Cricket is a timeless sport that has brought families and friends together for generations. Playing the backyard version of cricket in your garden is a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors, stay active, and introduce kids to this beloved game. With a simple and affordable cricket set for children, you can transform your garden into a mini cricket pitch and create countless memories of fun-filled games.
Backyard cricket, also called bat ball, street cricket, beach cricket, corridor cricket, garden cricket, gully cricket (in the Indian subcontinent), or box cricket (for smaller areas), is a casual version of the full-format sport. People play it in all sorts of places like gardens, backyards, streets, parks, parking lots, beaches, and other spots not meant for cricket. This fun, informal game is especially popular in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Garden cricket is a fantastic activity for kids for so many reasons. It's not just a fun game. It also helps with teamwork, physical fitness, and strategic thinking. This sport involves a range of physical actions, including running, jumping, throwing, and batting, all of which support comprehensive physical growth.
Basic Rules of Garden Cricket
Before jumping into the fun of garden cricket, it's important to grasp its basic rules. Unlike formal cricket, this version is more relaxed and adaptable. Rules can vary widely depending on the game's setting, the players' traditions, and their level of experience. The playing field, rules, teams, and gear are all subject to improvisation. Often, there might not even be designated teams. Players take turns batting without much focus on scoring runs. The game's informality allows for flexible rules agreed upon beforehand by the players.
However, there are some commonly followed rules that help maintain order and fairness in the game. Here's a straightforward guide to help you get started with garden cricket:
1. Setup
Place the stumps at one end of the garden to form the wicket. The batter stands in front of the stumps, and the bowler delivers the ball from a distance of around 6 to 10 meters (depending on the space available and the skill level of the players).
2. Teams
Divide players into two teams – one for batting and one for bowling/fielding. If you have a small group, you can play with just one batter and rotate after each dismissal.
3. Bowling
The bowler aims to hit the stumps or get the batter out by other means such as catching the ball before it hits the ground. Bowl underarm or overarm depending on the age and skill level of the players.
4. Batting
The batter tries to hit the ball away from the stumps and score runs by running to a designated marker and back. Alternatively, runs can be scored based on where the ball lands after being hit.
5. Scoring
Points can be awarded for every run completed, with extra points for hitting the ball to specific areas (like a boundary line for 4 or 6 runs).
6. Dismissals
A batter is out if the ball hits the stumps (bowled), is caught by a fielder (caught), or if the batter misses the ball and it hits the wicket while they are running (run out).
7. Winning
The game can be played for a set number of overs or until all batters are out. The team with the most runs at the end wins.
Creative Possibilities for More Fun
Cricket offers endless possibilities, and you can tweak and customise it to fit your needs. It's better to stick with physical versions of the game until kids are older and ready for the full-format version of cricket. For example, you can try hand cricket, where you use a soft ball and your hand as the bat!
How to Make Your Cricket Game More Exciting?
To keep the game exciting and engaging, try incorporating some creative twists:
1. Obstacle Course
Add obstacles around the garden that players must navigate while running between the wickets. This adds a fun challenge and encourages agility and quick thinking.
2. Target Practice
Set up targets around the garden and award extra points for hitting them with the ball. This can help improve accuracy and control for both batters and bowlers.
3. Team Challenges
Organise mini-tournaments with different family teams. Use colourful markers or costumes to represent each team and create a festive atmosphere.
4. Night Cricket
Use glow-in-the-dark balls and stumps for an exciting game of cricket after sunset. This can be a thrilling experience for kids and adults alike.
5. Themed Matches
Add a theme to your cricket matches, such as "Pirate Cricket" or "Superhero Cricket," where players dress up and use themed rules or challenges.
Different Variations of the Game and Cricket Drills
Here are some simple 'bat and ball' activities parents can use to introduce younger children to cricket style gameplay:
1. French Cricket
Equipment Needed: Cricket bat, softball.
How to Play: The batsman stands in the centre of a circle formed by the other players. Using a bat, the batsman must protect their legs from being hit by the softball thrown by the other players. The batsman is out if they are hit below the knees or if a player catches the ball after the batsman hits it, provided the ball is caught without bouncing. The parent decides if the batsman swaps with the fielder who got them out or if players take turns being in the centre.
Progression: The game can be made easier or harder by adjusting rules such as requiring the batsman to keep their feet together or stand still. Fielders can be asked to step back after each successful hit by the batsman.
2. Roll, Roll, Roll Your Ball
Equipment Needed: Cricket bats, tennis ball.
How to Play: This activity is more of a drill and involves a batsman standing with legs apart while bowlers try to roll a tennis ball between their legs. The batsman must use their bat to block and return the ball.
3. Non-stop Cricket
Equipment Needed: Cricket bats, tennis balls.
How to Play: Each team has a set time to bat, and the batsman must run regardless of hitting the ball. The next batsman takes their place immediately after the previous one is out, ensuring a fast-paced game.
4. Bowl, Bat, and Catch
Equipment Needed: Cricket bat, softball.
How to Play: In groups of six, four children act as fielders, one as the bowler, and one as the batsman. The bowler pitches the ball to the batsman who tries to hit it to the fielders. Each fielder stands in a semi-circle around the batsman and tries to catch the ball.
Progression: Focus on technique rather than perfection for younger children. To increase difficulty, fielders can stand further back, or traditional rules can be applied.
5. Caterpillar Catch
Equipment Needed: Cones, tennis ball.
How to Play: Divide the group of children into two teams, forming two parallel lines with players facing partners. A player throws a tennis ball to their partner and then runs to the end of the line. This continues in a zig-zag pattern until the starting player returns to the head of the line.
Progression: To increase difficulty, require teams to complete multiple rounds or introduce penalties for dropped balls.
6. The Overarm Challenge
Equipment Needed: Wicket (or alternative target), cricket balls/tennis balls, cones.
How to Play: Set up a wicket and place cones at intervals from it. Players take turns throwing a ball to hit the wicket. After a successful throw, the player moves to the next cone further back.
Objective: The aim is to see who can successfully hit the wicket from the farthest distance.
Source:
- https://www.amaven.co.uk/blog/7-bat-ball-games-to-play-with-kids-who-are-new-to-cricket
The Sweatband.com Junior Cricket Set
For an all-in-one solution to kickstart your garden cricket games, the Sweatband.com Junior Cricket Set is perfect. This set includes everything future cricketers need to practice and learn the correct technique. It's lightweight, portable, and easy to set up, making it ideal for playing cricket anywhere, anytime.
Designed to provide hours of outdoor fun, whether at the beach, park, or garden, this game set is a fantastic gift idea. It aims to increase kids' general fitness levels, develop gross motor skills, and boost social skills, while also improving concentration, balance, and hand-eye coordination.
The set comprises an 80cm (31.5") long bat, a set of stumps and bails, a base, and a durable rubber ball, all supplied in a practical carry bag for convenient storage and enhanced carrying comfort. With the Sweatband.com Junior Cricket Set, you can ensure your kids have a great time while staying active and learning the sport of cricket.
You can visit our store and purchase the Sweatband.com Junior Cricket Set by clicking on the button below:
For generations, cricket has been a cherished sport, uniting families and friends. Enjoying the backyard version in your garden is a great way to stay active, soak up the outdoors, and introduce kids to this beloved game. With an affordable and simple children's cricket set, your garden can become a mini cricket pitch, offering endless fun and creating lasting memories. Whether you're teaching your kids the basics or adding creative twists to the game, garden cricket is sure to become a favourite activity for everyone!
