Bat and trap

Bat and trap is an ancient English ball game related to cricket and played at country pubs in the county of Kent.

It is also played in the city of Brighton in Sussex though by the late 20th century the only regular game was played on Good Friday on the Level, the park in the centre of Brighton. The pub sign of The Bat and Ball, on the Level, commemorates the game.

ball, on one end of a "trap", which is a low wooden box convert|22|in|mm long, 5 inches wide, and convert|5|in|mm high, on top of which is a simple see-saw mechanism. Each player in turn on the batting side hits the opposite end of the see-saw lever (the "striker") with his or her bat, so as to propel the ball into the air, and then, using the same bat, attempts to hit the ball between two convert|7|ft|m|sing=on high posts situated convert|21|yd away and convert|13|ft|6|in|m apart at the other end of the playing area, or "pitch".

The bowling side stand behind and between the posts. If any of them catches the ball before it hits the ground the batsman is out. The batsman is also out if he or she fails to hit the ball between the posts at a height not exceeding convert|7|ft|m. After each successful hit, one fielder (the one whose turn it is to bowl next), returns the ball to the batting end by hurling, tossing, or bowling it back towards the trap, attached to the front of which is a convert|5|in|mm|sing=on square target, or "wicket", hinged at the bottom. If the bowler hits the wicket with the ball so as to knock it flat, the batsman is "bowled out". If the bowler does not succeed, the batsman scores one run and continues to play. Once all the members of the first batting team are out, the batting and bowling teams change places and the game continues until all players on both sides have batted.

See also

* Stoolball
* Trap-ball
* Origins of baseball
* Pub games

External links

* [http://www.batandtrap.org Canterbury & District Bat & Trap League]
* [http://www.batandtrap.org.uk/ Sevenoaks & District Bat & Trap League]
* [http://www.batandtrap.co.uk/ East Kent Friendly Bat & Trap League]