Cricket is the game American bar leagues live and breathe. It's less common in the UK, where 501 rules the roost, but if you've ever played darts in a US pub on an electronic board, this is almost certainly what you were playing. It's slower than 501, more strategic, and it turns three darts into a proper little chess match.
What You're Trying to Do
There are two things you need to win a game of Cricket:
- Close all your numbers before your opponent does.
- Be ahead on points (or level) when you close the last one.
The trap: if you close everything but you're behind on points, the game keeps going. You have to close your last number and be ahead — otherwise your opponent can keep scoring until you catch up or they close everything too.
The Numbers That Count
In Cricket, most of the board is irrelevant. Only seven targets are in play. Hit the 14, the 1, the 12 or anywhere else and it's a wasted dart.
The seven targets
- The numbers: 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15
- The centre: the bull
The 15 through 20 and the bull — everything else is dead.
- Double ring (outer): counts as 2 marks.
- Treble ring (inner): counts as 3 marks — the money shot in Cricket.
- The bull: the red middle is worth 2, the green outer is worth 1.
Closing a Number
To close a number, you need three marks on it. A single scores one mark, a double scores two, a treble scores three — so one treble closes the number outright.