Have you ever wondered that even the simplest form of cricket, the box room cricket could have its own rules and regulations to follow? Probably not, which is why you have landed up here to learn more if the rules are similar to that of real cricket played on the ground or there are differences that you are yet to learn. Truth be told, box cricket looks pretty easy to play from outside the netted area. It is primarily because of the casual attitude most players exhibit during the game or their purpose to use this sport as a method of having fun with family or friends. However, every game has its rules and regulations, no matter how meager it is. Following them is a must if you want to ace the game and play in a fair manner. Besides, no sports can be played without adhering to the specifics, especially when it comes to a prestigious name like cricket. Having said that, we have curated a detailed guide for you about the rulebook you should learn and follow before you book box cricket venue for yourself, family, or friends. At least, this way, you won’t have any complain about an unfair game or not being able to enjoy the sport.
How box cricket is different from traditional cricket match?
Before delving straight into learning the rules particular to the box cricket match, let’s have a quick run about its striking differences from the traditional version of the sport. This way, not only will you gain clarity about the importance of following the specific regulations associated with the game but also won’t get confused anymore about the standards. Although both box and traditional crickets involve the same batting and bowling activities, the former is played in a more controlled and compact environment. As the name implies, the playing ground is usually in the form of a boxed arena, with a standard size ranging between 6X6 to 10X10, depending on the court facility and the cricket venue.
Also, box cricket is played indoors rather than out on the open field under the sky. Most modern-day box cricket venues also house a netted wall to provide players the privacy they require to focus on the game and dissociate themselves from any distraction. What’s more is that the rules of the game aren’t as stringent and complex as that of traditional cricket. Hence, even an amateur can start upskilling himself in cricket by playing this modern and controlled game version.
Rules of box cricket game to remember
Remembering the rules of the box cricket sport is as essential as maintaining the decorum within a high-end event. Failure to do so will result in an unfair match, having no vibes of excitement and fun, regardless of who your opponent is or how skilled you are in swinging the bat or throwing the ball. So, in this below section, we have briefly described the major rules to remember every time you enter the box cricket venue booked directly or from an online portal like Cricbuddy.
Teams and players
In the turf cricket, every team comprises of eight players, including the batsmen, bowlers, and the wicketkeeper. Since the matches are played in an indoor field, you won’t have to follow the restrictions of fielder placement. In other words, apart from the bowler and the wicketkeeper, all other players of the bowling team can field anywhere without any hassle.
Tosses and innings
Just like any other cricket match, you need to toss a coin to help both teams choose what to proceed with. The winner of the toss will have the liberty to select either bowling or batting at the first inning. Every turf cricket match will have two innings, meaning each team only gets to play a single inning unlike the traditional game. Now, every inning will have eight overs, thereby making the total number of overs involved with the box cricket as sixteen.
Scoring the runs
Unlike the traditional cricket match played outdoors in the open field, the turf match usually has straightforward and simpler scoring rules for taking runs.
- Every run will be considered to add one point to the scoreboard for the batting team.
- Once the ball hits either part of the side net without touching the ground at any point, two runs will be added to the scoreboard.
- Four runs will be added to the bucket of the batting team if the ball hits the net directly.
- If the batsman is fortunate enough to deflect the ball towards the roof of the net and there is a direct hit, six runs will be added to the scoreboard.
Outs and dismissals
Rather than following the concept of “once out” as in the traditional cricket match, turf cricket is based on “twice out” concept. It means that even if the batsman can continue playing on the field even after the first out. However, there will be a penalty of deduction of three runs from the scoreboard. Dismissal will be followed only after the second out. As for the dismissal ways, there are several ways, including bowled, stumped, caught, run out, hit wicket, and leg before wicket.
Boundary restrictions
No stringent rule is there for fielding or regarding the boundary owing to the indoor match setup. However, the bowler and the wicketkeeper do need to retain their position at the central part of the field.
Penalties and extras
No balls and wides are considered in the turf cricket also and the batting team can leverage these two means to gain a few more points to their scoreboard. However, there are penalties which teams should consider. For instance, if an over is marked as “not bowled” five runs will be deducted. Also, three runs will be penalized for being out at the first chance from the score of the batting team.
Conclusion
In this guide, we have briefly explained the rules you should follow to play the box cricket match. Although it’s more of a casual version of the traditional match, you cannot overlook these regulations so as to maintain the fair conduct of the match. So, given that you now have an overall understanding of the game, it’s time you start planning the ways to undertake so that you can book box cricket venue without any further hurdle.
