,
there is no research that categorically shows that they assess
different physical capacities to general speed tests. This is per-
tinent for cricket, because of the use of a bat when performing
maximal sprints during a match. Therefore, this study will assess
general and specific speed tests in experienced male cricketers.
It is hypothesized that cricket-specific speed tests (17.68-m
sprint without and with a bat, run-a-three) will correlate with
general speed tests (30-m sprint and 505); however, the strength
of the correlations will be limited because of the use of specific
equipment (i.e., the bat) when sprinting. It is further hypothe-
sized that any differences between faster and slower subjects
will be more pronounced in the cricket-specific tests. This
research has value for cricket and strength and conditioning
coaches, in that it will help determine more appropriate phys-
iological tests that can be used for talent identification, squad
selection, and performance monitoring, in cricket.
METHODS
Experimental Approach to the Problem
This investigation analyzed the relationship between general
and cricket-specific linear and change-of-direction speed
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2982 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Copyright © National Strength and Conditioning Association Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
tests in experienced cricket players. In particular, this was to
ascertain the influence of using a cricket bat during specific
speed tests. A cross-sectional analysis of cricket players was
conducted, and Pearson’s correlations were used to determine
the significant interactions between the general and specific
speed tests in this study. Specifically, times in the following
general and specific tests were correlated to determine
whether they assessed the different qualities in cricketers:
30-m sprint (0- to 5-, 0- to 10-, and 0- to 30-m intervals);
505 change-of-direction speed test with turns off the left
and right foot; 17.68-m sprint without a cricket bat (0- to 5-
and 0- to 17.68-m intervals); 17.68-m sprint with a cricket bat
(0- to 5- and 0- to 17.68-m intervals); and the run-a-three.
Furthermore, the subjects were split into faster and slower
groups according to the 17.68-m sprint with a cricket bat time
to determine if performance differences in a cricket-specific
test also carried over to more general assessments of speed.
Subjects
Seventeen experienced male cricketers (age = 24.4 6 5.0
years; height = 1.84 6 0.06 m; mass = 86.9 6 13.9 kg),
who currently play first grade cricket in a regional competi-
tion in Australia, were recruited for this study. This subject
number is similar to that of previous research that analyzed
speed in cricketers (15,16,20). The subjects were recruited if
they were currently playing first grade cricket in the regional
competition; had at least 5 years of experience playing
cricket; had a general cricket training history ($2 times
per week) extending over the previous 12 months; were
currently training for cricket ($3 h$wk21); did not have
any existing medical conditions that would compromise par-
ticipation in the study; and were available for all testing
occasions. The methodology and procedures used in this
study were approved by the institutional ethics committee.
All the subjects received a clear explanation of the study,
including the risks and benefits of participation, and written
informed consent was provided before testing.
Procedures
Two testing sessions were completed by all the subjects,
separated by 48 hours. The first testing session involved the
general speed tests (linear 30-m sprint and 505); the second
testing session incorporated the cricket-specific tests (17.68-m
sprint with and without a cricket bat, and the run-a-three).
The subjects did not wear leg guards or any other protective
padding during the cricket-specific speed tests, as per pre-
viously established methods (16,30). All testing was con-
ducted in the biomechanics laboratory, with a textured
concrete surface, at the University of Newcastle, Ourimbah
campus. Testing was conducted during the middle of the
cricket season, and sessions were scheduled in the after-
noon-to-early evening. The subjects did not eat for 2–3 hours
before the testing session and refrained from intensive exercise
and abstained from caffeine or any form of stimulant in the
24-hour period before testing. The subjects were permitted to
consume water ad libitum throughout the testing sessions.
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Thirty-Meter Sprint
The 30-m sprint has been pre-
viously used to assess linear
speed in team sport athletes
(12,32). Time was recorded
using a timing lights system
(Smartspeed, Fusion Sports,
Coopers Plains, Australia),
which has previously been
found to be reliable when
recording speed and agility
Figure 1. The 505 test design and layout. The subject sprinted over the 10-m distance through the timing gate tests (24). Gates were placed
and over the 5-m distance to the turning point. The subjects then planted either their left or right foot on the turning
point to stop and change the direction, before returning back through the timing gate. The timing gate was
at 0, 5, 10, and 30 m at a height
positioned at a height of 1.2 m. of 1.2 m (20) to measure the
0- to 5-, 0- to 10-, and 0- to
30-m intervals. The subjects
Before data collection, the subject’s age, height, and mass began each sprint 30 cm behind the start line, to trigger
were recorded. Height was measured using a stadiometer the first gate (24). A standing start was used, and the subjects
(Seca 213, Ecomed Trading, Seven Hills, Australia) and were free to choose their front leg in this stance. The subjects
recorded to the nearest 0.01 cm. The subjects were mea- were instructed to drive off from the starting line and sprint
sured barefoot, and they stood on the base of the stadiom- through all sets of timing gates. If the subject rocked back-
eter with their feet together and the heels, buttocks, and ward or forward before starting, the trial was disregarded
upper back touching the scale. Body mass was recorded and repeated after the requisite recovery period.
using electronic digital scales (BF-522, Tanita Corporation,
Tokyo, Japan) and recorded to the nearest 0.1 kg. A stan- The 505 Change-of-Direction Speed Test
dardized warm-up was conducted before both testing ses- The 505 has a change of direction similar to that of turning
sions. The warm-up consisted of 5 minutes of jogging on when running between the wickets, which provided a strong
a treadmill at a self-selected running velocity, followed by basis for analysis in cricketers (30). The methodology for the
10 minutes of dynamic stretching of the lower limbs, and 505 was used as per established methods (5), and the setup is
progressive speed runs over the testing distances (18). shown in Figure 1. During the warm-up, the subjects were
Time for each assessment was recorded to the nearest allowed to familiarize themselves with the movement patterns
0.01 seconds. Three trials were attempted for each speed required for the 505. The subjects used a standing start with
tests, with 3 minutes of recovery between each trial, except the same body position as per the 30-m sprint, with their front
for the run-a-three. Because of the longer distance covered foot behind the start line. The subjects sprinted through the
in the run-a-three, 5-minute recovery was allocated timing gate to the turning line, indicated by a line marked on
between efforts. The average of the trials for each assess- the laboratory floor and markers. The subjects were to place
ment was used for analysis. either the left or right foot, depending on the trial, on or
behind the turning line, before
sprinting back through the gate.
Three trials were recorded for
turns off the left and right feet,
the order of which was ran-
domized among the subjects. If
the subject changed direction
before hitting the turning point,
or turned off the incorrect foot,
the trial was disregarded and
the subject completed another
trial after the required rest
period.

The 17.68-m Sprint (“Quick

Figure 2. Test design and layout for the 17.68-m sprints and run-a-three. During the sprint tests without a bat, all
timing gates were positioned at a height of 1.2 m. For the 17.68-m sprint with a bat, and the run-a-three, timing Single”)
gates at each crease were lowered to a height of 0.06 m such that a sliding bat would break the beam. Sprints over a distance of 17.68
m were used to simulate a “quick

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 Speed Testing for Cricket

single” sprint. This 17.68-m sprint was measured in 2 ways;

Figure 3. The starting position for the 17.68-m sprint with a cricket bat
and the run-a-three.
without (WOB) and with (WB) a cricket bat. The methods
used were adapted from previous research (16,30). Figure 2
illustrates the timing gate setup for the 17.68-m sprints. The
intervals timed for the 17.68-m sprints were the 0- to 5- and
0- to 17.68-m distances. The 17.68-m WOB sprints were con-
ducted as a typical linear sprint test. The subjects began the
sprint using the same starting body position from the 30-m
sprint, 30 cm behind the start line (24). They then sprinted
maximally through the gates until they passed the 17.68-m
mark. As for the 30-m sprint, if the subject rocked backward
or forward before starting, the trial was disregarded and
repeated.
The 17.68-m WB sprint was designed to closely simulate
the typical action and dimensions of the “quick single.” Even
though starting a quick single from a stationary position is
somewhat atypical of cricket match play, it was required for
the test to allow for the initiation of timing within the system
used. The subject carried a standard-size willow cricket bat (0.85
m 3 0.11 m), weighing approximately 1.2 kg. The bat was held
in the subject’s dominant hand (15). The timing gates level with
the start line, and at the 17.68-m mark, were lowered and placed
in custom stands to lower the light beam to a height of 0.06 m.
This allowed for the bat to be placed in the “crease” at the start
of the sprint, and slid through the opposing crease to finish the
sprint. An in-beam start was used, whereby the bat was posi-
tioned in the light beam level with the start line (Figure 3). Once

TABLE 1. Descriptive and reliability data for the 30-m sprint, 505, 17.68-m sprints without and with a cricket bat, and
run-a-three for all the subjects (n = 17), and the faster (n = 8) and slower (n = 8) groups.

Speed test All subjects Faster group Slower group Intraclass correlation coefficient

30-m Sprint
0–5 m 1.07 6 0.04 1.06 6 0.05 1.09 6 0.04 0.80
0–10 m 1.83 6 0.06 1.79 6 0.05 1.86 6 0.06* 0.87
0–30 m 4.42 6 0.17 4.32 6 0.11 4.51 6 0.17* 0.97
505
Left foot turn 2.48 6 0.10 2.43 6 0.09 2.52 6 0.09 0.76
Right foot turn 2.46 6 0.10 2.41 6 0.06 2.52 6 0.12* 0.82
17.68-m Sprint without a bat
0–5 m 1.10 6 0.07 1.07 6 0.05 1.13 6 0.07 0.87
0–17.68 m 2.90 6 0.14 2.84 6 0.09 2.97 6 0.16* 0.96
17.68-m Sprint with a bat
0–5 m 1.01 6 0.06 0.98 6 0.04 1.05 6 0.06* 0.87
0–17.68 m 2.83 6 0.15 2.72 6 0.06 2.94 6 0.13† 0.94
Run-a-three
First run 3.20 6 0.14 3.09 6 0.07 3.32 6 0.11† 0.90
Turn 1 2.27 6 0.14 2.19 6 0.07 2.34 6 0.11* 0.86
Second run 3.65 6 0.15 3.51 6 0.07 3.77 6 0.11† 0.91
Turn 2 2.25 6 0.10 2.18 6 0.06 2.33 6 0.09† 0.87
Third run 3.24 6 0.16 3.13 6 0.08 3.35 6 0.15† 0.94
Total time 10.09 6 0.44 9.74 6 0.18 10.43 6 0.34† 0.97

*Significantly (p , 0.05) slower than the faster group.

†Significant (p , 0.01) slower than the faster group.

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 the TM

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research | www.nsca.com

crease to break the beam.

The gates positioned 5 m
TABLE 2. Correlations between 30-m sprint (0- to 5-, 0- to 10-, and 0- to 30-m
intervals) and 505 times with left and right foot turns, with 17.68-m sprint times away from each crease
without and with a cricket bat (0- to 5- and 0- to 17.68-m intervals) in experienced were kept at a height of
male cricketers (n = 17). 1.2 m, such that the sub-
ject’s torso would break
0- to 5-m Sprint 0- to 10-m Sprint 0- to 30-m Sprint
the timing beam (20)
0–5 m Without a bat 0.66* 0.76* 0.81* (Figure 2). An in-beam
0–17.68 m Without a bat 0.65† 0.82* 0.91* start was used, with the
0–5 m With a bat 0.19 0.40 0.63† bat placed in the beam
0–17.68 m With a bat 0.33 0.60† 0.78*
level with the start line
*Significant (p , 0.01) relationship between variables. (Figure 3). Once the bat
†Significant (p , 0.05) relationship between variables. was stable in the beam,
the subjects could begin
their sprint, and they were
instructed to sprint as fast
the bat was stable in the timing beam, the subjects could begin as they could to complete 3 runs, running from “crease” to
their sprint. The subjects were instructed to carry the bat as “crease,” in as short a time as possible. A section of the bat
they normally would when running between the wickets in was required to cross the batting crease at each end of the
a match, and to slide the bat through the finish line in a man- sprints, as this broke the timing beam, and the subjects used
ner typical to completing a run in cricket. The subjects were cricket-specific turning techniques to minimize turning time.
provided with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with The subjects were also to keep the bat in their dominant hand
the testing conditions during the warm-up. As per the WOB throughout the test (15). The researchers were positioned at
sprints, the 0- to 5- and 0- to 17.68-m intervals were measured. each crease to ensure that the bat was positioned correctly. If
The timing gate at the 5-m mark was left at the 1.2-m height this was not done, the trial was disregarded and reattempted
used for the other speed tests (20), as the subject was upright after the required rest period. Time for each run (0- to 17.68-m
and running by this stage in the sprint. interval), and total time for the run-a-three, were recorded.
Turning time (time from when the subject passed through
Run-a-Three
the timing gate 5 m away from the crease, until when they
The run-a-three required 3 repeated maximal sprint trials to be
returned through the gate) for the changes of direction between
performed between the creases indicated in the laboratory, and
runs 1–2, and 2–3 was also noted (20).
this was adapted from previous research (15,16,20,25). The
subjects were also able to familiarize themselves with this test Statistical Analyses
during the warm-up. As per the 17.68-m WB sprint, the timing Means and SDs were computed for all the subjects from the
gate level with each crease were positioned so the timing light speed tests. Trial-to-trial reliability of times measured within
beam was 0.6 m high, and the bat could be slid through the the study was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients
(ICC) calculated from
a 2-way mixed method
consistency model for
TABLE 3. Correlations between R3 (0–5 and 0–17.68 m for runs 1–3, turns 1 and 2, average measures. An
and total time), and 30-m sprint (0- to 5-, 0- to 10-, and 0- to 30-m intervals), 505 ICC $0.70 was considered
times with left and right foot turns, and 17.68-m sprint times with a cricket bat (0- to 5- acceptable (1,14). The
and 0- to 17.68-m intervals) in experienced male cricketers (n = 17).*
Levene statistic was used
R3 run 1 R3 turn 1 R3 run 2 Turn 2 R3 run 3 R3 total to determine homogeneity
of variance of the data. A
505 Left 0.66† 0.72† 0.66† 0.70† 0.73† 0.71†
505 Right 0.79† 0.67† 0.68† 0.75† 0.83† 0.80† Pearson’s 2-tailed correla-
0- to 5-m Sprint 0.31 0.41 0.43 0.62z 0.41 0.40 tion analysis was con-
0- to 10-m Sprint 0.61z 0.62z 0.66† 0.77† 0.69† 0.68† ducted to determine the
0- to 30-m Sprint 0.75† 0.67† 0.73† 0.79† 0.84† 0.81† relationships between
0–5 m With a bat 0.75† 0.62z 0.67† 0.67† 0.76† 0.75†
times in the linear and
0–17.68 m With a bat 0.88† 0.77† 0.77† 0.86† 0.90† 0.89†
change-of-direction speed
*R3 = run-a-three times. tests. An alpha level of
†Significant (p , 0.01) relationship between variables.
zSignificant (p , 0.05) relationship between variables. p # 0.05 was chosen as
the criterion for signifi-
cance. The strength of

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 Speed Testing for Cricket
the correlation coefficient was described as per Hopkins (13).
For the purpose of this study, a correlation coefficient value
,0.3 was considered small; 0.31–0.49 moderate; 0.5–0.69 large;
0.7–0.89 very large; and .0.9 near perfect for predicting rela-
tionships. After this, the subjects were ranked according to their
0.17.68-m WB sprint performance, and divided into faster and
slower groups (8,18). To form equal subject groups of 8, the
ninth ranked subject was eliminated from this analysis. A 1-way
analysis of variance was used to determine any significant (p ,
0.05) differences in speed test times between the 2 groups. All
statistical analyses were computed using the Statistics Package
for Social Sciences (Version 20.0; IBM Corporation, NY, USA).
RESULTS
The descriptive and reliability data for the speed tests used in
this study are shown in Table 1. This includes data for all the
subjects (n = 17), and the faster (n = 8) and slower (n = 8)
groups. All tests provided ICCs .0.70, indicating high inter-
trial reliability. The run-a-three was subdivided into the first,
second, and third runs. Times for the 2 turns were also
documented. The subjects in the faster group were signifi-
cantly superior in all speed tests when compared with the
slower group, except for the 0- to 5-m interval in the 30-m
sprint; 505 when turning off the left foot; and the 0- to 5-m
interval in the 17.68-m WOB sprint.
Table 2 displays the correlations between the general (30-
m sprint) and cricket-specific (17.68-m sprint WOB and
WB) linear speed tests. All significant correlations were
positive. The WOB 0- to 5- and 0- to 17.68-m intervals
significantly correlated with all intervals in the 30-m sprint,
ranging from large to near perfect (r = 0.651–0.907). The 0-
to 5-m interval from the 17.68-m WB sprint did not signif-
icantly correlate with the 0- to 5 and 0- to 10-m intervals in
the 30-m sprint. There was a significant, large correlation
between time in this interval and 0- to 30-m sprint time (r =
0.63). The 0- to 17.68-m WB sprint time did not correlate
with 0- to 5-m sprint time, but did correlate with 0- to 10-m
(r = 0.60) and 0- to 30-m (r = 0.78) times.
The run-a-three, and its components, were correlated
with the 505, 30-m sprint, and 17.68-m sprints (Table 3). All
significant correlations were positive. The strongest corre-
lations with the 505 were for turns 1 (505 Left r = 0.721;
505 Right r = 0.627) and 2 (505 Left r = 0.702; 505 Right
r = 0.745); the third run (505 Left r = 0.728; 505 Right r =
0.828); and total time (505 Left r = 0.712; 505 Right r =
0.797). There was only 1 significant correlation with the 0-
to 5-m interval from the 30-m sprint (turn 2; r = 0.621). The
0- to 10- and 0- to 30-m intervals of the 30-m sprint cor-
related with all components of the run-a-three (r = 0.502–
0.842). The 0- to 5- and 0- to 17.68-m WB sprint intervals
significantly correlated with all components of the run-a-
three. These correlations ranged from large to very large, with
the strongest correlations occurring between the 0–17.68 WB
interval and the first run (r = 0.881), third run (r = 0.899), and
total run-a-three time (r = 0.886).
the TM
2986 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Copyright © National Strength and Conditioning Association Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
DISCUSSION
This study analyzed the relationship between general (30-m
sprint and 505) and specific (17.68-m sprint without and with
a cricket bat, run-a-three) speed tests in experienced male
cricketers. The results showed support for cricket-specific
testing. This was particular evident when considering the
nonsignificant relationships found in this study between the
initial 5-m interval of the 30-m sprint, and the cricket-specific
sprints. Furthermore, faster subjects from this study were
clearly superior in cricket-specific tests such as the 17.68-m
WB sprint and run-a-three, but not in general speed assess-
ments such as the 0- to 5-m interval in the 30-m sprint, and
505 after a left foot turn. The use of the bat to shorten the
effective sprint distance required in the cricket-specific tests,
and the impact the bat had on the starting position used for
the sprints, discernibly emphasizes the need for specific
speed testing in cricket. The information collated from this
study that will prove valuable to cricket and strength and
conditioning coaches when conducting physiological testing
or training for cricketers at any playing level.
The 0- to 5- and 0- to 17.68-m WOB intervals significantly
correlated with all intervals of the 30-m sprint (Table 2),
which was not surprising given that they were both linear
sprint assessments that used the same standing start. The 0-
to 30-m sprint time also significantly correlated with times
from both versions (WOB and WB) of the 17.68-m sprint.
However, the 0- to 5-m interval of the 30-m sprint did not
correlate with performance in the 0- to 17.68-m WB sprint.
Furthermore, the 0- to 5-m sprint interval did not differen-
tiate between the faster and slower groups (Table 1). The
mitigating factor may have been the stance used at the start
of the sprint. The body position for the start of a “quick
single” is much different to that of a typical sprint, primarily
in that the subject was positioned ahead of the start line,
with only the bat left behind the start line (i.e., the crease;
Figure 3). Different starting stances can have a major effect
on sprint times (3). Indeed, the time taken to cover the first 5
m in the sprint with a cricket bat was 6% faster than that for
the 30-m sprint (Table 1). These results illustrate the impor-
tance of the starting stance used for speed tests, and how
they should reflect the movement patterns required for a par-
ticular sport. For cricket in particular, this means the bat
should be incorporated into any assessment of a player’s
ability to run between the wickets. When assessing a crick-
eter’s ability to run maximally between the wickets, the start
should include the use of a cricket bat, with a body position
typical for a “quick single.” Furthermore, the practice of ini-
tiating sprints from this position should be a part of a crick-
eter’s training regime.
The subjects from this study produced run-a-three per-
formances similar to the South African provincial cricketers
(20), with a mean run-a-three time of 10.09 6 0.44 seconds
(Table 1). Faster subjects, with a mean run-a-three time of
9.74 6 0.18 seconds (Table 1), produced times close to that

of professional English cricketers (16). There were a range of
significant correlations between components of the run-a-
three and the 505, 30-m sprint, and 17.68-m WB sprint
(Table 3). However, as for the 17.68-m sprints, there were
limited correlations between the 0- to 5-m interval of the
30-m sprint and the run-a-three. Once again, the difference
in starting position used for the 30-m sprint, and for the
initiation of each run in the run-a-three, would have affected
these results. These results further demonstrate the specific-
ity of using the bat within the run-a-three, and how this can
affect maximal sprint efforts in cricket.
Interestingly, there were positive correlations with the
shorter 0- to 5-m interval from the 17.68-m WB sprint, and
run-a-three times. This is despite the fact that the run-a-
three is a longer sprint test of approximately 53 m, with 2
turns. These turns required the subjects to decelerate, stop,
and reaccelerate, to change direction into the subsequent
sprint. Sprinting from either a standing start (i.e., the 0- to
5-m interval of a linear sprint) (18) or after a change of
direction (i.e., after a turn in the run-a-three) (17) places
a great demand on an individual’s ability to accelerate. Thus,
subjects who could accelerate better from the cricket-specific
starting position during the first 5 m of a “quick single”
would also likely accelerate better in each of the individual
runs within the run-a-three. This provides further emphasis
for the need to use specific speed testing for cricketers. The
unique starting position used for running between the wick-
ets in cricket will affect the ability to generate a high running
velocity, and must be assessed and trained accordingly.
There were relationships between the 505 and the run-a-
three, indicating that to an extent, they measured similar
capacities in cricketers (Table 3). Significant relationships
between different types of agility or change-of-direction speed
tests in athletic populations have been established (10,24). As
previously stated, the movements in the 505 are comparable
with that of turning when running between the wickets
(30), minus the use of a cricket bat. This is because the subject
is required to run forward, stop, and then turn back in the
direction of the initial run in both tests. Indeed, strong corre-
lations for the 505 were established with the time for the 2
turns in the run-a-three (Table 3). The important physical
components of changing direction when maximally running
include control of the total body center of gravity (28),
dynamic balance (2), eccentric and reactive strength (17),
and acceleration-deceleration capabilities (17,22). These char-
acteristics would be common between the 505 and run-a-
three. However, running between the wickets in cricket adds
a further specific component of requiring the manipulation of
a cricket bat when performing direction changes. The impact
of this was also noted within the results of this study.
The 505 times off both the left (2.48 6 0.10 seconds) and
right (2.46 6 0.10 seconds) were greater than the 2 turns within
the run-a-three (2.27 6 0.14 and 2.25 6 0.10 seconds). Inter-
estingly, these turn times were faster than South African pro-
vincial (20) and Australian academy (15) cricketers, although
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subjects in those studies wore leg guards. Nonetheless, the
difference in turn times for the 505 and run-a-three would
primarily be because batsmen reach for the crease with their
bat when turning, rather than placing a foot behind the crease,
which would aid in reducing the time when turning. When
comparing the faster and slower groups, all run-a-three times
were quicker for the faster group (Table 1). However, only the
505 time after a right foot turn was significantly quicker for the
faster group; the 505 time after the left foot turn did not dis-
tinguish the groups. These findings lend credence to the bene-
fits of using a specific change-of-direction speed test for cricket.
The use of the cricket bat within the run-a-three to facilitate
changing direction is a specific skill for this sport, and must be
specifically assessed and trained in cricketers.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
The ongoing popularity of 1-day and Twenty20 cricket has
made running speed an essential physiological trait for
modern-day cricketers. It is vital that cricket and strength
and conditioning coaches properly test and monitor running
speed in their athletes. The assessments used for talent
identification and squad selection, and the monitoring of
physical conditioning, should best represent the require-
ments of the sport. This research clearly demonstrates the
need for specific speed testing in cricket. The value of
cricket-specific quickness and acceleration capabilities was
shown for both the 17.68-m sprint with a cricket bat and the
run-a-three. In addition, when conducting speed testing on
cricketers, it is important to consider the starting position
used for the assessments. For example, if a coach is assessing
the ability of a cricketer to sprint between the wickets, they
should ensure that the test involves the players carrying a bat
and initiating the sprint as they would if they were taking off
for a run during a match. Furthermore, the ability to take-off
and sprint linearly while carrying a bat, and complete
effective turns in an up-and-back motion, is integral to
cricket and must be assessed accordingly. The results from
this study indicate that the 17.68-m sprint with a cricket bat
and run-a-three should be fundamental tests in any physi-
ological assessment of cricket players. Cricketers should also
practice the skill of starting sprints with a bat, and using the
bat to facilitate turns when running between the wickets.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to acknowledge the subjects for their
contribution to the study. This research project received no
external financial assistance. None of the authors have any
conflict of interest.
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