Ice cricket are variants of the English summer game of cricket but played in harsh, wintry conditions. Early forms of ice cricket were played outdoors and on skates. The difference between the forms of Ice Cricket is that some are played directly on the ice, with no mat laid down. The results are a little more unpredictable and provide more fun and variety. In modern forms the players don't wear skates. In the modern game the ball is the same as an indoor cricket ball, a composite plastic red ball which makes it relatively easy to find if it gets hit into a snowdrift.