Cricstars Under-10 Cricket Starter Plan Lesson 5 of 8
Lesson 4 helped children understand fielding control. Lesson 5 uses that understanding from the batters point of view.
Children learn that batting is not only about hitting hard. A soft hit into a gap can be smarter than a big hit straight to a fielder.
This guide is written for parents, teachers, junior club volunteers and beginner coaches. You do not need expensive equipment or a perfect cricket ground. You need a safe space, soft balls, simple rules and a session that keeps children active.
Where this lesson fits
Lesson 5 focuses on smart batting and space awareness. The full eight-lesson pathway moves children from first contact with the bat and ball into bowling, fielding, smart batting, teamwork and finally a friendly mini match.
The important thing is continuity. Children should recognise ideas from earlier sessions and then use them in a slightly more advanced way. That is how a young player starts building confidence without feeling overloaded.
Session snapshot
- Best age group: Children under 10, especially beginners aged 5 to 9.
- Session length: 45 to 60 minutes.
- Best equipment: Soft balls, cones, junior bats, tees, buckets, stumps or simple targets.
- Coaching style: Short cues, lots of turns, praise effort and keep the session moving.
Minute-by-minute session plan
Use this as a guide, not a strict script. If children are learning well and enjoying one activity, stay with it a little longer. If energy drops, move quickly to the next game.
- 06 minutes: Space Invaders movement warm-up
- 618 minutes: Tee hits into large zones
- 1832 minutes: Continuous cricket
- 3245 minutes: Find the Gap challenge
- 4555 minutes: Small team scoring game
Main activities
Drill 1: Space Invaders
Children move around without bumping into others. They learn to notice open space before batting starts.
Drill 2: Tee Hits Into Zones
Mark scoring zones. Children score for contact, placement and running.
Drill 3: Find the Gap
Place fielders so one open area is obvious. The batter looks first, then tries to hit where nobody is standing.
Coaching cues to use
Children under 10 remember short phrases better than long explanations. Pick one cue at a time. Repeat it during play and avoid giving five corrections after every attempt.
- Look for the empty space
- Soft hit can still score
- Watch the ball
- Run after contact
- Smart beats wild
Make it easier or harder
Make it easier: Use a tee, large zones and no fielders at first.
Make it harder: Add one or two fielders, smaller zones or bonus points for choosing the gap.
The best junior coaches adjust the task without making the child feel embarrassed. A beginner and a confident child can do the same activity with different targets, distances or scoring rules.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Praising only power
- Making zones too small
- Adding too many fielders too soon
- Turning it into adult shot coaching
Most mistakes at this age come from rushing. Children rush the swing, rush the throw, rush the run or rush the decision. Slow the learning down, then let the game speed it up naturally.
What progress looks like
Progress should not be measured only by runs, wickets or who looks the most talented. In this age group, progress often appears as confidence, better movement, safer technique and a child wanting another turn.
- Looks before hitting
- Hits into a wide zone
- Runs after contact
- Understands gaps
- Uses softer placement sometimes
Parent home version
Create two scoring zones with shoes or cones. Feed gently and ask the child to hit left, right, then choose the open side.
Home practice should be short. Ten focused minutes is enough. Stop before the child becomes bored or frustrated. The goal is to make cricket feel like something they want to return to, not another homework task.
Coach reflection after the session
After the session, ask yourself three questions. Did every child get enough turns? Did the session feel safe and positive? Did the children leave with more confidence than they arrived with? If the answer is yes, the lesson worked.
For Cricstars, the bigger aim is to help children build a cricket journey from the first backyard hit to clubs, coaches, teams and tournaments. A strong junior pathway starts with small wins like these.
Turning batting from hitting into thinking
This lesson is where batting becomes smarter. Up to this point, many children simply try to hit the ball. Now they begin asking, Where can I hit it? That shift is important.
A child who learns to notice space early will become a better game player later. They may still have developing technique, but they are starting to understand cricket as a game of choices.
Use questions instead of lectures
Before the ball is fed, ask, Where is the empty space? After the shot, ask, Was that near a fielder or away from a fielder? These questions guide the child without making them feel criticised.
If a child hits straight to a fielder, avoid saying bad shot. Say, Good contact. Now can you find the empty side? This keeps confidence high while improving decision-making.
Why running belongs in every batting drill
Batting does not end when the ball leaves the bat. In cricket, the shot and the run belong together. Even when hitting from a tee, ask the child to run after contact.
This builds the habit of reacting after the shot. It also makes the drill feel more like cricket and less like isolated batting practice.
How to make scoring zones easy to understand
Use big zones first. Mark three areas with cones: straight, left and right. At the start, do not worry about correct cricket shot names. The child only needs to understand that different spaces exist and that the batter can choose where to hit.
Once children are comfortable, add one fielder. Ask the batter, Where is the empty space? before the ball is fed. This one question makes the child look up and think before hitting.
Reward placement more than power. A soft shot into an empty zone should score more than a hard hit straight to a fielder. This teaches young players that cricket is a thinking game, not just a strength contest.
Small coaching detail that makes this lesson better
After every shot, ask the child where the ball went and where the empty space was. This quick question helps them connect the shot with the field, turning batting practice into simple game awareness.
What comes next
Previous: Read the previous lesson
Next: Continue to the next lesson
Full plan: Back to the Under-10 Cricket Training Plan