Over the Fence is Out!
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| On the sands of Bass Strait, Eastern View, Victoria, Australia — "A day at the Beach - 24 self portraits" by Jeff Moorfoot. |
| The rules of backyard and beach cricket are as fluid as the waves on an ocean shore, which will snatch the ball from off the very pitch itself; so what follows are the myths and legends by which we play. |
BowlingOverarm...bowling is the over-arm delivery of the ball toward the stumps; a graceful swing of the bowling arm, beginning with the arm hanging loosely by the hip, then performing an arc by swinging the arm to the rear and thence upwards and "over", releasing the ball at some time when the arm is at full stretch in the air. The elbow is never bent, as it would be in a throw.Overarm bowling is the correct form of delivery in every level of cricket (with odd exceptions noted below). Chucking......is neither elegant nor efficient, and it well behoves the adult to tutor the child away from this form of delivery, both to protect the child’s self-esteem when playing in company, and to lift performance as a bowler.Chucking is when the arm bends at the elbow and the result is neither a graceful throw nor correct bowl — in stickball: pitch — but something like a clumsy throw, and can elicit ridicule from all who observe it, and therefore impotent fury and despair in the chucker. Underarm...... bowling is, if all else fails, preferable to "chucking", and entirely acceptable for the elder player, but bowling is preferred in the young.Underarm does, however, have its place. In severely restricted areas it may be the only safe manner in which to bowl at all. It is performed by swinging the arm past the body at about hip height (that is, with the arm hanging down), and releasing the ball at the end of this motion. Underarm delivery should be used when the batter is very young, as it allows the bowler to control the ball in a manner which will allow the inexperienced batter to get the feel of the game. It is also used to control the over-excitable, who become downright dangerous in their enthusiasm with overarm and needs be constrained. Balls...in the BackyardUsually--for the sake of peace and goodwill--tennis balls, in any state of decay.The American Wiffle Ball is an excellent missile for the backyard as it is extremely unlikely to crack glass when even the wildest slasher is batting; and it is made to impart curve. "Kelpies" are fine; but only for the beach. They are potentially lethal in the backyard. (See: "Balls for the Beach" below.) Golf balls fall into the same category as "kelpies". Part-ripe fruit (windfalls so you're not robbing the hungry) may be used in extremis. However, one can usually dig up a tennis ball somewhere. If you are searching in the garden for one remember, just like diamonds, they may not look like the real thing until you have cleaned them down some...so test every roundish object you see. And if you get lucky enough to have mature puffballs (fungi) growing, these will add novelty for a moment or two; and if you are chastised for interfering with nature just point out you are helping the puffball with its natural function...spreading spore. (Remember to wipe the fungoo off the bat after. A bat sprouting puffballs at some future date will not help the quality of the wood.) And if all else fails in your search for a ball, a length of cord plaited into a turks-head knot will serve the purpose. ...the MVC SpecialYou have to make this one up. Begin with a tennis ball that has at least some of its fluff all over; and a roll or two of conventional plastic electrician's tape.Wind the tape round and round the ball over and over itself until a false seam is built up. Then work more tape over one side of the seam only to create a "shiny" side OR shave one side of the ball to get the same effect. This will give you a ball which will take spin. Protective GearIf, as you play, you feel some form of protective gear is necessary, then you are NOT playing Backyard Cricket, but someone's fantasy.Andrew's RuleA nice touch to the "Over the Fence is Out" rule:If the batter retrieves the ball, then they can add six to their score; a nice, sobering touch — but make sure you declare it a house rule before the first ball. Any Commentssuch as "Jono's Rule", "Andrew's Rule" and "Cameron's Game" are always very welcome.My contact details can be found by clicking HERE. Click to 
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BatsAlmost anything you can hold and swing in two hands will do...even (oh, dear...) a baseball bat will serve in moments of desperation and despair; but this particular utensil must be held with an air of disdain.KeepersWicket keepers (the player behind the stumps) are frequently a luxury the player-deprived team cannot afford.To fill this very necessay role an "automatic wicket keeper" is declared...and make certain this is done before the start of each game to avoid embarrassing scenes and bad blood. Declare it as a house rule, as almost every backyard (house) has a different geography and therefore requires different rules. If the stumps can be set up with the side of a shed behind them, the missed ball becomes a lot less of a proble. A fence is the next best thing, but only if the neighbours are friendly. Building up a wire netting "backstop" is an excellent idea, so long as the look of it does not trash the backyard, or it is taken down after each game (dream...). With all touched balls which go behind the stumps declared as catches, and therefore out, the game moves along faster with an added spice. There can also be a line drawn from the stumps forward at a low angle where balls crossing on the full from the bat are also deemed catches. Also hazards such as gardens, where a fielder cannot stand, but would if possible, can be declared catch areas when the ball lands in them on the full. A little more on this subject on page 3. 
Flood tide cricket on the Fairhaven surf beach, Victoria, Australia in January, 2006. Umpires...?Not strictly necessary where goodwill prevails; but useful...if a mother or grand-mother can be pressed into this role...when the age range of players is from very young, or all very young.The intuitive skills of such ladies is of inestimable value, and can prevent tears of frustration and angry bat(tering)s due to tantrum. Fathers in this role are useless. NeighboursSongs have been written about friends and neighbours; and the (right) girl next door is what every boy craves; but agro-man as often lives over the fence. They are all a part of the game in your backyard, whether you wish them to be or not.The ideal backyard cricket neighbours will be keen, but not fussy gardeners. They will be out in their gardens at the same time as you, and cheerily throw the ball back each time it goes over. They may even climb the fence after the ball and join in Windows......oh for the days before glass...Putting a ball through a window is not only out, it is also the end of the game for the day (at least). If it happens, one is well advised to leave the property--maybe the State, even--until Dad has had time to cool down, unless... ...unless it is Dad who hits it through, in which case it is just a cruel twist of fate that could have happened to anyone, and, anyhow, if you are going to bowl at me like that what the heck do you expect? And who was supposed to be fielding? Some fielder if you let a hit like that... At which time it is also advisable to leave the property immediately before it somehow becomes totally your fault... Jono's Rule(Definitely a house rule, and should only be implimented when the neighbour over the fence mentioned is friendly, and the general layout of that neighbour's yard is known. It is imperative, for instance, to know where that neighbour's windows are; not to mention any precious flowerpots. You should also be on good terms with any dogs there.) The Rule: Hitting it over the fence that is straight ahead of the batter is 12 and out. It's the glory-hunter's hit which can win the game.Cameron's GameHit the ball into the dog's kennel and you score 10! Cameron comments: "The chance of doing this is unlikely, as you would have to play this awesome shot like in between a square drive and a cover drive. It has, so far, only ever been done once." His other rules are: You can bowl a maximum of 5 full speed deliveries every 10 balls. Automatic wicketkeeper. Hit the fence on the full is 6. Boundries are 4. |
StumpsRubbish bin stumps are classic, but rapidly fading as mother Local Council replaces the standard battered-bin with odd looking plastic boxes on wheels. In the old days, if the rubbish bin was too full or otherwise unavailable, a kerosene tin or five-gallon petrol tin could always be sourced from the shed...but these now seem to be icons of another age, in fact if you found one you would probably slip down to the secondhand shop and sell it as an object of ancient art; in which case you could readily afford a set of real wooden stumps and bails.Serious...backyard cricketers will always try for the three wooden stumps and bails.Semi...serious players often buy a set of three welded pipes on their own base. These are fine and long lasting, however, they demand a spirit of goodwill amongst all players that, alas, is not always there. "Owzat...!" can be readily disputed when there are no bails to fall."Oh, come on!" "That hit the outside stump!" "It did not!" So you go and get a hacksaw and take the whole metal top off and throw it on the ground. "See?" "Well if you're going to be like that!" And only then, as he walks off across the road, do you remember he owns the bat, and he's taking it with him... Fences"Over the fence is out" is an immutable rule, and those who give six runs for it are asking for disaster and dispute in the garden next door. In fact this addendum should be vigorously stamped upon as it will lead to willfulness and irresponsibility in the young and expressions of vainglory in those old enough to know better, and will give the game as a whole an unsavory name.When the bat follows the ball over the fence, then it is time to slip quietly inside and set up a board game, and maintain you have been playing it for hours and it must have been the kids over the road who sneaked in to have a game...they're always doing that... DogsDogs are either for you or agin you; they rarely merely lie down on the pitch and simply create a hazard.A well trained dog can be a major asset. A dog that will sit or lie while the ball is being bowled, and then fetch it on command, is worth half a dozen fielders; particularly when the ball is hit into the tangle of a garden. By the same token, backyard cricket is equally good for the dog, giving it some excitement, exercise, and a feeling of oneness with the family. Our dog, Brom, is of the useless kind. He has all the basic attributes of a good backyard cricket dog except one. If you throw, or kick a ball for him, he will hunt it down if it is in hell itself, and return it to your feet; and continue the game all day, or until one of you wears out. His fatal flaw is that he will not wait, so when the ball is bowled the batter has to hit both Brom and the ball, or stand aside and watch his stumps fall. This is both a shame and a disgrace; a shame because Brom would give his heart to join in the fun instead of being locked away; and a disgrace because we are obviously inept as dog trainers.
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