T20 has revolutionised Cricket, bringing it into new worlds and households, and the money that comes with it hasbeen great for Cricketing bodies and cricketers around the world. On the back of that this week the English Cricket Board announced their idea for a new 100 Ball Cricket format.
The basics of the new format will see 15 Six Ball overs, followed by a 10 ball super over at the end. Not a bad idea, as some T20 games do drag if one team is well on top.
But it is global trend of all sports to try and come up with a shortened, turbo charged, much more exciting version of their main sport. We previously came up with a bunch of porposal on behalf of other sports to try and help them find out what the Jazz is all about. You could read it here.
A question is though, do we really need another new format like the 100 Ball Cricket idea? As it stands we think that there are already too many formats, and that Cricket should be just left with Tests and T20, and the occasional ODI World Cup. With an emphasis on Tests, as they are best.
But if we’re talking alternative versions of Cricket, we’ll step into our Alternative Sporting Universe and see if we can come up with something better than 100 Ball Cricket.
SUPER 60 CRICKET
- 60 Balls to be bowled
- To be bowled in 60 minutes or 6 run penalty per ball not bowled
- Batsmen to retire after reaching 60
- Fireworks to be set off whenever a side reaches 60
- Family tickets for $60
60 becomes the new 20 as the T20 game is split in half. The 60 run limit for individual batsmen helps share the love around.
DOUBLE TROUBLE CRICKET
- Bowlers to bowl from both ends – one at a time though
- Overs to be bowled in 12 ball lots, and while both bowlers are still to bowl 6 balls, it is up to the bowling side which order the bowlers bowl in.
- No field restrictions
- Fields can change whilst bowler is in motion
- No wicket keepers
- Still a 20 Over contest
Cricket has two ends to a pitch, but why do we have to wait until the end of the over to see the next bowlers. Why can’t cricket allow both ends to be live at teh same. As long as only one bowlers bowls at the one time it would be a super randomised version of T20. And with no fielding restriction and ability to move around all the time, it will be cricket’s fastest format.
BLOCK 4 CRICKET
- 20 Overs to be split into 5 blocks of 4 Overs.
- Teams to decide batting partners and bowling partners before the game. Order can’t change once official list posted.
- Batting side to post their list first, allowing the bowling side some tactical advantage.
- Batsmen to remain for all of the 4 Over Block, losing 5 runs for every wicket
- Requires 10 Batsmen and 10 Bowlers.
- Or you could have a designated 8 Bats / 8 Bowlers for 16 overs, then like in Indoor Cricket when the opposition are a player down in that ego crushing moment, the batting/bowling side can select two bowlers/batsmen to return to crease for last 4 over block.
Sounds like Indoor Cricket, well basically it is, but on a much grander scale. The only thing missing in Indoor Cricket is the ability to smash the ball over the fence. And now you can. But added tactics excites.
SUPER FUN TIME EXCITEMENT PLUS HAPPY GOOD TIME CRICKET
- Batting line up is decided by pre game Social Media poll. Open for registered members of the relevant side.
- Bowling orders decided by SMS before each over
- 3 x Super Turbo balls, where the ball is dipped in petrol and lit up before delivering
- One over to be bowled with Test Match Board Game style ramp.
- One over to insist that all fielders ance in between balls
- Batsman can call powerplay for one over, where he is allowed to use a bat that is twice as big and completely illegal.
- Traditional wickets replaced by metal pre-mould gems from Primary school. This allows the wicket keeper to move the stumps, unknown to the batsman.
- Wickets explode if hit by a direct hit in the field.
- Ball explodes randomly every now and again once it clears the fence for six
- One hand one bounce
We’re sure we missed something. Why not leave a comment and see if you can added to our Super Fun Time Excitement Plus Good Time Cricket
BASEBALL
Since most of the new format seems to be trying to get cricket to be more like baseball, much like the NRL’s burning desire to have rugby league become more like NFL, why not just somehow forge a version of cricket into baseball and be done with it.
