For those who love Cricket and darts, the perfect game for you just may be Cricket Darts. The rules can be a little confusing, so here’s an explanation of how it’s played.
The Rules
Each player gets three darts to throw during their turn. The goal is to hit the targets between 15 and 20, including those numbers, as well as the bullseye. If the player hits any other number outside of 15 and 20, then those points don’t count.
In order to ‘close out’ a number, you have to hit it three times. Once someone strikes that number the third time, then it is unable to be hit any longer. After every number between 15 and 20, including the bullseye, has been closed out, the game is officially over. The points are tallied up, and the team with the most points is the winner.
The outer and inner ring also matters. If you happen to strike the outer ring of the number, then it counts as hitting that number twice. For those that hit the inner ring, then it counts as hitting it three times and immediately closes that number out.
Points are rewarded when you hit a number that the other team hasn’t closed out but you have. For example, if your team closed out 15 by striking it three times, but the other team hasn’t, then you can earn points. The players can strike 15 as many times as they can to earn that number of points to their total.
However, once the other team closes 15 out, then further points can no longer be awarded. Your team must also have closed out the number first before you can start scoring points on that number.
How to Win
In order to win Cricket Darts, your team must have the most points. The end of the game is signaled when the numbers 15 through 20, as well as the bullseye, have been closed out.
Scoring
Because it can be difficult to keep track of scoring in Cricket, it’s important to have a chalkboard or pad of paper handy. You’ll want to keep track of which numbers are closed out and which ones are available for teams to score points on.
You’ll also need to keep track of the number of points that each team has. When all the numbers are closed out, the team with the highest point value wins the game.
Ties
In the event of a tie, whether because they have the same number of points or because no one scored points, there is a way for the tie to be broken. Whoever was the first team to close out all of the numbers is the winner. When recording the scoring, it’s a good idea to remark on what team closed out a number and when for this purpose.
English Cricket Darts
There is another variation of Cricket Darts that is primarily played in English pubs. Based on the traditional Cricket game, English Cricket Darts has its own set of rules. In this game, all of the numbers are usable. However, because you have to score at least 40, the higher numbers are usually the favorites.
In this game, one player is considered the batter, while the other player is considered the bowler. The batter gets to go first. On the dartboard, 10 stripes are entered onto it. Those stripes are called wickets.
The bowler has to remove those wickets by hitting the bullseye. Each time they strike a bullseye, one wicket is removed. If the bowler happens to get a double on a bullseye, then two wickets are removed.
As for the batter, they have to score as many points as possible while the wickets remain on the board. However, none of their points matter until they reach 40. For example, if their turn ends with only 32 points, then no points were actually earned.
Any points you accrue beyond the initial 40 count toward your final score. For instance, if you score 60 points in total, only 20 points are counted, as the first 40 are essentially a threshold and do not contribute to your final point tally. Thus, only points earned after reaching 40 are of significance.
You can easily calculate your total points in a turn by subtracting the points you earned from 40. So, if you scored 60, then subtract 60 from 40 to receive 20 points. You’ll want to record 20 points on your score sheet.
The scoring ends after all of the wickets have been removed. By that point, the two roles are reversed. The bowler becomes the batter, and the batter becomes the bowler. The game resumes with each of them performing their new tasks. The new bowler must remove the wickets as quickly as possible while the batter earns points.
When all of the wickets are removed the second time, the game is officially over. At this point, both players calculate their total points. Whoever earned the most points is the winner.
Whether you play English Cricket Darts or the more common Cricket Dart game, these games are great for helping to hone your skills as a player and improve your accuracy.
The Game of Cricket (Video)
Related Questions
1. How are points scored in Cricket Darts?
Points are scored when a player hits a number that their team has ‘closed out’ (hit three times), but the opposing team has not. The player can hit this number as many times as possible to earn points equivalent to the number of hits.3
2. What does it mean to ‘close out’ a number in Cricket Darts?
To ‘close out’ a number means to hit it three times. Once a number has been hit three times, it is no longer a valid target, and no further points can be scored from it.
3. How is a game of Cricket Darts won?
A game of Cricket Darts is won by the team that has the most points once all numbers between 15 and 20, as well as the bullseye, have been closed out.
4. How is English Cricket Darts different from the standard game?
English Cricket Darts involve a batter and a bowler, with one player aiming to score as many points as possible and the other trying to hit the bullseye to remove ‘wickets’ (stripes entered onto the dartboard). It also has a different scoring system where points only count once a player has scored at least 40 points.
5. How are ties resolved in Cricket Darts?
In the event of a tie, the winner is the team that first managed to close out all of the numbers.
