Wicketkeeping Practical Assessment

In this lesson you will learn how the WFA615 practical assessment is organised. First, register your interest through the Training Centre. An authorised WFA assessor or the committee will review your progress through the pathway and approve you before the assessment is arranged. The practical part usually takes place at a training session, with a feeder or bowlers providing deliveries while the assessor observes. You will be asked to demonstrate a range of skills, standing back and standing up, and to answer a few questions on the Laws and safety. You will then complete a knowledge test drawn from the whole series. You may attempt the assessment up to three times, and you will receive feedback each time.

• Register your interest first
• An authorised assessor approves you
• Practical observation at a training session
• Knowledge test from the whole series
• Up to three attempts with feedback

In this lesson you will revise the equipment and safety standards the assessor will check. Arrive with well-fitting keeping gloves and inners, keeping pads, an abdominal guard and suitable footwear. You must wear a helmet with a faceguard for all standing-up work, and the helmet should meet the current British Standard and be free of damage. The assessor will also look for a proper warm-up before you begin. Tell the assessor about any injury or health condition beforehand, and stop if you feel pain at any point. Safety is part of the standard, so a candidate who skips it cannot pass, however good their hands are. Prepare and check your kit the evening before.

• Gloves, inners, pads, box and good footwear
• Helmet with faceguard for standing up
• A proper warm-up before you begin
• Declare injuries and stop if in pain

In this lesson you will revise what the assessor looks for in your stance and movement. Your stance should be balanced, with your weight on the balls of your feet, a comfortable squat, gloves together and fingers pointing down, and your head still and level. You should stay low until the ball pitches and rise with the bounce rather than as the bowler releases. Your footwork should use quick shuffle steps for nearby balls and crossover steps for wider ones, without crossing your feet when shuffling. The assessor wants to see your feet moving first so that your body arrives behind the ball and your hands take it close to you, finishing balanced.

• Balanced stance, weight on the balls of the feet
• Stay low and rise with the bounce
• Shuffle and crossover footwork
• Feet first, finish balanced

In this lesson you will revise standing back. The assessor will observe your depth, with good-length deliveries arriving at around waist height, and your line, with your inside foot roughly in line with off stump. They will look for soft hands that give with the ball, fingers down for low takes and up for high takes, and your eyes following the ball all the way into the gloves. You may be asked to take a series of deliveries of different lengths, including some that bounce more or less than expected. Show that you can ride the bounce, take on the inside hip where appropriate, and stay balanced. Talk to your slips as you would in a match.

• Correct depth and line
• Soft hands with correct finger position
• Eyes on the ball into the gloves
• Ride the bounce and stay balanced

In this lesson you will revise standing up and leg-side work. Set up close to the stumps, slightly outside off stump, wholly behind the wicket, and wearing your helmet. The assessor will look for patience, staying low and still and rising only with the bounce, and for clean takes close to the stumps with a short give towards the bails. You will be asked to take deliveries on both sides, including down the leg side with a stand-in batter. Step across with your leg-side foot, stay low, trust your early read and pick the ball up late. Never take the ball in front of the stumps. Calm, consistent takes matter more than speed at this stage.

• Set up close, outside off, behind the wicket
• Patience: stay low and still
• Clean takes close to the stumps
• Leg-side footwork with a stand-in batter

In this lesson you will revise collecting wide deliveries and catching edges. For wide balls, the assessor wants to see you move your feet first, stretch second and dive only as a last resort, with a safe landing on your side and shoulder if you do dive. You should get up quickly and look to the stumps. For edges and deflections, a coach may edge balls off a bat or use a deflection board. Stay in line, keep your head still after the shot, and use soft hands with a deep pocket. You may also be asked how you would share a catch with first slip. The answer is to agree responsibility for the gap and call early and loudly.

• Move, stretch, then dive as a last resort
• Land safely on side and shoulder
• Stay in line with a still head for edges
• Agree the gap with first slip and call early

In this lesson you will revise stumpings and run-outs. For stumpings, the assessor will look for a take beside the stumps and a short, quick movement to the bails with no wind-back, putting the wicket down with the ball or the hand holding it. Remember the Law 39 points: the striker must be out of their ground and not attempting a run, the wicket must be put down by the keeper alone, and the delivery cannot be a no ball, though it can be a wide. For run-outs, show that you move to the stumps as soon as the ball is hit, stand slightly to the side of the throw, take cleanly and break the wicket quickly. Know how to do so when both bails are off.

• Take beside the stumps, no wind-back
• Law 39: out of ground, not attempting a run
• Get to the stumps as soon as the ball is hit
• With both bails off, remove a stump with ball in hand

In this lesson you will revise communication and conduct. The assessor will listen for clear, consistent calls, such as mine for catches and keeper or bowler for throws, and for positive encouragement of bowlers and fielders. You may be asked how you would support a bowler after a boundary, or how you would help the captain with field placings and the 30-yard circle restrictions. Show that you understand the Spirit of Cricket, that you appeal genuinely, accept decisions without dissent and never deliberately distract the striker. Your attitude throughout the assessment, including how you respond to feedback, also forms part of the overall judgement of your readiness as a keeper.

• Clear calls for catches and throws
• Positive support for bowlers
• Help the captain with field and circle rules
• Spirit of Cricket and fair appealing

In this lesson you will learn how to prepare for the assessment day. In the weeks before, practise each skill area regularly, ideally with a coach or experienced keeper who can give feedback. Film yourself to check your stance and footwork. Review the Laws covered in the pathway, especially Laws 27, 29, 33, 38 and 39. On the day, arrive early, check your kit, warm up properly and stay hydrated. Use your concentration routine between deliveries and reset calmly after any mistake. Remember that the assessor wants you to succeed, so ask if anything is unclear. If you do not pass first time, use the feedback to improve and try again, as up to three attempts are allowed.

• Practise every skill area with feedback
• Review Laws 27, 29, 33, 38 and 39
• Arrive early, check kit, warm up
• Use feedback if you need another attempt