Travel cricket games

Are you coming to Lord's? Bringing your children? Why not help smooth your journey with some of our cricket-based travel games?

Car cricket

This game can be played by any number of players, last as long as any journey and be adpated to suit any route.

The game: Each player takes it in turns to 'bat' and score 'runs'.

Scoring: Traditionally, runs are scored by spotting pub names but this can be adapted to suit your journey (see variations below).

The player batting scores one run for each leg the name of the pub would have. E.g. 'The Red Lion' = 4 runs, as lions have four legs. 'The Green Man' = 2 runs, as a man has two legs.

Out: A batsman is out if there is a pub with head or arms in the name. Heads and arms are not legs - therefore bad. E.g. 'The King's Head' or 'The Bricklayer's Arms' would mean the player batting is out.

The winner: The winner is the player with the most runs at the end of the journey.

The Umpire: You will need an Umpire to adjudicate on some pub names. How many legs does 'The Coach and Horses' have for example? The usual answer is, if unspecified "two of it". Therefore, 'The Cricketers' = four runs, two cricketers = four legs. 'The Fox and Hounds' = 12 runs. There is one specified fox plus two hounds = 12 runs.

Just like in cricket: The Umpire's word is final.

Variations: Obviously motorway (or train) journeys will not pass many pubs. Scoring can be varied to suit your journey.

One example could be: a red car = 1 run; an articulated lorry = 4 runs; a coach = 6 runs. The batsman is out if their car passes under a bridge.

Tractors, cows, level crossings, pylons - vary the scoring to suit your journey - so long as all players agree before starting the game!

Bat, Ball, Wicket

This game is a twist on the famous 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' game for two players.

On the count of "three" players choose from 'Bat, Ball or Wicket' and make the appropriate symbol with their hand:

• Bat: flat hand, palm towards the player, wrist up
• Ball: a clenched fist
• Wicket: three splayed fingers, held upright

Bat beats ball (hits for six); ball beats wicket (bowled out); wicket beats bat (broken wicket).

Each victory = 1 point. The winner is the first to ten points or another pre-agreed total.