Time to dust off the bat and ball, it’s time for backyard cricket – and a chance to win great prizes

SUMMER is here and that means two things: barbecues and backyard cricket.

Caleb Glasson, 4, plays cricket on the Parliament House Lawns as part of the Taste of Tasmania children's events. Picture: SIMEON THOMAS-WILSON

SUMMER is here and that means two things: barbecues and backyard cricket.

To celebrate this great Australian tradition – and as part of the Catch the Fever campaign in the lead up to the Cricket World Cup – the Mercury wants to see your best backyard cricket pictures and hear your best rules for the game.

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The best entry will win a $500 e-gift card to spend on official Cricket World Cup merchandise.

There will also be 10 runners-up prizes of a $200 e-gift card for official merchandise.

So drag out your willow, dust off the stumps, wrap the tape around the tennis ball and get playing!

Send your best pics and rules to [e-mail] with the subject line “BACKYARD CRICKET COMPETITION”.

Please include your name, phone number and email address.

The competition runs from December 26, 2014 until January 26, 2015.

Read the Terms and Conditions here.