Owzat?! Spring clean 2026
Recommendations: 18
About the Project
In the words of 10CC : I don't like cricket. Unlike them, I don't love it either. But I do love a mini with a cricket bat. I've bought a few over the years, I even bought a VBCW set of a rifle toting cricket team. I have never painted any of these minis. So, with the anticipation of the thwack of leather on willow, I'll spend this spring getting some paint on them.
Related Genre: General
This Project is Active
The Twelfth Man
3 more minis, all from Hasslefree.
I was always going to paint the Kevs with the bats, but when I raided the evil scientist for his revolver hand in my previous post, I realised a lab coat looks the same as a cricket umpire’s coat. I gave him the hand with a pipe, and his other hand looks like he’s putting something in his pocket to count the balls in the over.
I skipped the makeup sponge step this time. White on top of grey primer, washed with light blue and then highlighted with white again.
I’m pleased with the MCC ties: that’s good brushwork for me.
The First X1
I got this set of figure from Sloppy Jalopy a few years ago. I’m not sure if you can still get them. They’re metal castings, and mainly one piece.
First of all I went at the minis with my needle files, removing mould lines. Then I used some old clippers to remove the small bits of metal connecting the feet of the running minis to their bases.
Next I glued the minis to their bases : square as god intended.
One of the minis came as a multi part, with his cricket bat attached to the base. This was easy enough to clip off and glue in place, but I noticed that the gun on this character wasn’t fully cast. Luckily I found a suitable replacement from a Hasslefree mini in my lead pile.
Next I primed the miniatures grey, brushing on a mix of black and white primer. I’ve seen that make-up sponges are all the range, so I thought I’d try them out. Layering up from light grey to white.
I wan’t happy with the effect, so I then washed the minis in a mix of grey and blue speedpaint, thinned down with speedpaint medium. This mixture was way too blue, so I went back in with my white paint to calm it down again, leaving the blue as a shadow.
Skin was added (various ones from army painter), then gun stocks and leather with Vallejo browns. The guns were finished off with a gunmetal, and the cricket bats were painted with a mix of bone white and leather.
For a pop of colour I gave the caps appropriate colours. Rather than one club I’ve added players from India, the West Indies and Australia.
Finally I added flock to the bases
