The Authentic All-Action Cricket Game |
The way this game worked is that you rolled cylinder number one, and this gave you either 1,2,3,4,6 or Owzthat. You then had to roll cylinder two which had Bowled, Caught, Run Out, LBW, Not Out or No Ball. You needed a scoring sheet, and this game was the source of many a wasted afternoon in an era when we had only three television channels, and one of them showed Open University programmes for most of the day. Owzthat kept you occupied as your parents, or grandparents watched the delights of Pebble Mill or Crown Court.
![]() |
The cylinders of Owzthat...lethal! |
Then along came Test Match. A proper game, with action and needing skill to play. Made by Peter Pan games (Peter Parfitt would have struggled to get a big score in Test Match), this was the ultimate, the Don Bradman of cricketing games, the daddy. Mine had a photo of Ian Botham playing a hook shot on the box, although I believe that earlier versions had Freddie Trueman on there. Later versions showed Beefy with David Gower, with Botham resplendent with his Duncan Fearnley Attack bat that he was promoting at the time. You know, the one that cost £19.99 that he slayed the Aussies with! Yeah right...In the other corner were a group of kids, with bowl headed haircuts, coiffeured by lazy barbers of the time or to save 50p, by their mum.
As for the game itself, the bowler had the silver ball in a cup and if you flicked his left arm the ball left the cup and went down a long chute towards the batsman. Experienced aficionados of the game worked out that if you jiggled the bowler about the ball would then slalom down towards the batsman, with inswing, outswing, leg spin, off spin and top spin all in the same delivery. Deadly Derek Underwood on a wet one couldn't even do this, and this was long before cricketers had learned to scratch one side of the ball up for reverse swing.
![]() |
The Test Matcher even built stands with lego! |
As for the batsman, he was held together by an elastic band and you would have to pull his bat up with a bit of string. The bat would than come down and strike the ball, albeit by a batsman who moved his feet as much as an out of touch David Gower. Fours were scored by hitting the ball to the edge and sixes, impossible to hit when a ball rolls along the deck as Trevor Chappell taught us during this era, were scored by two small corners at deep mid wicket and deep extra cover. Often these were more by accident with a thick outside or inside edge as the shag pile of many a seventies carpet would have the bias of a crown green bowl, and what was a silky off drive became a six. Rings were in place for dot balls, singles, twos and threes.
Catches were by a group of fielders who caught the ball in an area between their legs. No I am not talking where Bumble copped one off Jeff Thomson in 1975, but in a plastic area between the feet. If the fielder fell over, as they often did, then we would deem that a dropped catch. Listen, these were our rules, in our game ok!
![]() |
Lack of foot movement? No problem |
Test Match could also be a painful experience. Kneeling on a fielder was beyond the threshold, whilst the odd swipe of the cat's claw as the silver ball came down would often interfere with play. No need for George Davis style protests when feline interjections would regularly occur in this arena. Playing on a carpet would favour the bowlers, whilst on a formica MFI table the batsman was in the ascendancy.
We all loved Test Match. If you are between 35 and 55 you will have nodded your head in agreement numerous times as you read this and will understand completely what I am talking about.
The rest of you...you have seriously missed out.
I got bought Test Match as a kid but found it impossible to play anywhere apart form my friend's Dad's garage because we had a rectangular dining room table that wasn't wide enough.
ReplyDeleteThere was another card-based game with spinning arrows that was fantastic - what was the name of that one? Can't remember and it's really bugging me! It's in my parent's loft. Mike "Mike Read, Mike Read, 275 & 285" Read endorsed it.
Brilliant. I haven't got a clue about the card game I'm afraid, but glad the Test Match piece brought back some good memories.
ReplyDeleteIt was a green flat board with plastic figures - one bowler, nine fielders, one wicket keeper. Two batsman (strike and non-strike) with a wheel on the base to show batsman's number 1-11 (which you changed depending on who was in bat/on strike). the board was divided into sections where you could place fielders. There were two arrows on the board that you spun round, one to indicate the type of delivery (good length, yorker, etc) and the other used to determine out/not out if the ball landed in a section with a fielder in it.
ReplyDeleteWhen the ball was bowled then the batsman had to decide what shot to play - e.g cover drive, straight drive, avoid action, forward defensive - and then picked a card that would tell you which section the ball ended up in depending on the shot played. There was extra rules that restricted field settings as well I think. It was a great game.
You MUST find out the name and let me know!
ReplyDeleteI bloody loved this game and remember the day that tragedy struck when, in attempting to improve the outfield by ironing the octagonal playing mat to remove the creases, my mum inadvertently burnt a large hole at deep midwicket!
ReplyDeleteA replacement was acquired and order was restored! Sadly, shortly after this incident, Graham Gooch cricket was released on the Atari and Test Match was forever confined to the attic.
Sacrilege! Hope it brought back some decent memories...
ReplyDeleteFound it - it was called Wicketz - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wicketz-most-authentic-cricket-board/dp/B00M0SS386 - it was brilliant.
ReplyDeleteLoved "Test Match" with a passion. I found a modern equivalent to "Owzthat" based on conventional dice one Christmas and gave it to my son. Played once and discarded in favour of the latest Mario kart on Wii sadly (and TBH the Wii was more fun).
ReplyDeletecanada goose outlet
ReplyDeletelouis vuitton handbags
coach outlet
canada goose
ralph lauren polo
louis vuitton handbags
the north face
adidas originals shoes
louis vuitton outlet
cleveland cavaliers jerseys
cheap uggs
christian louboutin outlet
oklahoma city thunder jerseys
nike outlet store
polo ralph lauren outlet
canada goose jackets
ugg outlet
adidas yeezy
fitflops sale clearance
oakley sunglasses
coach outlet
dallas mavericks jerseys
coach outlet
ralph lauren outlet
ray ban sunglasses
seattle seahawks jerseys
ugg italia
adidas ultra boost
celine
uggs on sale
christian louboutin shoes
louis vuitton handbags
canada goose outlet
louis vuitton
coach outlet
adidas nmd
longchamp sac
christian louboutin pas cher
abercrombie and fitch
moncler jackets
20168.27wengdongdong
jordan shoes
ReplyDeletecurry shoes
supreme outlet
off-white
jordan 1
kyrie 6 shoes
bape hoodie
lebron shoes
canada goose jacket
supreme clothing