Get ready for some indoor fireworks with Academy North’s winter cricket leagues

Action from an indoor game at Liverpool College last year

There have been times this season when moving the game indoors has seemed like an attractive option.

But what a lot of people might not realise is that when winter rolls around, that’s exactly what happens.

And Dan Loader, who runs the indoor leagues for Academy North, is keen to stress indoor cricket is more than just a gimmick.

A self-declared “indoor cricket fanatic”, Loader came to Liverpool from Kent, where the winter leagues are a huge part of clubs’ regular programme. 

He says: “We used to have a week’s turnaround from outdoor cricket to indoor, so for me it was always a part of the season.

“Then when I came to Liverpool, there was nothing there, no bridge between the end of the season and January or February, whenever your club starts nets. It’s probably because football is so popular up here. 

“It’s something I personally am very passionate about and I convinced Matty and Phill at Academy North that we could make an indoor league work. 

“They backed me with the business and now we’re in our third year.”

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Academy North now runs U11 and U13 leagues based in Wigan, an 18-team adults’ league based out of Liverpool College and a women’s league in Crosby.

This year, it will run junior leagues in Liverpool for the first time – but it’s the adults section which Loader is particularly keen to grow.

“The juniors will just naturally grow, but the adults are where my passion really lies in terms of a fast expansion,” he adds.

“We’ve had Comp teams, Southport League teams, university teams, Last Man Stands teams and nomadic teams – all sorts of players from all sorts of backgrounds.”

The indoor game has a social side, obviously, but Loader especially wants to attract players from a higher level of cricket who want to keep their eye in over the winter.

And it ticks some boxes which traditional nets don’t.

Loader says: “Nets are an uncompetitive environment. People want a competitive option in the winter and this perfectly fills that gap.

“It’s good for fitness, and the fielding element is the most important thing in the game.

“In the whole of the league last year, I umpired nearly every game, and I think I gave two LBWs all season. 

“The majority of people are getting run out – fielding is so important.”

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The format will take a bit of getting used to, but makes intuitive sense. 

Instead of boundaries, there are walls – hitting the wall behind the bowler gets you four or six, and hitting any of the others is worth one.

Actually running a single counts as two runs, and can be done in combination with hitting any of the three non-boundary walls.

So hitting the ball off a side wall and running a single counts as three runs to the total.

There are six players per side, and innings are 10 overs each, with a maximum of three per bowler. 

Batters retire at 25, but can come back in when all the wickets have fallen. All modes of dismissal are in play, and the innings does not end until all six batters are out.

“The biggest issue I have is that people see it as a little bit gimmicky,” says Loader.

“They look at it and think it doesn’t look serious, it doesn’t look like a proper game of cricket. 

“People struggle to comprehend that it’s a serious, competitive environment. 

“If you watch a high-level game of indoor cricket, you’ll see it is.”

Click here for the latest Love Lane Liverpool Competition statistics

Compared to Loader’s home county, Lancashire has yet to catch on.

He adds: “Kent’s league is run by the ECB but Lancashire don’t have that. 

“Normally the county will send an overall winner to the national competition, but when we approached Lancs last year they had no real interest in formalising the pathway for indoor cricket, and that’s something I’m keen on. 

“I want a way to offer clubs a competitive and formal cricket offering in the winter, as well as providing the social side.”

Games in the Liverpool league are played on Sundays, between 10am and 5pm at Liverpool College. Each game is about an hour long.

The league’s start date is October 6 and it runs for 10 weeks, until December 8 – then the post-Christmas league runs from early January until March. 

If you are interested in signing up – either as a full team, a small group or an individual – drop Loader a line on 07429 075051 or email dan@academynorth.co.uk – or info@academynorth.co.uk for more details.

from Merseyside Cricket Online https://ift.tt/fBYoCE6