If you think “super powers” sounds like something you get in a video game, you’re right. But it’s also a tool to help cricketers both enjoy the game more and improve their skills.
Developed by Amy Price in football as part of a “video game approach” to coaching sport, super powers can also be applied to cricket practice. They also are a way to “constrain to afford” if you are using the constraints-led approach.
The magic in super powers is they provide challenges in two ways:
Players have to work out how to earn super powers in the game.
Players have to work out how to overcome the problem of someone with a super power.
In other words, they draw attention to certain parts of the game, like any useful constraint.
Now we know why they are a useful tool, what is a super power in cricket practice?
A super power is a temporary way to gain an advantage over the opposition. In video games it’s the star you run over in Mario Kart to be invincible for a few seconds. In cricket there are many options. For example - as The Teesra recently pointed out - bowling dots could allow the bowler to finish an over early. This robs the batsmen of scoring opportunities.
You can see in this example, bowling and fielding attention is drawn to preventing a run. If it succeeds, a batting pair then have to work out how to recover from the disadvantage. This looks much like a chasing side falling behind the run rate in a match and so is training the ability to adapt to the situation.
Example super powers for cricket
What other ways can you use super powers in cricket?
Here are some more ideas. These are not complete nor perfect for every environment so put your “practice design” critical hat on when you try them.
Take a catch to earn “one hand one bounce” for the next over.
Hit a straight boundary to get double runs for the next 3 balls.
Keep the opposition to scoring less than 4 in an over to have the batting team score half runs for the next 3 balls (i.e. a single is zero, two is worth one).
Hit the stumps with a throw from the outfield (out or not) to make the next ball “tip and run” (if they hit it they have to run).
Score 2+ on the off side to get a bonus run added to each of the next 3 balls.
Batting pair score off every ball in an over - or survive two overs - to earn a life (wicket is not out, counts as a dot).
Batsman has to bat with a thin/middling bat for one over if the bowler bowls good line and length four times in an over.
If the bowler beats the bat or finds the edge, batsmen must run next time they hit the ball.
Any run out means both batsmen are out.
Make wides +2 for the first one, +3 for the second and +4 for the third in every over. To balance this, a dot after a wide takes one off.
A batsman has a “magic ball” they can chose once per over that is worth double runs. However, if out the batting team lose 10 runs.
Set up two boundaries instead of one. The “in play” boundary is defined by skill execution. A long boundary hit brings the boundary in. A wicket takes the boundary out.
You may have noticed wickets are to be avoided as a punishment in power ups because although they grant an advantage to the fielding team, they are also the biggest punishment a batsman can face. Use them wisely, especially if the format of practice is “out means out”.
If you have more super powers that work for you, please get in touch.