We’ve got some exciting news to share with you in this episode of the Cricket Matters podcast. After weeks of planning and behind-the-scenes work, we can finally reveal the secret we’ve been keeping. This is a big step for us, and we can’t wait to tell you what it means for cricketers now and in the future.

Find James on:

• Instagram: @jamesbreese
• Twitter: @_jamesbreese

To learn more about Cricket Matters and download your FREE copy of The High-Performance Handbook, please visit www.cricketmatters.com

In this episode of the Cricket Matters Podcast, we dive into how the best cricketers train during the off season. We break down the fundamentals—assessment, strength, endurance, and pain management—to help you come back stronger when the season starts.

You’ll Learn:

• Why assessment comes before training: We explain why knowing your baseline through performance analysis is essential before chasing strength or technique improvements.
• How to manage pain and prevent injury: Learn why pain isn’t weakness leaving the body, but a sign that your body is compensating—and how to address it early.
• The role of strength and power in cricket: Understand why baseline strength is the foundation, and how explosive power must be layered on top.
• Designing an off-season training focus: Discover the balance between aerobic endurance, compound lifts, and interval work to prepare you for peak performance.

Key Takeaways:

• Assessment first, always: If you don’t measure where you’re starting from, you’re only guessing, and that leads to wasted effort.
• Pain is priority one: Training through pain causes compensations that hurt both technique and long-term health.
• Strength before power: Building a strong foundation ensures you can actually apply and maintain power throughout the season.
• Endurance has its place: The off season is the best time to build aerobic fitness, since it’s often neglected in-season.
• Two simple questions matter most: Ask yourself: Am I in pain? Am I overweight? Fixing those answers drastically improves performance.

Quotes:

“What gets done must first get measured—if we don’t assess, we’re just guessing.”

“Pain is not weakness leaving the body, it’s stupidity.”

“You can’t build power on rocky foundations—strength has to come first.”

Find James on:

• Instagram: @jamesbreese
• Twitter: @_jamesbreese

To learn more about Cricket Matters and download your FREE copy of The High-Performance Handbook, please visit www.cricketmatters.com

In this episode of Cricket Matters, we dive into the classic mistakes that club cricketers keep making year after year. From mindset to fitness to on-field decisions, we’ve seen the same patterns repeat themselves—and we want to break them down so you don’t fall into the same traps. This is a mix of tough truths and lighthearted laughs, all with the aim of helping you improve your game.

You’ll Learn:

• Mindset and preparation mistakes: Why comparing yourself to teammates holds you back and how reflection after games can change your results.
• Fitness and physical prep errors: How late nights, poor warm-ups, and bad nutrition habits silently sabotage performance.
• Common bowling and batting pitfalls: The dangers of overcomplicating tactics, ignoring conditions, and losing emotional control in the middle.
• Training habits that limit growth: Why aimless nets, skipped fitness work, and relying on new gear don’t deliver the improvement you expect.

Key Takeaways:

• Comparing yourself to teammates breeds frustration; compete with yourself instead.
• One dismissal shouldn’t snowball into a slump—reflection and recovery are critical.
• Consistent warm-ups, hydration, and proper nutrition are underrated game-changers.
• Simplicity in bowling and batting—adapting to conditions and staying calm—wins more games than flashy skills.
• Purposeful training with intent and ownership matters far more than buying new kit.

Quotes:

“Stop focusing on what others are doing—focus on yourself and how you can improve.”

“Keep it simple, stupid—consistency beats overcomplication at club level.”

“Sometimes we forget—cricket is supposed to be fun.”

Find James on:

• Instagram: @jamesbreese
• Twitter: @_jamesbreese

To learn more about Cricket Matters and download your FREE copy of The High-Performance Handbook, please visit www.cricketmatters.com