Captaincy Assessment

In this lesson you will learn how the Captaincy Assessment works. The assessment has twenty questions drawn from every module in the Captaincy and Tactics series. Most are single-answer questions, with a few true or false and select-all questions. You have thirty minutes and up to three attempts. Read each question carefully, especially select-all questions where more than one answer may be correct. Use the review lessons that follow to refresh your knowledge first. Take your time, stay calm and treat it as a chance to show what you have learned.

• Twenty questions from the whole series
• Thirty minutes, up to three attempts
• Read select-all questions carefully
• Review the lessons before starting

In this lesson you will review the captain's role. Captains nominate their players before the toss and are responsible for their team's conduct within the Laws and the Spirit of Cricket. They prepare by checking availability, pitch, weather and boundaries, and make the toss decision based on conditions and team strengths. In the field, captains control bowling and fielding; when batting, they set the order and roles. After the match they thank officials, confirm the scorecard and lead a positive debrief. A deputy takes over if the captain leaves the field.

• Nominate players before the toss
• Responsible for conduct and the Spirit of Cricket
• Prepare for conditions and the toss
• Thank officials and debrief positively

In this lesson you will review field placements and bowling plans. No more than two fielders, excluding the keeper, may be behind square on the leg side. In the T20 powerplay, the first six overs, only two fielders may be outside the 30-yard circle, rising to five afterwards. Breaches are called no-ball. Bowling plans combine line, length, pace and field, and should be simple enough to explain in one sentence. Read batters through stance, grip and scoring areas, and change one thing at a time when a plan fails. Field and plan together.

• Maximum two fielders behind square on the leg side
• Powerplay: two outside the circle, then five
• Plans combine line, length, pace and field
• Change one thing at a time

In this lesson you will review setting and chasing targets. A defensible total is at or above par for the pitch, ground and conditions. Plan the innings in phases, balance wickets with run rate and make sure your best batters face the most balls. When chasing, break the target into chunks and use the required run rate, runs needed divided by overs left, as a guide rather than a panic button. Partnerships are the backbone of a chase. In shortened matches, confirm the revised target with the umpires and scorers.

• Aim at or above par for the conditions
• Plan in phases and keep wickets in hand
• Required rate is runs needed divided by overs left
• Confirm revised targets in shortened matches

In this lesson you will review strategy by phase. In the powerplay, batters show intent while protecting wickets, and bowlers need accuracy with the new ball. In the middle overs, batters rotate strike and target weaker bowlers, while bowlers use spin, change of pace and squeeze fields to build pressure. At the death, set batters attack, bowlers rely on yorkers and disguised slower balls, and fields protect the boundary. A front-foot no-ball brings a free hit, and short-pitched bowling is limited, so put safety first. Each phase needs its own plan, and wides cost a run plus an extra ball.

• Powerplay: intent and accuracy
• Middle overs: rotate strike and build pressure
• Death: yorkers, slower balls and boundary fields
• Free hit follows a front-foot no-ball

In this lesson you will review bowling changes. Under standard T20 playing conditions each bowler may bowl four overs, and no bowler may bowl two consecutive overs. Plan a bowling chart by phase and save overs for your death bowlers. Change bowlers when they are tired, off rhythm or when a better match-up appears, not just because of one boundary. Use favourable match-ups such as the ball turning away from the bat. If a bowler is injured mid-over, another bowler who did not bowl the previous over completes it. Track every bowler's overs.

• Four overs each, no consecutive overs
• Plan a bowling chart and save death overs
• Change for fatigue, rhythm or match-ups
• Ball turning away is often a good match-up

In this lesson you will review the human side of captaincy and tactical pauses. Pressure is managed with slow breathing, short routines and focusing on the next ball. Captains should encourage after mistakes, give technical feedback later in private and keep their own body language calm. Captains are not counsellors and should signpost appropriate support. Strategic timeouts are not part of the Laws; they exist only where competition playing conditions provide them, so check the WFA competition regulations. Law 41 makes time wasting unfair, so use natural breaks for short, focused talks.

• Breathing, routines and next-ball focus
• Encourage after mistakes, feedback later
• Timeouts depend on playing conditions
• Use natural breaks; avoid time wasting

In this lesson you will review scorecards and leadership. Bowling figures are overs, maidens, runs and wickets. The figure after the point in an over count is balls, so ten point three overs equals ten and a half. Strike rate is runs per hundred balls and economy is runs per over. Net run rate separates teams level on points. For leadership, adapt your style to the moment, give short named instructions, use signals, listen to your keeper and senior players, and speak politely to umpires and opponents at all times.

• Figures: overs, maidens, runs and wickets
• Ten point three overs equals ten and a half
• Strike rate per hundred balls; economy per over
• Adapt your style and communicate respectfully

In this lesson you will prepare to begin the assessment. Find a quiet place where you can concentrate for thirty minutes. Have a pen and paper ready for any run-rate calculations. Remember the decision framework from the scenarios module: read the situation, consider the options, weigh them, decide and review. Apply the same calm thinking to each question. If you are unsure, eliminate answers you know are wrong first. When you are ready, start the assessment, and good luck from everyone at the Winn Family Association. Trust your preparation and enjoy it.

• Find a quiet place for thirty minutes
• Have pen and paper for calculations
• Eliminate wrong answers first
• Stay calm and read every option