As the rain pours down and temperatures drop cricket is far from many people’s minds. Let alone cricket in the Caribbean or in a marquee at Lincoln University.
But for New Zealand’s home based international and domestic players making sure they are cricket ready for either a stint in an overseas league or the upcoming home season is an everyday winter task.
Getting cricket ready in winter these days also doesn’t just mean hitting balls in the indoor nets or building bowling loads. You’ll find players over winter everywhere from the athletics track to a gymnastics centre and classrooms.
For Auckland based BLACKCAPS like Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan and Colin Munro the last 18 months has seen a mixture of a busy playing schedule peppered with injuries. The depths of New Zealand’s winter have provided a chance for the trio to hit the track and gym to build strength and resilience as well as spending time on cricket skills.
Vijay Vallabh works with Kane Williamson. Image: www.photosport.nz
With programmes designed by BLACKCAPS strength and conditioning coach Chris Donaldson the three players each have clear targets to hit with their training.
High intensity track sessions and exercises like stair sprints are designed to help build the player’s aerobic fitness levels so they can continue to perform their core cricket skills even in high pressure or energy sapping conditions.
Hamilton and Tauranga based BLACKCAPS Kane Williamson, Trent Boult and BJ Watling are operating similar programmes and with a highly competitive squad the players train together and keep each other motivated. 
Trent Boult at BLACKCAPS training. Image: www.photosport.nz
NZC’s High Performance Strength and Conditioning Manager Ant Sharp has been working with a group of 10 players in an NZC winter training squad.
The group includes players with BLACKCAPS experience and domestic players. Through a series of winter camps at Lincoln University the players work on everything from core cricket skills to fitness and general wellness work.
The training is designed to help prepare the players for the potential step up to the demands of international cricket. 
Martin Guptill at BLACKCAPS training. Image: www.photosport.nz
As well as gym programmes to improve their strength and conditioning the players have also been exposed to training at Christchurch’s gymnastics centre Olympia Gymnastics.
Working with Melissa Wakeham the players have been exposed to a learning environment composed of exercises that aim to develop strength, mobility and balance.
While cricket and gymnastics don’t immediately seem like natural partners, Sharp says the players have benefited a lot from the cross training with the aim of ‘unconscious transfer’ to their technical skills such a fielding.
“With cricket becoming a more dynamic sport the physical awareness and development work really helps with players body awareness and balance. Instances of dynamic fielding can change a match and if players are more equipped to move well in the field it can make a big difference”.
Travel is a massive part of a modern cricketer’s life and that can cause issues with sleep and recovery. Another section of the winter camps has seen the group learning about sleep and recovery with Waikato University’s Dr Matt Driller.
Sharp believes the information is hugely valuable.
“Sleep plays a huge role in helping athletes to be best prepared to perform, as well as optimise learning from playing and training, alongside their physiological recovery. With cricketers spending so much time away from their home environments we are trying to give them some skills to still get optimal rest even away from home”.
Even with the rain coming down and domestic cricket not set to return until October preparation is well underway.
