Remember when you were a kid – No worries, no responsibilities, happy for no reason – You and your friends would make plans to get up early to play cricket during vacations, and you would go on playing until your parent would come and scold you?
Golden days, right?
However, as we grew older, the challenges of adulthood made us lose touch with most of the things we used to do regularly in our childhood. Playing cricket with friends is one of them. I’m sure that most of you haven’t held a cricket bat since your childhood.
Some memories stay with us for as long as we live. Childhood cricket memories are something we can never forget. They have found a vibrant place within our hearts. Today it brings tears to our eyes when we remember those childhood days.
In today’s blog, we have put together some of the best childhood cricket moments that will take you back to those days. It will help you relive your childhood days that have gone by. So, let’s dive right in.
1. Toss
Toss was crucial. However, unlike international games, it was not necessary to have a coin for the toss. Almost anything, from a cricket bat to a snack wrapper, would do the job. The loser of the toss would often ask to implement the “Best Of Three” rule, especially if they own the bat or bowl. The winning team would always choose to bat first.
2. Stumps should be visible to the Bowler
Generally, there was no LBW. The batsman would not be allowed to cover all three stumps. The Bowler would ask the batsman to stand clear of the wicket so that he could see the stumps. A batsman would consider out if he found using his legs to stop the bowl from hitting the wicket.
3. Stumps
It was not necessary to have stumps. Garbage bins, bricks, sticks, etc. were some of the everyday things that players would use as wicket materials.
4. Umpire from the Batting Team
There was no leg umpire or third umpire. One member from the batting team would become the “ONLY” umpire. So, most of the decisions would go in favour of the batting side. Whenever a wicket would fall, the umpire would declare it a NO BALL. The bowling side would argue with the umpire for some time, and then the game would start again.
5. No Runs Behind The Stumps
Shots behind the wickets not counted as runs. So, batsmen would end up making zero runs with sweep shots most of the time.
6. Losing Cricket Balls
Losing the ball was a common phenomenon. The batsman who played the shot would ask to bring a new ball. If you were the batter, you would have to rush from the playground to the corner store to exchange your coins for a new cricket ball.
7. First Ball Trial
The first ball of each innings was always considered a trial ball. The batsman couldn’t give out in that ball.
8. One Tip One Hand Rule
If a fielder caught the ball with one hand after it hit the ground once, the batter would consider out.
10. Tip and Run
You would have to run anyway if your bat would make contact with the ball.
11. Limit on Bowling Speed
You could not bowl very fast. The umpire would call it a NO BALL if the speed exceeded the upper-speed limit.
9. Following the Style of the Favorite Cricketer
We all had a favourite cricketer. We would try to copy his batting or bowling style. It would give us a feeling of being a professional cricketer.
10. Extra Player
There was no rule on how many players can play. However, if someone would come once the team selection made, he would be considered the Jack player. He would be part of both sides. He would field in both innings.
11. Run Out
There was no TV umpire to review a run-out decision. So, it was always a mystery.
12. Six and Out
It is another famous rule of backyard cricket. You will give out if you hit a ball over the fence. Also, the batter would have to go to get the ball.
13. Retire At X Runs
In the case of test matches, all batsmen would have to retire after scoring a pre-declared number of runs. It usually was 50 or 100.
14. Batting and Bowling Rules
The owner of the bat would always bat first. The best batsman of the team would always open.
Final Thoughts We hope these memories took you back to your childhood. While it’s true that you can’t go back to your childhood and do all the fun again, you can resurface all those beautiful memories by remembering your childhood moments.
