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On one hand, it seems strange that indoor cricket would be invented in a country such as Australia which has plenty of room and sunshine. On the other hand, outdoor cricket is not always enjoyable in 40 degree weather and can be a bit slow for those accustomed to quicker paced sports.

Indoor cricket is the fastest and shortest version of the game. It was invented in 1979 in Perth. Each team has 8 players and each player must bowl two overs and bat in a partnership for four overs. If a player is dismissed, the team and player's score is reduced by 5. The player will remain to bat out the four overs.

The game is played indoors within a rectangular netting. As batsmen hit the ball, it can fly off the netting in a way that can bring multiple fielders into play. As batsmen only need to run half a pitch, runs are almost always being taken. Consequently, all fielding players are involved in almost every passage of play, or need to be prepared for the likelihood of some involvement.

The indoor cricket ball is much softer ands lighter than the traditional cricket ball. As a result, it spins and swings more, and rarely inflicts damage on batsmen or fielders. Although a box is still a necessity for male players, pads are not.

Aside from being fast-paced and short in duration, indoor cricket appeals to players due to the social aspect. It is quite convenient to fit a game in after work, then share a beer with opposition players or team mates after the game.

While the fast-paced nature of the game makes it ideal for players, it makes it a blur of confusion for spectators. There is too much activity going to ever elicit crowd interest or appeal to television broadcasters.

In regards to elite competition, indoor cricket is also played in a few other countries but all international competition has been dominated by Australians.  

Scoring

Scoring in indoor cricket is split into 2 areas: physical runs and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net. Bonus scores for particular parts of the nets follow:

• Zone A (front net - behind the keeper): 0 bonus runs
• Zone B (side nets between the striker's end and halfway down the pitch): 1 run
• Zone C (side nets between halfway and the bowlers end): 2 runs
• Zone D (back net - behind the bowler):
  • On the bounce: 4 runs
  • On the full: 6 runs
• Zone B or C onto Zone D: 3 runs

NB: For bonus runs to be scored, at least one physical run must be scored. The bonus runs are then added to the physical runs.