Welcome to the Wonderful World of Cricket
Welcome to the Cricket Column. While trying to improve my own game and game strategy, I searched high and low for detailed articles on the ins-and-outs of cricket. Unlike the '01 games where there is a race to get to an out, and hit your out... the game of cricket can turn around with only one or two darts. With 3 brilliant darts - only one turn - you can not only tip the game in your favor, but you can bury your opponent, reduce their mental focus, and even win the game. Honing your cricket strategy is where the average darter is going to become a more consistent cricket game winner. And cricket is the one game where less skillful darter can level off the playing field and compete/win against more skillful darters (i.e. the darter who can hit their numbers but aren't necessarily using their strategy knowledge).
There are some books out there with cricket basics and rules but nothing like the detailed cricket strategy that I was looking for. That's where the brainstorm for the cricket column idea came from, and here we are. What qualifies me to write a column about cricket? Only my love of the game and desire to learn how to be a better cricket player. Do I know it all? Hardly! I'm here to learn right along with you. It's the journey, not the destination and even after playing darts for several years, I learn something new every day. With that said, I've invited my friend Ron Zazo from Saginaw, Michigan to write the column with me. Two heads are better then one, right?
Who is Ron Zazo? He's one of the first darters I met when I first published this website over a year ago when I first published this website. Immediately we started a correspondence about darts in general, practice routines, league experiences, tournaments, favorite dart websites, keeping that mental focus and more. We've had many great discussions and though we may disagree (and I think we're both looking forward to butting heads somewhat in this column) one thing is clear...we are both passionate about darts.
When Ron was headed on a road trip last summer, I invited him to stop in my hometown (just outside Chicago) so we could meet in person and of course play darts. We hit one of the local dart pubs and had quite an evening playing darts (I'll save those stories for another day but it was a day like no other). Ron is an excellent shot and luckily for me we weren't playing for money! He's a consistent darter, understands the strategies of the games, believes and practices good sportsmanship and is really just a likeable kind of darter. What can I say? He's another passionate darter who loves the sport and does what he can to promote darts in a positive manner.
Together we've got several cricket topics that we want to write about, and who knows where this column will take us! We're both excited about this joint venture and hope to share anything and everything we learn with you along the way.
I'll let Ron have a word and introduce himself...
Ron: I've always loved what they wrote on cricket in Fundartmentals, but that just didn't cover half of it. Did you feel that way Sherilyn?
Sherilyn: Yes, Ron! So let's do this column together and get into the game of cricket. Why don't you write up your bio and a little bit about why you want to work on the cricket column together?
Ron: Yes, I agree we could get started now. I'll let you do my bio for me, since I'm not sure what you want this to look like.
Ron's Bio...
I think the most important tip I like to tell people when they ask about the strategy of cricket is to look at points and close as both marks. If my opponent has opened the game up with closing his 20's and 60 points. I know I am already six marks down. I will need seven marks to take the lead. In which I would pound the 19's with all three darts. I would like to keep a six mark lead over my opponent if it's possible. Forcing them to respond themselves with a seven mark or better.
The biggest thing I've seen people do is take themselves out of the game before their opponent has. I know from personal experience how a player can get frustrated and become their own worst enemy. I've learned to be more patient and play the game to the best of my ability to the very end. When I started doing this, I started to win a lot more.
The strategies are a bit different in skill level of play, in each division. Some people play the gouge, (pointing) game, some like the quick close. Me? I believe if you want to be good, you do both by counting close and pointing as marks as it's all the same in the long run, just who has more in the end.
I think this an excellent opportunity to cover my favorite subject which is cricket strategy. To be able to do it with the Passionate Darter herself, well, what could be better? I look forward to helping others, learning some new things myself, and of course butting heads with Sherilyn when we don't agree!
I'm very excited to even be asked to help out in any way, as there are much more experienced players. Maybe this is a way to rattle a few cages, and to hear from them as well.
Sherilyn: Well said Ron! I do disagree with one of your points though. Both steel-tip AND electronic darts are both games of accuracy and consistency. However, we can argue that on another day.
OK darters - that's it for the introduction. If you've got any cricket questions or topics that you'd like more information on, then click here to send us an E-mail with your cricket suggestions. Game on, let's play cricket!
~ Sherilyn & Ron
There are some books out there with cricket basics and rules but nothing like the detailed cricket strategy that I was looking for. That's where the brainstorm for the cricket column idea came from, and here we are. What qualifies me to write a column about cricket? Only my love of the game and desire to learn how to be a better cricket player. Do I know it all? Hardly! I'm here to learn right along with you. It's the journey, not the destination and even after playing darts for several years, I learn something new every day. With that said, I've invited my friend Ron Zazo from Saginaw, Michigan to write the column with me. Two heads are better then one, right?
Who is Ron Zazo? He's one of the first darters I met when I first published this website over a year ago when I first published this website. Immediately we started a correspondence about darts in general, practice routines, league experiences, tournaments, favorite dart websites, keeping that mental focus and more. We've had many great discussions and though we may disagree (and I think we're both looking forward to butting heads somewhat in this column) one thing is clear...we are both passionate about darts.
When Ron was headed on a road trip last summer, I invited him to stop in my hometown (just outside Chicago) so we could meet in person and of course play darts. We hit one of the local dart pubs and had quite an evening playing darts (I'll save those stories for another day but it was a day like no other). Ron is an excellent shot and luckily for me we weren't playing for money! He's a consistent darter, understands the strategies of the games, believes and practices good sportsmanship and is really just a likeable kind of darter. What can I say? He's another passionate darter who loves the sport and does what he can to promote darts in a positive manner.
Together we've got several cricket topics that we want to write about, and who knows where this column will take us! We're both excited about this joint venture and hope to share anything and everything we learn with you along the way.
I'll let Ron have a word and introduce himself...
Ron: I've always loved what they wrote on cricket in Fundartmentals, but that just didn't cover half of it. Did you feel that way Sherilyn?
Sherilyn: Yes, Ron! So let's do this column together and get into the game of cricket. Why don't you write up your bio and a little bit about why you want to work on the cricket column together?
Ron: Yes, I agree we could get started now. I'll let you do my bio for me, since I'm not sure what you want this to look like.
Ron's Bio...
- Play both steel tip and soft tip
- 8 yrs both league and in tournaments
- Trained league operator
- Dart supply store owner
- Tournament operator
I think the most important tip I like to tell people when they ask about the strategy of cricket is to look at points and close as both marks. If my opponent has opened the game up with closing his 20's and 60 points. I know I am already six marks down. I will need seven marks to take the lead. In which I would pound the 19's with all three darts. I would like to keep a six mark lead over my opponent if it's possible. Forcing them to respond themselves with a seven mark or better.
The biggest thing I've seen people do is take themselves out of the game before their opponent has. I know from personal experience how a player can get frustrated and become their own worst enemy. I've learned to be more patient and play the game to the best of my ability to the very end. When I started doing this, I started to win a lot more.
The strategies are a bit different in skill level of play, in each division. Some people play the gouge, (pointing) game, some like the quick close. Me? I believe if you want to be good, you do both by counting close and pointing as marks as it's all the same in the long run, just who has more in the end.
I think this an excellent opportunity to cover my favorite subject which is cricket strategy. To be able to do it with the Passionate Darter herself, well, what could be better? I look forward to helping others, learning some new things myself, and of course butting heads with Sherilyn when we don't agree!
I'm very excited to even be asked to help out in any way, as there are much more experienced players. Maybe this is a way to rattle a few cages, and to hear from them as well.
Sherilyn: Well said Ron! I do disagree with one of your points though. Both steel-tip AND electronic darts are both games of accuracy and consistency. However, we can argue that on another day.
OK darters - that's it for the introduction. If you've got any cricket questions or topics that you'd like more information on, then click here to send us an E-mail with your cricket suggestions. Game on, let's play cricket!
~ Sherilyn & Ron