Yorkshire Cricket

Yorkshire Cricket is a two-player (or two-team) game modelled on the sport of cricket, played on a Yorkshire dartboard — a board with no treble ring and no outer bullseye. One player bats, attempting to accumulate as many runs as possible, while the other player bowls, attempting to take wickets by hitting the bull. Once the batter is bowled out, the players swap roles. The player who finishes with the most total runs across their batting innings wins the match.

Yorkshire Cricket requires a Yorkshire dartboard — a board that has no treble ring and only a single bullseye (no outer bull ring). Each player needs three darts, and a scoreboard should be prepared with columns for each player's runs and wickets remaining.

The batter begins with 10 wickets, recorded as tally marks on the scoreboard. To determine who bats first, each player throws one dart at the bull; the closest dart earns the right to choose whether to bat or bowl first.

Designate one player as the batter and the other as the bowler. The bowler throws first in each round of the innings.

Play proceeds in rounds. In each round, the bowler throws first (three darts), then the batter throws (three darts).

Bowling: The bowler's sole objective is to hit the bullseye. On a Yorkshire board there is only one bull, worth 50 points (equivalent to double 25). Each bull hit takes 2 wickets. The bowler continues round after round until the batter's 10 wickets have all fallen. Any dart that lands outside the bull during the bowler's visit scores nothing for bowling purposes — it neither takes wickets nor benefits the bowler in any way.

Batting: The batter throws three darts and totals their score for the visit. Only the portion of that total exceeding 40 counts as runs. If the three-dart total is 40 or below, zero runs are scored for that visit.

• A three-dart total of 38 = 0 runs (38 does not exceed 40).
• A three-dart total of 42 = 2 runs (42 − 40 = 2).
• A three-dart total of 60 = 20 runs (60 − 40 = 20).
• A three-dart total of 100 = 60 runs (100 − 40 = 60).

Because the Yorkshire board has no treble ring, the highest single-dart score available to the batter is double 20 (40). Three double 20s yield 120, meaning the maximum runs per visit is 80 (120 − 40). This is significantly lower than on a standard board.

Batter hitting the bull: If the batter accidentally hits the bull during their visit, they lose wickets just as though the bowler had hit it — each bull struck costs 2 wickets. Batters must therefore exercise caution with stray darts near the centre of the board.

Once the batter's wickets reach zero, the innings ends. The players then swap roles: the former bowler now bats, and the former batter now bowls. After both players have completed one batting innings (and one bowling innings), the scores are compared.

Two running tallies are maintained on the scoreboard throughout the game:

• Wickets remaining: The batter starts at 10. Each bull hit (by either the bowler or inadvertently by the batter) reduces this count by 2. When it reaches 0, the innings is over.
• Cumulative runs: After each batting visit, add the runs earned (three-dart total minus 40, or zero if the total is 40 or less) to the batter's running total.

Standard Yorkshire-board segment values apply for the batter's scoring:

• Single segment: face value (1–20)
• Double ring (outer narrow band): 2× face value (2–40)
• Bullseye: 50 (but costs 2 wickets if hit by the batter)

For example, if the batter throws single 20, double 18, and single 14 in a visit, the total is 20 + 36 + 14 = 70. Runs scored that visit: 70 − 40 = 30 runs. These are added to the batter's cumulative total.

After both players have completed their batting innings, the player with the higher cumulative run total wins the match. If scores are level, the result is a draw — or, by prior agreement, players may play a second full set of innings (each player bats and bowls again) to break the tie.

Some formats call for two full innings per player (i.e., each player bats twice and bowls twice), with the winner determined by total runs across both innings. The format should be agreed upon before the match begins.

Adjustable Run Threshold: While the standard threshold is 40 (only the portion of a three-dart score above 40 counts as runs), some groups raise it to 50 to make batting even more challenging on the treble-free Yorkshire board, or lower it to make the game more accessible to beginners.

Variable Wickets: The standard allocation is 10 wickets per innings, but some players use 11 wickets (mirroring a full cricket team). Increasing wickets gives the batter more time to accumulate runs and generally produces higher-scoring games.

Two-Innings Format: Rather than a single innings each, players bat and bowl twice. Total runs across both batting innings determine the winner. This longer format rewards consistency and endurance.

Standard-Board Cricket (parent game): Yorkshire Cricket is an adaptation of English Cricket (also called Wickets and Runs) played on a standard dartboard. On a standard board, the presence of treble segments raises the batter's maximum per-visit score considerably (three treble 20s = 180, yielding 140 runs), and the outer bullseye (25) is sometimes scored as 1 wicket, making bowling somewhat easier. The Yorkshire board's lack of trebles and single-bull design produces a tighter, lower-scoring contest.

Doubles are your batting lifeline: Without trebles on the Yorkshire board, double segments are the only way to score above face value. Focus your batting on double 20 (40), double 19 (38), and double 18 (36). Three double 20s yield 120 points and 80 runs — the theoretical maximum per visit.

Every dart above 40 matters: As the batter, remember that a three-dart total of 41 still earns 1 run. Do not dismiss low-scoring visits as worthless — consistent visits of 50–60 (10–20 runs each) add up quickly over a 10-wicket innings.

Practise the single bull relentlessly: As the bowler, the bull is your only meaningful target. Each hit removes 2 of the batter's 10 wickets — just five successful bull hits end the innings. Dedicate focused practice to bullseye accuracy, as the entire bowling role depends on this single skill.

Avoid the centre when batting: A stray dart into the bull while batting costs you 2 wickets — a devastating penalty. When aiming for high-value doubles around the board, be conscious of dart trajectory and avoid groupings that might drift toward the centre.

Bowl with pressure in mind: If the batter is scoring heavily, bowling quickly (taking wickets early) limits damage. Conversely, if you are batting second and know the target, pace your aggression — you do not need to outscore your opponent by a wide margin, only by 1 run.