Just arrived in the UK, and distributed by Flicx is the new "A" frame design Crazy Catch.

Crazy Catch is a reaction trainer rebound net with a difference. A 'sane side' provides the player with a typical predictable ball rebound, an 'insane side' produces an unpredictable ball return similar to the sort of swirling dipping swerving catches players often have to take whilst playing ball games.

Invented by Andrew Sinclair, son of ex New Zealander cricketer Ian Sinclair, Crazy Catch is being used by Grant Compton, fitness coach with the South African cricket team, who has come up with an interesting new way of using it as part of his team’s fitness routine.

Compton who puts Smith, Ntini and the others through their paces on tour, believes that to motivate players to sustain the high levels of fitness required for international cricket, it is important to make training routines as enjoyable and varied as possible.

"We’ve started using Crazy Catch in our pre-match warm ups," Compton explains. "It helps the guys focus on their hand-eye coordination in the first instance, but we also use it to make warm-ups more competitive."