Players: Two teams each composed of six or eight players.

Equipment: One oval faced wooden bat, one wooden trap with tip device and black spot target flap attached to the front, one hardened rubber ball and two outfield posts

The game, a brief description of: Bat and Trap is of old and possibly Flemish origin, whilst it?s modern equivalent has been played almost exclusively in the Kent area for over 80 years. It is played outside on a grass pitch of 21 yards in length.

The trap is set up on the pitch and two posts (7ft high) are set up at a distance of 21 yards from the trap but distanced 13?ft apart. A white line (Bowling line) is marked between the posts, behind which the bowler and the fielding team will remain for the innings.

How to play, details of: Teams toss for the first choice of batting or bowling.

Batting Stage: - Batter No 1 now places the ball on the designated part of the trap and using the bat hits the back of the trap so that the bowl jumps upwards and then attempts to hit the ball towards the far end of the pitch and between the two posts.

If the batsman fails to hit the ball, then a maximum of two more attempts are allowed. On missing at the third attempt the batsman is out. If the ball fails to reach and go over the line between the two posts then the Batsman is out.

At this batting stage and assuming that the Batsman has hit the ball, there are four more ways in which you can be out: -

1. It fails to pass between the two posts.
2. It fails to touch the pitch before passing between the two posts.
3. If a fielder catches the ball without it bouncing and in front of the white line between the two posts. Note that a legitimate catch is only possible if the fielder has one foot on or behind the bowling line.
4. The ball reaches a height of more than 7ft at the point on or after passing the bowlers end.

The batter if not out now retires to either side of the trap and the bowling stage of the game now begins.

Bowling Stage & Scoring: - The Bowlers bowl in the same order as they intend to bat. Bowler No 1 now throws the bowl underarm and aims to hit the black spotted target flap at the front of the trap. If the target is hit and the flap is knocked down, then the batter is out. The next batter will come in and continue the batting stage as detailed above.

If the target is hit but the flap doesn?t knock down or if the target is missed altogether, then one run is scored and the game goes back to the batting stage with the same batsman.

The second Bowler now bowls and play continues in this vain until the Batting team is all out.

The Winner: The runs are added up after each team has had their innings. The team with the highest number of runs will win that leg and earns one point. Teams with the same number of runs each gain a ? point. A league game is usually played over three legs and a team winning the most legs will gain an extra point. By winning the 3 legs your team will score 4 vital league points.