Growing up in Bradford but with grandparents in Kent and Somerset meant hours on the road, more often than not to a backdrop of Radio 4 (which was not so engaging as a child). Of course, this being the late 80s/early 90s there were no screens to occupy the journey. So my siblings and I had to make our own entertainment and I remember Numberplate Cricket as a great way to kill off the monotony of the motorway.
Fast forward to 2024, and the tables have turned. Now it’s my children enduring long drives from Croydon to Bradford to ‘enjoy’ our our season tickets at Valley Parade1 . Last weekend’s 9 hour round trip served up a pretty underwhelming 0-0 and 3 points denied by dubious officialing.
Probably over the line #bcafc
— Sanj (@londonbantam.bsky.social) Aug 17, 2024 at 18:17
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What is Numberplate Cricket?
For the uninitiated, Numberplate Cricket is a simple game (despite what Wikipedia suggests) that turns every passing car into a potential run or wicket. The rules are simple:
- The first digit of the numberplate determines the outcome of the ‘ball’:
- 1 to 6 equals 1 to 6 runs
- 7, 8 or 9 signals a wicket
- Once you lose 10 wickets, your innings is over
- Alternatively, for a limited overs format, you can use the miles of the journey to set the length of an innings
Back in my day, the single letter-then-number format provided a steady trickle of runs, with the odd boundary thrown in. A slow and steady accumulation, punctuated by the occasional wicket, was the norm – and a perfect way to eat up the miles.
New numberplates for a batters’ paradise
However, the evolution of UK numberplates in September 2001 pretty much retired the game according to the old rules2. That year we swapped over to the two-letter, two-number format. Those two numbers are the same for every car newly registered in a particular 6 month period.
- 1 September 2001 to end February 2002 = 51 plates
- 1 March to end August 2002 = 02 plates
- 1 September 2002 to end February 2003 = 52 plates
- …
- 1 September 2023 to end February 2024 = 73 plates
- 1 March to end August 2024 = 24 plates
- 1 September 2024 to end February 2025 = 74 plates
With the new format, the odds of seeing a wicket-taking number dropped dramatically, turning what was once a balanced contest into a batter’s paradise. September 2020, and the launch of the 70 plate, was the first time in 18 years that a wicket-taking numberplate entered the roads.
Yes, there have been residual plates and personalised numberplates but, according to the data I’ve used to look into the real impact of ULEZ, less than 1m of the 30m cars on Britain’s roads were registered in 2002 or earlier meaning bowlers have been searching desperately to find a rare 7, 8 or 9.
Bazball on the roads
I’m happy to report that based on our recent journey Numberplate Cricket is back, and it’s echoing the current philosophy of the England cricket team – Bazball. Under the leadership of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, Bazball prioritises aggressive, risk-taking play. It’s all about taking the game to the opposition.
And it seems Britain’s roads have caught the spirit. Cars sporting 5s and 6s, as well as plenty of 1s and 2s, offer abundant scoring opportunities. But there are now enough 70, 71, 72 or 73 plates to see wickets making a comeback and balancing the game.
On our recent journey, I scored a respectable 208 runs all out in 49 miles. When it was Ezra’s turn to bat, I was pleased to take two wickets in two cars. But, in true Bazball spirit, he overhauled my total with ease, scoring freely with a series of 6s and comfortably winning by four wickets, with 9 miles to spare.
The Final Over
So, on your next long drive, why not give Numberplate Cricket a try and see whether you find it as balanced as we did. It’s a fantastic way to keep the kids entertained and relive a bit of nostalgia. Just be quick about it – those new 74 plates are on their way, and soon enough, the 5n and 6n registered plates from the 2000s and 2010s will start disappearing from the roads.