PLAY BY THE RULES

• Although Robert Stein claims to have retired it will no longer be necessary for a player to be injured during the game to warrant the use of a runner. The matter will solely be at the discretion of the umpires and the captains will have no influence.

• Both the batting and fielding sides can be penalised runs as a result of several offences:
• Should a player previously absent from the field of play return to the field without permission and touch the ball — 5 runs to batting team
• A bowler practising on the wicket or any adjacent wickets will be penalised and prohibited from bowling for 5 overs from the time of the contravention.
• Unfair changing of the condition of the ball — 5 runs to batting team
• Time wasting — 5 penalty runs on 2^nd warning
• Avoidable damage to the pitch — 5 penalty runs on 3^rd warning
• Causing a deliberate distraction — 5 penalty runs

• Bowlers are not allowed practice run ups if these are deemed by the umpires to be waste time during which cricket could be played.

• Any runs scored from a no-ball or a wide will be added to the score (in addition to the one run for the illegal delivery) and all these runs count against the bowler.

• For a batsman to be judged �in� part of their body must be in contact with the inside of the line of the crease.

• The umpire is took take control of the ball following the fall of every wicket.

• A batsman can be out caught should the ball touch any part of his glove whilst the hand is in contact with the bat (this includes wristbands)

• Should you manage to run 5 runs before the ball crosses the boundary you will be awarded 5 runs and not 4.

• The ball is �dead� if:
• it reaches the boundary
• it hits the wicket
• it is in the wicket keeper's hand
• it is in the bowlers hand
• it is trapped in the batsmen's pads/clothing
• the umpire feels everybody considers the ball dead
• the batsman is out of his ground having previously been in his ground to avoid the incoming ball

• Under arm bowling is only permitted if agreed to before the start of the game.

• For a bowler to run out the non-striker he, or she, must remove the bails before he, or she, takes their delivery stride.

• If the ball bounces more than twice or rolls along the ground (a "Sally Gunnell") then it is a no ball but no runs can be scored from it.

• A wide counts from when the ball leaves the bowler's arm, i.e. if you are stumped off of a wide the one run still counts.

• To avoid bowling a wide the ball must be on a line that allows the batsman to play a �normal cricket stroke� (there will be lots of wides bowled at the OLCC this year if this rule is followed to the letter!)

• For a catch to be legitimate not only must the ball be held and then disposed of in a controlled fashion but the catcher must also be in control of the further movement of their body (not many catches for Judith any more!)

• A final point for some members being that a there is a maximum time limit for rolling between innings of 10 minutes.

Links: