COMPARISON OF PLAYER MOVEMENT PATTERNS BETWEEN 1-DAY AND TEST CRICKET

Petersen, CJ, Pyne, DB, Portus, MR, and Dawson, BT. Comparison of player movement patterns between 1-day and test cricket. J StrengthCond Res 25(5): 1368-1373, 2011-Physical demands of cricket presumably vary by both game format and performance level. Differences in player movement patterns between 2 game formats (1 day and multiday) and 2 levels of elite performance (state and international) were quantified with global positioning system technology. Five movement categories were established, and 15 movement pattern variables were reported. Data from state (n = 42, 200 files) and international (n = 12, 63 files) cricketers were scaled to hourly values to compare movement demands. Cricketers generally covered similar distances in both formats, except for state 1-day fielders who covered moderately greater distance (similar to 0.7 km.h(-1) more; 21 +/- 8%; mean +/- 90% confidence interval) than state multiday (first-class) fielders. State 1-day cricketers also covered small to moderately greater distances (running 41 +/- 13%; striding 38 +/- 16%; sprinting 39 +/- 36%) in the faster movement patterns and consequently had moderately less recovery time (13-67%) between high-intensity efforts as first-class cricketers. Comparisons of movements between performance levels revealed similar total distances between state and international cricketers. However, Test fielders covered moderately greater (29-48%) distances at the higher-intensity movement patterns (running, striding, and sprinting) than first-class fielders. In summary, although movement patterns were broadly similar between formats and levels, it appears that one day cricket (compared with multiday games) and test matches (compared with state-level competition) require more higher-intensity running. Conditioning coaches should train state and international 1-day cricket players similarly, but should account for the higher physical demands of international multiday cricket.