King and Ace Cricket

This game is played with a standard 52 card deck, either solo as a simulation, or a two-player game where two teams compete against each other in a simulated cricket match.

A coin flip decides who bats or bowls first and play begins by drawing six cards. The aim is to play a card that's higher than your opponents.

If the bowler's card is higher, a dot ball or a wicket happens. If the batter's card is higher, the batter scores that many runs or causes a wicket. Otherwise if tied, there is an automatic dot ball.

The innings ends after a predetermined amount of overs, or ten wickets, then the players change sides. Standard cricket scoring rules decide who wins. A standard cricket scoresheet can be used to score the game.

The card values are Ace to 4 scoring one run, 5 to 7 scoring two runs, 8 scoring three, 9 to 10 scoring a four, Jack and Queen scoring a six, and finally, a King being a wicket, no matter who plays it. You should shuffle after every 2 hands.

There is also a solo mode which just simulates a game, where you only play the batting side which has been tested to be reasonably accurate to 20/20 cricket if you shuffle after every 4 overs. The scoring for this is Ace to 3 scoring dots, 4-6 scoring one run, 7 & 8 scoring two runs, 9 scoring three runs, 10 and Jack scoring four runs, Queen scoring six runs, and King being a wicket.

I must note that other people have probably created similar rules, and I do not claim to have invented the game, merely designed this particular variant. I made a mockup of the solo game in 2007 using GameMaker 7 and distributed that version amongst friends and family, and this ruleset is based on an evolution of said mockup.

—description from the designer