Cricket Nets and Practice — How Professional Cricketers Train
Net sessions are the core of professional cricket training. Learn how batters, bowlers, and fielders use nets, throwdowns, and specialist drills to prepare for match conditions.
A net session is a controlled practice environment where batters face bowlers in enclosed nets (rope or string enclosures) that prevent the ball from travelling far. Nets allow intensive, focused practice: a batter can face 50–100 deliveries in a net session that might take 30 minutes, far more than they would face in an equivalent match period. Teams use nets before every match day and during scheduled practice sessions.
What Nets Achieve
Batters use nets to practise against specific bowling types they expect to face in a match. If a team is preparing to face an off-spinner on a turning pitch, their net sessions will include extra spin bowling from similar angles and lengths. Batters also use nets to work on specific technical weaknesses — a player with a vulnerability to inswing will face left-arm swing bowlers repeatedly until the technical response becomes instinctive.
Throwdowns and Machine Work
Beyond live bowling, batters use 'throwdowns' — a coach or specialist feeds the ball underarm or overarm at close range to enable high-repetition practice of specific shots without asking bowlers to bowl constantly. Bowling machines replicate a specific delivery type (bouncer, yorker, off-cutter) at consistent pace, allowing the batter to programme a response. Elite batters like Virat Kohli are known for extremely intensive net sessions that exceed normal practice volumes.
Frequently asked questions
What happens in a cricket net session?
Batters face bowlers in an enclosed net, working on technique, shot selection, and match preparation. Sessions might last 30–90 minutes depending on the training schedule.
Do bowlers also use nets?
Yes. Bowlers use nets to work on specific deliveries — a spinner practising the doosra, a pacer working on the yorker under pressure. Bowling machines are rarely used by bowlers (they need to run in and release to feel their rhythm).
What are throwdowns?
Throwdowns are deliveries fed by a coach or specialist from close range, allowing a batter to hit many more balls than live bowling sessions allow. They are particularly useful to practise against a specific pace or length.