What sports no longer exist in Australia?

Answer 1

K Ball - Anyone heard of it?

Yes. K-Ball was a game that originated in Australia. It was also played in Chandler Arizona for a few years in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

K-Ball was similar to what indoor cricket looks like today, but it had a few differences that made it look and play more like indoor Baseball/softball. The game itself is difficult to explain, but the best way to describe it would be to picture a triangle shaped field with netting on all sides, including the ceiling and a very fine felt like turf for the field. The field would have 6 players - 2 outfielders, 1st baseman, 3rd baseman, pitcher and catcher. The game consisted of 2 innings of play. The first inning would have 2 batters come onto the playing field to bat and try to score runs, runs were scored when a batted ball was hit against the nets and the runners were safe at what we called first base and home. Both the batter and the runner would have to be safe in order for positive runs to be scored. You could also get negative runs as outs were considered to be negative runs. Each player in the field pitched 12 pitches to the batters. Same basic theory of throwing balls/strikes. 3 balls = walk. 2 strikes = out. Once the 12 pitches were pitched the next pitcher would come in. After each batting team had 24 pitches, they would leave the field and the next 2 batters would enter for their 24 pitches. The last 2 batters would then enter for their 24 pitches. Once all the players in the field were done pitching the half inning was over and the team in the field would leave to bat and the batting team would come onto the field to do their pitching. Games consisted of 2 full innings so both teams had a chance to bat twice and field twice.

The game itself was very fun, fast paced and exciting. It was great cardio and the action was non-stop. Scoring will sound a little odd, but you scored runs based on two factors - (what net the ball hit, and if the batter/runner were safe) 1 for no net, 3 for side nets, 5 for back nets, and 8 for Home Runs. Yes, there was a line that you could hit the ball above for a Home Run. Another confusing part of the game, you carried the bat with you as a batter at all times. I know this sounds crazy but it was the way you played the game. There were other cool things you could do during a game including "stretching" which involved a ball that was loose on the field and the batter/runner could take advantage by "stretching" their original runs and doubling them if they could pull it off. Very similar to what a steal or stole base might look like in regular baseball. Again, you had to see it as explaining it just doesn't do it justice.

The game was played before the internet craze so as much as I've searched the internet I have found no video uploads of the game. I know there are some old VHS tapes out there of games that were recorded so if you have one or know of someone who played, please ask them to post the videos on YouTube under the K-Ball Indoor Softball heading.

For those of you in Australia who played, please feel free to post any rule differences that you may have played with.