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Archive:Walking Cricket

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Walking Cricket

Walking cricket is a modified version of the sport where participants are required to walk rather than run during the game. It is primarily aimed at persons over 55 or those with mobility issues. [1]

Origins

The Origins of the sport remain somewhat disputed [2]. One of the earliest documented mentions of an organised version of cricket which prohibits running, dates from 2014 when taster sessions were set up in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey[3]. These were set up by early pioneer, Darren Talbot who records[4] that he took inspiration from seeing a news segment featuring walking basketball [5] In 2026 Talbot launched the Walking Cricket Association[6] to create a national framework for the sport.

In 2017 The U3A started offering walking football among to its members[7], where another early proponent, Mac McKechnie, found it too energetic: he was recovering from sepsis. An ex-cricketer himself, he developed a working version of walking cricket and the first U3A session was offered in Barnsley in January 2019[8]. Subsequently the Yorkshire Cricket Board met with U3A to further promote the sport[9]. In 2019 Mac McKechnie was awarded 'The Most Inspiring and Diverse Cricket Offer 2019’ by Yorkshire County Cricket Board.[10]. In March 2020 a further meeting took place between Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, the U3A, the ECB and several other counties. [11]

Participation continued to grow across England, in by 2024 all of the counties had walking cricket programs[12], and the first inter-county tournament took place at Lord's on 20 March 2024[13].

Rules and Variations

MCC first adopted the laws of cricket in 1787, but as yet no authoritative body exists for walking cricket and no single set of laws are accepted by all players. Several different sets of laws and formats have been used by different local groups. When tournaments or leagues take place are set of rules is agreed ahead of time.

Attempts at codification

In 2021 Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, and the U3A produced a document called "Rules for 'Social' Walking Cricket" where it was acknowledged that at the local level, it would make every sense for groups to continue to play walking cricket to those local rules as predominately the game is about friendly local challenges, but that as the game became more popular there would be a requirement for a standard set of rules. [11] A preliminary set of rules was shared, primarily aimed at indoor play.

The Walking Cricket Association (launched in 2026) states that establishing a nationally recognised set of rules is one of its objectives. [6] They have published a set of rules for both outdoor[14] and indoor play.[15]

Other county foundations such as Hampshire [16] and Surrey have produced their own sets of rules. In addition other rule sets have been created by other organisations [17], and the Guardian admits "at local level the rules are made of plasticine, which allows each group to manipulate them for maximum enjoyment."[12]

Core Principles of the sport

As noted above, there is no standard set of rules but there are several characteristics of walking cricket that differ from conventional cricket.

  • Neither batting side nor fielding side may run. Some of the rule sets define exactly what running means.
  • A softer ball is used then in conventional cricket which minimises the need for protective gear such as pads, helmets or gloves
  • Batters operate in pairs. If a batter is dismissed they do not leave the field but the team is deducted a penalty number of runs. After a certain number of over the pair retires.

Other variations relate to length of pitch, type of bowling allowed, number of overs in a match, whether there is an LBW rule and special scoring for boundaries. [11] [16][14]

Participation and Growth

U3A

In evidence to parliament Dr Harriet Radermacher of The Third Age Trust stated that by 2025 there were over 15 u3a walking cricket groups.[18]

MCC

In their 2024 Community Report [1] the MCC states that they currently have around 100 participants and that around 75% of the participants come from a non-cricket background and over 50% of the participants are female. Walking cricket was shown on the main ground at Lord’s during a County Championship fixture and the MCC staged multiple competitions with county boards.

Counties

By 2023 Worcestershire had 100 players participating and hosted a women’s only festival where there were 20 women who’d never played cricket before. [19] Kent launched a walking cricket league in 2026 with 4 clubs participating. [20]

Beyond England

[21]) [22]

[11]

[23]

[8] [9] [24] [25] [26] [13] [27] .[28]

[29] ===

[30]

[18] [31] [32]


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Lord's Community Report 2022-2024". 2024. https://www.lords.org/getattachment/09e367e1-b100-41db-bea8-864290126016/CY006_Community-Report_v3_26_08_2025.pdf. 
  2. ↑ Wood, Andy (March 28, 2023). "Who was first in to bat on walking cricket?". Letters to the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/mar/28/who-was-first-in-to-bat-on-walking-cricket. 
  3. ↑ "50+ cricket proving to be a hit". April 10, 2014. https://www.maturetimes.co.uk/50-cricket-proving-hit/. 
  4. ↑ Aldred, Tanya (July 2026). "Time to walk the walk". The Cricketer. https://pocketmags.com/es/the-cricketer-magazine/july-2026/articles/boundary-view. 
  5. ↑ "BBC Breakfast: Walking Basketball". January 25, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuhNkPzgyOk&t=2s. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "The Walking Cricket Association Launches to Support Individual Participation and National Festivals". March 5, 2026. https://www.twenty20cricketcompany.com/news/press-release/the-walking-cricket-association-launches-to-support-individual-participation-and-national-festivals. 
  7. ↑ Croot, John (2024). "Walking Football". https://www.u3a.org.uk/members-area/subjects/walking-footbal. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Beddington, Emma (Mar 20, 2023). "A new start after 60: Sepsis almost killed me – but I survived to invent a new sport". https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/mar/20/a-new-start-after-60-sepsis-almost-killed-me-but-i-survived-to-invent-a-new-sport. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "U3A makes cricket history". https://www.u3a.org.uk/what-we-do/news/u3a-makes-cricket-history. 
  10. ↑ "Inspiring Award for U3A Walking Cricketer". 2018. https://www.u3a.org.uk/what-we-do/news/inspiring-award-for-u3a-walking-cricketer. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Yorkshire Cricket Foundation Rules for “Social” Walking Cricket". https://www.u3a.org.uk/agm-2020/rules-for-walking-cricket-2021. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Smyth, Rob (2024-05-08). "'New lease of life': how walking cricket is giving the over-50s a taste of Bazball" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/may/08/the-spin-walking-cricket-over-50s-new-lease-of-life. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Kent Walking Cricketers represent the county at Lord’s". March 25, 2024. https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/walking-cricket-comes-to-lords/. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Outdoor Walking Cricket Rules". 2026. https://www.twenty20cricketcompany.com/outdoor-walking-cricket-rules. 
  15. ↑ "Indoor Walking Cricket Rules". https://www.twenty20cricketcompany.com/indoor-walking-cricket-rules. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Walking Cricket Rules". https://utilitabowl.s3.amazonaws.com/2024/Cricket%20Board/Documents/Walking%20cricket%20rules%20v2.pdf. 
  17. ↑ "Walking Cricket – Rules". https://www.walkingsports.com/cricket/rules. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Radermacher, Harriet (2025). "Written Evidence Submitted by Dr Harriet Radermacher at The Third Age Trust (HAP0134)". https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/145447/pdf/#. 
  19. ↑ "Reaping the rewards of Worcestershire’s Walking Cricket initiative". Mar 3, 2023. https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/3092211/its-turned-a-corner-for-me-reaping-the-rewards-of-worcestershires-walking-cricket-initiative. 
  20. ↑ "Kent’s Walking Cricket League launches with real promise". April 27, 2026. https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/foundation/kent-first-walking-cricket-league/. 
  21. ↑ "Walking cricket player, 92, on his love for the sport". July 15, 2019. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-south-yorkshire-48993401. 
  22. ↑ "Walking Cricket". https://www.surreycricketfoundation.org/clubs-leagues/walking-cricket/. 
  23. ↑ "Walking Cricket – Rules". August 2026. https://www.walkingsports.com/cricket/rules/. 
  24. ↑ "New research about benefits of Walking Cricket". February 14, 2023. https://yorkshireccc.com/news/new-research-about-benefits-of-walking-cricket/#:~:text=Michael%20Astrop%2C%20lead%20of%20the%20Todmorden%20u3a,group%20has%20been%20going%20and%20the%20response. 
  25. ↑ "Rules for Walking Cricket". https://www.u3a.org.uk/agm-2020/rules-for-walking-cricket-2021. 
  26. ↑ "Surrey Cricket Foundation expands women’s walking cricket provision following success of Old Woking OWLS". May 6, 2026. https://www.walkingsports.com/surrey-cricket-foundation-expands-womens-walking-cricket-provision-following-success-of-old-woking-owls/. 
  27. ↑ White, Tom (July 31, 2025). "Old Woking's women’s walking cricket team play in Surrey walking cricket festival at the Kia Oval". https://www.wokingnewsandmail.co.uk/sport/cricket/old-wokings-womens-walking-cricket-team-play-in-surrey-walking-cricket-festival-at-the-kia-oval-817465. 
  28. ↑ "Walking cricket has changed my life". BBC Sussex. Aug 14, 2025. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czjmvd0pj74o. 
  29. ↑ "Walking Cricket". https://www.pitchero.com/document-download/44253/370825. 
  30. ↑ Template:Cite report
  31. ↑ Radermacher, Harriet (2024). "Written Evidence Submitted by the Third Age Trust (u3a) to the UK Parliament". Parliament of the United Kingdom. https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/145447/pdf/. 
  32. ↑ Lillywhite, Maisie (August 5, 2025). "Walking cricket to be prescribed on NHS". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqxg0ylyypzo. 

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