Cricket Rules
Two teams take turns batting and bowling; whoever scores more runs wins.
11-a-side; T20 (20 overs per side) is the standard format for casual and club leagues.
- •Runs are scored by running between the wickets, or automatically: 4 for a boundary along the ground, 6 if it clears the boundary without bouncing
- •The team batting second wins by reaching the target set by the team batting first
- •A team is "all out" once it loses 10 wickets, ending its innings early
- •An over is 6 legal deliveries; a T20 innings is capped at 20 overs
- •If the team batting second is bowled out or runs out of overs before reaching the target, they lose
- •A full scorecard tracks runs, wickets lost, and overs faced, not just the final total
Picking a format that finishes
A T20 fits an evening at around two hours forty minutes including the interval; a forty-over game does not, and a league scheduling one in April will finish in the dark. Midweek leagues often go shorter still, playing sixteen or even ten overs a side.
A shorter format that completes is a better season than a longer one abandoned for bad light three times. Work backwards from sunset when setting start times, and be honest about how long your group actually takes between overs.
Rain, ties and the rules you need before you need them
Full Duckworth-Lewis-Stern is impractical for casual cricket, so most leagues use a simple run-rate comparison with a minimum overs threshold, typically five overs a side, below which the match is a no-result.
Ties need an answer too. A super over is the modern choice and needs light and willing bowlers; a bowl-out at unguarded stumps takes five minutes and works in almost any conditions. Decide which before the season, not during a tied chase.
Common questions
How many overs can one bowler bowl?
The standard is a fifth of the innings: four overs in a T20, ten in a fifty-over game. Casual leagues often tighten it further to spread the bowling, which matters when the alternative is the same four players bowling every over all season.
What is the difference between a grass and artificial strip?
A prepared grass square needs a groundsman and regular maintenance, which is beyond most new leagues. Artificial strips play consistently, need almost no preparation, and are what the majority of midweek and social cricket is played on.
How many players do you need?
Eleven a side means a squad of fourteen or fifteen to survive a season. Plenty of casual leagues field nine or ten instead, which is fine as long as it is stated up front, because it changes fielding restrictions and the batting order.
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