D: RULES OF PLAY

Division I, 2 & 3 - Limited Over Cricket

1 LAWS

1.1 Except as otherwise provided for hereinafter, the Marylebone Cricket Club code of the Laws of Cricket (2000 Code), together with any subsequent amendments, shall apply in all matches.

2 DURATION

2.1 All matches shall be played on the day designated by the Management Committee and commence at 1.00pm.

2.2 There will be a tea interval of thirty minutes between innings, although this may be varied at the discretion of and agreement of both Captains in the case of an interrupted match.

2.3 Each match shall consist of a maximum of 50 overs per innings save where time is lost after the scheduled (1.00pm) commencement due to inclement weather or other unavoidable cause, when the number of overs shall be reduced as hereinafter provided.

2.4 Unless bowled out earlier, the team batting first shall bat for the full number of overs allotted prior to the commencement of the match; declarations are not permitted. Should the side batting first be dismissed before the overs to which it is entitled have been bowled, the team batting second shall be entitled to bat for 50 overs or as reduced due to inclement weather or other cause.

2.5 Should the match commence later than the scheduled (1.00pm) commencement time due to inclement weather or other cause, the Umpires shall reduce the number of overs per team by one over for every completed 7 minutes of time lost. However see clause 2.6 below.

2.6 When calculating the overs lost the Umpires shall ignore the first 30 minutes of stoppage time.

2.7 In the event of time being lost after the commencement of the match due to inclement weather or other cause during the innings of the team batting first, then the team batting first will receive 50 overs or as reduced prior to the start of the match. The team batting second will then have their maximum number of overs reduced by one over for each completed 3.5 minutes of play lost during the first innings or prior to the commencement of the second innings. Should there be more than one interruption to play the calculation for each interruption shall be considered separately. However, should the team batting first be bowled out in less than their allotted overs, then the number of overs lost due to inclement weather or other causes shall be reduced by the number of full overs not used by the team batting first.  The number of overs the team batting second receives shall not be more than their allocation at the start of the match.

2.8 Should time be lost due to inclement weather or other cause during the innings of the team batting second, then the number of overs which that team would have been entitled to receive shall be reduced by one over for each completed 3.5 minutes of playing time lost. Should there be more than one interruption to play the calculation for each interruption shall be considered separately

2.9 Drinks intervals shall be agreed with the Umpires by the fielding Captain prior to the start of each innings. This time will not count as time lost.

2.10 Should the loss of time result in less than 25 overs being available to the team batting second, the game shall be abandoned.

2.11The Umpires shall be the sole judges of the fitness of the ground, weather and light for play.

3 UMPIRES AND CAPTAINS

3.1 Umpires shall be appointed in accordance with arrangements approved by the
Management Committee. They shall report to the ground 30 minutes prior to the start of play at the latest.

3.2 Before the toss for innings the Captains shall nominate his players who may not thereafter be changed without the consent of the opposing Captain

3.3 The current ECB Fast Bowling Directives will apply to all matches. Captains, team managers and Umpires shall be responsible for ensuring the Directives are followed. The Captain of each side shall inform the Umpires, prior to the commencement of the match, of the names and relevant age group of any player under the age of 19 on 31st August of the previous year.

3.4 The current ECB guidance on the wearing of helmets by players up to the age of 18 shall be followed.

4 THE BALL

4.1 All matches shall be played with identical new cricket balls nominated and supplied to the Member Clubs by the League, with two new balls being used in each match and with one new ball being taken at the start of each innings. Each Club shall provide a ball with which they will field.

5 COVERS

5.1 DIVISION 1 & 2 - The whole pitch shall be fully covered as required to keep the pitch, and as far as possible bowlers’ run ups, dry both during the match and in the preceding days as appropriate.

5.2 DIVISION 3 - Where covers are available, the whole pitch shall be fully covered as required to keep the pitch, and as far as possible bowlers run ups, dry both during the match and in preceding days as appropriate.

6 NUMBER OF OVERS PER BOWLER

6.1 In a 50 overs match, no bowler may bowl more than 10 overs in an innings. In a match where the start has been delayed and the innings of both teams are reduced prior to the commencement of the match to less than 50 overs, no bowler may bowl more than one fifth of the total overs allowed. Where the total overs are not divisible by 5, an additional over shall be allowed to the minimum number of bowlers necessary to make up the balance - eg in a 43 over match, 3 bowlers may bowl 9 overs and no other more than 8 overs.

6.2 In the event of a reduction in overs after the commencement of the match, the maximum number of overs allowed per bowler shall remain as at the start of the match.
6.3 In the event of a bowler being incapacitated or suspended and being unable to complete an over, the remaining balls will be bowled by another bowler providing that bowler did not bowl the previous over or part thereof. Such part of an over shall count as a full over only insofar as each bowler’s limit is concerned.

6.4 The ECB Fast Bowling Directives may affect the above over limitations (see 3.3).

7 RESTRICTION ON THE PLACEMENT OF FIELDSMEN

7.1 Two semi-circles shall be drawn on the field of play. The semi-circles shall have as their centre the middle stump at either end of the pitch. The radius of each of the semi-circles shall be 30 yards. The ends of each semi-circle shall be joined to the other by a straight line drawn on the field on the same side of the pitch. The field restriction area should be marked by ‘dots’ at five-yard intervals, each ‘dot’ to be covered by a white plastic or rubber (but not metal) disc measuring seven inches in diameter.

7.2 At the instant of delivery, there may not be more than five fieldsmen on the on side.

7.3 For the first 15 overs only two fieldsmen are permitted to be outside the field restriction marking at the instant of delivery.

7.4 For the remaining overs, only five fieldsmen are permitted to be outside the field restriction marking at the instant of delivery.

7.5 In the first 15 overs there must be a minimum of two stationary fieldsmen within 15 yards of the striker at the instant of delivery (orthodox slip, leg slip and gully positions at an angle of less than 45 degrees are exempt from the 15 yard restriction). The 15 yard arcs in the form of painted dots in front of either side of the wicket should preferably be marked, if not the Umpire’s judgement shall be final.

7.6       Where the number of overs of either team is reduced under 2.5, 2.6 or 2.7 above,
the number of overs in regard to the restrictions in 7.3 and 7.5 above shall be in
accordance with the following table. If on resumption after a delay the number of
overs has been exceeded, this shall take effect immediately.

Total Overs In Innings            Numbers of Overs for Field Restrictions
50                                           15
49 - 47                                           14
46 - 44                                           13
43 - 40                                           12
39 - 37                                           11
36 - 34                                           10
33 - 30                                             9
29 - 27                                             8
26 - 25                                             7

7.7 In the event of an infringement of any of the above fielding restrictions, the Umpire at the striker’s end shall call and signal ‘No Ball’.

8 WIDE BALL

8.1 Umpires are instructed to apply a very strict and consistent interpretation in regard to judging a wide in order to prevent negative bowling wide of the wicket.

The following criteria should be adopted as a guide to umpires:

If a ball passes either side of the wicket sufficiently wide to make it virtually impossible for the striker to play a “normal cricket stroke” both from where he is standing and from where he should normally be standing at the crease, the umpire shall call and signal “Wide Ball”.

Note:  The above provisions do not apply if the striker makes contact with the ball, or if it passes below head height between the striker and the wicket.

9 THE BOWLING OF FAST SHORT PITCHED BALLS (THE BOUNCER)

9.1      In addition to Law 42.6  (Dangerous and unfair bowling)  the following shall apply:-
There shall be no more than one delivery per over that passes, or would have passed, above the shoulder height of the striker standing upright at the crease, (But not above the head as described in 42.6 (a) (ii)). Should a second such ball be bowled in that over, then the umpire at the bowlers end shall call and signal "No Ball". This ruling shall apply even though the striker has made contact with the ball with his bat, person or equipment. The Umpire will make it clear to the bowler (and any bowler called upon to complete an over) and the batsmen at the wicket when a delivery within this limit has been bowled. Should the bowler bowl a second such ball in an over, as well as calling ‘No Ball’, the Umpire will adopt the procedures of Law 42.7.

10 RESULT

10.1 A result can only be achieved if both teams have had the opportunity of batting for at least 25 overs, unless the team batting second has scored more runs than its opponents or has achieved its target score as hereinafter defined.

10.2 Save as hereinafter provided a match shall be won by the team which has scored the most runs.

10.3 Where a team batting second does not have the opportunity of batting the same number of overs as the team batting first due to time being lost after the commencement of the match, the result shall be determined as follows:-

10.3.1 The ‘2nd innings run rate’ shall be determined immediately prior to the start of the
innings of the team batting second using the following formula:

(100 + {d x1.2}) x (1st innings run rate) x (1/100)

Where d = difference in overs to be played at the commencement of the innings of the team batting second.

(1st innings run rate) = (1st innings score) / (number of overs allocated to the team batting first)

Note: i)  The run rate of both the first and second innings shall be calculated to two decimal   places.

Note: ii) The run rate shall be agreed by both scorers and umpires prior to the start of
innings  and once agreed shall be final.

Note: iii)Once the run rate for the second innings has been calculated it shall remain as
the run rate for that innings even though a later interruption may reduce the
number of overs the team batting second can receive.

Note: iv)If the second innings commences with the same number of overs allocated to
the team batting first the run rate shall remain as the first innings run rate even though a later interruption may reduce the number of over the team batting second can receive.

10.3.2 The run rate shall be multiplied by the lowest reduced number of overs which the team batting second shall be entitled to receive after making allowance for time lost after the commencement of the match. The resulting figure shall be the “target score”.

10.3.3 If the score of team batting second surpasses the “target score” at any time prior to the conclusion of its innings then the match shall be won by the team batting second but if bowled out earlier the match shall be won by the team batting first.

10.3.4 A match shall be tied if the scores are equal at the end of the match. In a match interrupted after the commencement, where the revised target score involves a fraction of a run, then the final scores cannot be equal and the result cannot be a tie.

11 POINTS - OVERS GAME

11.1 Win – 12 points
Tie –   6 points
No result – 0 points - and the match shall not count as a match played in
determining the points average

11.2 Bonus Points shall be awarded as follows:

11.2.1 Bowling
2 - 3 wickets taken  1 points
4 - 5 wickets taken  2 points
6 - 7 wickets taken  3 points
8 - 9 wickets taken  4 points
10 wickets taken 5 points

Note i) Should the batting side play with less than eleven players due to either a player
or players being absent, or leaving the field through illness, injury or other cause so that his/their innings cannot be completed and the remainder of the side are dismissed before the last ball of the day, then the batting side shall be considered ‘all out’ and the bowling side shall receive maximum bowling points.

Note ii) See Law 2.9 (Batsman leaving the field) - “retired - not out”

Note iii) Bowling bonus points in either innings will only be available in the first 2 hours
55 minutes for a 50 over game after the Umpires have taken the drinks interval and extended delays for injury etc. into account. Where either innings is reduced, the 2 hours 55 minutes shall be reduced by 3 minutes for every over less than 50 (i.e. innings reduced to 35 overs time available - 2 hours 10 minutes) the time shall change every time the number of overs to be bowled changes. The umpires shall inform the Captain of the fielding side and the Batsman at the wicket, together with the Scorers of each change when they take the field.
(Umpires decision to be final). 5 mins shall be allowed for each drinks interval.

11.2.2 Batting
125 - 149 runs scored     1 points
150 - 174 runs scored     2 points
175 - 199 runs scored     3 points
200 - 224 runs scored     4 points
225 or over runs scored    5 points

11.2.3 In matches where the over limit is reduced, there shall be a lessening of the
targets to achieve batting bonus points (see reduced target table).

11.2.4 Additional Batting Points
The team batting second and winning will receive the following additional batting
points (up to a maximum combined total of 5 batting points):
Winning by     9 or 10 wickets   5 points
Winning by      7 or 8 wickets   4 points
Winning by      5 or 6 wickets   3 points
Winning by       3 or 4wickets   2 points
Winning by      1 or 2 wickets   1 points
The maximum batting points a team can be awarded in any match shall be 5.

11.3     The maximum points a team can be awarded in any match shall be 22.

For Bonus Points - Reduced Target Table - click next