Cricket nets

A cricket net is a practice net used by batsmen and bowlers to warm up and/or improve their cricketing techniques. Cricket nets consist of a cricket pitch (natural or artificial) which is enclosed by cricket nets on either side, to the rear and optionally the roof. The bowling end of the net is left open. Cricket nets are the cricket equivalent of baseball's batting cages, though fundamentally different, as baseball cages provide complete ball containment, whereas cricket nets do not.

Cricket nets serve to stop the ball travelling across a field when the batsman plays a shot – saving time and eliminating the need for fielders. They also negate the need for a wicket-keeper should ball travel past the bat. They allow greater intensity of training, specifically when multiple lane cricket nets are used. Cricket nets allow solitary batting practise when used with a bowling machine.

Cricket nets are fundamental to cricket practise and are used at every level of cricket. Professional cricket establishments are likely to have over 10 lanes of nets, and have the capacity to practise indoors and outdoor. Cricket nets are also very prevalent in educational establishments; including schools, colleges and universities. They are particularly desirable in these fields as they allow safe and efficient training with a high volume of pupils where there are significant constraints on time. Completing the spectrum is their use as garden cricket nets. Cricket nets are very common site in the gardens of keen cricketers and are probably rightfully considered highly important to the development of young cricket players.

There is also a safety element that cricket nets bring. By containing the majority of aerial cricket balls, cricket nets nullify the danger of potential injury occurring from 4¾ oz and 5½ oz cricket balls striking people who are within range of the batsman. Though due to the practical requirement of having an opening in the net (for the bowler to bowl) it is still common for balls to exit the net, as such shouts of heads up are commonly heard.

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