League Rules 2017

THE NSSCPCL LEAGUE RULES

CONSTITUTIONAL RULES

  1. THE TITLE

a) The League shall be called The North Staffordshire and South Cheshire Premier Cricket League [The League].

b) The Executive Board of the League [The Executive] may add the name of a sponsor to the League title.

c) A resolution to dissolve the League can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership. In the event of dissolution any assets of the League that remain will become the property of the England & Wales Cricket Board or the local County Cricket Boards.

  1. AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE LEAGUE

a) The promotion of cricket within the geographical area of the League, with the security of the fulfilment of fixtures.

b) The promotion of cricket within the geographical area of the League, for the enjoyment of Players, Officials and Spectators.

c) To provide a safe and positive environment where cricket can be played and watched by all who reside within the geographical area of the League.

d) To support and encourage children and young people in their development by providing a safe and positive environment where they can play cricket at the highest level their ability will allow.

  1. LEAGUE PRESIDENT AND LIFE VICE PRESIDENTS

a) There shall be a President of the League [President] who can be nominated by any Club or the Executive and shall be elected at an AGM and hold the position for a maximum of five years.

b) There shall be Life Vice Presidents of the League [Vice Presidents] who can be nominated by any Club or the Executive and shall be elected at an AGM and hold the position for life.

c) The President and Life Vice Presidents may attend any League meeting.

  1. MEMBERSHIP OF THE LEAGUE

a) By virtue of their membership of the League every Club explicitly acknowledges and accepts the League Rules and undertakes to be bound by them.

b) No Club Member, League Officials, Umpire or any other person connected with the League shall make public pronouncement or disparaging comment which is detrimental to the game of cricket, the League, League Officers, Match Officials or any Club.

c) The League shall be open for membership to clubs in North Staffordshire, South Cheshire and surrounding areas. It shall comprise of a Premier Division and several other divisions as required. The overall number of divisions will be reviewed on an annual basis by The Executive, depending on the number of member teams within the league. The structure of the league and divisions will be reported to all member clubs in a timely manner before the start of each season.

d) There shall be promotion and relegation across the entire divisions, subject to teams meeting the appropriate Grounds and Facilities and junior team criteria.

e) There will be a non-refundable administration Fee of £100 payable by any Club that applies to become a member of the League.

f) All Clubs with Junior teams must have an appointed Welfare Officer who must be DBS cleared and who’s details must be submitted to the League Manager. The Club’s Welfare Officer shall be a member of the Club’s Management Committee.

g) No Club shall be allowed to play in the Premier Division unless they have achieved and maintained Clubmark Accreditation by the 31st October in the preceding year.

h) All Clubs should have a telephone contact number displayed in the League handbook and on the League website.

i) All clubs must have accurate and up to date information on the ‘About Us’ page on their Club Play-Cricket website at all times.

  1. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND FINANCE

a) In consultation with the Clubs the Executive shall determine the financial contributions each Club shall make to the League by 1st March prior to each season.

b) The date of payment by Clubs shall be determined by the Executive and in the case of default a fine of £5.00 shall be incurred for each week of default.

c) Unless otherwise stated within these Rules monies owing to the League for any goods or services must be paid within 21 days of the receipt of an invoice or goods or when specified to do so by the Executive. If any part of the monies owing is not paid by the due date then a further penalty of 100% of the original amount will be automatically imposed. If the original amount or further penalty remains unpaid 14 days thereafter then the matter will be referred to the Executive who may impose any penalty available in Rule 23.

  1. MANAGEMENT

a) The League shall be managed by the Executive, which shall have full powers to manage the League.

b) The Chairman, Vice Chairman, League Secretary, Finance Officer, Umpires Manager, Chairman of Grounds and Facilities, League Welfare Officer, League Webmaster and League Legal Adviser [Elected Officers] shall be elected at the AGM.

c) The Executive shall consist of the Elected Officers, League Manager, League President and the Chairman of each Divisional Committee group.

d) The Chairman shall not be considered as a representative of any member Club and shall have a casting vote.

e) Proposals for rule changes or nominations for any or all of the Elected Officer positions may be made by Clubs or the Executive and must be made in writing to the League Manager by the 31st August each year.

f) The League Manager will notify all Clubs of such proposals or nominations for their consideration within seven days after the 31st August.

g) The first Divisional Group meetings shall be held as soon as possible following the League AGM as determined by the League Manager. One senior officer from each club must attend that first divisional meeting, at which a Chairman and Secretary will be appointed. Each Divisional Group will determine its meetings thereafter.

h) The Divisional Groups will be made up with teams from the relevant divisions as follows:

Divisional Group A

Premier Division

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3

Divisional Group B

All other Divisions

  1. MEETINGS

a) There shall be a minimum of 3 full meetings of all Clubs [League Meetings] each year and these shall be:

  • A pre-season meeting during March or April.
  • A pre AGM meeting in October.
  • The AGM in November.

b) The Executive may call any other meetings it deems necessary.

  1. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING [AGM]

Shall be held no later than the 30th November of each year.

The following shall be appointed at the AGM:

  • Selection Committee who shall select the teams representing the League.
  • Ground Advisory Committee whose responsibility shall be the League’s Ground and Facilities requirements.
  • Regulatory Board – Disciplinary & Appeals Panel
  1. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING [SGM]

a) Shall be called by:

  • The written request of a majority of Clubs; or
  • The Executive; or
  • A majority vote at a League Meeting.

b) An SGM must be held not later than 21 days after it has been called.

c) Clubs shall be given 14 days’ notice of an SGM.

d) The notice shall state the business of the SGM and only such business shall be conducted.

  1. QUORUMS

Quorums shall be:

  • AGM and SGM: 80% of members in attendance.
  • League meetings: 51% of members in attendance.
  • Divisional Group meetings: 51% of members in attendance.
  • Executive meetings: 51% of members in attendance.
  1. VOTING

a) Only Clubs shall be entitled to vote at the AGM, SGM and League meetings.

b) Voting at the AGM and SGM shall be by ballot and on the basis of one vote for each Club with a majority of Clubs entitled to vote being required for any proposal to be carried.

c) The ballot paper for the AGM shall be returned to the League Manager no later than 48 hours prior to the scheduled start of the AGM

d) The ballot paper for an SGM shall be returned prior to its scheduled start

e) Ballot papers for the SGM and AGM must be signed by the Club Chairman, Secretary and Captain. Should any of them not be available then with the League Manager’s approval another Officer of the Club may sign the ballot paper in their place.

f) Any ballot paper not returned on time or not signed as required shall be void.

g) If a Club fails to submit a ballot paper on time, it shall be fined £20.

h) Voting at League Meetings shall be by a show of hands and on the basis of one vote for each Club in attendance and with a simple majority being decisive.

  1. ADDITIONS OR AMENDMENTS TO LEAGUE RULES

a) Clubs shall vote on proposed changes to the Constitutional Rules of the League (Rules 1 to 16).

b) The Executive board shall determine all other league rules, ie the Administration and Playing Rules. Note: this does not preclude clubs from submitting proposals for changes to existing administration and playing rules.

c) Any club may submit to the League Manager a proposal for any addition or amendment to the League Rules. Proposals for the AGM must be received by the League Manager by 31st August prior to the AGM and for an SGM in accordance with Rule 9.

d) Proposals from Clubs must be signed by the Club Chairman, Secretary and Captain. Should any not be available then with the League Manager’s approval another Officer of the Club may sign the proposal in their place.

e) The League Manager shall notify all Clubs of proposals for rule changes 21 days prior to the AGM.

  1. ELECTION OF ADDITIONAL CLUBS

The election of additional clubs must be made at the AGM or an SGM called for such a purpose.

  1. CLUB RECORDS AND ACCOUNTS

All clubs shall keep proper records, accounts and minutes of Club meetings and must publish an annual statement of accounts. The Executive can require a club or player to produce any records, accounts or any other documents.

  1. WELFARE

a) The League is committed to the ECB Safe Hands policy. Clubs must ensure that they are fully familiar with this policy and implement it within their Club.

b) Clubs shall advise the League Manager and League Welfare Officer of any welfare issue or matter that arises within their Club, including any disciplinary matter or action or any other relevant matter as soon as it is practicable at the conclusion of the Clubs investigation or disciplinary process.

  1. CLUBS WITH MORE THAN TWO TEAMS – CONSTITUTIONAL AND VOTING MATTERS

a) Amalgamated Clubs must share the same Constitution and Management Committee. For the purposes of League rules, reference to ‘Club’ is to the amalgamated Club/s and all teams shall be considered to be one Club.

b) Voting rights: Clubs with 1-3 teams have one vote. Clubs with four or more teams have two votes.

PLAYING AND ADMINISTRATION RULES

  1. CLUBS WITH MORE THAN TWO TEAMS

a) The League may include additional teams of any Club at the discretion of the Executive.

b) Clubs with multiple teams will name their teams by number according to their playing strength. The strongest team in the League will be referred to as the 1st XI.

c) The 2nd XI shall be considered the second strongest XI of the Club and must consist of the strongest second XI players within the Club to maintain the principle of a club selecting their strongest team.

d) Teams from the same Club shall be allowed to play in the same Division. ‘Seeded Player’ rules apply.

e) The Club must nominate 7 Players of proven 1st XI standard [Seeded Player]. Such Players shall only be permitted to play in the 1st or corresponding 2nd XI of that Club.

f) The list of Seeded Players must be agreed between the Club and the League Manager no later than 31st March each year and will be reviewed after 7 matches and 14 matches of each season.

  1. CLUBS NOT REPRESENTED AT MEETINGS

Shall be fined:

  • First Divisional Meeting £25.
  • A Divisional Meeting £25.
  • A League Meeting £25.
  • An AGM or SGM £35.
  1. PRE-SEASON CAPTAINS’ MEETING

a) There shall be a pre-season Captains’ meeting when each Club must have a minimum of one representative from each team within the League who shall be the Captain, Vice-Captain or Senior Player of each team.

b) Failure to attend the Captains’ meeting will result in a fine of £25 for each team not represented.

  1. FIXTURES

a) Shall be arranged between Clubs in each division who shall then play home and away matches with other members of the division on dates determined by the Executive.

b) Clubs will notify the League Manager of which ground each team will play their fixtures on for the forthcoming season by the 31st January preceding the season concerned.

c) Subject to Rule 16, clubs shall play its best available team and 11 players in all matches.

d) Umpires shall report any failure where a team does not field 11 players in all matches within 3 days of any such failure.

e) A Club may re-arrange two home fixtures per season per team for any of their teams playing in Division 4 or below, provided there is agreement with the opposing Club. No rearranged fixture will be permitted before the second Saturday in May. Both Clubs must inform the League Manager before 1st March preceding the season concerned.

f) A player is not eligible to play in a re-arranged match if he has been selected or played for a higher ranked team the previous day (Saturday), except that any player who has been selected or played in more than half the team concerned matches on the date of the re-arranged match will be eligible to play.

g) The League Manager will permit a change of a re-arranged fixture in circumstances which he considers appropriate.

  1. FAILURE TO FULFIL A FIXTURE

a) If any club does not fulfil its engagements for whatever reason it shall be fined as follows:

  • If the home Club £100, to be paid to the League.
  • If the away Club £150, all of which will be paid to the home club.

b) If a League match the Club failing to fulfil its engagement shall not be awarded any points and the opposing Club shall be awarded 25 points.

c) If a Cup match the Club failing to fulfil the engagement shall be expelled from the competition and the opposing Club shall progress to the next round or in the case of a final shall be declared the winners of the competition.

d) In addition the matter will be referred to the Executive who may impose further penalties in accordance with League Rules.

  1. BREACHES OF LEAGUE RULES AND CODE OF CONDUCT

 

Any alleged breach of the League Rules, where the offending is considered persistent, including where standard penalties have been imposed, shall be addressed by the Regulatory board or the Executive as appropriate.

  1.  PROCEDURES FOR BREACHES OF LEAGUE RULES OR CODE OF CONDUCT

a) In any case referred to the Regulatory Board or Executive a minimum of seven days’ notice of any hearing shall be given to any Club, player or official concerned unless it is not reasonably practicable to do so. Notice given to a Club is deemed to be notice to any Player or Official of that Club.

b) Any Club or individual subject to any Penalty may appeal against it unless an appeal is specifically excluded by any other rule.

c) Any such appeal must be made in writing to the League Manager within 3 days of receipt of notice of the decision made or penalty imposed. A payment of £100, which will be refunded if the appeal is completely successful, must be tendered to the League Manager within 3 days thereafter.

d) Any appeal against a decision of the League Manager or the imposition of a standard penalty in accordance with the League Rules shall be to the Executive, via the League Secretary.

e) Any appeal against any decision of the Regulatory Board or Executive shall be made in writing to the League secretary for referral to the Appeals Panel.

f) Any hearing will be convened by the League Manager as soon as is reasonably practicable.

g) Any person who can provide evidence relating to the matter in issue may attend the hearing. Any other person may also attend at the discretion of the Regulatory Board, Executive or Appeals Panel.

h) The Regulatory Board, the Executive and the Appeals Panel shall in all cases consist of a minimum of 3 members for the purposes of any such hearing.

i) The hearing may proceed in the absence of any party affected at the discretion of the Regulatory Board, Executive or Appeals Board who may impose any penalty available on any such absent party.

j) The decision shall be given at the conclusion of the hearing.

k) In the event of any breach of League Rules one or more of the following penalties may be imposed and any such penalty may be suspended in whole or in part.

  • A reprimand.
  • A financial penalty.
  • A deduction of points.
  • Relegation of the Team or Club.
  • Expulsion from the League.
  • The suspension of any player or official.
  • Any other penalty felt to be appropriate in the circumstances.

l) The hearing of any appeal will be a complete re-hearing of the issues and all penalties available within the League Rules may be imposed. In determining the penalties the Board hearing the appeal can consider increasing them from what it would otherwise have imposed if it considers the appeal did not have sufficient merit. Any decision made at an appeal hearing will be final and no further appeal will be allowed.

m) All fines must be paid within 21 days of notice of the decision. If any part of the fine is not paid by the due date then a further penalty of 100% of the original fine will be automatically imposed. If the original fine or further penalty remains unpaid 14 days thereafter then the matter will be referred to the Executive who may impose any penalty available in clause k.

  1. POINTS AWARDED IN LEAGUE MATCHES

a) A win shall be 25 points for the winning side if batting first.

b) A win shall be 20 points for the winning side if batting second.

c) A tie shall be 5 points to each team in addition to the bonus points accrued during the match.

d) A draw shall be 5 points to the team with the higher scoring rate per over provided that a minimum of 30 overs per side has been bowled, in addition to the batting and bowling bonus points it accrued during the match. An incomplete over shall count as one over bowled. If scoring rates are equal, two points shall be awarded to each team.

e) If a team is bowled out, the scoring rate is calculated using the full allocation of overs. If a team declares, the scoring rate is calculated using the number of overs actually batted.

f) 2 Points shall be awarded to each team for an abandoned match in addition to any points accrued for batting and bowling. This rule will not apply if both sides have completed 30 overs or more of their innings.

  1. BATTING AND BOWLING BONUS POINTS

Batting:
1 Point for 75 Runs.
2 Points for 100 Runs.
3 Points for 125 Runs.
4 Points for 150 Runs.
5 Points for 175 Runs.

Bowling:
1 Point for 2 Wickets.
2 Points for 4 Wickets.
3 Points for 6 Wickets.
4 Points for 8 Wickets.
5 Points if a side is all out.

  1. DISQUALIFICATION

In the event of any Club being expelled or resigning from the League during the season, all matches that club has played in that season shall be void.

  1. DIVISION WINNERS, PROMOTION AND RELEGATION

a) In each division the team scoring the highest number of points shall be declared champions of that division.

b) The top two teams in all Divisions below the Premier Division shall be eligible for promotion to the division above, subject to meeting the relevant Criteria of that Division.

c) The bottom two teams of all Divisions, except those in the lowest Division shall be relegated to the division below.

d) In the event of teams having the same number of points the team with the most number of wins shall be placed the higher. If two or more such teams have the same number of wins then the team scoring the greater number of points in the matches played between them in that season shall be placed the higher.

e) Should any promotion or relegation remain unresolved then there shall be a Play-Off.

f) Should any team due to be promoted not fulfil the Grounds and Facilities Criteria of the Division above it shall not be promoted and the team finishing second to bottom shall not be relegated.

g) Should both teams due to be promoted not fulfil the Ground and Facilities Criteria of the division above then they shall not be promoted and the teams finishing in the relegation positions of the division above shall not be relegated.

h) Should any team not finishing in a relegation position not meet the Ground and Facilities Criteria of that division then it shall be relegated in place of the team finishing second to bottom of that division and should there be two such teams they shall both be relegated in place of the bottom two teams.

  1. PLAY-OFF RULES AND CONDITIONS

a) The date, time, hours of play for play-offs shall be determined by the League Manager.

b) The competing clubs shall toss for choice of ground.

c) The home club shall be responsible for paying the umpires.

d) The matches shall be of 45 overs per team or until the batting side has been dismissed.

e) If the start of the match is delayed then 2 overs shall be deducted from the match total of 90 for every 7 minutes lost. Each team will lose an equal numbers of overs from its original 45.

f) In the event of a match being interrupted or unfinished for any reason the ICC Duckworth Lewis Calculator shall apply.

g) No result can be achieved unless a minimum of 20 overs have been bowled at each team or a team has been bowled out in less.

h) If no result is achieved then the date, time and hours of play for a replay shall be determined by the League Manager. It shall take place at the same ground. If no result is achieved by the replay then a Bowl Off will take place in accordance with Rule 59k.

  1. AVERAGES

All averages will be taken from the League Website at the end of the season. It is the responsibility of each club to ensure that records and information relating to that club are accurate and in the detail required as determined by the Executive.

  1. REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES

No match representative of the League shall be played unless sanctioned by the Executive.

  1. APPROACHING LEAGUE PLAYERS

During the current season no Club or Club member shall approach, either directly or indirectly, a player from another Club within the League with a view to encouraging that player to transfer from his Club.

  1. ECB DIRECTIVES

The following ECB Directives and Guidance are deemed to be incorporated into the League Rules. These are all available on the ECB Website:

  • ECB Safety Guidance on the Wearing of Cricket Helmets by Young Players.
  • ECB Fast Bowling Directives.
  • ECB recommendations for junior cricket, juniors playing in adult cricket, and fielding regulations.
  1. JUNIOR TEAMS CRITERIA

a) For the Divisions indicated below, Clubs must operate the minimum number of Junior Teams in recognised Leagues. The minimum number per Club must be:

  • Premier Division – 3
  • Division One – 2
  • Division Two – 1
  • Division Three – 1

A promoted team must operate the required number of junior teams within two seasons following promotion.

b) Soft Ball Cricket must be available at any club operating an under 8yrs age group.

c) All Clubs must have and provide coaches that have as a minimum the ECB Coach Award or its equivalent who are involved in the coaching of the Club’s young players and the minimum of such coaches shall be:

  • Premier Division – 2.
  • Division One – 2.
  • Division Two – 1.
  • Division Three – 1.
  1. GROUNDS AND FACILITIES CRITERIA

a) All Clubs must satisfy the Grounds and Facilities Criteria of the League which shall be determined by the Executive prior to each season and made available on the League Website.

b) Members of the Grounds Advisory Committee [the Committee] shall be able to attend and inspect a Club’s ground and facilities at any time.

c) All Clubs shall have their grounds and facilities inspected no later than the 31st May in each season. The Committee may at its discretion conduct a further inspection in August or September [the August Inspection].

d) Marks shall be awarded to the Club following an inspection and any Club failing to meet the minimum requirement for their division shall be advised of the work needed to do so.

e) Clubs shall normally be given a minimum four days’ notice of an inspection unless it is the result of a report from an Umpire in which case the inspection can be at shorter notice.

f) A Club which fails to meet the minimum requirement of their division or the division above in the event of potential promotion at the August Inspection may appeal [see Rule 23].

g) If a team does not meet the Grounds and Facilities Criteria and Match Regulations for Premier League cricket (all divisions) by the start of the season they shall be relegated at the end of the season regardless of the position in the League.

  1. ANNUAL AWARDS

a) All trophies must be returned to the League Manager each year by 31st August. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £20 being levied on the Club concerned.

b) All trophies must be returned in a clean and undamaged condition. Any repairs or cleaning required will be carried out by the League at the expense of the Club concerned.

c) Where a trophy was awarded to an individual any fine payable or expense incurred shall be borne by the Club of whom he is a member at the time of return of the trophy.

  1. QUALIFICATION AND REGISTRATION OF PLAYERS

a) The League shall be considered ‘open’ and payment in cash or kind may be made by a Club to any of its registered players. Each club in Premier, Divisions 1,2 and 3 may register one player as their ‘Primary Professional’. In the event of the nominated player being unable to play due to injury or unavailability, a replacement can be registered, subject to league manager’s approval. This replacement must not have played for any other NSSCCL club during the same season.

b) Clubs must electronically register all players on Play-Cricket with the following minimum criteria:

  • Full Name
  • Date of Birth
  • Email address where available

c) No player may be electronically registered after the 30th June in any season without the written permission of the League Manager.

d) No player may play in any Premier, 1, 2 or 3 Division matches unless an application to register them electronically has been made prior to 9.00pm on the Thursday preceding the match in which they first play. However for a player playing in a match below Division 3, the application for their electronic registration may be made up to midnight immediately following the match.

e) By virtue of their registration every player explicitly agrees to be bound by the League Rules.

f) Clubs must register each player in the appropriate category of the ECB regulations regarding the qualification of players, a copy of which is available from the League Manager.

g) In any one season a Club can only register or play one player contracted to play for a First Class County or one player who is a Non-Ordinarily Resident Player. However in addition a Club may play any player who has been given a First Class County contract who was registered with that Club before his 16th birthday and has not played in a League match for any other Club in any League. Such players can only play in first XI cricket.

h) Any team that will play in the Premier, 1, 2 or 3 Divisions can only register and play one Category 3E player in addition to one First Class County Contracted Player or one Non Ordinarily Resident Player in one season. The use of these players in not permitted in any Division below Division 3.

i) It is the Club’s responsibility to ensure that any player registered is eligible to play and be registered. The Club must be able to produce such evidence as may be necessary in support.

j) Any female players, whether born in England & Wales or Overseas, may play in our competitions regardless of their playing ability.

h) After 30th June, a club may not play any person who has predominantly played in another league within the current season without the written permission of the League Manager.

i) Non-contracted cat 3 players may play in Division 4 and below, subject to league manager’s approval.

  1. PLAYING AN INELIGIBLE PLAYER

a) In a League match the Club shall forfeit all points gained.

b) In a Knock Out match the team will be expelled from the competition for that season and the match awarded to its opponents.

c) In all cases the matter will be referred to the Regulatory Board which may impose additional penalties in accordance with League Rules.

  1. PLAYERS TRANSFERRING CLUBS

a) Any player who has played in a League match for any Club in any League in the last two seasons shall be considered to be a member of that Club. Should that player wish to play for another Club then he must complete and submit the League’s electronic Transfer Form by the end of February.

b) A player shall not be allowed to transfer from one club to another if he has financial or other obligations to the club he is leaving.

c) Any transfer may be cancelled before the transferred player has played for his new club.

d) There will be a Transfer Window from 20th May to 31st May during which any player who has not played for the club to which he is registered for that season shall be eligible to transfer to another club.

LEAGUE MATCH REGULATIONS

  1. GENERAL

a) The Laws of the MCC shall apply in all matches except where otherwise stated in the League rules.

b) No match shall be played on a non-turf pitch without the written permission of the League Manager.

c) All Premier Division Clubs and those Clubs with more than 2 teams playing in the League must submit team sheets to the League Manager by 10.30pm on the Wednesday preceding the match. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in a £20 fine for each occasion and the matter may be referred to the Regulatory Board.

  1.  MATCH DECISION

Matches shall be decided on the basis of one innings for each side.

  1. WATERING OF GROUNDS

The pitch shall not be artificially watered less than 48 hours before the scheduled start of a match.

  1. FITNESS OF THE GROUND, WEATHER AND LIGHT

a) The Umpires are solely responsible for the decision regarding the fitness of the ground, weather or light.

b) Umpires shall have the sole discretion to start and restart play if rain is light and will not unduly affect the playing surface or outfield to the detriment of either team. Should this be considered the case then play will not start or resume.

c) Should there be a delayed start of a match or a subsequent interruption then the drying out of the pitch and surrounding areas by artificial means shall take place under the supervision of the Umpires.

d) The home Club shall be responsible for providing such artificial means and ensuring adequate and appropriate efforts are made.

  1. COVERING OF THE PITCH

a) All Clubs must provide covers in accordance with the Ground and Facilities criteria.

b) The covers must be placed over the area to be covered in the 48 hours prior to the match when weather conditions justify or on the instruction of the Umpires when a match is interrupted or likely to be interrupted by rain.

c) It shall be the responsibility of the home Club to place the covers over the area to be covered.

d) Failure to comply with these rules shall result in a £20 fine for each occasion and the matter may be referred to the Regulatory Board.

  1. SIGHTSCREENS, BOUNDARY MARKING AND CLOCK

Clubs shall provide the following:

  • Efficient sightscreens at each end of the ground beyond the wickets and in the case of Premier Division Clubs sightscreens which cover both sides of the wicket at each end of the ground to facilitate bowling from either side of the wicket without the need to move them.
  • A clearly defined boundary of the playing area.
  • A working clock which can be seen from all areas of the field of play, which shall be used as the match clock. Should no working match clock be available the Umpires shall identify an alternative clock or watch to act as a replacement.
  1. ABANDONMENT OF MATCHES

Umpires shall not declare a match abandoned without prior consultation with the Captains but the final decision will rest with the Umpires.

  1. CRICKET BALLS

a) All balls used in all League competitions must be provided through the League and bear the League logo. Surplus ball stock from the previous season may be used until such stock is exhausted.

b) Prior to the 31st January each year the Executive shall determine which balls will be used in which League competitions and will notify all Clubs accordingly.

c) Either a new ball or a used ball of good quality and condition agreed with the Umpires must be used at the commencement of each innings of all matches in Division 4 and below.

d) The balls must be given to the Umpires before the toss takes place.

e) In League, Talbot Shield and T20 plate matches the away team Captain shall have first choice of ball.

f) In the event of a dispute regarding the balls to be used the Umpires must ensure the match commences on time with the balls provided and then report the facts to the League Manager.

  1. THE TOSS AND COMMENCEMENT OF MATCHES

a) Each team must provide the Umpires with a completed team sheet prior to the toss showing the full names of all the players and dates of birth of all players aged 20yrs and under who will be taking part in the match duly signed by the Captain. Failure to do so shall result in a fine of £20 and the matter may be reported to the Regulatory Board.

b) The toss must be completed at least 15 minutes and no more than 30 minutes before the start of a match and shall be supervised by an Umpire.

c) The team winning the toss must communicate its decision to bat or bowl to an Umpire and the opposing team immediately following the toss.

d) A bell shall be rung by the Umpires 5 minutes before the start of each innings or 5 minutes before the end of the tea interval whereupon the Umpires shall take their positions on the field immediately followed by the fielders and batsmen.

e) A team which does not have 7 players present at the ground at the time of the toss shall forfeit the toss.

f) A match shall not commence unless both teams have a minimum of 7 players present at the scheduled start.

g) If a team does not have the required 7 players present at scheduled start time it shall be allowed a further 30 minutes to do so. If a team does not have the required 7 players present 30 minutes after the scheduled start it shall forfeit the match and the matter will be reported to the Regulatory Board.

h) A team that does not have 11 players present at the scheduled start can be made up to full strength within two hours of that scheduled start, after which no player arriving may take part.

i)Captains shall neither ask for nor be allowed a substitute for a player who is late taking the field.

  1. LATE STARTS

In the event of a late start caused by a Club a fine of £20 shall be imposed and the matter may be reported to Regulatory Board.

  1. SCORING AND MATCH REPORTING

a) All clubs must ensure that all matches are scored and reported properly and in the correct manner.

b) Captains are at all times responsible for the correctness of the score.

c) A fine of £20 shall be imposed for any breach of the following:

  • Clubs must provide a competent scorer for each match.
  • Captains shall fully complete any Match Forms as determined by the League Executive to reach the delegated League Officer within 3 days of the match.
  • The home Club must electronically submit the full match score card, including points awarded and deducted, by midnight on the day of the match and the matter may be reported to the Regulatory Board.
  • The result of any Twenty/20 match should be entered on the League Website by the winner of each individual match by midnight on the day of the match.
  • All Clubs in the Premier Division must operate Live Scores at every home match.
  • The home Club must display on its scoreboard the information as required in the Grounds and Facilities Criteria.

PLAYING REGULATIONS FOR LEAGUE MATCHES

  1. HOURS OF PLAY AND DURATION OF PREMIER DIVISION AND DIVISION, 1, 2 AND 3 LEAGUE MATCHES

a) Matches in April and the last 2 matches in August shall commence at 12.30pm and have a scheduled close of play of 7.30pm.

b) Matches in September shall commence at 12.00noon and have a scheduled close of play of 7.00pm.

c) At all other times matches shall commence at 1.00pm and have a scheduled close of play of 8.00pm.

d) Matches shall consist of a minimum of 110 overs and the side batting first restricted to 55 overs, except where a match is affected by fitness of ground, weather or light in which case the remaining overs shall be calculated by the Umpires using the Overs Adjustment Table. Should a side be dismissed or declare before reaching its allocation of overs then any complete unused overs will be available to the side batting second.

e) Matches shall not take place if the minimum number of overs available at the start is less than 50.

f) Two overs shall be deducted for the 10 minute interval between innings where applicable.

g) Where a Club is of the opinion that its ground is unfit for play it may request a neutral umpire to inspect the ground on the morning of the scheduled match. The opposing Club must be informed in sufficient time to allow a representative to be present at the inspection. The match may not be cancelled without the consent of both Clubs. The Umpire may be paid expenses of £10 by the home club, however if the Umpire considers the ground unplayable and the visiting team do not agree and the match officials subsequently consider the ground unplayable then the visiting team will be responsible for the Umpires expenses.
(The League will provide a list of neutral umpires to be used for this purpose prior to the start of the Season).

h) No bowler shall bowl more than one third of the available overs at the start of the innings (rounded up). In the event that the second innings extends beyond the available overs, the restriction shall not apply to the extended overs. Once an innings has started, allowances are not reduced if the innings is impacted by weather.

  1. HOURS OF PLAY AND DURATION OF DIVISIONS 4 AND BELOW LEAGUE MATCHES

a) Matches in April and the last 2 matches in August shall commence at 1.00pm and have a scheduled close of play of 7.30pm.

b) Matches in September shall commence at 12.30pm and have a scheduled close of play of 7.00pm.

c) Matches at all other times shall commence at 1.30pm and have a scheduled close of play of 8.00pm.

d) Matches shall consist of a minimum of 100 overs and the side batting first restricted to 50 overs, except where a match is affected by fitness of ground, weather or light in which case the remaining overs shall be calculated by the Umpires using the Overs Adjustment Table. Should a side be dismissed or declare before reaching its allocation of overs then any complete unused overs will be available to the side batting second.

e) Matches shall not take place if the minimum number of overs available at the start is less than 46.

f) Two overs shall be deducted for the 10 minute interval between innings where applicable.

g) Where a Club is of the opinion that its ground is unfit for play it may request a neutral umpire to inspect the ground on the morning of the scheduled match. The opposing Club must be informed in sufficient time to allow a representative to be present at the inspection. The match may not be cancelled without the consent of both Clubs. The Umpire may be paid expenses of £10 by the home club, however if the Umpire considers the ground unplayable and the visiting team do not agree and the match officials subsequently consider the ground unplayable then the visiting team will be responsible for the Umpires expenses. (The League will provide a list of neutral umpires to be used for this purpose prior to the start of the Season).

h) No bowler shall bowl more than one third of the available overs at the start of the innings (rounded up). In the event that the second innings extends beyond the available overs, the restriction shall not apply to the extended overs. Once an innings has started, allowances are not reduced if the innings is impacted by weather.

  1. TEA

a) There will be a Tea interval of 30min between innings which shall be taken no later than 4 hours after the scheduled start of play but can be taken earlier at the discretion of the Umpires whose decision shall be final.

b) Clubs to honour what the home Club arrangements are for teas which must be paid for in full by the end of the tea interval.

  1. DRINKS

Drink intervals shall be agreed between the Captains and Umpires prior to the toss.

  1. OVER RATE

a) The minimum over rate required in each innings is 17 overs per hour. An incomplete over shall count as one over bowled. In the event the required over rate shall not be met points shall be deducted from the bowling side as follows:

  • 1 point for less than 17 overs per hour.
  • 2 points for less than 16 overs per hour.
  • 3 points for less than 15 overs per hour [and so on].

b) Points shall not be deducted if the innings is less than two thirds of the overs available at the start of the innings.

c) Points shall only be deducted from points gained in that match.

d) In calculating the over rate the Umpires shall allow time for:

  • Lost ball.
  • Injury to a player or Umpire.
  • Drinks interval which shall be deemed to be 3 minutes.
  • Drying the ball in wet conditions.
  • Two minutes for each wicket taken except where it brings the innings to a close.
  • Any other exceptional circumstances determined by the Umpires.
  1. TIMED OUT

The incoming batsman must be in position to take guard or for his partner to receive the next ball within 2minutes 30seconds of the fall of the previous wicket. Failure to do so will result in the incoming batsman being ‘Timed Out’ on appeal.

  1. BOWLING OF HIGH FULL-PITCHED BALLS

Any high full-pitched ball, regardless of its pace, which passes or would have passed above waist height of the striker standing upright at the crease shall be called and signalled No Ball by the Umpire at the Bowler’s End. If the ball is fast it shall be deemed dangerous and unfair and the Umpire at the Bowler’s End, in addition to the call and signal No Ball shall adopt the procedures of the Laws of Cricket 42.7.

  1. BATSMAN CHANGING EQUIPMENT

a) A batsman may call for a helmet to be brought out to him at any time but he must wear it when on strike or carry it at all other times while play is in progress. The batsman may not have the helmet taken off the field except at the fall of a wicket or between overs or at an interval.

b) A batsman may only change any item of equipment with the approval of the Umpires.

  1. UMPIRES

a) The League shall have a panel of Umpires and neutral Umpires shall be appointed to all matches when there are sufficient Umpires to do so.

b) The expenses paid to Umpires shall be determined by the Executive prior to each season and Clubs to be notified by the 1st March each season.

c) In all cases the home Club shall be responsible for payment of the Umpires’ expenses which shall be paid prior to the commencement of play. In the Twenty/20 competition the other competing Clubs shall reimburse the home Club on the day of the match, a proportionate share of those expenses.

d) The Official’s Committee shall consist of persons listed on the League Committees page.

e) The Umpires’ Manager shall manage the Umpires’ appointments on a fair basis and keep a record of them.

f) Within the panel of Umpires there shall be a Premier Panel from which the Umpires’ Manager shall appoint to Premier Division matches.

g) Where only one Umpire is appointed the home Club shall be responsible for providing a second Umpire.

h) Where no Umpires are appointed each Club shall be responsible for providing an Umpire.

i) Umpires provided by Clubs shall have the same status and responsibilities and be paid the same expenses as any appointed Umpire.

j) No person other than the appointed Umpires may enter the Umpires’ room without their consent.

k) The Umpires may only enter the players’ changing room with the consent of the relevant Team Captain.

h) Umpires must ensure that all matches start, and resume following an interruption or interval, punctually.

i) For all matches in the Premier Division appointed Umpires shall complete the Ground and Facilities Report. Appointed umpires of all matches must complete a fair play report(form on the league website).

j)Umpires shall report any behaviour which they consider falls below acceptable standards to the League Manager within 3 days of the match. They shall also immediately following the match notify the team Captain or other appropriate Official of the Club.