The Use of Virtual-Reality to Capture Batting Skill in Women’s Performance Pathway Cricketers: A Test of Construct Validity

TY - CONF

T1 - The Use of Virtual-Reality to Capture Batting Skill in Women’s Performance Pathway Cricketers: A Test of Construct Validity

AU - Runswick, Oliver

PY - 2024/7/17

Y1 - 2024/7/17

N2 - Objectives: Virtual reality (VR) offers potential new solutions for measuring skill in sport. To assess construct validity and the suitability of a VR simulation, previous work has used comparisons between performers of different skill levels. If performance in VR is valid then a distinction between skill levels should be observed. Most work has compared experts and novices, but this does not offer the sensitivity needed to apply VR testing in high performance settings. Here we examined how specialist batters, all-rounders, and bowlers, who play within the same high-performance team, scored in a cricket batting simulation. If a valid measure, then batters will score more runs and lose less wickets than other groups. Methods: A sample of 50 players from a women’s first-class county pathway completed a five-over batting test in the VR cricket platform ‘Cover Drive Cricket’. The simulation incorporated specific bowler types and speeds for the women’s game. The batting group (n = 11) are select for batting skill, all-rounders (n = 20) are selected for combined ability with bat and ball, and bowlers (n = 19) are selected for their bowling skill. Dependent variables included runs scored, wickets lost, and batting average. Results: The VR platform successfully differentiated between participants of different specialisms for runs scored (F2, 47 = 5.083, p = .010, ηp2 = .178) where batters scored more runs than bowlers (p = .01). However, there was no difference between groups for wickets lost or overall batting average. Conclusion: These results provide some support for the construct validity of this VR cricket batting simulation, as the specialist batters scored more runs than their peers who specialise in bowling. However, the lack of difference in number of wickets lost, and therefore batting average, suggests further work is needed before VR can be fully endorsed for batting testing.

AB - Objectives: Virtual reality (VR) offers potential new solutions for measuring skill in sport. To assess construct validity and the suitability of a VR simulation, previous work has used comparisons between performers of different skill levels. If performance in VR is valid then a distinction between skill levels should be observed. Most work has compared experts and novices, but this does not offer the sensitivity needed to apply VR testing in high performance settings. Here we examined how specialist batters, all-rounders, and bowlers, who play within the same high-performance team, scored in a cricket batting simulation. If a valid measure, then batters will score more runs and lose less wickets than other groups. Methods: A sample of 50 players from a women’s first-class county pathway completed a five-over batting test in the VR cricket platform ‘Cover Drive Cricket’. The simulation incorporated specific bowler types and speeds for the women’s game. The batting group (n = 11) are select for batting skill, all-rounders (n = 20) are selected for combined ability with bat and ball, and bowlers (n = 19) are selected for their bowling skill. Dependent variables included runs scored, wickets lost, and batting average. Results: The VR platform successfully differentiated between participants of different specialisms for runs scored (F2, 47 = 5.083, p = .010, ηp2 = .178) where batters scored more runs than bowlers (p = .01). However, there was no difference between groups for wickets lost or overall batting average. Conclusion: These results provide some support for the construct validity of this VR cricket batting simulation, as the specialist batters scored more runs than their peers who specialise in bowling. However, the lack of difference in number of wickets lost, and therefore batting average, suggests further work is needed before VR can be fully endorsed for batting testing.

M3 - Abstract

T2 - FEPSAC 17th Congress

Y2 - 15 July 2024

ER -