Why gully needs a book
A street game has no umpire and no scorebox, but it still produces arguments: was that out, did the ball bounce twice, who was batting. A written record settles them in a minute.
Agree the rules before the first ball
- How many bounces are allowed before a catch counts.
- Whether a wall or a parked car is a boundary, and what it is worth.
- How many balls make an over and how many overs make a game.
- Whether a player who is out comes back, and in what order.
- What happens when the ball goes into a neighbour's garden.
Write them down, read them aloud, and score the game the same way every time.
Scoring the game
Tape-ball and one-bounce are playing conditions. Score them consistently. A simple tally works: runs, wickets, and the number of overs. You do not need Test extras to record a game that has none.
Six and out, and other street rules
Some groups use "six and out" or "one hand, one bounce". Those are rules, not quirks, and they change the scoring. Record which rule applied to each dismissal, so a dispute can be settled by the book.
Keep it fun
A book is a tool, not a referee. The best gully scorers keep a light touch and make the score easy to read on a phone or a chalk board.
Common mistakes
- Agreeing the rules after the first dispute.
- Scoring extras the group never agreed to count.
- Losing track of who is in next after a wicket.
Citations
Local street-cricket practice. Where a group wants the MCC Laws, cite the sections they adopt.
Match questions
Questions scorers actually ask
- 01 Do I need to score gully cricket at all?
- Only if you care who won. A simple tally settles most arguments and keeps the group happy.
- 02 What is tape-ball cricket?
- A form of street cricket played with a tape-wrapped ball, usually with a soft bounce and more swing, and often with its own local rules.
- 03 Should I use the MCC Laws?
- Only the parts the group wants. Write down any rule you change so the next game uses the same one.
