What equipment do we need for backyard cricket?

A bat, a set of stumps or anything stump-shaped (a bin works), and a few tennis balls. A beginner bat costs $30 to $80. You do not need pads or gloves with a tennis ball or tape ball.

How long is a cricket pitch?

22 yards, about 20 metres, between the two sets of stumps. For a beginner backyard game, 12 to 15 metres is plenty. Shorter pitches mean more balls actually reach the batter.

What is tape-ball cricket?

Street cricket played with a tennis ball wrapped in electrical tape. The tape makes it heavier and faster and helps it swing, but it is still far softer than a leather ball, so you can play without pads.

Is French cricket good for beginners?

It is the best starting point. The batter only has to protect their legs, the bowler throws underarm, and nobody needs to know the official rules. Most people who grew up in Britain, Australia or New Zealand learned it as kids.

🏏 Dates for Couples

cricket practice for couples

Two people can practise almost everything in cricket except a full match: throwdowns for batting, bowling at a single stump, catching off a wall and a run-out drill. Finish with French cricket or a two-player backyard match, and the whole session takes about an hour in a park or a long backyard. A tennis ball keeps it safe and cheap.

by An Nayal, founder of Flamme · Updated October 2026

time: About an hour
cost: $30 to $80 for a beginner bat, $15 to $30 for plastic stumps, $5 to $10 for tennis balls and tape
where: A park, a long backyard, or a rented practice net
ball: Tennis ball for beginners, tape ball for more pace, a hard ball only in nets with pads

how to run a cricket practice session for two

step 1

Catch first (10 minutes)

Start 5 metres apart with soft underarm throws, then move to 10 metres and throw higher. Finish with reaction catches: one of you throws the ball against a wall from behind the other, who has to catch the rebound. Twenty clean catches each before you move on.

step 2

Throwdowns (15 minutes)

The feeder stands 10 to 12 metres away and throws the ball so it bounces just in front of the batter. Six balls of forward defence, six of straight drives, six of anything the batter likes. Then swap. Throwdowns are how most club players practise, so you are already training properly.

step 3

Bowl at one stump (15 minutes)

Put a single stump or a water bottle at the far end. Each of you bowls three overs of six balls at it. One point for hitting it, half a point for a ball that would have hit it if the batter had missed. Keep a straight arm. A bent-arm throw is not a legal delivery, even in the backyard.

step 4

Play it (20 minutes)

Either French cricket or a two-player backyard match (rules below). Agree the house rules before the first ball, because cricket arguments last longer than cricket.

what cricket games work with only two people?

French cricket. The batter's legs below the knee are the wicket and they cannot move their feet. The bowler throws underarm at the legs from wherever the ball stopped. Hit the legs or catch it and you swap. It is the best two-player cricket game there is.
Two-player backyard match. Each of you bats three overs. Mark zones with cones: past the first cone is 1 run, past the second is 2, the fence along the ground is 4, over it on the full is 6 (and you fetch it). Getting out costs 5 runs and you keep batting.
Tip and run. If the bat touches the ball, the batter has to run to a cone and back. It speeds up a slow batter and wears out a fast one.
One hand, one bounce. The backyard rule that a one-handed catch after a single bounce counts as out. It keeps a two-person game moving because the bowler is also the only fielder.
Wicket-keeper challenge. One bowls, the other keeps wicket behind a bin with no batter. Count clean takes out of 18 balls, then swap.

tennis ball, tape ball or hard ball?

ball	what it is	gear needed	use it for
Tennis ball	A normal tennis ball	Bat only	Beginners, backyards, French cricket
Tape ball	A tennis ball wrapped tightly in electrical tape	Bat, maybe a box guard	More pace and swing without a hard ball. Hugely popular street cricket format in South Asia
Windball or soft cricket ball	A rubber or plastic ball weighted like a real one	Bat	Practising proper bowling actions safely
Hard leather ball	The real thing	Pads, gloves, helmet, box	Nets only, and only once you both want to go further

how do you book a cricket net?

Local cricket clubs and indoor cricket centres rent practice nets by the hour, and prices commonly fall between $20 and $50 an hour depending on the city. Many indoor centres also have bowling machines, which is the easiest way for a beginner to face real pace. Ask whether they lend bats and pads before you buy any kit.

variations & upgrades

watch a match together

A T20 match lasts about three hours, which is a perfect date length. Pick a team each before the toss. Every boundary your team hits earns you a snack, every wicket your team takes gets the other person a forfeit you agree in advance.

long-distance version

Run the wall-catch challenge on a video call: 60 seconds, catch off a wall from 3 metres, count clean catches. Then shadow-bat ten straight drives each on camera and judge each other's technique. The harshest judge buys the snacks next visit.

teach-me session

If one of you grew up with cricket and the other did not, give the experienced player 30 minutes to coach one shot and one bowling action. Then the learner bowls at them in French cricket. Teaching is the date; the score is a bonus.

good questions, answered

Yes. French cricket, tip and run, and a two-player backyard match with run zones all work with two players. For practice, throwdowns, bowling at a stump and catching drills only ever need two people.

An Nayal

Founder of Flamme, the couples app used by more than 200,000 partners. He writes the relationship guides here and builds the free tools that go with them. annayal.com

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