The Relationship Between Cricket Participation, Health, and Wellbeing: A Systematic Scoping Review.

Summarising and synthesising the evidence on cricket health and wellbeing can help inform cricket stakeholders and navigate future research directions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cricket participation, health and wellbeing at all ages and playing standards, and identify research gaps in the existing literature. A scoping review was performed from inception to March, 2020. Studies were included if they assessed a construct related to health and/or wellbeing in cricketers, available in English. 219 articles were eligible. Injury incidence per 1,000 player exposures ranged from 1.8-5.7 injuries. 48% of former cricketers experienced persistent joint pain. However, former cricketers reported greater physical activity levels and mental-components of quality of life compared to the general population. Heat injury/illness and skin cancer are concerns and require further research. Cricket participation is associated with an inherent injury risk, which may have negative implications for musculoskeletal health in later life. However, cricket participation is associated with high quality of life which can persist after retirement. Gaps in the literature include prospective studies on health and wellbeing of cricketers, female cricketers, injury prevention strategies, and the impact of cricket participation on metabolic health and lifetime physical activity.

Detecting Injury Risk Factors with Algorithmic Models in Elite Women's Pathway Cricket.

This exploratory retrospective cohort analysis aimed to explore how algorithmic models may be able to identify important risk factors that may otherwise not have been apparent. Their association with injury was then assessed with more conventional data models. Participants were players registered on the England and Wales Cricket Board women's international development pathway (n=17) from April 2018 to August 2019 aged between 14-23 years (mean 18.2±1.9) at the start of the study period. Two supervised learning techniques (a decision tree and random forest with traditional and conditional algorithms) and generalised linear mixed effect models explored associations between risk factors and injury. The supervised learning models did not predict injury (decision tree and random forest area under the curve [AUC] of 0.66 and 0.72 for conditional algorithms) but did identify important risk factors. The best-fitting generalised linear mixed effect model for predicting injury (Akaike Information Criteria [AIC]=843.94, conditional r-squared=0.58) contained smoothed differential 7-day load (P<0.001), average broad jump scores (P<0.001) and 20 m speed (P<0.001). Algorithmic models identified novel injury risk factors in this population, which can guide practice and future confirmatory studies can now investigate.

Cricket-related injuries treated in United States emergency departments.

BACKGROUND: Cricket is a popular spectator sport played all over the globe, including in the United States (US). However, most of the literature on cricket-related injuries is from outside the US. This study described cricket-related injuries treated at US emergency departments (EDs). METHODS: Cases were cricket-related injuries reported to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) during 2000-2019. Cases were identified by reviewing the record narrative for the term "crick." The distribution of the number of cases and national estimate were determined for selected variables. RESULTS: A total of 485 cricket-related injuries treated at US EDs during 2000-2019 were identified, resulting in a national estimate of 13,729 injuries (95% confidence interval 10,324-17,135). The patients were 68.5% age 20-39 years, 97.5% male, and 68.6% non-white. The most common types of injuries were lacerations (24.0%), strains or sprains (21.4%), fractures (19.6%), and contusions or abrasions (13.2%). The most frequently affected body parts were the upper extremity (43.9%) and head or neck (29.9%). The patient was treated or examined at the ED and then released in 97.5% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Cricket-related injuries treated at US EDs tended to involve patients who were adults, particularly age 20-39 years, male, and non-white. The majority of patients were treated or examined at the ED and then released.

Can an inertial measurement unit (IMU) in combination with machine learning measure fast bowling speed and perceived intensity in cricket?

This study examined whether an inertial measurement unit (IMU), in combination with machine learning, could accurately predict two indirect measures of bowling intensity through ball release speed (BRS) and perceived intensity zone (PIZ). One IMU was attached to the thoracic back of 44 fast bowlers. Each participant bowled 36 deliveries at two different PIZ zones (Zone 1 = 24 deliveries at 70% to 85% of maximum perceived bowling effort; Zone 2 = 12 deliveries at 100% of maximum perceived bowling effort) in a random order. IMU data (sampling rate = 250 Hz) were downsampled to 125 Hz, 50 Hz, and 25 Hz to determine if model accuracy was affected by the sampling frequency. Data were analysed using four machine learning models. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used to compare the mean absolute error (MAE) and accuracy scores (separately) across the four models and four sampling frequencies. Gradient boosting models were shown to be the most consistent at measuring BRS (MAE = 3.61 km/h) and PIZ (F-score = 88%) across all sampling frequencies. This method could be used to measure BRS and PIZ which may contribute to a better understanding of overall bowling load which may help to reduce injuries.

Playing sport injured is associated with osteoarthritis, joint pain and worse health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Sports participants are faced with the decision to continue or cease play when injured. The implications of playing sport while injured on joint health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between having played sport while injured and HRQoL, osteoarthritis, and persistent joint pain; and compare findings in elite and recreational cricketers. METHODS: The Cricket Health and Wellbeing Study cohort was used for this study. Inclusion criteria were: age ≥ 18 years, played ≥1 cricket season. Questionnaire data collected included a history of playing sport injured, SF-8 (physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component scores), physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis, and persistent joint pain (most days of the last month). Multivariable linear regressions and logistic regressions were performed. Continuous covariates were handled using fractional polynomials. Models were adjusted for age, sex, cricket-seasons played, playing status, joint injury, and orthopaedic surgery. All participants (n = 2233) were included in HRQoL analyses, only participants aged ≥30 years (n = 2071) were included in osteoarthritis/pain analyses. RESULTS: Of the 2233 current and former cricketers (mean age: 51.7 SD 14.7, played 30 IQR 24 cricket seasons, 60% were current cricketers, 62% played recreationally; median PCS: 51.4 IQR 9.0; MCS: 54.3 IQR 8.6) 1719 (77%) had played sport while injured. People who had played sport injured reported worse adjusted PCS (Effect(95% CI): - 1.78(- 2.62, - 0.93) and MCS (- 1.40(- 2.25, - 0.54), had greater odds of osteoarthritis (adjusted OR(95% CI): 1.86(1.39, 2.51) and persistent joint pain (2.34(1.85, 2.96)), compared to people who had not played sport injured. Similar relationships were observed regarding PCS, osteoarthritis and pain in elite and recreational subgroups. Playing injured was only related to worse MCS scores for elite cricketers (- 2.07(- 3.52, - 0.63)); no relationship was observed in recreational cricketers (- 0.70(- 1.79, 0.39)). CONCLUSION: Cricketers that had played sport injured had impaired HRQoL, increased odds of osteoarthritis and persistent joint pain, compared to those who had not played sport injured. Playing sport injured was only related to impaired mental-components of HRQoL in elite cricketers. The long-term impact of playing while injured on musculoskeletal health, should be considered when advising athletes on their ability to compete following injury.

Injury and Player Availability in Women's International Pathway Cricket from 2015 to 2019.

This prospective cohort study aimed to describe injury and illness epidemiology within women's international pathway cricket, understanding what influences player availability in this unique context where players are contracted part-time. Approximately 8.4% of players were impacted by injury or illness during the year, with an average 2.3% of players completely unavailable on any given day. Most medical complaints occurred during training (111.2 injuries/100 players per year). Of all complaints, medical illness had the highest overall incidence (45.0 complaints/100 players), followed by hand injuries (24.7 injuries/100 players). Gradual onset injuries were most common. Overall average match time-loss complaint prevalence rate was 4.1% and average match time-loss injury incidence rate was 7.0 injuries/1000 days of play. Fielding (56.4 injuries/100 players per year) was the activity resulting in the highest average overall and time-loss injury incidence rates, though 'other' activities (e. g. those occurring outside of cricket participation) collectively accounted for 78.3 injuries/100 players per year. The high incidence of medical illness relative to other complaints may be a distinct feature of the women's cricket international pathway compared to other cricket samples. The high occurrence of injuries arising from 'other' activities, likely due to part-time participation, presents an opportunity for targeted injury prevention strategies.• The first study on an international women's cricket pathway, contributes to the empirical base for specific injury risks associated with the women's cricket game, which is an emerging research area for a developing sport.• Some of the findings may be a distinct feature of the women's cricket international pathway, highlighting potential opportunities for targeted prevention strategies.• With the upcoming development of an elite domestic structure these preliminary findings will provide a good starting point for physiotherapy and medical staff working in these contexts.

The impact of all-rounders and team injury status on match and series success in international cricket.

The association between injury status of the team and all-rounders on match outcome were investigated in international cricketers. Time and non-time loss injuries were recorded over a 32-month period in 47 senior international cricketers. Team injury status was expressed on a 1-4 scale from "fully available" to "unavailable". Generalised linear model (GLM) was employed to examine whether team injury status and the injury status of all-rounders (AR) and single skill (SS) players was associated with the outcome of the match or series. A significant association between team injury status and match and series outcome was found. Team mean injury status was 12.0% lower (P < 0.001; ES = 1.06) during successful series wins and 7.8% lower (P < 0.001; ES = 0.66) during successful match outcomes. Skill group injury status was also significantly associated with match (P = 0.001) and series (P = 0.001) outcomes with AR exhibiting greater injury status than SS cricketers (P < 0.001, ES = 0.44). All injuries, irrespective of time lost, influence the outcome of international cricket series' and matches with injuries to AR having a higher impact on the results. The findings will impact on the injury prevention strategies in elite cricket.

Auto detecting deliveries in elite cricket fast bowlers using microsensors and machine learning.

Cricket fast bowlers are at a high risk of injury occurrence, which has previously been shown to be correlated to bowling workloads. This study aimed to develop and test an algorithm that can automatically, reliably and accurately detect bowling deliveries. Inertial sensor data from a Catapult OptimEye S5 wearable device was collected from both national and international level fast bowlers (n = 35) in both training and matches, at various intensities. A machine-learning based approach was used to develop the algorithm. Outputs were compared with over 20,000 manually recorded events. A high Matthews correlation coefficient (r = 0.945) showed very good agreement between the automatically detected bowling deliveries and manually recorded ones. The algorithm was found to be both sensitive and specific in training (96.3%, 98.3%) and matches (99.6%, 96.9%), respectively. Rare falsely classified events were typically warm-up deliveries or throws preceded by a run. Inertial sensors data processed by a machine-learning based algorithm provide a valid tool to automatically detect bowling events, whilst also providing the opportunity to look at performance metrics associated with fast bowling. This offers the possibility to better monitor bowling workloads across a range of intensities to mitigate injury risk potential and maximise performance.

Submaximal Cricket Fast Bowling Offers a Disproportionate Reduction in Loading Versus Performance: An Alternative Workload Intervention.

CONTEXT: Cricket fast bowlers are particularly susceptible to lumbar spine loading and injury. Quantitative analysis of technique typically involves laboratory-based biomechanical systems with limited ecological validity, whereas contemporary developments in global positioning satellite microtechnologies facilitate an on-field evaluation of loading. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the influence of submaximal bowling from reduced approach lengths on performance and loading. DESIGN: Repeated-measures, field-based design. SETTING: Regulation cricket pitch. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 12 male cricket academy fast bowlers (18.7 [0.7] y), injury free with ≥3 years of competitive experience. INTERVENTIONS: Each bowler wore 2 global positioning satellite units placed at C7 and L4 to measure triaxial acceleration (100 Hz). Bowlers completed an over (6 deliveries) from a randomized 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-stride approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ball speed was recorded as the performance measure, with PlayerLoad in the anteroposterior, mediolateral, and vertical planes also calculated for each delivery length. RESULTS: In ball speed, there was a significant main effect for delivery length (P = .02), with a 3-stride approach eliciting significantly less ball speed than a 9-stride (P = .03) or 12-stride (P = .002) approach. In loading, there was a significant main effect for delivery length (P < .001) in the anteroposterior, mediolateral, and vertical planes, with loading increasing linearly as a function of delivery strides. The 6-stride approach elicited a 44% reduction in loading, with a disproportionately small 3.5% decrease in performance. There was a significant main effect for global positioning satellite location (P ≤ .023) in all planes, with L4 eliciting greater loading than C7. CONCLUSIONS: A submaximal 6-stride approach yielded the optimum balance between reduced loading and performance inhibition. Reduced delivery length, therefore, offers an alternative to reduced overs in reducing loading in young bowlers and might also have practicable value in the rehabilitation of bowlers postinjury.

Joint pain and osteoarthritis in former recreational and elite cricketers.

BACKGROUND: Sport participants are at increased risk of joint pain and osteoarthritis. A better understanding of factors associated with joint pain and osteoarthritis in this population could inform the development of strategies to optimise their long-term joint health. The purpose of the study was to describe the prevalence of joint pain and osteoarthritis in former cricketers, and determine whether playing position, playing standard (i.e. elite or recreational standard) and length-of-play are associated with region-specific joint pain. METHODS: The data were from the Cricket Health and Wellbeing Study (CHWS), a cohort of 2294 current and former cricketers (played ≥1 season) in England and Wales. For this study, eligible individuals had to be aged ≥30 years and be a former cricket participant. Joint pain was defined as region-specific (hip/knee/ankle/shoulder/hand/back) pain on most days of the last month. Osteoarthritis was defined as joint-specific doctor-diagnosed osteoarthritis. Logistic regression was used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted (for history of joint injury resulting in > 4 weeks of reduced activity +/- age) odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS: 846 individuals from the CHWS were former cricketers aged ≥30 years (3% female, aged median 62(IQR 54-69) years, 62% played cricket recreationally, median 33(IQR 21-41) cricket seasons). One-in-two (48%) reported joint pain and 38% had been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Joint pain and OA were most common in the knee (23% pain, 22% osteoarthritis), followed by the back (14% pain, 10% osteoarthritis) and hand (12% pain, 6% osteoarthritis). After adjusting for injury, bowlers had greater odds of shoulder pain (OR (95% CI) 3.1(1.3, 7.4)) and back pain (3.6(1.8, 7.4)), and all-rounders had greater odds of knee (1.7(1.0, 2.7)) and back pain (2.1(1.0, 4.2)), compared to batters. Former elite cricketers had greater odds of hand pain (1.6(1.0, 2.5)) than former recreational cricketers. Playing standard was not related to pain at other sites, and length-of-play was not associated with joint pain in former cricketers. CONCLUSIONS: Every second former cricketer experienced joint pain on most days of the last month, and more than one in three had been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Compared with batters, bowlers had higher odds of shoulder and back pain and all-rounders had higher odds of back and knee pain. Elite cricket participation was only related to higher odds of hand pain compared with recreational cricket participation.

Injury profiles in sub-elite Women's Cricket: Exploring incidence, prevalence, nature, onset and body region.

INTRODUCTION: The rise in participation in sports, like women's cricket, is linked with increased injury risk. Providing high-level longitudinal data is the first step in implementing evidence-based injury prevention strategies. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: This cohort study aims to describe the injury profiles in sub-elite women's cricket in South Africa during the 2022/23 season. METHODS: Injuries were prospectively recorded using injury surveillance questionnaires, injury surveillance database, and logbooks completed by each team's medical staff. Injury rates were investigated for match and training days, body region, player role, nature, and activity at the time of injury. RESULTS: Three teams with a total of 44 players (20.86 ± 1.6 years) were included in the study. Injury incidence was 85.23 per 1000 player match days, 15.91 for match time-loss and 69.32 for non-time-loss, with 2.95% of players unavailable for match selection on any day. Fast bowlers had the highest injury incidence. Fielding caused 46.67% of all injuries. Injury incidence was higher in training than in matches. The wrist/hand had the highest injury incidence and caused the most match time-loss. CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable insights regarding the current injury rates in sub-elite female cricket players.

Negative association between injuries and team success in professional cricket: A 9-year prospective cohort analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between injuries and team success in professional cricket. DESIGN: Prospective cohort analysis. METHODS: A prospective cohort of all match time-loss injuries and County Championship point tallies for nine seasons (from 2010 to 2018 inclusive) for all 18 First-Class County Cricket (FCCC) cricket teams in England and Wales. Two injury measures of match time-loss injury incidence and burden were assessed for within-team (linear mixed model on season-to-season changes) and between-team (correlation on differences averaged over all seasons) effects. County Championship league points tally was used as the measure of team success. RESULTS: A moderate negative correlation was found between injury burden and team performance (r=-0.36; 90% CI -0.66 to 0.05; likely negative, P=0.15). A reduction in match injury incidence of 2 match time-loss injuries per 1000 days of play (90% CI 1.4-2.9, P=0.10) within a team, or a reduction in match injury burden of 75 days per 1000 days of play (90% CI 50-109, P=0.053) in any given season was associated with the smallest worthwhile change in County Championship points (+13 points) for Division 1, but not for Division 2. CONCLUSION: Moderate reductions in injury burden are associated with potentially worthwhile effects on performance for a domestic cricket team in the County Championship Division 1.

Neurocognitive changes associated with concussion in elite cricket players are distinct from changes due to post-match with no head impact.

OBJECTIVES: Determine intra-individual changes in CogSport performance in elite cricket players diagnosed with concussion, and differentiate this from changes which may be attributed to post-match with no head impact. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study of elite Australian male and female cricket players with diagnosed concussion and prospective cohort study of cricket players with no head impact post-match. METHODS: CogSport performance relative to an individual's baseline was compared between 46 cricket players diagnosed with concussion following a head impact sustained during a match, and 84 cricket players who played a match during which they had no head impact. RESULTS: CogSport performance post-match for players diagnosed with concussion was slower for detection speed (p < 0.001), identification speed (p = 0.007), and one back speed (p = 0.011). No changes in one card learning speed or any accuracy measures were observed. CogSport performance post-match with no head impact was faster but less accurate for one card learning (both p < 0.001). No changes in the other three test components were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Slower performance in three of four CogSport tasks (detection, identification, one back) may be indicative of concussion, as these intra-individual changes were not observed in players post-match with no head impact. The fourth task, one card learning, may not be a useful indicator of concussion as it was not observed to change with concussion yet was susceptible to change post-match with no head impact. CogSport may have clinical utility in assisting the clinical diagnosis of concussion in elite male and female cricket players.

The uptake of the Nordic hamstring exercise programme as an injury prevention strategy in professional cricket in the United Kingdom and barriers to implementation.

OBJECTIVES: To report hamstring prevention strategies of professional male cricket clubs in the United Kingdom, identify the application of the Nordic hamstring programme (NHP) and gain knowledge of medical teams' reasons for the NHP's inclusion or exclusion. DESIGN: Cross-sectional questionnaire. SETTING: Online survey. PARTICIPANTS: 15 (75%) of professional cricket clubs in the United Kingdom. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Survey based on the RE-AIM framework. RESULTS: Twelve clubs reported having a formal hamstring injury prevention programme. The Nordic hamstring exercise and eccentric exercises (100%) were the most used interventions. Three clubs implemented the NHP, with one classed as fully compliant. Respondents partially agreed, on a 5 point Likert scale, that the Nordic hamstring exercise was effective at reducing injuries at their club (Mean 3.73 ± SD 0.70) and across professional cricket (3.87 ± 0.64). Barriers to implementation across cricket included players not positively perceiving the programme (60%) with a cultural change required (60%) for its adoption. CONCLUSIONS: The Nordic hamstring exercise is positively received by medical personnel in professional cricket in conjunction with other prevention strategies. Three clubs have utilised the NHP in the last three seasons with one club considered fully compliant. A cultural shift from players and coaches may be required for successful NHP implementation.

Cricket Fast Bowling Technique and Lumbar Bone Stress Injury.

INTRODUCTION: Lumbar bone stress injuries (LBSI) are the most prevalent injury in cricket. Although fast bowling technique has been implicated in the etiology of LBSI, no previous study has attempted to prospectively analyze fast bowling technique and its relationship to LBSI. The aim of this study was to explore technique differences between elite cricket fast bowlers with and without subsequent LBSI. METHODS: Kinematic and kinetic technique parameters previously associated with LBSI were determined for 50 elite male fast bowlers. Group means were compared using independent-samples t-tests to identify differences between bowlers with and without a prospective LBSI. Significant parameters were advanced as candidate variables for a binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 50 bowlers, 39 sustained a prospective LBSI. Significant differences were found between injured and noninjured bowlers in rear knee angle, rear hip angle, thoracolumbar side flexion angle, and thoracolumbar rotation angle at back foot contact; the front hip angle, pelvic tilt orientation, and lumbopelvic angle at front foot contact; and the thoracolumbar side flexion angle at ball release and the maximal front hip angle and ipsilateral pelvic drop orientation. A binary logistic model, consisting of rear hip angle at back foot contact and lumbopelvic angle at front foot contact, correctly predicted 88% of fast bowlers according to injury history and significantly increased the odds of sustaining an LBSI (odds ratio, 0.88 and 1.25, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Lumbopelvic motion is implicated in the etiology of LBSI in fast bowling, with inadequate lumbopelvifemoral complex control as a potential cause. This research will aid the identification of fast bowlers at risk of LBSI, as well as enhancing coaching and rehabilitation of fast bowlers from LBSI.

Predictors of throwing performance in amateur male cricketers: A musculoskeletal approach.

Optimal throwing speed and accuracy is built on a complex interaction of multiple variables. Although strength and power has been associated with throwing speed in cricketers, the individual muscles that contribute to optimal function of the shoulder-complex has not been adequately explored in connection with throwing performance. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the correlation between musculoskeletal variables and overhead throwing performance in cricketers. Thirty-two amateur male cricketers were tested using a battery of 16 tests (strength, flexibility, scapula positioning) as well as a throwing speed (TS) and a novel accuracy test (TA). Only two of the sixteen tests were correlated with throwing performance in the multiple regression analysis. Non-dominant hip abduction strength correlated positively with TS (p < 0.05): on average, a strength increase of 10 newtons (N) was associated with an increase in TS of 0.60 km/h (95% CI: 0.12-1.08). Non-dominant pectoralis minor length correlated positively with TA (p < 0.01): on average, a one-centimetre increase in the length correlated to an increase, of 0.633 points (95% CI: 0.225-1.041). This cross-sectional study demonstrated that from an array of musculoskeletal variables, only non-dominant hip abduction strength correlated with TS, while only non-dominant pectoralis minor length correlated with TA in amateur cricketers.

Radiological healing of lumbar spine stress fractures in elite cricket fast bowlers.

OBJECTIVES: Review magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of elite adult fast bowlers with a history of lumbar spine stress fracture for evidence of bone healing. The findings will determine whether bone healing can occur in this population, and whether MRI may be used as a tool to assess bone healing and inform clinical decision making. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. METHODS: Participants were elite Australian fast bowlers who sustained a lumbar spine stress fracture confirmed on MRI and had at least one subsequent MRI. Two radiologists independently reviewed all images. RESULTS: Thirty-one fractures from 20 male fast bowlers were reviewed. Median maximum fracture size was 6mm (range 2-25mm). Twenty-five fractures achieved bone healing, with a median 203 (IQR 141-301) days between the initial MRI (to confirm diagnosis) and the MRI when bone healing was observed. Fracture size and signal intensity of bone marrow oedema were positively associated with the number of days to the MRI when bone healing was observed (r2=0.245, p<0.001 and r2=0.292, p<0.001 respectively). Fractures which occurred at the same site as a previously united fracture took longer to heal than the first fracture (median 276 days to the MRI when bone healing was observed compared to 114 days for first fracture; p=0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Lumbar spine stress fractures in elite adult fast bowlers are capable of achieving complete bone healing, as demonstrated in the majority of bowlers in this study. Larger fractures, greater bone marrow oedema, and history of previous injury at the same site may require longer healing time which may be monitored with MRI.

Exercise-based injury prevention for community-level adolescent cricket pace bowlers: A cluster-randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate if an exercise-based injury prevention program (IPP) can modify risk factors for injury in community-level adolescent cricket pace bowlers. DESIGN: Cluster-randomised controlled trial. METHODS: Eight cricket organisations (training two times per week and no previous involvement in a structured IPP) participated in this cluster-randomised trial. Participants were aged 14-17 years, injury free, and not currently performing a rehabilitation/exercise program. Cricket organisations (clusters) were block-randomised by computerised number generation into an intervention group (performed an eight-week IPP at training) or control group (continued their usual cricket activity). Participants were not blinded to group allocation. Strength, endurance, and neuromuscular control were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Treatment effects were estimated using linear mixed models. RESULTS: Sixty-five male adolescent pace bowlers (intervention n=32 and control n=33) were randomised. There were significant treatment effects favouring the intervention group for shoulder strength (90°/s) 0.05 (95% CI 0.02-0.09) Nm/kg, hamstring strength (60°/s) 0.32 (95% CI 0.13-0.50) Nm/kg, hip adductor strength dominant 0.40 (95% CI 0.26-0.55) Nm/kg and non-dominant 0.33 (95% CI 0.20-0.47) Nm/kg, SEBT reach distance dominant 3.80 (95% CI 1.63-6.04) percent of leg length (%LL) and non-dominant 3.60 (95% CI 1.43-5.78) %LL, and back endurance 20.4 (95% CI 4.80-36.0) seconds. No differences were observed for shoulder strength (180°/s) (p=0.09), hamstring strength (180°/s) (p=0.07), lumbopelvic stability (p=0.90), and single leg squat knee valgus angle (dominant p=0.06, non-dominant p=0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Exercise-based IPPs can modify risk factors for injury in community-level adolescent pace bowlers. Future research is needed to confirm if IPPs can also reduce injury risk in this population.