Playground cricket is an informal alternative action form of the game. Every school yard has its variants - many improvising with rubbish bins to shrubs for stumps, textbooks to shoes for bats, and a list of local 'rules' from 'one hand one bounce' to 'bat down' for being dismissed.
One easy option with few rules, maximum participation and limited gear requirements which can be played on any flat surface either outdoors (eg. playing field, tennis court, concrete or asphalt playground) or indoors (eg. hall, gymnasium) is 'Playground 8's Pairs Cricket'.
Playground 8's Pairs Cricket
Teams:
- Require eight players and can be selected as boys only, girls only, or mixed teams
Equipment:
- 2 bats
- 2 sets of MILO Kiwi Cricket stumps
- 1 ball [MILO Kiwi Cricket ball, incrediball or tennis ball]
Rules:
8 a-side matches with 8 overs per team
Set up the two sets of stumps 12 -14 metres apart
The batting team bats in pairs with each pair facing two overs [12 balls] regardless of how many times a batter gets out
Batters change ends at the end of an over and when they get out
Batters can be out: bowled, caught, stumped, hit wicket and run out
All the players in the fielding team must bowl one over [6 balls] each
Players bowl only from one end
For a 'wide' [a ball bowled out of reach of the batter] add 2 runs to the score, no extra ball is to be bowled
For a 'no ball' [a ball bowled either on the full over the batter's waist or which bounces more than once before the batter] add 2 runs to the score, no extra ball is bowled. If the batter hits the no ball count also any runs scored. The batter can only be out 'run out' from a no ball
At the end of each over players rotate through the fielding positions, including wicketkeeper
All players, except the wicketkeeper, must be at least 10 metres from the striking batter
If batters get out they simply change ends and continue to bat [3 runs are deducted from the team score for each time they get out]
Batters do not have to run, but the idea is to score as many runs as possible. If the ball is missed the batters may still run
The team with the highest score is the winner