Power hitting in elite female cricketers: Developing applied methods to improve performance

Abstract

Women’s cricket, both globally and in Australia, is dominated by short formats. Rapid professionalisation has increased demand for evidence-informed high-performance programs. Performance analysis shows that batting performance discriminates between winning and losing teams, with winning teams scoring faster, hitting more boundaries, and relying less on singles. Power hitting underpins these outcomes; however, empirical guidance for developing power hitting in women’s cricket remains limited.

This thesis aimed to validate field-based measures of bat speed and rotational power, examine associations between physical capacities and bat speed, and evaluate two strength and power training interventions to inform evidence-based strength and conditioning practice in professional women’s cricket.

Study one validated a bat-mounted sensor for use in cricketers. Bland–Altman analysis demonstrated acceptable bias (2.7%), precision (5.1%), and good absolute agreement (ICC = 0.86), supporting field application. Study two assessed two medicine ball rotational power tests: velocity-based (MBvel) and distance-based (MBdis). MBvel demonstrated excellent validity and reliability (ICC = 0.97; bias −0.09%; precision 1.49%), whereas MBdis showed poor validity and is not recommended.

Study three identified significant associations between bat speed and upper-body pulling strength, rotational power, and total body isometric strength, with regression modelling explaining 52.7% of variance in bat speed. Study four assessed conventional strength and power (CSP) and supramaximal accentuated eccentric loading (SAEL). Bat speed improved following both interventions, alongside improvements in strength and rotational power, with no significant between-group differences.

This thesis establishes bat speed as a modifiable performance capacity, validates practical field-based assessments, and provides a foundation for evidence-informed performance support in professional women’s cricket.