Backyard cricket

From Conservapedia

Backyard cricket is an informal version of the game cricket which is extremely popular in Australia. It is mostly played in a backyard, hence the name "backyard cricket". It can also be played in places such as parks, streets, home garages and other open areas.

Equipment

The equipment usually used in a game of backyard cricket are:

• Two bats, usually plastic, or hand-made from a piece of fence paling, or other suitable scraps being saved for the next barbecue.
• A tennis ball, usually semi-bald, though sometimes new - see "Six and Out" below.
• Two sets of stumps (If bails are not included with the stumps, a stick is usually placed on the top of the stumps instead). The stumps can also be drawn onto a suitable wall or fence, or can be an appropriately size sheet of something leant on something.
• Some kind of object to mark the crease, e.g a straight stick, a hat, a drawn line (commonly with chalk)
• "Fieldsmen". These are any objects that can be placed in suitable positions to act as fielders - the garbage bin, wheelbarrow, baby sister, anything that if hit on the full means the hitter is out.

Rules

There are many rules for backyard cricket, mostly informal, however it is rare for all rules to be used in a game. Some commonly used rules include:

• Auto-keeper, also known as auto-wickie and other names, is where any ball hit on the full into the area where a wicketkeeper would usually stand is said to be caught out by the wicketkeeper. This rule is commonly used where there are insufficient players to cover for all positions on the field.
• Auto-slips is similar to auto-keeper. Any ball hit into the slips is said to be caught out by the slips. This rule is also commonly used when there are insufficient players to fill in all positions.
• One hand one bounce is where a fielder has the opportunity to catch the batsman out if it has only bounced once, however they must catch the ball with one hand.
• Tip and run, also tippity and other names, is a rule when players must run every time they hit, no matter what the circumstances.
• Six and Out, a rule that "goes back to the ark", where a hit over the fence, or through the bathroom window, onto the roof, down the gullet of an unfriendly dog; or anywhere else where ball retrieval can be difficult, is given the score of 6 runs, but the hitter is "out".
• LBW is technically not a "rule" as such, but it is commonly said when it is decided to incorporate the LBW rule into a game that it is "playing LBW"
• Retire on X is a common rule in quick games of informal cricket. It means all batsmen must retire (give up their turn) once they reach a certain amount of runs (such as 20, 50 or 100) to make sure all players receive a fair go.