How to Play Cricket Darts: Rules, Scoring & Strategy

What Is Cricket Darts?

Cricket is a target-control game played on a standard dartboard. It has nothing to do with the sport played with a bat and ball. The name is borrowed, but the game is pure darts. Instead of counting down from 501, cricket is about claiming territory. You only use seven targets on the board: the numbers 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and the bullseye. Everything else on the board is dead. If you hit a 12 or a 3, nothing happens.

The whole game is a tug of war over those seven targets. You want to "own" numbers so you can score points on them, while stopping your opponent from doing the same. That mix of offense (scoring) and defense (shutting numbers down) is what makes cricket more strategic than a straight countdown game. If you are brand new to the dartboard entirely, start with our complete beginner's guide to darts first, then come back here.

Cricket is usually played one against one, but it works just as well in teams of two (doubles) or with three or more solo players. Each player throws three darts per turn, one at a time, then hands over. That basic rhythm never changes no matter how many people are at the oche.

Cricket Darts Rules

Here are the core cricket darts rules in plain English. Read these once and you know enough to play a full game.

The targets. Only 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and the bullseye are in play. You can hit them in any order.

Opening a number needs three marks. To claim a number you must land three "marks" on it. A single counts as one mark, a double (the thin outer ring) counts as two marks, and a triple (the thin inner ring) counts as three marks. So a single triple 20 opens the 20 in one dart. Three separate single 20s do the same thing over multiple darts.

The bullseye. The outer bull counts as one mark and is worth 25 points. The inner bull (the red center) counts as two marks and is worth 50 points. You still need three marks total to close it, so one inner bull plus one outer bull closes the bullseye.

Turns. Each player throws three darts per turn. All darts that stick count. Darts that bounce out or miss the board score nothing but still use up one of your three throws.

Who goes first. Each player throws one dart at the bullseye. Closest to the center throws first. A coin toss works too. Going first is a real advantage in an even match, which is something the strategy section covers.

Round limit. Steel-tip cricket has no round limit and runs until someone wins. Soft-tip (electronic) cricket usually caps the game at 15 or 20 rounds. If nobody has fully won when the limit is reached, the player with the most points wins.

How Cricket Scoring Works: Marks, Points, and Cutting

This is the part that confuses most beginners, so let us go slowly. There are two phases for every number: opening it, then scoring on it.

Owning (opening) a number. Once you land three marks on a number, you "own" it. It is now open for you. Nothing scores yet. You just have the right to score on it.

Scoring points. After you own a number, any extra marks you land on it add points equal to that number's face value. Hit an open 20 with a single and you get 20 points. Hit it with a triple and you get 60 points. This keeps working every turn until your opponent closes the number on you.

Closing (cutting) a number. When your opponent also lands three marks on a number you own, it is "closed" or "cut out." Neither player can score on it for the rest of the game. This is the defensive move. If your opponent is stacking points on 20, you close the 20 to stop the bleeding.

Worked example. You throw triple 20 (three marks, 20 is now open for you). Next turn you hit two single 20s, scoring 20 + 20 = 40 points. Your opponent then hits three 20s of their own, closing it. The 20 is now dead. You keep your 40 points, but nobody can score on 20 again. For a deeper look at how the bullseye scores across different games, see our guide to how much a bullseye is worth in darts.

How to Keep Score: The Cricket Scoreboard

A cricket scoreboard is a simple grid. The seven targets run down the center: 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, and Bull. Each player gets a column on either side. As you land marks, you fill in symbols next to your number.

The traditional chalkboard notation is easy: the first mark is a slash ( / ), the second mark turns it into an X ( X ), and the third mark circles the X ( ⓑ ) to show the number is closed. Points are written in each player's column and added up as the game goes.

Reading this board: both players have closed the 20 (circled), so nobody scores there anymore. You have two marks on 19 (the X) and one mark on 18 (the slash). Your opponent has one mark on 19. You are ahead 40 to 0 on points because you opened the 20 earlier and banked two single 20s (2 × 20 = 40) before your opponent closed it. Keeping the board updated after every turn matters. A score that is not written down before the next player throws does not count.

Try It: Interactive Cricket Trainer

Reading rules only gets you so far. Play a round below to see how marks turn into a closed number, and how closed numbers start banking points. Select a target, then click "Throw," or press "Auto" to watch a full game play out. Watch how the game shifts from opening numbers to scoring on them.

When you are ready to score a real game against a friend, the Dartsva multiplayer demo handles the marks and points for you, so you can focus on throwing instead of chalking the board.

Strategy: How to Win Cricket Darts

Cricket looks simple, but a few principles decide most games. Experienced players agree on these, and once you internalize them you will beat opponents who just throw at whatever looks good.

1. Never Chase

"Chasing" means following your opponent onto a number they just closed. If they close 20, do not sit there throwing at a dead 20. Move to the next open number. If your opponent opens and closes 20, you go to 19 and start scoring or opening there. Chasing wastes darts on marks that cannot score. Move forward and make every mark count.

2. Points Trump Closes

You cannot win with a lower score, so scoring early is powerful. If you are behind on points, do not obsess over closing your opponent's numbers. Pick the next highest open number and point (score) on it. Closing only stops your opponent from extending their lead; it does not help you catch up. To take the lead you have to put points on the board yourself.

3. Everything Is a Mark

Do not get fixated on the point total and ignore the mark differential. When you need to close a number and points make your opponent hit extra marks, sometimes throwing for points is the better play. Think of your advantage in terms of how many darts ahead or behind you are, not just raw points.

4. The Bullseye Often Decides the Game

A huge share of close cricket games come down to who hits the bullseye. If you have 20 through 17 closed and have a spare dart, throw it at the bull. It leaves you a three-dart finish and stops your opponent using the bull to catch up. Many players save the bull for last, which is exactly why it becomes the deciding target.

5. Respect the First-Throw Advantage

In an even match, the player who throws first tends to win because they get the first crack at every number. If you are throwing second, your job is to extend the game and stay flexible until you can seize the advantage, usually by out-scoring rather than chasing. Structured practice on your treble hitting is what makes that first-mover advantage pay off. Our guide to beginner dart games covers other formats that sharpen the same skills.

Popular Cricket Variants

Cut Throat Cricket

Cut Throat flips the scoring. The rules are identical to standard cricket, but instead of banking points for yourself, you give points to every opponent who has not yet closed that number. The winner is the player who closes all numbers with the lowest score. This makes Cut Throat brilliant for three or more players, because piling points onto one opponent can gang up on the leader.

No-Score Cricket

No-Score cricket removes points entirely. The winner is simply the first player or team to close all seven targets. It is a pure accuracy race with no defensive point battle, which makes it a fast and friendly version for casual play and a great way to teach the opening mechanic to newcomers.

English Cricket

English cricket is a completely different pub game that only shares the name. One player is the "batter" trying to score as many points as possible (counting anything over 40 in a turn), while the "bowler" tries to hit the bullseye ten times to record ten "wickets" and end the innings. Then players swap roles. If someone mentions English cricket, expect this bat-and-bowl format, not the 20-through-15 game.

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