Forms of cricket
Encyclopedia
Various forms of cricket exist and the sport may broadly be divided between major and minor versions. Major cricket includes several variations in which top-class players have taken part such as Test cricket
, first-class cricket
, single wicket
, limited overs cricket and Twenty20
. At all levels, the rules are often modified. At international or first-class levels this is usually in order to make the game more commercially attractive. In minor domestic club cricket
, matches are usually played over one to two days, either two innings per side or one innings per side with limited overs. At still lower levels, the rules are often changed simply to make the game playable with limited resources, or to render it more convenient and enjoyable for the participants. Variants of the sport are played in areas as diverse as sandy beaches to ice floes.
A two-innings match of at least three days duration is granted first-class status only if both teams have first-class status. For example, Test matches, other games between two Test nations, games between two domestic teams deemed first-class in countries holding full membership of the ICC, and games between a Test nation's national side (or a team drawn from a national touring squad) and a first-class domestic team from a Test nation, are usually deemed to be first class. Matches between Kenya
, one of the leading associate members of the ICC, and another team adjudged first-class are usually granted first-class status, but domestic matches in Kenya are not.
Among cricket statisticians, first class cricket is variously deemed to have started in 1660, 1772, 1801, 1815 or 1864. This ongoing controversy is described in the main article. The limited overs equivalent of first-class status is list A status.
See short form cricket
for details about specific types of short form cricket.
created it for the purpose of providing a parallel to first-class cricket
in their record books.
is amateur, but still formal, cricket. The games are sometimes limited-overs, with each innings usually lasting between thirty and fifty overs. Other matches are played to time restrictions. Club cricket is played extensively in cricketing nations, and also by immigrants from cricketing nations. Club cricket often takes place on an artificial turf pitch, though the rest of actual field may be natural grass.
Indoor cricket
is a variation of the game designed for indoor play.
It is a high-speed version of the game, aimed mainly at encouraging youngsters to take part.
, Garden cricket, Street cricket
are its different types. The rules are often ad hoc, and the subtle and complex laws of cricket, such as those involving leg before wicket, penalty runs, and others, are ignored or modified. In India and Pakistan, there is Gali cricket
('gali' in Hindi
means 'street'. It is pronounced as 'gully' but should not be confused with the fielding position). Often, there are no teams, and each player plays for himself, and fields when he is not batting. Often, there is one wicket, and one bowling position, and no overs. If the batsman runs an odd number of runs, he is allowed to walk back to the wicket before the next ball is bowled.
It is a game in which the ball is bowled at the legs of the batsman, with the batsman's legs forming the wicket. It is often played by children. A tennis ball is often used rather than the harder cricket ball. Much like beach cricket, the rules may vary wildly.
This type of cricket is popular in the South Asian sub-continent, USA and Canada. In this game a harder version of tennis ball is used. The number of overs in the game varies from 6 to 25 overs. Considering that the ball is not as hard as the professional cricket ball, the use of protective gear like gloves, pads and helmets is optional. As tennis ball cricket games are shorter when compared to the conventional version, it suits the US and Canadian lifestyle where one would see a large number of people participating. Where cricket pitches are not available, part of a baseball diamond is used as a pitch in most parts of USA and Canada.
This type of cricket is popular in Pakistan, Bangladesh and somewhat gaining popularity in other South Asian countries and Europe due to the export of the innovative idea from Pakistan. Tape ball cricket has been a cricket culture in Pakistan since the 80's. Pakistanis who have settled in the west have introduced this theme and have tape ball leagues throughout UK, USA, and Canada. In this game a tennis ball is covered with insulating tape. This results in a heavier ball. Fast bowlers can generate extra swing in both directions while finger spinners can produce turn. The game is usually a limited over match with 4-12 overs. In Karachi and Lahore regular tournaments are held. Night matches are common, especially during the month of Ramadan
.
It is a form of the game developed in Jamaica
where roles are changed rapidly, so that all players can have a turn in a short time.
Also known as Kirikiti, or Samoan Cricket, it is the national game of Samoa
and is especially popular in New Zealand. The game is descended from the cricket brought to Samoa by British missionaries; teams of unlimited size follow rules opaque to outside observers in a game/dance/feast event that can last several days.
Founded in Australia
, it is for those over 60 years of age, slightly modified from the standard.
A tournament for individuals, it is probably the oldest form of cricket as it involves one player against another. It has known periods of huge popularity, especially in the mid-18th century and in the first half of the 19th century. One bowls to the other for a fixed number of balls, or until the batsman is out, and then roles are reversed. The remaining tournament players act as fielders until it is their turn to bat or bowl. The winner is the one with the most runs, and that player moves to the next round to play the winner from another pair.
It is a form of cricket that also resembles baseball
, mainly played by women.
between two couples, usually making use of broomsticks as bats, rubber or tennis balls, and old license plates as wickets (with its ends twisted to make them stand up). The game is divided in alternate 3-out innings like in baseball
. The first team to reach 100 or 200 runs wins. A similar version is played on the streets of Brazil and is known as Bats or Taco ('taco' being Portuguese for 'bat').
It is a peculiar form of cricket played in the Trobriand Islands, in Papua New Guinea. Although cricket was introduced by the British as part of colonial agenda, it was adopted into local Trobriand culture and many modifications and cultural adaptations were made over the years. Some of these include: under-arm bowling; outs are celebrated with dances; the "home" team (the tribal community which organized a match) always wins; any number of players can take part in a match; players dress in traditional war costumes.
. The aim is to generate scores and attribute them to imaginary players and teams by compiling a scorecard. The game has been marketed commercially featuring plastic or metal long dice (rollers) and playing rules.
See also Owzthat
.
Test Cricket Variation
Another variation of Calculator Cricket is a slightly more complex, one player game, more orientated towards Test cricket simulation. Due to the complexity of the game, something akin to a proper cricket scorecard is required to keep track of scores. Any page from the back of your exercise book will do.
Surprisingly, the run rates, overall totals, and length of matches are actually relatively realistic.
are scored according to the number of legs, arms or other items featured in the pub name. The exact rules vary according to the participants. See main article.
, Pakistan
and Sri Lanka
. It has several variants and is mostly played by 2 players. The runs are scored by flipping the book open at random and the last digit of the right-side (even-numbered) page is counted as the number of runs scored. 0 (and sometimes 8) are assigned to special rules, typically losing a wicket. For example, if the batting side opened the book at page 26, then 6 runs would be scored. For the toss, what is generally done is that both the players open a page and the one who's last digit is greater wins.
In the 1950s a version of book cricket appeared in the UK in the Eagle comic. A page was chosen and each letter or symbol was counted according to a formula as follows:
This produced a remarkably realistic scorecard with the majority of innings around 150 to 300 scored at about 4 runs per over.
and Pakistan
.
The craze for this form is so much among the school children across the subcontinent that they play it in schools secretly during lectures with their hands under their desks and get detention if caught. They even play it in teams of 3-6 players, maintain records and organize tournaments.
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
, single wicket
Single Wicket
Single wicket cricket is a form of cricket played between two individuals, who take turns to bat and bowl against each other. The one bowling is assisted by a team of fielders, who remain as fielders at the change of innings. The winner is the one who scores more runs...
, limited overs cricket and Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
. At all levels, the rules are often modified. At international or first-class levels this is usually in order to make the game more commercially attractive. In minor domestic club cricket
Club cricket
Club cricket is a mainly amateur, but still formal, form of the sport of cricket, usually involving teams playing in competitions at weekends or in the evening. There is a great deal of variation in game format although the Laws of Cricket are always observed...
, matches are usually played over one to two days, either two innings per side or one innings per side with limited overs. At still lower levels, the rules are often changed simply to make the game playable with limited resources, or to render it more convenient and enjoyable for the participants. Variants of the sport are played in areas as diverse as sandy beaches to ice floes.
First-class matches
A first-class match is generally defined as a high-level international or domestic match that takes place over at least three days on natural (as opposed to artificial) turf. First-class games are two innings per side. Like Test matches, if the game is not completed over the allotted time then it is drawn. Games where the teams have only one innings each are not first-class (including One Day Internationals).A two-innings match of at least three days duration is granted first-class status only if both teams have first-class status. For example, Test matches, other games between two Test nations, games between two domestic teams deemed first-class in countries holding full membership of the ICC, and games between a Test nation's national side (or a team drawn from a national touring squad) and a first-class domestic team from a Test nation, are usually deemed to be first class. Matches between Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, one of the leading associate members of the ICC, and another team adjudged first-class are usually granted first-class status, but domestic matches in Kenya are not.
Among cricket statisticians, first class cricket is variously deemed to have started in 1660, 1772, 1801, 1815 or 1864. This ongoing controversy is described in the main article. The limited overs equivalent of first-class status is list A status.
Short form cricket
Cricket is also played in several different shortened forms, designed to pack as much action as possible into an hour or two. Such forms have evolved since the 1990s, and take cricket an additional step beyond one-day cricket.See short form cricket
Short form cricket
Short form cricket is a collective term for several modified forms of the sport of cricket, with playing times significantly shorter than more traditional forms of the game....
for details about specific types of short form cricket.
List A cricket
List A cricket is to one-day cricket as first-class is to Tests. Most cricketing nations have some form of domestic List A competition. The over limits range from forty to sixty. The categorization of "List A" was only endorsed by the ICC in 2006; the Association of Cricket Statisticians and HistoriansAssociation of Cricket Statisticians and Historians
The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians was founded in England in 1973 for the purpose of researching and collating information about the history and statistics of cricket...
created it for the purpose of providing a parallel to first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
in their record books.
Club cricket
Club cricketClub cricket
Club cricket is a mainly amateur, but still formal, form of the sport of cricket, usually involving teams playing in competitions at weekends or in the evening. There is a great deal of variation in game format although the Laws of Cricket are always observed...
is amateur, but still formal, cricket. The games are sometimes limited-overs, with each innings usually lasting between thirty and fifty overs. Other matches are played to time restrictions. Club cricket is played extensively in cricketing nations, and also by immigrants from cricketing nations. Club cricket often takes place on an artificial turf pitch, though the rest of actual field may be natural grass.
Indoor cricket
- Main article: Indoor cricketIndoor cricketIndoor cricket is a variant of and shares many basic concepts with cricket. The game is most often played between two teams each consisting of eight players, in matches featuring two innings of sixteen 7-ball overs each...
Indoor cricket
Indoor cricket
Indoor cricket is a variant of and shares many basic concepts with cricket. The game is most often played between two teams each consisting of eight players, in matches featuring two innings of sixteen 7-ball overs each...
is a variation of the game designed for indoor play.
Double-wicket cricket
It is a form of cricket with two teams of two players each which are pitched against each other for a limited number of overs. A player getting out in this form of cricket does not retire but continues to bat but gets penalized a stipulated number of runs for each time he gets out.Kwik cricket
- Main article: Kwik cricketKwik cricketKwik cricket is a high-speed version of cricket aimed mainly at encouraging children to take part in the main sport....
It is a high-speed version of the game, aimed mainly at encouraging youngsters to take part.
Informal amateur cricket
Backyard cricket, Beach cricketBeach cricket
Backyard cricket, street cricket, beach cricket, gully cricket, corridor cricket, deef or garden cricket is an informal ad hoc variant of the game of cricket, played by people of both sexes and all ages in gardens, back yards, on the street, in parks, carparks, beaches or any deef arena not...
, Garden cricket, Street cricket
Street cricket
Street cricket or gali cricket is a stripped-down version of the international sport of cricket, popular across the South Asia and in other cricket-playing nations. In the countryside, dried lakes and river beds are often used as playgrounds for cricket. In cities, it is played in apartment...
are its different types. The rules are often ad hoc, and the subtle and complex laws of cricket, such as those involving leg before wicket, penalty runs, and others, are ignored or modified. In India and Pakistan, there is Gali cricket
Street cricket
Street cricket or gali cricket is a stripped-down version of the international sport of cricket, popular across the South Asia and in other cricket-playing nations. In the countryside, dried lakes and river beds are often used as playgrounds for cricket. In cities, it is played in apartment...
('gali' in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
means 'street'. It is pronounced as 'gully' but should not be confused with the fielding position). Often, there are no teams, and each player plays for himself, and fields when he is not batting. Often, there is one wicket, and one bowling position, and no overs. If the batsman runs an odd number of runs, he is allowed to walk back to the wicket before the next ball is bowled.
French cricket
- Main article: French cricketFrench cricketFrench cricket is an informal game derived from the sport of cricket. There is only one batsman, and their objective is to not be dismissed by the other participants - who are fielders, or a bowler if they have possession of the ball - for as long as possible. The objective of the other...
It is a game in which the ball is bowled at the legs of the batsman, with the batsman's legs forming the wicket. It is often played by children. A tennis ball is often used rather than the harder cricket ball. Much like beach cricket, the rules may vary wildly.
Tennis-ball cricket
- Main article: Tennis-ball cricketTennis Ball CricketTennis ball cricket is a variant of cricket popular in the Indian subcontinent, and among South Asians living in the United States and Canada. In this game a more difficult version of tennis ball is used. The number of overs in the game varies from six to twenty-five...
This type of cricket is popular in the South Asian sub-continent, USA and Canada. In this game a harder version of tennis ball is used. The number of overs in the game varies from 6 to 25 overs. Considering that the ball is not as hard as the professional cricket ball, the use of protective gear like gloves, pads and helmets is optional. As tennis ball cricket games are shorter when compared to the conventional version, it suits the US and Canadian lifestyle where one would see a large number of people participating. Where cricket pitches are not available, part of a baseball diamond is used as a pitch in most parts of USA and Canada.
Tape-ball cricket
- Main article: Tape-ball cricket
This type of cricket is popular in Pakistan, Bangladesh and somewhat gaining popularity in other South Asian countries and Europe due to the export of the innovative idea from Pakistan. Tape ball cricket has been a cricket culture in Pakistan since the 80's. Pakistanis who have settled in the west have introduced this theme and have tape ball leagues throughout UK, USA, and Canada. In this game a tennis ball is covered with insulating tape. This results in a heavier ball. Fast bowlers can generate extra swing in both directions while finger spinners can produce turn. The game is usually a limited over match with 4-12 overs. In Karachi and Lahore regular tournaments are held. Night matches are common, especially during the month of Ramadan
Ramadan (calendar month)
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which the Quran was revealed.Ramadan is the holiest of months in the Islamic calendar, and fasting in this month is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month is spent by Muslims fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to...
.
Catchy-shubby cricket
- Main article: Catchy-shubby cricketCatchy Shubby CricketCatchy Shubby Cricket is a variation of cricket that was invented in Jamaica.It is a faster moving version of cricket in which the roles change rapidly so every one gets a chance to bat and bowling within a short period...
It is a form of the game developed in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
where roles are changed rapidly, so that all players can have a turn in a short time.
Kilikiti
- Main article: KilikitiKilikitiKilikiti is one of several forms of the game of cricket. Originating in Samoa , it spread throughout Polynesia and can now be found around the world in areas with strong Polynesian populations...
Also known as Kirikiti, or Samoan Cricket, it is the national game of Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and is especially popular in New Zealand. The game is descended from the cricket brought to Samoa by British missionaries; teams of unlimited size follow rules opaque to outside observers in a game/dance/feast event that can last several days.
Non-stop (continuous) cricket
It is a game involving one batsman, who, on hitting the ball, must run to a marker square to the wicket. The bowler may bowl as soon as the ball is returned, regardless of whether or not the batsman is still running.Over-60s cricket
- Main article: Over-60s cricketOver 60s cricketOver 60s cricket is a form of cricket where all players are over 60 years of age. It has slightly modified rules, matches have 40 overs per side and batsmen retire after scoring 40 runs....
Founded in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, it is for those over 60 years of age, slightly modified from the standard.
Single wicket
- Main article: Single wicketSingle WicketSingle wicket cricket is a form of cricket played between two individuals, who take turns to bat and bowl against each other. The one bowling is assisted by a team of fielders, who remain as fielders at the change of innings. The winner is the one who scores more runs...
A tournament for individuals, it is probably the oldest form of cricket as it involves one player against another. It has known periods of huge popularity, especially in the mid-18th century and in the first half of the 19th century. One bowls to the other for a fixed number of balls, or until the batsman is out, and then roles are reversed. The remaining tournament players act as fielders until it is their turn to bat or bowl. The winner is the one with the most runs, and that player moves to the next round to play the winner from another pair.
Vigoro
- Main article: VigoroVigoroVigoro is a sport like both cricket and baseball and has been mainly played by women. It is most popular in Australia.-History:The game was invented by Englishman John George Grant...
It is a form of cricket that also resembles baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, mainly played by women.
Placa
It is an obscure variation, played in the streets of Caribbean countries like the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
between two couples, usually making use of broomsticks as bats, rubber or tennis balls, and old license plates as wickets (with its ends twisted to make them stand up). The game is divided in alternate 3-out innings like in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. The first team to reach 100 or 200 runs wins. A similar version is played on the streets of Brazil and is known as Bats or Taco ('taco' being Portuguese for 'bat').
Trobriand cricket
- Main article: Trobriand cricketTrobriand CricketTrobriand Cricket: An Ingenious Response to Colonialism is an anthropological documentary about the people of the Trobriand Islands and their unique innovations to the game of cricket....
It is a peculiar form of cricket played in the Trobriand Islands, in Papua New Guinea. Although cricket was introduced by the British as part of colonial agenda, it was adopted into local Trobriand culture and many modifications and cultural adaptations were made over the years. Some of these include: under-arm bowling; outs are celebrated with dances; the "home" team (the tribal community which organized a match) always wins; any number of players can take part in a match; players dress in traditional war costumes.
Pencil Cricket
A one-person game played with pencils marked by hand to function as 'long dice'. A Japanese variant of these for use in other games are called 'battle pencils'. It may also simply be played with conventional diceDice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
. The aim is to generate scores and attribute them to imaginary players and teams by compiling a scorecard. The game has been marketed commercially featuring plastic or metal long dice (rollers) and playing rules.
See also Owzthat
Owzthat
Owzthat is a dice based cricket simulation. In its non-commercial form it is often called Pencil Cricket as in pre-war Britain 6 sided pencils, shaved back to bare wood, with the numbers and words written on them were used...
.
Calculator Cricket
Played on a calculator using the random key. the first digit after the decimal point is the runs scored. 7 (for e.g. 0.745) is out, unless it is followed by another number then another 7, which is a dropped catch (for e.g. 0.707). Add the runs up until a 7 comes up. It can be played by one player or you can compete against someone to get the highest individual or team score.Test Cricket Variation
Another variation of Calculator Cricket is a slightly more complex, one player game, more orientated towards Test cricket simulation. Due to the complexity of the game, something akin to a proper cricket scorecard is required to keep track of scores. Any page from the back of your exercise book will do.
- Two teams of 11 players are chosen, and each player is arbitrarily assigned a "batting skill" number. For batsmen, this value ranges between 10 to 12, with better batsmen receiving a higher value. For bowlers, this value is usually 3 to 6.
- Flip a coin - heads team A bats first, tails team B bats first.
- The number of runs scored by one batsman in one over is calculated by [batting skill] * [random number] - 1, rounded down to the nearest whole number.
- If the result is below zero, the batsman is out.
- Bowlers are given "chances" when they are batting - they must accumlate three values less than zero (not consecutively) before they are considered out. Otherwise they will be out too quickly, and you will never see the tail wagging, as is common in today's cricket.
- To add realism, the next over is faced by the other batsman (i.e. they alternate strike). Although this may seem extremely tedious to type out on the calculator if you two batsmen with different skill levels batting, one can easily get around this by pressing [replay up/up arrow] which brings up the previous screen and then [equals/execute].
- Unfortunately, the overs have to be manually counted (90 overs in a day, hence 450 overs in total for a 5-day Test match).
- Once an innings is over, you can now simulate the opposing team's innings. Follow-ons and declarations can be made at the player's discretion.
- Variations can be added to this game, at the player's discretion, to factor in other variables.
Surprisingly, the run rates, overall totals, and length of matches are actually relatively realistic.
Pub cricket
Also called Car Cricket. A travel game based on the names of public houses passed on the route. RunsRun (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 or 100 runs , or any higher multiple of 50 runs, is considered a particular achievement...
are scored according to the number of legs, arms or other items featured in the pub name. The exact rules vary according to the participants. See main article.
Book Cricket
It is popular with school children in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It has several variants and is mostly played by 2 players. The runs are scored by flipping the book open at random and the last digit of the right-side (even-numbered) page is counted as the number of runs scored. 0 (and sometimes 8) are assigned to special rules, typically losing a wicket. For example, if the batting side opened the book at page 26, then 6 runs would be scored. For the toss, what is generally done is that both the players open a page and the one who's last digit is greater wins.
In the 1950s a version of book cricket appeared in the UK in the Eagle comic. A page was chosen and each letter or symbol was counted according to a formula as follows:
- a = 0
- b = 1
- c = 2
- d = 1
- e = 0
- f = 1
- g = 0
- h = 1
- i = 0
- j = 3
- k = wicket (lbw)
- l = 1
- m = wicket (followed by a to l - bowled followed by m to z, else caught)
- n = 1
- o = 0
- p = 1
- q = wicket (bowled)
- r = 1
- s = 0
- t = 0
- u = 0
- v = 4
- w = 2
- x = 4
- y = 2
- z = 4
- A = 2
- B = 4
- C = 2
- D = wicket (caught)
- E = 2
- F = 4
- G = 2
- H = 1
- I = 0
- J = wicket (bowled)
- K = 6
- L = 2
- M = 4
- N = 2
- O = 0
- P = 4
- Q = no ball
- R = 4
- S = 2
- T = 2
- U = 1
- V = wicket (caught)
- W = wide
- X = 6
- Y = 3
- Z = wicket (stumped)
- dot = 0
- comma = 0
This produced a remarkably realistic scorecard with the majority of innings around 150 to 300 scored at about 4 runs per over.
Hand Cricket
It is widely popular among the school children in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
- It is played through gestures (called 'throws'), each of them signifying a number, that are made simultaneously by 2 players, each using 1 hand, by locking the wrist before the throw and immediately releasing certain fingers (as determined by the player) before the other player, who does it simultaneously before him.
- In the popular variant, each released finger counts as 1 but the thumb when released alone counts as 6 and if the wrist is left unlocked then it can mean 2 things:
- 0 or any no. from 7-10
- (for the batsman) as much runs as the bowler's throw (if not the same, else the batsman is out).
- In some variants, there are gestures even for large nos. like 20, 25, 50 and even 100.
- Mostly 2 individuals play this game, but sometimes 2 teams of players do (they may differ by 1 player and not have a captain).
- The no. of overs per side may or may not be fixed (a side may play until it loses all its wickets).
- The no. of wickets per side is fixed by the players. If a team has 1 player less than the other, then one of its player gets an extra wicket.
- If 2 teams are playing, the bowling may not be regular. Quite often, a bowler can continue to bowl uninterrupted until:
- He feels like giving it up to someone else OR
- His team mates ask him to do so OR
- A limit they set has been reached.
- For the toss (if done), both the players (or the captains/players of the team) select from 'odd' and 'even' and make throws; if the sum of these (i.e. their nos.) is odd/even, then the side having chosen that wins.
- For the play, The batsman and the bowler make throws at every ball; if the throws are the same, the batsman is out, else the throw gets added to the batsman's runs.
- It is generally played in an ODI-like format with each side having 1 innings to bat.
The craze for this form is so much among the school children across the subcontinent that they play it in schools secretly during lectures with their hands under their desks and get detention if caught. They even play it in teams of 3-6 players, maintain records and organize tournaments.