Cheshire Club’ Cricket Committee

JAGUAR HOUSE

CHESHIRE COUNTY KNOCKOUT CUP AND SHIELD COMPETITIONS 

CHESHIRE CUP & SHIELD PLAYING REGULATIONS

  1.  The Laws of Cricket will apply with the following exceptions:

  2.  The decision as to whether or not a ground and weather conditions are fit for play shall rest with the captains. If they are unable to agree the umpires shall decide. Every effort shall be made to enable the match to be played on the specified day. After the commencement of play the umpires shall be the sole arbiters of weather, fitness of ground and light.

  3.  Either captain can insist that both teams assemble at the venue for a ground inspection to be made prior to the commencement of a match.

  4. The maximum length of an innings shall be 45 overs of six balls each. Matches shall start no later than 1.30 pm.

  5. No player may bowl more than 9 overs. If a bowler is unable to complete any over, the remaining balls shall be bowled by another bowler, such part of an over being counted as a full over so far as the replacement bowler’s over limit is concerned.

  6.  Fielding Restrictions - At the instant of delivery a minimum of four fieldsmen (plus the bowler and wicket-keeper) must be within an area bounded by two-semi circles centred on each middle stump (each with a radius of 30 yards) and joined by a parallel line on each side of the pitch. In the event of an infringement, the square leg umpire shall call “No Ball”. The fielding circle should be marked by painted white “dots” at five yard intervals, each “dot” to be covered by a plastic or rubber (not metal) disc,   measuring seven inches in diameter.

  7.  Wide balls - Umpires are instructed to apply a very strict and consistent interpretation in regard to this Law in order to prevent negative bowling wide of the wicket or over the batsman’s head. The following criteria shall be adopted as a guide by the Umpires.

       (a)  If the 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 should call and signal “Wide”.

       (b)  If the ball passes over the head of the striker standing upright at the crease the Umpire should call and signal “No ball”.

       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.

  8.  British manufactured Grade A quality cricket balls must be used. The balls must be approved by the Umpires before the commencement of each innings, and their decision shall be final as to whether this rule has been complied with.

  9.  The captains must agree and notify the Umpires before play begins, what action is to be taken if a decision is not reached on that day.

10.  If the commencement of play is delayed for any reason, the Umpires may, in liaison with the captains prior to the commencement, reduce the number of overs per innings from 45 to not less than 20. In this case the number of overs per bowler shall be proportionately reduced.

11.  The side which scores the most runs shall be the winner.

12.  If the scores are level, the side which lost the least wickets shall be the winner. If still equal, the winner shall be the side with the highest scoring rate over the first 25 overs of its innings, or over the first 10 overs in a match restricted by virtue of Regulation 10. If still equal, the captains will toss a coin to decide  the winner.

13. In the event of weather conditions curtailing play after the commencement, if the side batting second has received not less than 15 overs, the winner shall be the side with the highest overall scoring rate throughout the innings, provided that the side batting second bat for as long as conditions (as determined by the Laws of Cricket) permit. If equal, the scoring rate of the side batting second shall be calculated        from the end of the penultimate over and so on.

       To help clarify this Regulation - If a side batting first has completed its allotted number of overs or lost all its wickets, the side batting second in a rain curtailed match will begin to bat not knowing how many overs less than the allotted number it may have. It must bat for as long as conditions permit and if at the    time when conditions have become unfit, a result has not been obtained within the Regulations set out   above, the winner shall be the side with the highest overall scoring rate throughout both innings. If the side batting second is unable to bat for 15 overs due to the weather conditions the match shall be replayed within the time limit set out in Regulation 14.

14. In the event of weather conditions preventing play on the specified date for any round, or preventing achievement of a result within the conditions of Regulation 13, the match shall be played or replayed as the case may be, EITHER AS A SUNDAY or a MID-WEEK game on or before the second Sunday after the specified date for that round (or on or before the FIRST Sunday after the specified date where the         interval between the rounds is only 14 days, and NO LATER than the FOLLOWING SUNDAY in the     case of semi-finals). The date for playing such a game, whether it be on a Sunday or a midweek game must be reached by agreement between the clubs in accordance with Competition Rule 12. If for any reason agreement is not or cannot be reached between the clubs, then each club shall supply to the Competition Secretary, in writing, a FULL LIST of their respective fixtures for the next fourteen days from the original specified date (except where the interval between rounds is only 14 days in which case   the period of 14 days referred to above shall be 7 days) and thereupon the Competition Secretary will appoint a day or days whether mid-week or on a Sunday when the fixture MUST be fulfilled. In the event of it not being possible to secure a result by the final allowable date for whatever reason the match shall be decided by the toss of a coin except in relation to the Final.

15.  Applicable to the Final only. The Competition Secretary shall allocate a date for the final and a reserve date. If

a playing result cannot be achieved within these Regulations on the earlier date. If on the later date, the weather conditions curtail play to such an extent that at 6.00 p.m. the Umpires form the opinion that a result cannot be achieved under Regulation 13 (i.e. that the side batting second will be unable to receive 15 overs) any scores in the match up to that point will be disregarded and a new match of 10 overs for each side will be played, regardless of weather conditions, if at all possible. In this event no bowler shall bowl more than 2 overs and Regulation 5 will apply to any over which a bowler is unable to complete.If the scores are level, the side which lost the fewest wickets shall be the winner. If still equal the Trophy shall be shared

       If it is not possible to decide the winner of the final under the above Regulations then the Trophy shall be        shared.