*NEW* Dice Cricket, a new game updated from the old OWZTHAT hexagonal rollers

Dice Cricket

School Cricketer
Joined
Jul 13, 2021
[A new 'PDF only' version of this game, without international shipping / handling / customs costs, is now available. See the message on October 10, 2021, on page 2 of this thread, for full details.]

Inspired by the old ‘Owzthat’ game that many of us played for hours and hours, many years ago, but updated for the modern game. The main drawback in Owzthat was that the roller only had 6 options (6, 4, 3, 2, 1 & OUT), so one in every six balls was hit for 6, and on average EVERY over would contain 16 runs and 1 wicket! That was bad enough in the days of Geoff Boycott, but even Jos Buttler in T20 doesn’t score that fast; even England’s lower order in Perth doesn’t collapse that fast.
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With lockdown hours to fill, I developed a whole new game, based on using two 10-sided dice, creating 100 different possibilities for every single ball, and every single appeal. I’m a Cambridge University educated mathematician, with 20+ years as a maths teacher / tutor, and a club cricketer (& umpire & scorer) for 35+ years, so I used my knowledge of the game and probability, statistics, arithmetic, flow-charts and hours of randomised trials and tweaks to make Dice Cricket 2021.

Better batsmen are more likely to score more runs than average ones, and tail-enders will probably score less, but the random element means this is not guaranteed. Innings scores and scoring rates vary according to the type of game, state of the game, state of the pitch, and tactical decisions made. Better bowlers are more likely to take more wickets, but an all-rounder or part-time bowler can sometimes get a star batsman out. Wicket keepers will probably take more catches than outfielders. Many other aspects of cricket are included (at realistic frequency): no balls, wides, leg byes, byes, run outs, maiden overs, changes of pace, changes to the batting order, free hits (in ODI / T20), even a main batsman managing the strike when batting with the tail. All I’ve left out (by choice) is rain delays and DRS!

All 3 main version of the game are all included: test matches, 50 over One Day Internationals, and Twenty20 games. You can use the names of international players, state / county sides, your own club-mates, or why not combine them and play yourself in the England team in the Ashes

Included in your game pack:
  • colour probability grids (converting dice scores into cricket scores) to play the game.
  • 3 different sets of scorebook pages, covering test matches, 50 over ODIs, and Twenty20 games.
  • illustrated playing instruction book.
  • a quality fine-line scoring pen.
  • a pair of 10-sided game dice.
  • a post-it flag marker.
  • a flash drive containing templates for all the probability sheets and score sheets (no need to buy special scorebooks or pads from me – simply print as many of your own as you want, when you need them).
  • database files for all 3 formats (in Excel and OpenDocument formats) for recording game stats on your computer over series / tournaments / careers (not essential to play the game, but if you are a bit of a statto like me this might add to your enjoyment), which can track runs scored, averages, batting run rate, bowling economy rate and much more.
These are sold only on ebay and Amazon UK (just search 'Dice Cricket 2021'), but ebay's Global Shipping Programme means they can be bought around the world, and a few have gone to Australia already.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265056169122

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[Promotion approved by admin MattW - thank you Matt].
 
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ddrap14

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even England’s lower order in Perth doesn’t collapse that fast.
doubt

But being serious, I'll have to have a look at this and see if I can afford the shipping- I loved the old Lords of Cricket game when I was younger and this seems like the adult evolution of it. That second scorecard is even the same one (or immensely similar). Hopefully I can. Thanks to OP for making this!
 

ahmedleo414

The Butcher
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Man, the shipping is almost as much as the game itself. At least here in Canada... I would love to buy it but the shipping cost is a little too much for me
 

TemPSaad

Associate Captain
Joined
May 24, 2017
Inspired by the old ‘Owzthat’ game that many of us played for hours and hours, many years ago, but updated for the modern game. The main drawback in Owzthat was that the roller only had 6 options (6, 4, 3, 2, 1 & OUT), so one in every six balls was hit for 6, and on average EVERY over would contain 16 runs and 1 wicket! That was bad enough in the days of Geoff Boycott, but even Jos Buttler in T20 doesn’t score that fast; even England’s lower order in Perth doesn’t collapse that fast.
View attachment 253449 View attachment 253451
With lockdown hours to fill, I developed a whole new game, based on using two 10-sided dice, creating 100 different possibilities for every single ball, and every single appeal. I’m a Cambridge University educated mathematician, with 20+ years as a maths teacher / tutor, and a club cricketer (& umpire & scorer) for 35+ years, so I used my knowledge of the game and probability, statistics, arithmetic, flow-charts and hours of randomised trials and tweaks to make Dice Cricket 2021.

Better batsmen are more likely to score more runs than average ones, and tail-enders will probably score less, but the random element means this is not guaranteed. Innings scores and scoring rates vary according to the type of game, state of the game, state of the pitch, and tactical decisions made. Better bowlers are more likely to take more wickets, but an all-rounder or part-time bowler can sometimes get a star batsman out. Wicket keepers will probably take more catches than outfielders. Many other aspects of cricket are included (at realistic frequency): no balls, wides, leg byes, byes, run outs, maiden overs, changes of pace, changes to the batting order, free hits (in ODI / T20), even a main batsman managing the strike when batting with the tail. All I’ve left out (by choice) is rain delays and DRS!

All 3 main version of the game are all included: test matches, 50 over One Day Internationals, and Twenty20 games. You can use the names of international players, state / county sides, your own club-mates, or why not combine them and play yourself in the England team in the Ashes

Included in your game pack:
  • colour probability grids (converting dice scores into cricket scores) to play the game.
  • 3 different sets of scorebook pages, covering test matches, 50 over ODIs, and Twenty20 games.
  • illustrated playing instruction book.
  • a quality fine-line scoring pen.
  • a pair of 10-sided game dice.
  • a post-it flag marker.
  • a flash drive containing templates for all the probability sheets and score sheets (no need to buy special scorebooks or pads from me – simply print as many of your own as you want, when you need them).
  • database files for all 3 formats (in Excel and OpenDocument formats) for recording game stats on your computer over series / tournaments / careers (not essential to play the game, but if you are a bit of a statto like me this might add to your enjoyment), which can track runs scored, averages, batting run rate, bowling economy rate and much more.
These are sold only on ebay and Amazon UK (just search 'Dice Cricket 2021'), but ebay's Global Shipping Programme means they can be bought around the world, and a few have gone to Australia already.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265056169122

View attachment 253452 View attachment 253453 View attachment 253454 View attachment 253455
[Promotion approved by admin MattW - thank you Matt].
Would be much better if you had designed an android/ios app instead. Never the less sounds intriguing , I developed a similar kind of game when I was a kid using a book with page numbers from 0-9 , with 0 ,8 and 9 count as out for tailenders , 0 and 8 count as out for lower orders and only 0 being out for proper batsmen while the legendary batsmen like Lara , Sachin etc having two lives and other digits for number of runs scored in that particular over and doubling the run count from 1-15 overs and then tripling it in 45-50 overs to reflect aggression and removing the extra life from legendary batsmen in the death overs ,for turn one I use to look at the left handside number from the book and next time i used to look at right handside page number to complete my 10 outcomes pretty genius for a 12 year old kid It works wonder for my past time without computers and console gaming.
 
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ahmedleo414

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Would be much better if you had designed an android/ios app instead. Never the less sounds intriguing , I developed a similar kind of game when I was a kid using a book with page numbers from 0-9 , with 0 ,8 and 9 count as out for tailenders , 0 and 8 count as out for lower orders and only 0 being out for proper batsmen while the legendary batsmen like Lara , Sachin etc having two lives and other digits for number of runs scored in that particular over and doubling the run count from 1-15 overs and then tripling it in 45-50 overs to reflect aggression and removing the extra life from legendary batsmen in the death overs ,for turn one I use to look at the left handside number from the book and next time i used to look at right handside page number to complete my 10 outcomes pretty genius for a 12 year old kid It works wonder for my past time without computers and console gaming.
Oh man, if this was a Android app. I wouldn't mind spending money on it
 

ddrap14

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Oh yeah, I have money now. Might try and investigate this
 

pallen38

School Cricketer
Joined
Sep 21, 2021
Have you considered selling the PDFs of this? As it is for me, an American, it is $50 for the game, but only $27 of that is for the game itself. Dice, pen, usb drive aren't really useful to me. I would gladly pay $20 for the files that I could print out myself, and I think a lot of others would as well, but $50 is quite steep.
 

beechcroft

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Have you considered selling the PDFs of this? As it is for me, an American, it is $50 for the game, but only $27 of that is for the game itself. Dice, pen, usb drive aren't really useful to me. I would gladly pay $20 for the files that I could print out myself, and I think a lot of others would as well, but $50 is quite steep.

Me too.
 

ahmedleo414

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I ended up biting the bullet and buying it. Here are my thoughts.

I ended up paying $80 Canadian shipping included. It costs way too much for what I received.


I got a folder with scoring sheets and the playing instructions.

I got two dice and a pen. No USB (I don't know if it's supposed to come with usb)

I tried to play a t20 innings of this match


The way I played was I filled in the batters as they batted that day as well as I used the same bowlers as they bowled that day. So for example: Shaheen bowled the first over, Faulkner 2nd and so on. I only played one innings because I wanted to get used to the mechanics and it was very easy to pick up and after an over or two I got used to everything

Overall thoughts: it's a fun game, I wish I had digital version of the scoresheet so I can print my own rather than relying on a photocopier. I enjoyed it, but no way is it worth $80 Canadian... If it was $20-30 (Canadian dollars) including shipping i would say that's a fair price. 7/10

I have attached the scoresheet of the innings I played if anyone's interested
 

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    20211004_102535.jpg
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beechcroft

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Location
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I ended up biting the bullet and buying it. Here are my thoughts.

I ended up paying $80 Canadian shipping included. It costs way too much for what I received.


I got a folder with scoring sheets and the playing instructions.

I got two dice and a pen. No USB (I don't know if it's supposed to come with usb)

I tried to play a t20 innings of this match


The way I played was I filled in the batters as they batted that day as well as I used the same bowlers as they bowled that day. So for example: Shaheen bowled the first over, Faulkner 2nd and so on. I only played one innings because I wanted to get used to the mechanics and it was very easy to pick up and after an over or two I got used to everything

Overall thoughts: it's a fun game, I wish I had digital version of the scoresheet so I can print my own rather than relying on a photocopier. I enjoyed it, but no way is it worth $80 Canadian... If it was $20-30 (Canadian dollars) including shipping i would say that's a fair price. 7/10

I have attached the scoresheet of the innings I played if anyone's interested

I would say you need to contact the seller. The description in the first post says it comes with a USB containing score sheets and templates for the probability sheets, plus database files. There's even a photo of the USB on the eBay site. I don't know if the seller visits this site. I started a conversation with him, but haven't received a reply. Maybe he's just busy.
 

ahmedleo414

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I would say you need to contact the seller. The description in the first post says it comes with a USB containing score sheets and templates for the probability sheets, plus database files. There's even a photo of the USB on the eBay site. I don't know if the seller visits this site. I started a conversation with him, but haven't received a reply. Maybe he's just busy.
I did message them on eBay let's see if they reply. The package I received did have tape on it saying repacked. So it's very possible when they opened the package to check it at customs they dropped the usb
 

beechcroft

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I did message them on eBay let's see if they reply. The package I received did have tape on it saying repacked. So it's very possible when they opened the package to check it at customs they dropped the usb

That's rough. I've never had a package from the UK that's been opened by customs.. Hopefully, the seller can just email you the missing files. Let us know what happens. I was thinking of buying the game, and maybe creating a Windows version. That's the reason I messaged the seller.
 

ahmedleo414

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That's rough. I've never had a package from the UK that's been opened by customs.. Hopefully, the seller can just email you the missing files. Let us know what happens. I was thinking of buying the game, and maybe creating a Windows version. That's the reason I messaged the seller.
I installed an android app called Cricket Scorer and instead of manually writing down the score I used the app.. and the experience was 1000000% better for me.

In less time than I played one inning by hand I was able to play both innings of the same match I posted earlier. Here is the result if anyone is interested.

I would love to see a PC version of that
 

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Dice Cricket

School Cricketer
Joined
Jul 13, 2021
I would say you need to contact the seller. The description in the first post says it comes with a USB containing score sheets and templates for the probability sheets, plus database files. There's even a photo of the USB on the eBay site. I don't know if the seller visits this site. I started a conversation with him, but haven't received a reply. Maybe he's just busy.
I've tried to reply to your message, but every time I do I get a message saying it's blocked because it looks like "inappropriate content or spam" - I even got this when I sent a 1-word reply: "Hello."
Very frustrating.
I've tried to start a new conversation with you now, as the system won't let me reply.
 
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