Cricket Retrospective

Score your sprint in runs, boundaries, wickets and ducks

Try this retrospective live

Runs

What progress did we make?

Successfully completed all our daily stand-ups on time this sprint
Improved our code review response time by 25%
Maintained consistent communication with stakeholders throughout the project
Boundaries

What great outcomes did we deliver?

Launched the new feature two weeks ahead of schedule
Received exceptional feedback from our biggest client
Successfully migrated the entire database with zero downtime
Wickets

What setbacks did we encounter?

Third-party API instability caused several deployment delays
Knowledge silos slowed down our problem-solving process
Sprint planning meetings regularly running overtime
Ducks

What failures did we learn from?

The production hotfix taught us to improve our testing process
Failed demo helped us realize we need better stakeholder communication
Missed deadline showed we need to break down tasks more granularly

What is the Cricket Retrospective?

The Cricket Retrospective reviews your sprint the way a commentator reviews an innings. Cricket keeps careful score of steady progress, big hits and the moments a batter is out, and that gives your team a ready-made vocabulary for what went right and what didn't. The board has four columns. Runs is for steady progress: the everyday work that moved the team forward. Boundaries are the big hits, such as a launch ahead of schedule or a migration with zero downtime. Wickets are the setbacks that cost you, from unstable third-party APIs to unclear requirements. Ducks, named after a batter out for zero, are the outright failures and what the team learned from them. It lands best with teams that follow cricket, as in India, Australia or the UK, but the terms take a minute to explain to anyone. Keeping Wickets and Ducks separate is useful: one is about obstacles to remove, the other about mistakes to learn from.

Cricket Retrospective Format

Runs

What progress did we make?

Runs are steady progress. Ask for the incremental improvements and everyday achievements that moved the team forward during the sprint, even if nobody noticed them at the time.

Boundaries

What great outcomes did we deliver?

Boundaries are the big hits. Ask for the standout successes and milestones that had a real impact, and what made them possible.

Wickets

What setbacks did we encounter?

Wickets are the setbacks that cost the team. Encourage honest discussion of impediments and bottlenecks, and look for patterns and systemic causes instead of blaming individuals.

Ducks

What failures did we learn from?

In cricket, a duck is a score of zero. Here it's a failure the team can learn from. Make it safe to talk about mistakes, and focus on the lesson and what you'll do differently.

When to use this retrospective

  • When your team follows cricket, or enjoys sports metaphors, and wants a change from the usual format
  • After a significant project milestone or sprint, when you want to look at both successes and failures
  • When morale needs a lift and a more playful setting would help people give feedback
  • When you want serious reflection with a lighter touch

Suggested icebreaker questions

  • If your last sprint was a cricket match, what would be your playing position and why?
  • What's your favorite sporting moment, and does it remind you of anything our team has done?

Want a warm-up your team plays, not just answers out loud? Browse free icebreakers →

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

  • Start with a quick explanation of the cricket terms for anyone who doesn't follow the sport
  • Borrow cricket scoring to size each item, the way a boundary counts for more than a single run
  • Make sure everyone gets a turn to bat, so the same few people don't do all the talking
  • Keep Wickets and Ducks constructive by asking what the team learned, not who was out
  • Timebox the discussion in "overs" to keep things moving
  • Add cricket imagery or sound effects if your team enjoys the theme

Frequently asked questions

What is a cricket retrospective?
It's a retrospective that uses cricket terms as its four columns: Runs for progress, Boundaries for big wins, Wickets for setbacks and Ducks for failures the team learned from.
When should you use the cricket retrospective template?
Use it when your team enjoys sports metaphors and wants a fresh take on a standard retrospective, or around a cricket season or team event.
How is a cricket retrospective different from a standard retrospective?
It has the same goal as a classic retro, but it splits the good news into steady progress (Runs) and big wins (Boundaries), and the bad news into obstacles (Wickets) and failures to learn from (Ducks).
Do you need to know cricket to run a cricket retrospective?
No. Explain the four terms in a sentence each at the start and anyone can take part. Any cricket fans on the team will usually help with the explaining.
How long does a cricket retrospective take?
Plan for 45–60 minutes. Four columns fit a normal sprint retrospective, with the most time going to Wickets and Ducks.

Related templates

WWE Smackdown Showdown Retrospective

Tag-team your sprint review with a wrestling theme.

Working, Not Working Retrospective

Sort what's working from what isn't, then fix it.

Quarterly Retrospective

Step back from the sprints and review the whole quarter.

Baby Steps Retrospective

Pick one small change your team will actually finish.

Ready to run this retrospective?Try this retrospective live