Ashes at home: 8 essential rules for backyard cricket this summer

Updated 3 days ago by Ben Hann

There is no better time to be an Aussie cricket fan than when the Test team is in the midst of smashing England in a home Ashes series, but the serious cricket is only about to begin across Australian homes.

Christmas-New Year time in Australia largely revolves around two things, barbecues and backyard cricket, and while advice on cooking snags and burgers would be welcome for many, this ever-evolving almanac will instead be focusing on the latter.

After heeding this advice, your game should look a lot more like 'Travball' than 'Bazball' as you run around in the backyard while occasionally looking at the TV hoping that Scott Boland can repeat his Boxing Day heroics.

One small caveat to remember when in furious disagreement with me, every backyard is different and my rules should be treated as flexible as Australia's batting line-up this summer.

With great backyard comes great responsibility

One of the great idiosyncrasies of cricket is that kids grow up in different backyards that reward different shots, but some are undeniably better than others.

It's for this reason the Christmas/New Year's/Australia Day host house must have a great spot for backyard cricket.

Kids (and adults) will get easily bored when playing on a narrow pitch with a singular scoring zone through backward-point between the wall and pot plant, but will play for hours on end when presented with a solid pitch and the ability to play a wide array of strokes.

Eligible backyards should include at least some of the following: lots of grass, a decently tall fence or wall behind the stumps, a pitch positioned so that leg-side and off-side shots are rewarded, one or two areas of shade, and extra points for a pool.

What is the best ball to use?

There has been a trend for shops to sell a 'backyard cricket ball' to go along with stumps and a bat.

Usually rubber, they are often heavy and not particularly helpful to the bowler.

Instead, a half-taped (duct or electrical) tennis ball is and always has been the premier choice.

The half-and-half surface allows for hooping swing while spinners can enjoy a variety in bounce and turn depending on which side it lands.

An added bonus for those lucky enough to have a pool, the tennis ball side adds an extra element of variety as a wet ball gains pace after bouncing.

This might sound very bowler-friendly but backyard cricket should not be easy for the batter, the batting crease is the place everyone wants to be and regular wickets keep it interesting.

Also, a half-taped ball will come off the bat sweetly should the batter time it, meaning reward for good shots.

No willow in vicinity of windows

Plastic cricket bats are a must.

When facing a tennis ball you don't need a Gray-Nicolls Kaboom and fielders don't want to be climbing over fences or icing black eyes.

A plastic bat allows fielders in close and aggressive strokes don't cost thousands in house damage.

They are also a lot lighter, meaning both children and grandparents can face your not-in-the-spirit bouncers and weirdly-personal sledges.

One hand, one bounce, one fielder

One of the most divisive rules - or laws as your cousin calls it - one hand, one bounce has had its future in the game questioned on many occasions.

With multiple sub-rules, such as taken cleanly and not off a full-toss (both of which I agree with), my suggestion has always been that the rule is only ever in play when there is one (or fewer) dedicated fielder.

Fitting in a very similar category as hit-and-run and electric wicket, these are rules only to be used when aiding an under-resourced fielding side.

I'm all for wickets, but batters must be given a chance.

LBW - Let Batters Walk

On the other side of the spectrum to one hand, one bounce is LBW (leg before wicket) as many consider it too official to be applied in backyard cricket.

I agree with this assertion.

But unfortunately, some people see this as an opportunity to reveal themselves as bad characters, resulting in the decision to camp in front of the stumps and kick anything away that they can't hit.

In this scenario, I still don't think LBW should be in play, but I have an alternative solution.

Continue your vociferous appealing, questioning of the batter's character and bumpers around their chin until they eventually decide to either move out of the way or concede they've been caught plumb too many times and walk altogether (second option much less likely).

Everyone is a fielder

From parents on the patio sitting around enjoying some cold beverages to the uninterested partner of that same cousin chilling in the shady part of the pool, everyone is a fielder.

There is no such thing as 'they weren't playing so it doesn't count' and to halt the game for five minutes while you protest such a case is not sporting.

Not only does this bring more family and friends into the game, it also creates the opportunity for memorable 'classic catches' from the least likely of sources.

You'll probably be batting again in 10 minutes so stop complaining.

No one likes a hero

No one derails the momentum of a backyard cricket session more than the person who simply must be involved at all times.

It could be the batter - the cousin, probably - that is far too keen on their forward defence en route to 46 runs off 180 balls (they counted the runs and balls themselves).

Or maybe it's the bowler who relentlessly ignores the universally-respected 'two left' shout while bowling the least dangerous right-arm 'off-spin' - there is more sideways movement in a drag race.

Either way, share the bowling and batting around, no one wants to stand in the sun between the rose bushes and the water tank for 15 minutes when they could be sitting on the couch watching Rowan Atkinson's hilarious gift-wrapping in Love Actually.

Have fun!

Fundamentally, backyard cricket at this time of year is an opportunity to spend valuable time with friends and family, while enjoying summer in the Australian sun.

And while the thrills and spills become a symbol of Christmas, remember this: that same cousin who calls it 'laws' instead of rules stole the last snag on the barbie, so make sure you put a little something extra behind their first ball.