Not being able to see the ball is not stopping people with visual impairments taking part in a cricket tournament.

Players from Manukau, Waikato and Bay of Plenty at Waipuna Park today to play games of 20/20 blind cricket.

Steven Donnelly bowing at Waipuna Park. Photos: Tracy Hardy.

BOP Blind Cricket president Steph Jobson says blind cricket is pretty similar to sighted cricket.

The difference is the ball is plastic and has ball bearings in it so it rattles and people can hear it.

'We bowl under arm. There is a lot of communication on the field because we totally blind people playing as well and we have to tell them where the ball is once it has stopped,” says Steph.

'People yell out right, left, backwards, forwards, so the players know what direction they need to go in order to find the ball. They bat for themselves as well and have runners for them if they are totally blind.”

There is three sight categories: totally blind is classified as b1, b2 has less the five per cent field of vision and people in the b3 category have less than 20 per cent field of vision.

Steph says they all have different pros and cons.

'It really makes you communicate and think about your rights and left really quickly.

'We have seven people in our team and two sighted children to even things as the other team has nine players. At the moment we don't have any totally blind people. We are just starting up and are looking for more players.”

Bay of Plenty blind cricket have training sessions once a month, and Steph says its good networking and great way to get to know people.