Put the Village in Village Cricket
5 October 2026
Anyone who has played league cricket knows the match is only half of it.
There's the skipper on the phone all Friday night trying to raise eleven. The ball in the beck. The tea that's better than the cricket. The club umpire who has never once given his own lad out.
So here's a table for it. Roll a d20 before each match in your Down the Ground league and see what's happened round the club this week.
Round the League (d20)
| Roll | This week |
|---|---|
| 1 | Skipper rings round all Friday night. Last man in isn't a cricketer. -1 BAT |
| 2 | Ball lost in the beck. The spare does all sorts. +1 BOWL, that innings |
| 3 | Star bowler pulls out after a late one. -1 CLS-Bow |
| 4 | Tea ladies outdo themselves. Nobody bats well after. Side batting second -1 BAT |
| 5 | Club umpire gives his own lad not out. Twice. |
| 6 | The pro gets a hundred and still loses. |
| 7 | Fifteen-year-old debut. Takes a wicket with his third ball. |
| 8 | Mower's broken. Greentop. Seamers rubbing their hands. |
| 9 | Jug for a fifty. First one for 5 years. |
| 10 | Off for rain at 3. Sun out at ten past. |
| 11 | Points docked. Couldn't raise a side. |
| 12 | Fifty-eight and still opening. Makes 40. |
| 13 | Dog on the pitch. Fields better than the slips. |
| 14 | Covers left off overnight. Pitch like a pudding. |
| 15 | Derby day. Handshakes are brief. |
| 16 | Bad light at quarter to seven. Nobody argues. |
| 17 | Ringer spotted. League "looking into it". |
| 18 | Six over the pavilion. Sightscreen never the same. |
| 19 | Last man in, no pads that fit. Wins it anyway. |
| 20 | Bar takes more than the gate. Treasurer happy. |
How it works
Rows 1 to 3 hit one side. Roll a d6: 1-3 the home side, 4-6 the away side. Row 4 always hits the side batting second.
Everything else is for the scorebook and the season write-up.
First game of the season? Re-roll anything that doesn't fit.
Your league
It suits the Downland villages in Book Three, or your own league built with the team generator. Old Yorkshire League, your dad's club, the side you played for at 16.
Got one that should be on here? There's always something at a local club that nobody outside would believe. Send it in and it might make the next table.