Captain's guide: toss, batting order and picking the bowler

Every side in an online match has a captain, marked with a C next to their name. The captain does not hit harder or bowl faster than anyone else. What they get is three decisions, and in a short match those decisions are often the difference. This guide covers each one.

It describes the build we are testing now. Details can change before release; if they do, we'll update this page.

Who is the captain?

The player who creates a lobby becomes captain of Side A, and Side B has a captain of its own. After that:

• the host can make any player the captain of their side;
• a captain can pass the job to a team-mate.

Do it from the lobby by tapping a player's name and choosing Make captain. Pick someone who will be paying attention between overs.

Decision 1: the toss

When the host starts the match, a coin appears.

• Side B's captain calls heads or tails.
• The coin is flipped on our server, so nobody's phone decides it.
• The winner chooses to bat or bowl.

Each step has a 15-second timer. If the call is not made in time, the game calls heads. If the winner does not choose in time, they bat.

Bat first or bowl first?

There is no right answer, which is why it is a decision.

Bat first if:

• your best batters are confident and you want to set the pace;
• you would rather defend a total than chase under pressure.

Bowl first if:

• you want to know exactly what you need;
• your side is better at chasing in the last over than at building a score.

In a 2-over Blitz, many captains choose to chase: with only twelve balls, knowing the target tells you how much risk to take from ball one. In a 5-over match the choice is closer. The formats guide explains both.

Decision 2: the batting order

After the toss, both captains see the Batting order screen with their own side listed.

• Tap two players to swap them. Repeat until the order is right.
• A 30-second timer shows when the match starts. If you change nothing, the order is the order in which players joined.

The first two players open the innings. When a wicket falls, the next player in the order comes in.

How to think about the order

• Open with your most reliable timer of the ball. In a short match you cannot afford a wicket in the first over.
• Put your biggest hitter where the overs run out, not where they start. In a 5-over match that is often number three.
• In small sides the order comes round again. A side has at least two wickets even in 1 v 1, and when the order runs out it starts again from the top. So your best batter may bat twice.

Decision 3: picking the bowler

When your side is in the field, you choose who bowls each over. A Pick the bowler panel lists your players and how many overs each has bowled.

The rules are simple:

• Nobody bowls two overs in a row, unless the side has only one player.
• Overs are shared across the side. In a 5-over match with five players, each can bowl one.
• You have 15 seconds to choose. If you do not, the game picks an eligible bowler for you.

How to think about the bowling

• Start with your most accurate bowler, not your fastest. An early wide or no-ball sets the wrong tone.
• Keep your best for the end. The last over of a chase is where matches are decided. Work out who bowls it before the innings begins.
• Mix pace and spin. A batter who has timed two quick overs often swings early at the first slow ball. The bowling guide explains the deliveries.

In the field: everyone has a job

Captaincy is not the only role. Players on the bowling side who are not bowling hold fielding positions, starting with the wicket-keeper. When the ball goes up towards a position a real player holds, a CATCH! ring appears on that player's screen and they have a moment to tap it. Tap in time and the batter is out.

So tell your side to keep watching, even when someone else is bowling.

Talk to your team

Use the one-tap voice commands during the match: "Catch it!", "Run! Run!", "Great bowling!". They are quicker than typing and everyone hears them. A captain who talks gets a side that concentrates.

The captain's job is small: three decisions and a calm voice. Get those right and the side does the rest.

A captain's checklist

1. Before the toss: decide whether you would rather set a score or chase one.
2. At the order screen: opener, hitter, and who bats if wickets fall early.
3. Before the first over in the field: who opens the bowling and who bowls last.
4. Every over: check who is eligible before the timer runs down.

New to lobbies? Start with how to play online with friends.

NPL Cricket League is still in development. Pre-register and we'll tell you when you can play.

NPL Cricket League is a game by Lacspace inspired by Nepal's T20 franchise cricket. Team names identify the franchises; crests, kits and players in the game are our own, and players are fictional. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by the Cricket Association of Nepal, the Nepal Premier League or its franchises.