It’s often said that the only thing indoor cricket has in common with outdoor cricket is the name.
There’s a fair bit of truth to it – anyone who has played both games and tried to smoke a pull shot in the indoor game, or gone for a down-up to a good length ball outside off on a turf wicket will tell you the approach and tactics vary quite a bit!
Across the country, at indoor sports centres – although mainly given over to netball and futsal these days – on one night each week, indoor cricket takes over. It remains a niche sport in the Australian landscape, with a small yet dedicated band of followers. The game is played in other traditional cricketing nations, but not to the same extent or passion as in Australia – a cursory glance at the international history of the game will show you that.
There have been nine world cups played since 1995, and Australia has won the open men’s and women’s final in every single one of them, an incredible run of success. Australia’s record in the masters age division is almost as good, winning all bar one world title, and Australia regularly dominates the junior competition as well.
The foundation for this dominance, as is the case with any successful international side, is an outstanding domestic competition, with fierce competition for places at the highest level and impressive levels of dedication and professionalism, particularly impressive given that indoor cricket remains very much an amateur sport.
The transition of a player from social hacker to seasoned pro is a gradual one – most players come to the game with an understanding of cricket, but it takes time to learn the nuances of what makes a technically correct indoor cricketer. And there is plenty to learn as well. Unlike the outdoor format, everyone has to bat four overs, and everyone has to bowl two overs. There is nowhere to hide in the field either, players need to be agile and adept at fielding the ball and getting throws to the stumps at either end very quickly.
At the higher levels of play, the bowling starts to become more and more unpredictable, with the indoor ball offering plenty of scope for variations and pace – not to mention outlandish amounts of swing and cut, both in the air and off the wicket. Simply hoiking for the back net becomes a low percentage play to most deliveries.
Batsmen learn to move at the crease and make precise, well directed contact with the bat to ensure the ball stays out of reach of the prowling hands of the close in fielders.
Bowling also becomes a more difficult proposition – the caveat to batsmen being more circumspect is that balls on a good driving length become very vulnerable to skilled batsmen hitting through the line for high value scoring shots. Bowlers need to develop variation and control, and ensure that they are bowling to give their fielders a chance to make the run outs, rather than relying on the batsman to make a mistake.
Undeniably though, the most important ability to learn is that of teamwork, and how much a confident, well-drilled, unified team can impact on the result of the game, and force events in your favour. One man who knows a lot about the value of teamwork is Brenton Brien – a dual world cup winning captain for Australia, and in recent years has helped coach a powerhouse Queensland side to five national titles, to go with the 10 he won as a player. Always generous and insightful with his experience and advice, he spoke about what it takes to be successful at the highest levels of the game.
“The very best players will of course be excellent at batting, bowling and fielding – that’s a given. At this level, everyone has the skills and the technique. But what sets the elite players aside from the rest is their attitude – most importantly, a maturity towards disappointment or mistakes. Either made by themselves or by teammates. At the highest level it’s all about the team. A good player should always be prepared to keep learning from those that are prepared to offer their time.”
One of the best aspects of indoor cricket being an amateur sport in Australia is that the exposure players get to the standard at the highest level is a lot more commonplace.
The Toombul centre where Brien plies his trade has a number of current international players plying their trade there, with plenty of opportunities to face up to and bowl at some of the best players in the land. While it’s a steep learning curve for any decent amateur to suddenly find yourself with cement boots against Andrew Roiko’s fast leg spinners, grimacing as Matt Jenkins keeps ripping cutters past the edge of your optimistically flailing blade or resignedly seeing Andy Byrne slam a decent ball back over your head for 7, the experience is invaluable, and just talking to them about the game can do wonders for your own skills and abilities.
On teamwork, Brenton continues: “The most successful teams I have been involved in have a common ingredient – the belief within the squad that no one player is bigger than the team. If everyone does their bit to the best of their ability, a team can achieve amazing things. I have witnessed it and been part of it (for which I am so thankful) many, many times. More than anything else, a team that plays 100per cent for each other and for the success of the team are the most daunting and intimidating opponents. It’s hard to describe – but once experienced it is so great to be part of.”
The truth to his words can be easily seen at any indoor cricket tournament, whether it be a state title, or the popular and well contested inter-centre ‘superleague’ titles that happen every year across Brisbane in the winter months.
You can see the immediate impact that a united and committed team has on the game. Huddles at the end of each over, and at the fall of each wicket – always celebrated enthusiastically and passionately. A fielding team that is active, pumped and prowling dangerously creates doubt in the minds of the batsmen. In a game where instinctive, split-second decisions need to be made by batsmen about whether or not to risk a run, a crack fielding outfit will stop runs from being scored, create dismissals where none would have otherwise existed.
The swirling maelstrom inside the net after a few quick wickets is filled with animated fielders, bowlers brimming with confidence, and two very lonely batsmen who now have to try and salvage something from the rest of their overs.
The very best sides create their own aura; that feeling in the opposition’s mind that something is going to go wrong, or that a dismissal is inevitable. Being out there, batting, with only your partner for support, and a ring of focused, cat-like fielders surrounding you on all sides as the bowler runs in, is the very definition of pressure.
The relief when you hit a shot past the field and find the (relative) safety of the net is almost palpable. But it continues on – ball after ball, over after over, never letting up.
This then, is the pressure cooker that creates the standard that ensures only the very best can rise to the top. It should be emphasised that when we talk of pressure, adrenalin, passion – the most important thing to maintain is the maturity Brenton referred to. At the highest level the pressure on the batsmen, or the bowlers, is created through confidence and composure, across the whole side. You see it when the best teams are playing – there’s that aura again, where you just feel that a team has absolute confidence in what they’ve scored, or what they’ve restricted their opponents to. They feel they can achieve anything, and that the game is never lost until it’s over. The last is particularly important, as Brenton says:
“It’s easy to perform when things are going well. How do they react when the chips are down? That’s what sets a great player apart from a good player.”
At its heart, indoor cricket is one of the most team oriented games I’ve ever played. The format of the game means that every player has to contribute with bat and ball, and players have plenty of opportunities to influence the outcome of the game. An outrageous display of skill, a key wicket or scoring shot can galvanise a team like nothing else, and bring about huge momentum shifts in a very short space of time.
At the highest levels, the game rewards players who play for the team. It pushes an individual to the limits of their mental concentration and resolve. It allows for that greatest of feelings, the euphoria when the game is won through hard work and shared success as a team. Truly the finest reward for anyone who plays sport to enjoy the challenge and test of one’s abilities and character.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Thanks for the great response Ben, agree with a lot of your points. It's not the most telegenic game (is that a word) - you know what I mean, it can be difficult to televise well, but I'm sure given thought and some good camera angles/expert commentators it could be made into an excellent package. Regarding the other article I mentioned, it's finally finished. http://www.theroar.com.au/2016/01/19/last-man-stands-crickets-true-peoples-game/
Paul D
Roar Guru
Plenty of the guys at Toombul remember the old atmosphere at Arana Hills too - I agree that the decaying old venues had their own charm, much as the older more traditional outdoor grounds still do as well.
Ben
Guest
Great article Paul. I fell in love with Indoor many years ago. It honestly stopped me from losing contact with sport participation entirely. While studying, I couldn't justify playing outdoor on a Saturday (and missing a prime casual shift in hospitality) and it was a trip to my local centre and being inserted into a team that has lead to many dozens of lifelong friends. All because I could find time on a Wednesday night to shoot down to my local centre and play a game (or two). Over the years I have seen kids and toddlers watch their Dad (and Mum) play and now see them joining in. It's been a great experience. Had I not ventured down that night (after remembering State sides televised on the ABC), I may have been lost from sports participation entirely. From indoor, I was quickly recruited for outdoor teams (summer, warehouse, last man stands etc) and have even gone on to play mixed netball. The best thing about indoor is as you say, you can't hide. I've seen talented bowlers be humbled when picking up the bat and vice versa. It all leads to a great atmosphere when the game is finished. The sad thing about indoor though is the lack of support from outdoor. Many still see it as a bastard cousin of the game and although you quite rightly point out that the tactics vary greatly from outdoor, the skills do not. In fact they are honed in indoor. This is more evident and important with the rise of T20. In indoor, a bowler with only one or two types of deliveries quickly becomes predictable and must adapt. I've seen good outdoor bowlers become great bowlers because (to their existing one or two deliveries) they experiment and add deliveries they've seen from other bowlers they face. One bowler I can remember came to the centre bowling outswing only, and now boasts a cutter in both directions learned off a teammate, three variations on a slower ball and one he calls a 'jumper' as it climbs off a good length. You mention above the Waugh twins and Clarke. The truth is, many top level cricketers have played Indoor. Off the top of my head I can add Steve Smith, Ricky Ponting (mentions indoor in the first few pages of his book), Clive Rose, Floros (there's about 5 of them in indoor so I can't remember which one), Tim Paine and Cameron Boyce to that list. Clarke's parent's even owned an indoor sports centre in Liverpool in Sydney. I would dearly love to hear it mentioned by commentators and advertised at BBL and test games. At the other end though, I've played in teams with 60 and 70 year olds bowling to all ages including 12 year olds. Women also love the game as the ball is not as hard. The game is never over either. I've seen leads of 30 runs cut down in the final over (by the bowling side taking wickets). I've also seen a game won by a team taking 8 off the final ball (a seven placed so beautifully that they ran a second). I've seen sneaky mankads and sneaky runs taken between balls. The game is so lively. State Championships will be held in Melbourne this year June 4-11 http://www.indoor.cricket.com.au/pageitem.aspx?id=122432&id2=1&eID=17000&entityID=17000 with the rumor being that it will be at Hisense Arena in a specially constructed venue. Hopefully this is true. In recent years, there has been live streaming of these tournaments. I would love to see Cricket Australia throw it to Channel 10 and ask them to televise it. Surely 10 owes them a generosity. The BBL has most certainly delivered. There are some promising signs in NSW. ISNSW has rebranded their 'superleague' competition to be 'Big Blast Indoors' with some centres entering teams on their own and others being joint ventures. Their branding looks great and hopefully we can see the concept gather momentum. Personally I acknowledge that indoor will always play second fiddle to outdoor. No question. I also harbor no desire to see it rival outdoor. What I would like to see though is Cricket Australia make a genuine effort to create a top level competition, to be televised on free to air. This has worked wonders for BBL and if Indoor could get even a slice of that it would be excellent. The big winner though would be participation. In order to get participants, general public need to be educated that the game exists and can provide that midweek sporting fix. I look forward to your article you hint at above.
Jason Hosken
Roar Guru
Thanks Paul D - brought back some great memories. I'm from Sydney but lived in Brisbane from 2006-2011. I got back into indoor cricket after a 15 year absence at the old Arana Hills centre. What a venue, much like Brookvale Oval and Leichhardt Oval are to rugby league - dilapidated but an atmosphere second to none, especially during Saturday night Super League games. After it closed down I moved to Strathpine, a far more modern and superior venue but missing the Arana Hills charm. Nonetheless, I had great time there too and met plenty of good people. Go the Braves!!
Paul D
Roar Guru
You know, I'm working on an article at the moment that might help you and other time challenged family males with getting your cricket fix. Proper outdoor and everything. Stay tuned.
Ryan Buckland
Expert
Haha well it was only four years since I last suited up, and I can still roll the arm over pretty well, so who knows? I'd love to do it. Part of the problem for me - and I reckon I'm a decent window into a lot of mid 20s-late 30s men - is family and work and social life become so hectic that its hard to carve time out to play sport any more. When I think about life without a mortgage, the first thing that comes into my head after "gee I could give this sports writing thing a real shake" is "man, I could start playing cricket again!" Perth's two biggest centres, as far as I know, are Courtside in Canning Vale, and Bouncers in Joondalup. From what I can tell Courtside is going really well (always has, and I think its the state team's base), and so is Bouncers from a patronage stand point, even if the facilities are looking a bit tired from the outside.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Strathpine won the C grade superleague title this year with a team that could be described as kids – a bit older than 11, but most in the 15-18 bracket. All state reps though, not too many slouches out there. They all have excellent batting technique and bowling control, which more than compensated for any lack of power relative to some of the older teams they were playing. I was originally going to write this piece looking at indoor centres as a whole, and their place in the sporting landscape – a couple have closed down in Queensland in recent years, with Parklands at the Gold Coast being bulldozed for the Commonwealth Games development, while Kedron recently closed its doors as well. Natural attrition most likely, as you describe with what happened at your centre – the main strongholds, such as Strathpine, Caboolture, Toombul, Beenleigh, Ipswich and Toowoomba all have pretty strong inhouse competitions. Most indoor centres have diversified pretty well – as I mentioned, indoor netball and soccer are the most prolific games, at my centre anyway, and the latest craze is renting the space for Inflatable World, a giant adventure park of blow-up slides and bouncy fun for all ages. Has really helped the centres with their bottom line. One thing Brenton mentioned that I didn’t work into the article was that indoor cricket really is a sport for all ages, he said that he’d seen quite a few “good” players become great players after getting a chance to compete at national and international level in the masters grades once they turned 30. State teams go to over 50’s in masters, and start at under 13, so it is a sport for all ages and all walks. It’s never too late to make a comeback!
Ryan Buckland
Expert
Really enjoyed that Paul - bought back some great memories of playing indoor in my teens & very early 20s. A particular low light that I'll share because it makes me laugh now was playing a 6s game with a few mates from high school. Only myself and one of my mates had any cricket experience, and we lost to a team that were probably, I don't know, 11 years old. It came down to the last ball, and our team were fielding. It was a dropped catch seven, and they won by two runs. The worst bit of it was the parents were so chirpy as us throughout the game, and one of the kids wasn't afraid of sticking the boot in when a mistake was made or they got a wicket etc. Certainly not my proudest cricketing moment. I've also had a bat thrown at me by a guy after I bowled him out three times in a row to end a game, which was a fun experience. But as I say, my memories of playing are overwhelmingly positive. I hated batting (I would always go for 2s on the off side), but loved fielding at the front on the off side for a right hander and bowling my tight right arm inswingers from around the wicket. Nothing was more satisfying that getting one through the gate or bowling a bloke around his legs. One of my mates, who'd never bowled a red ball outdoors in his life, was an incredible exponent of Adil Rashid-style spin bowling, with a ridiculous ability to get the ball to bounce, and spin left and right, with very little change to his action. He had a six wicket over at one point: five bowled, one caught and bowled. Its a shame that I moved away from most of the guys I used to play with - some of them who were on that team that were beaten by the under 12s - and the team folded. A couple of them used to play at the centre we all played at, 'til it was knocked down and replaced by a used car yard. It says a lot, unfortunately. Probably for the best though. The ball would often end up through the netting, there wasn't a lot of traction on the carpet and no air conditioning, and the whole place stunk of dust and sweat. Still, $6.50 a game was pretty good value. Ah, you've made me really want to get out there now! Might have to see what my mates are doing next week...
Paul D
Roar Guru
I played on and off for a few years after leaving high school, but got back into it in a big way about 5 years ago, haven’t stopped since then. I found Yorkers were often a wicket taking ball in the lower grades, plenty of guys can’t handle late swing and if they’re just trying to drive through the line they’re often bowled through the gate. They’re still a good ball in the higher grades, but it needs to be right on the feet or right out wide, and it has to be full. If they can get under it it’ll go, and if they can hit it on the half-volley you’ll find yourself getting picked off for a 3 to the side net in the back half of the court – even more demoralising, as there’s no chance of a wicket, and it means he’s hit a really good shot. A good wicket keeper is a rarity, one of the toughest jobs in the game. Low scoring games are very common at the pointy end, it’s so hard to avoid getting run out with how good the fielders are. The 2009 world cup final was won by the Australian men’s side 55-45 – that was off 16 eight-ball overs too! So yeah, it is very possible to defend some low scores if everyone is switched on.
The Bush
Roar Guru
All I can say is I've had an absolute blast playing it, having come to it very late in the piece. Being unable to comment on what it's like at the higher grades, I've certainly noticed a number of differences at the lower grade (from outdoor). One thing that indoor at a lower level has given me is a the ability to basically delivery a yorker at will. Whilst you run the risk, as you say in the article, of having someone get under it and deliver it for a maximum (with the safety off the back net of not being caught), it's a high risk shot for batsmen and only the best players try it on. Instead, most guys struggle, afraid of being bowled and cause they're used to simply patting down "regulator deliveries" straight to the ground and into the net, something that's virtually impossible off a good yorker. Another thing that separates the good from the poor is a decent wicket keeper. It takes serious guts and skill to keep basically at the stumps against guys who, though it's off a shortish run up, are still delivering the ball at a decent pace. Our team has found success as our keeper is about the only one in the league who can take legitimate caught behinds and also stumpings. Finally as you say, there is no hiding in the field. It's amazing the sort of low scores that can be defended if everyone's having a blinder in the field, not just catching and run outs (run outs being particularly vital), but also that desperate move to stop balls hitting the net at all costs to save the extra run.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Chemistry, Esprit De Corps, team spirit - whatever you want to call it, all the best indoor sides have it. The difference between 8 people all playing for each other, as compared to 8 individuals all playing their own game, is very stark when you see it in action.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Yeah, quite a few youngsters have made the transition from indoor cricket to outdoor cricket to great success - no doubt Steve Waugh's ice-cool demeanour got a fine tuning in his early days playing indoor. Michael Clarke was another I believe.
Nicholas Mirarchi
Roar Guru
Chemestry
AlanKC
Guest
My first sighting of the Waugh twins was as teenagers on the briefly televised indoor championships many years ago - so I guess there's one answer to the question Paul.