Abstract: The invention provides a ball having a resilient higher density plastic outer cover layer over a lower density plastic core and a bat including a handle and a head, the head having a hitting surface and a back surface, the hitting surface having an elongate and substantially planar hitting surface and the back surface being similarly elongate and having a raised spine running along its elongate axis. The invention is characterised in that the bat is formed from plastic or composite material and has a central cavity, and a target article (set of stumps) includes a weighted base and a panel, the panel being formed from a flexible resilient material and the base including a slot into which the panel may be inserted and thereby retained in an upright position. The panel and slot are adapted such that when struck by an object the panel is free to vibrate.

Abstract: A free standing cricket wicket deployable without penetrating a playing surface is described. In a preferred embodiment, the wicket has three stumps that mimic the behavior of traditional cricket stumps. The stumps are movably joined to a support-mount so that when a ball strikes a stump with sufficient velocity, the stump moves sufficiently to dislodge a bail. A sufficient velocity is one greater than 10% of the maximum velocity typically achieved in a game. The mechanism may also be a detachable mechanism, configured so a ball travelling with sufficient velocity strikes a stump, the stump separates from the mount. A sufficient velocity for this may be a velocity equal to half the maximum velocity attained in an average game. The mechanisms may include a ball-and-socket element and/or rare-earth magnets.

Abstract: A free standing cricket wicket deployable without penetrating a playing surface is described. In a preferred embodiment, the wicket has three stumps that mimic the behavior of traditional cricket stumps. The stumps are movably joined to a support-mount so that when a ball strikes a stump with sufficient velocity, the stump moves sufficiently to dislodge a bail. A sufficient velocity is one greater than 10% of the maximum velocity typically achieved in a game. The mechanism may also be a detachable mechanism, configured so a ball travelling with sufficient velocity strikes a stump, the stump separates from the mount. A sufficient velocity for this may be a velocity equal to half the maximum velocity attained in an average game. The mechanisms may include a ball-and-socket element and/or rare-earth magnets.

Abstract: The invention provides a ball having a resilient higher density plastic outer cover layer over a lower density plastic core and a bat including a handle and a head, the head having a hitting surface and a back surface, the hitting surface having an elongate and substantially planar hitting surface and the back surface being similarly elongate and having a raised spine running along its elongate axis. The invention is characterised in that the bat is formed from plastic or composite material and has a central cavity, and a target article (set of stumps) includes a weighted base and a panel, the panel being formed from a flexible resilient material and the base including a slot into which the panel may be inserted and thereby retained in an upright position. The panel and slot are adapted such that when struck by an object the panel is free to vibrate.

Abstract: There is described an apparatus for a sports game involving movement of a projectile, the apparatus comprising impact sensors for detecting impacts by a player of the sport game or the projectile, the impact sensors being coupled to a processor operable to derive characteristic data for a projectile movement from impacts detected by two or more of the player impact sensors. By monitoring impacts, rather than the movement of the projectile through the air, the apparatus may be both inexpensive and easy to install.

Abstract: Chemoluminescent illuminators are used in night visible game equipment, notably, croquet and bocce. Game balls overcome rotational wobble tendencies resulting from perturbations in the rotational moments of inertia. The balls are at least partially transparent or translucent and include a receptacle for receiving a chemoluminescent illuminator. Different colored illuminators are provided to mark different balls as relating to different players. In one embodiment the balls have relatively thin outer walls and internal metallic rings to contribute a majority of the necessary weight and to add differential weighting to equalize the moments of inertia around all three axes. Wickets comprise chemoluminescent illuminators held in proximity to conventional wickets. Wicket holders may assist with supporting the illuminators. Stakes and mallets accept chemoluminescent illuminators to illuminate the stakes.