Kids Cricket

[splott parker]

Was reminiscing today about playing cricket as a kid. You just don’t see kids playing it now but me and my mates were well into it as kids in the 60s. The rules we had, which I’m sure were universal, were nothing to do with the rules of ‘proper’ cricket. Who remembers ‘Out over gardens’ (any batsman who hit it over someone’s back garden was out), ‘last man bats on’ ( if we were playing doubles ie two batsmen, the innings didn’t end until everyone was out), ‘three shies at the bat’ (if was a contentious LB (never LBW) decision, the batsman could have three shies with the ball at the bat balanced against the middle stump, if he hit it, he stayed in, if not, he was out). My favourite though was ‘You’ve got to field your innings’, no matter what the circumstances, your house could be on fire, your mother had ran off with the milkman, your sister was pregnant by your brother etc, if you’d batted you couldn’t just piss off home, you could sulk, make ludicrous excuses etc, there was no way that you were leaving.

I’m sure kids don’t go through this growing up ritual now, more’s the pity.

[Hot Shot Hamish.]

I've always loved cricket. Played it all my life and still remember our street cricket as kids. Six and out if you hit it over the wall and into the street. I remember one day where we decided to play with a "corkie" .
One of the lads smacked it over the wall and smashed his own glass front door. His mother went ballistic. We were shouting to him to throw the ball back to us while she was screaming at him but he was now standing in the passage and in a panic proceeded to throw it through skylight above the door. His mother went even more mental while I think all us boys just pissed ourselves laughing .
I hope this doesn't get the "you had to be there response"!!

[The Hooded Claw]

We used to have a caravan in Ludchurch, Pembrokeshire in the 1980s.
The first time we went there, I was marched out onto the field to join a game of cricket.
We used to play all day and all the kids (and some parents) joined in.
Happy days!

[Nobody's Rep]

Loads of office type businesses down the lanes of cathedral road made for good cricket pitches that were bouncy as feck the wall was a slip cordon and it was one hand one bounce for catches

Also when watching Glamorgan we would camp out towards the Cardiff rags pitch where Cardiff 3rds used to play cricket with two of the cross wire rubbish bins for wickets and be there all day

And even start preparing a "track" by the astro hockey pitches by sophia Gardens until they told us we couldnt

In my playing days we would play dressing room cricket with a stump and a tennis ball during rain delays

Me and my mates took our kids to watch a Wales football game in the millenium and camped out in Mill Lane for a few drinks and the kids started an impromptu game of cricket with wooden spoons off the table that were used for table numbers so they could be equally creative given the chance

[tforturton]

I used to love playing it as a kid, and did the same with my three when they were younger. We had a metal tray that was just the right size to use as a wicket, and it made a great noise when you bowled someone. All fun and games until someone put the ball through the kitchen window. My (ex) wife was not happy.

[splott parker]

Loads of office type businesses down the lanes of cathedral road made for good cricket pitches that were bouncy as feck the wall was a slip cordon and it was one hand one bounce for catches

Also when watching Glamorgan we would camp out towards the Cardiff rags pitch where Cardiff 3rds used to play cricket with two of the cross wire rubbish bins for wickets and be there all day

And even start preparing a "track" by the astro hockey pitches by sophia Gardens until they told us we couldnt

In my playing days we would play dressing room cricket with a stump and a tennis ball during rain delays

Me and my mates took our kids to watch a Wales football game in the millenium and camped out in Mill Lane for a few drinks and the kids started an impromptu game of cricket with wooden spoons off the table that were used for table numbers so they could be equally creative given the chance

That’s one I forgot, ‘One handed off the wall’

[Nobody's Rep]

I used to love playing it as a kid, and did the same with my three when they were younger. We had a metal tray that was just the right size to use as a wicket, and it made a great noise when you bowled someone. All fun and games until someone put the ball through the kitchen window. My (ex) wife was not happy.

Both of mine (one son one daughter) played and my son still does - massive moment when we all played for the first eleven together great day and one game between us took 9 of the wickets. You make mates for life and some great memories - my daugther toured South Africa and Dubai playing

Great great sport especially. Test cricket

[blue matt]

Kids Cricket is fairly popular down here, KwikCricket, my daughters club has over 100 kids come and play each Friday night

they start at about 4 or 5, normally by 10 they are playing with a incrediball " soft " cricket ball with a real wooden bat

[the other bob wilson]

We used to play around the council garages behind my house and it was one handed off the roof for us as you tried to guess which groove in the corrugated, probably asbestos, roof the ball was running down. There was nothing to be gained by a batsman playing straight because you couldn’t score runs that way, so, with us for some reason choosing to play over towards one side rather than in the middle, I mastered the cut for six, while the leg side boundary was about twice as far away and it was a trait that I carried into my occasional forays in senior cricket with nearly all of the runs I scored coming square of the wicket.

[qccfc]

Kids Cricket is fairly popular down here, KwikCricket, my daughters club has over 100 kids come and play each Friday night

they start at about 4 or 5, normally by 10 they are playing with a incrediball " soft " cricket ball with a real wooden bat

That sounds like Dynamos Cricket for 8-11 year olds.

Lots of clubs in England and Wales run it. We have over 30 children that attend on a Friday night. Which for a small valleys village side is good going. I know Cardiff have 100s of children in their systems.

I know when we start we have lots of children asking what sport is this? and have next to no knowledge of it. So i dont think kids these days are going out and playing off their own back, i would imagine this is a case of lack of TV coverage.

in my experience the kids enjoy the game when they are playing it.

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

My favourite trick was being "wickie" and clicking my fingers as the ball passed the bat (we didn't have gloves of course), then taking the catch!

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

I used to love playing with my mates. We only ever played with one wicket and one batter (we were never able to muster the same kind of numbers we did for football).
I also played for the high school team. Whilst I was a fairly decent fielder, I was totally useless with the bat when padded up (left leg padded only).
I say "when padded up", because having a knock around with my mates, I could hit the bloody tennis ball for miles!
But batting for the school, I was as nervous as anything! I was usually put in at number eleven and used to pray that we'd reach the total without me having to come on.

[Optimistic Nick]

Was reminiscing today about playing cricket as a kid. You just don’t see kids playing it now but me and my mates were well into it as kids in the 60s. The rules we had, which I’m sure were universal, were nothing to do with the rules of ‘proper’ cricket. Who remembers ‘Out over gardens’ (any batsman who hit it over someone’s back garden was out), ‘last man bats on’ ( if we were playing doubles ie two batsmen, the innings didn’t end until everyone was out), ‘three shies at the bat’ (if was a contentious LB (never LBW) decision, the batsman could have three shies with the ball at the bat balanced against the middle stump, if he hit it, he stayed in, if not, he was out). My favourite though was ‘You’ve got to field your innings’, no matter what the circumstances, your house could be on fire, your mother had ran off with the milkman, your sister was pregnant by your brother etc, if you’d batted you couldn’t just piss off home, you could sulk, make ludicrous excuses etc, there was no way that you were leaving.

I’m sure kids don’t go through this growing up ritual now, more’s the pity.

Used to play it loads in the street as a kid. Some neighbours were dicks so the "six and out" rule applied if you hit it in to their garden. One day they actually called the police because we fetched a ball from their front garden. The police turned up, saw a bunch of kids playing cricket in the street and joined in.

The "three shoes at the bat" rule is a new one to me

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Used to play it loads in the street as a kid. Some neighbours were dicks so the "six and out" rule applied if you hit it in to their garden. One day they actually called the police because we fetched a ball from their front garden. The police turned up, saw a bunch of kids playing cricket in the street and joined in.

The "three shoes at the bat" rule is a new one to me

One woman in my street used to rush out and confiscate any football that landed on her lawn - as she said that it damaged her grass. However, she used to let her adult son park his car on it.

[insider]

You had to shout "wickets " when you made your crease or you could be run out.
No pea rollers when you were bowling.
And if the ball went over Chris Fris's garden it was game over and you had to leg it.
If given out and you didn't agree you normally smashed the wickets down in a mad rage .

[the other bob wilson]

We never played with the “Elbee” law in place and I’ve only ever been given out once LBW - it was in a “proper” match when I was twelve or thirteen and I hobbled off in agony because I’d been in the balls.

[blue matt]

That sounds like Dynamos Cricket for 8-11 year olds.

Lots of clubs in England and Wales run it. We have over 30 children that attend on a Friday night. Which for a small valleys village side is good going. I know Cardiff have 100s of children in their systems.

I know when we start we have lots of children asking what sport is this? and have next to no knowledge of it. So i dont think kids these days are going out and playing off their own back, i would imagine this is a case of lack of TV coverage.

in my experience the kids enjoy the game when they are playing it.

that's the one, Dynamos

the younger lot are " Allstars cricket "

I still call it Kwikcricket from about 10 years ago

[poc]

i remember one 18 over midweek game when you umpired your own innings my dad was umpire and i was one of the last wicket pair at the non strikers end needing 2 to win the bowler called for lbw it did look out mind and my dad put his finger up and said thats out stephen only for his bat to come hurtling down the wicket shouting you baldy c**t

[splott parker]

i remember one 18 over midweek game when you umpired your own innings my dad was umpire and i was one of the last wicket pair at the non strikers end needing 2 to win the bowler called for lbw it did look out mind and my dad put his finger up and said thats out stephen only for his bat to come hurtling down the wicket shouting you baldy c**t

I was batting in the midweek league, the 18 over slash, two of your team umpiring. Anyway the ball raps me on the pads, big shout of howzat goes up but not from the bowler, it was from the umpire, who was one of our bowlers and just couldn’t help himself. The bowler then turns and rather meekly says ‘Howzat’ and ‘our bowler/umpire’ says not out. The wicket keeper comes up to me and says it was never out, it was going down leg. What a fair bunch of chaps Old Monktonians were ��

[Ivortheengine]

We used to chalk the wickets on the wall outside our house.We used to use a tennis ball in those days.You knew you were bowled out ,as there would be chalk on the ball. No arguing with that.