Guides & Strategy

Drafting Strategy

• Don't skip the lower order: A team of pure top-order batters will struggle if they collapse early. Ensure you have capable all-rounders at positions 6, 7, and 8.
• Format matters: In Test mode, strike rate is ignored by team analysis. In limited-overs modes, scoring speed contributes alongside batting output.
• Bowling Depth: A balanced attack is essential. Having bowlers with strong wicket-taking ability and low economy rates provides control throughout the innings.
• The Captaincy Boost: Your nominated captain receives a 5% boost to batting, bowling, and keeping ratings. Consider which role your XI most needs to strengthen.

How a Draft Works

A standard draft lasts eleven rounds. Each spin reveals a real historical squad from the chosen format and era. Keep one player, place them in an eligible batting position, and spin again until the XI is complete. The challenge is to plan for every open position rather than collecting only famous top-order players.

Reviews can reroll the team or era, but they do not guarantee a stronger board. They are most useful when the current squad cannot fill several of your remaining positions. The Hundred follows a different auction structure: each choice uses a fixed budget, so price and roster balance matter alongside player quality.

Player Ratings Explained

Ratings in 6orSticks are primarily era-relative. The model starts by comparing players with peers from the same format and historical window, then applies reviewed role and format calibration where a short sample would misrepresent a player. Batting combines volume and relative quality; bowling uses wicket-taking output, average, and economy in context.

Why team balance matters

The highest individual ratings do not automatically make the strongest team. Team analysis weights batting by position, checks your genuine bowling options and counts a keeper separately. A side with famous top-order batters but a weak lower order is vulnerable when early wickets fall. All-rounders can help cover both disciplines, but do not replace a specialist keeper.

In limited-overs modes, scoring speed contributes to team power; Test mode does not use that measure. Your captain receives a 5% boost to their own batting, bowling and keeping ratings. Compare your team analysis before and after a captain choice or trade to see which weakness has actually improved.

Game Modes

Test Cricket rewards durable batting and wicket-taking over a progressive ten-match series. ODI and T20 World Cups use historical tournament squads and put more pressure on scoring speed and limited-overs balance. IPL adds franchise squads and an overseas-player limit. The Hundred uses a budget auction instead of the standard spin draft.

The Daily Challenge gives every player the same conditions for one attempt, so leaderboard places compare decisions on a common starting point. The Daily Quiz is a separate six-guess puzzle built around a mystery cricketer and statistical hints.

The Hundred auction

Rather than spinning a squad and taking one player for free, you fill eleven places with a £1m budget. Prices and position needs compete with overall rating: spending most of the budget on an early star can leave little for the final roles. Check what positions remain before you bid and protect enough money to finish a balanced XI.

Achievements and Progress

The Honours Board stores completed runs, lifetime totals, and thirty achievements. Challenges cover championships, difficult drafts, career milestones, trades, quizzes, and unusual tournament outcomes. Progress is associated with a pseudonymous player ID. Export a backup from the Honours Board before changing devices or clearing browser data, then use Restore to load that backup later.