Reverse Cricket

Reverse Cricket is a tactical variant of standard Cricket in which the target numbers are played in ascending order — beginning at 15 and working up through 20, then finishing on the bullseye. Additionally, the scoring incentive is inverted: points are undesirable, and the player who closes all required numbers while carrying the lowest point total wins the game.

Because extra hits on a closed number add points to your opponent's score rather than your own, Reverse Cricket demands both speed (closing numbers quickly) and strategic aggression (burdening opponents with unwanted points).

Reverse Cricket requires a standard bristle dartboard, a set of darts for each player, and a scoreboard (chalkboard, whiteboard, or electronic display). The game accommodates 2 or more players (or teams).

List the target numbers on the scoreboard in the following mandatory order: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, Bull. Each player's name appears at the top of a column, with a points tally at the bottom. All point totals begin at 0. Unlike standard Cricket — which traditionally starts at 20 and works down — Reverse Cricket requires players to address the numbers from lowest to highest.

To determine throwing order, each player throws one dart at the bullseye; the dart closest to the inner bull earns the right to throw first. In subsequent legs, the loser of the previous leg throws first.

Players take turns throwing three darts per visit. The seven target numbers must be closed in ascending order: 15 → 16 → 17 → 18 → 19 → 20 → Bull. A number is closed when a player has recorded three marks on it. Standard Cricket marking conventions apply:

• A single hit on the target number = 1 mark
• A double hit on the target number = 2 marks
• A triple hit on the target number = 3 marks (closes the number in a single dart)

Hits on numbers that are not yet in play (i.e., numbers higher than a player's current target) or numbers already closed by that player do not count. Only darts landing in the current target number — or a number the player has begun but not yet closed — register marks.

Scoring on opponents: Once you have closed a number that one or more opponents have not yet closed, any additional hits you land on that number add point value to each open opponent's score. For example, if you have closed 15 but your opponent has not, and you hit a single 15, your opponent's score increases by 15 points. A triple 15 in the same scenario would add 45 points to your opponent's tally. Because points are a liability in Reverse Cricket, this mechanic is used offensively to burden opponents.

Bullseye rules: The outer bull counts as a single mark worth 25 points; the inner bull counts as a double mark worth 50 points. Three marks are still required to close the bullseye.

Important edge cases:

• If both players have closed a number, that number is dead — no further scoring or marking is possible on it.
• If you close a number and score beyond the three marks needed in the same dart (e.g., you have two marks on 18 and hit triple 18), the excess counts as offensive points applied to any opponent who has not yet closed 18. In this case, two of the three marks close 18 and the remaining mark adds 18 points to each open opponent's score.
• Darts that land outside any target number (e.g., hitting 14, 1–13, or any non-target segment) score nothing and earn no marks.

Point values follow the standard dartboard:

• Single 15–20: face value (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 points)
• Double 15–20: 2× face value (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, or 40 points)
• Triple 15–20: 3× face value (45, 48, 51, 54, 57, or 60 points)
• Outer bull: 25 points
• Inner bull: 50 points

Crucially, all points in Reverse Cricket are penalties. When you close a number before your opponent and subsequently hit that number again, those points are added to your opponent's score — not your own. For example, if you have closed 19 and your opponent has not, hitting a triple 19 adds 57 points to your opponent's total. The higher the number, the more damaging the offensive scoring becomes — a triple 20 inflicts 60 points.

Each player's running point total is tracked on the scoreboard. A lower total is always preferable; a score of 0 is the ideal finish.

To win a leg of Reverse Cricket, a player must satisfy two conditions simultaneously: (1) close all seven target numbers (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and Bull) and (2) have a point total equal to or lower than every other player's total. If a player closes all numbers but carries a higher point total than an opponent, that player must continue throwing at open numbers to add points to the opponent's score until the deficit is erased or reversed.

In match play, competitors typically contest the best of an odd number of legs (e.g., best of 3, 5, or 7 legs). If a tiebreaker leg is necessary, the player who lost the preceding leg throws first.

Cut-Throat Cricket: The most closely related variant and often used interchangeably with Reverse Cricket in casual settings. In Cut-Throat Cricket the lowest-score-wins mechanic is identical, but numbers may be played in any order (typically descending from 20 as in standard Cricket) rather than the mandated ascending 15-to-20 sequence of Reverse Cricket. If your venue calls the game "Reverse Cricket" yet allows free targeting order, you are most likely playing Cut-Throat.

Australian Cricket: A related variant that incorporates the reversed scoring philosophy but may alter the required number of marks or add additional target numbers. Rules vary by region; confirm the specific house rules before play begins.

Upside-Down Cricket / Low-to-High Cricket: Alternate names for Reverse Cricket found in some North American leagues. The rules are substantively identical: ascending number order (15 → 20 → Bull) with lowest score winning.

Close numbers quickly with triples: Because opponents can only score against you on numbers you haven't closed, speed is paramount. Landing a triple on your current target number closes it in a single dart, freeing your remaining darts for the next number — or for offensive scoring. Prioritize accuracy on the triple ring of each target.

Weaponize the high numbers: Once you have closed 19 or 20 ahead of your opponents, each offensive hit inflicts 19–60 points of penalty. Deliberately allocate remaining darts in a visit to pile points onto opponents rather than rushing to close the next number, especially if your opponent is far behind on closures.

Monitor the scoreboard relentlessly: In Reverse Cricket your point total must be the lowest at the moment you close all numbers. If an opponent has burdened you with a high score, you may need to slow your own closures and instead attack an opponent's open numbers to equalize. Always know the gap.

Protect 15 and 16 early: These are the first numbers in sequence, and because they carry the lowest face value, opponents may try to close them first and then score heavily on the higher numbers you haven't reached yet. Closing 15 and 16 swiftly denies your opponent an easy offensive platform.

Plan your Bull approach: The bullseye is the final number and also the smallest target on the board. Arriving at the Bull stage with a comfortable point-total lead gives you room to miss without panic. Conversely, if you're behind on points when you reach Bull, you'll need to split your darts between closing the Bull and scoring offensively — a difficult juggling act under pressure.