Indoor Cricket Rules

In terms of the concept of the game indoor cricket is similar to cricket. Like its outdoor cousin, indoor cricket involves two batsmen, a bowler and a team of fielders. The bowler bowls the ball to the batsmen who must score runs (3rd delivery if previous 2 balls were dots).

The team with the highest score at the end of the match wins. Despite these basic similarities, the game itself differs significantly from its traditional counterpart in several ways, most notably on the field of play and the duration of the game.

Pitch Length

The length of an indoor cricket pitch is the same as a conventional cricket pitch, and has 3 stumps at each end, but there the similarities end. Whilst the pitch is the same length, however, the batsmen don't have to run the entire length. The striker's crease is in the regulation place in front of the stumps, but the non-striker's crease is only half way down the pitch.

Players

Indoor cricket is played between 2 teams of 8 players. Each player must bowl 2 overs, and bat in a partnership for 4 overs.

Competition Points

At Action Indoor Sports the Competition Points are as follows (might be different at other locations):

• Win - 4 Points
• Draw - 2 Points
• Loss - 0 Points
• Bye - 4 Points
• Forfeit For (We default) - -8 Points
• Forfeight Against (They default) - 8 Points

You also score bonus points for Skins (Partnerships) - 1 Point per skin (i.e. Opp 1st Pair vs Our Team 1st Pair etc).

Scoring

Scoring in indoor cricket is split into 2 areas: physical runs and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net.

Bonus scores for particular parts of the nets follow:

• Zone A (front net - behind the keeper): 0 bonus runs
• Zone B (side nets between the striker's end and halfway down the pitch): 1 run
• Zone C (side nets between halfway and the bowlers end): 2 runs
• Zone D (back net - behind the bowler):
  • On the bounce: 4 runs
  • On the full: 6 runs
• Zone B or C onto Zone D: 3 runs

NB: For bonus runs to be scored, at least one physical run must be scored. The bonus runs are then added to the physical runs.

Dismissals

A batsman can be dismissed in the same ways they can be in conventional cricket - with variations in the case of LBW and mankad (see below) - and with the exception of timed out. When a batsman gets dismissed, however, five runs are deducted from their total and they continue to bat. Batsmen bat in pairs for 4 overs at a time, irrespective of whether they are dismissed.

• Mankads

  A method of dismissal in indoor cricket that is far more prevalent than its outdoor counterpart is the mankad. A mankad is given out if the bowler completes their bowling action without releasing the ball, breaks the stumps at their end without letting go of the ball and the non-striker is out of their ground.



• LBW

  Whilst LBW is still a valid form of dismissal in indoor cricket it is a far rarer occurrence in indoor than it is in outdoor cricket. A batsmen can only be dismissed LBW if they do not offer a shot and the umpire is satisfied that the ball would then have hit the stumps.
  

Information sourced from wikipedia on Sunday, 30th August 2009.