RULE CHANGES NEXT SEASON

Here's a list of the new rules brought in by the MCC and at the Hampshire League Meeting last Thursday.

Hampshire League New Rules

• Illegal Bowling Action - Need to accept it on the day then lodge a complaint with the Hampshire League after the game.
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• There will be scoring changes to games played in the Regional Divisions and below.
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• Payment of Panel Umpires - If a panel umpire has to stand at both ends because the opposition doesn't have an umpire. Then payment to the Panel Umpire will be shared between both teams. -Penalty for a failure to pay the panel - £30 fine.

• Ground Reports - Ground Reports must be completed after each mach by the away side and sent/ faxed to the Grounds sub- Committee. No report is required if the game is postponed.

• Maximum Overs per Bowler in Delayed Start Matches Only - No bowler may bowl more than a 5th of the total overs bowled.

MCC New Laws

Watch The Changes Explained -

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• There must be an umpire present at the toss with the two captains not any later than 15 minutes before the start of play.
• The Umpires will make the decision to leave the field for bad light / rain not the captains
• The Captain who wins the toss MUST make a decision to bat on bowl on the spot.
• LAW 17 - Practice on the Field - There shall be no practice of any kind, at any time on any day of the match, on the pitch or on either of the two strips parallel and immediately adjacent to the pitch, one on either side of it,\par each of the same dimensions as the pitch.
• Practice on the rest of the square - There shall be no practice of any kind on any other part of the square on any day of the match, except before the start of play or after the close of play on that day.
• Practice before the start
• (a) must not continue later than 30 minutes before the scheduled time or any rescheduled time for play to start on that day.
• (b) shall not be allowed if the umpires consider that it will significantly impair the surface of the square.
• Practice on the outfield
• (a) All forms of practice are permitted on the outfield before the start of play or after the close of play on any day or during the lunch and tea intervals or between innings providing the umpires are satisfied that such practice will not cause significant deterioration in the condition of the outfield, Such practice must not continue later than 5 minutes before the time for play to commence or to resume.
• (b) Between the call of Play and the call of Time (i) no one may participate in practice of any kind on the field of play, even from outside the boundary, except the fielders as defined in Appendix D and the batsmen at the wicket. Any player involved in practice contravening this Law shall be considered to have himself contravened the Law and will be subject to the penalty in 4 below. (ii) there shall be no bowling or batting practice on the outfield. Bowling a ball, using\par arm action only, to a player in the outfield is not to be regarded as bowling practice but shall be subject to (b)(iii) and (c) below. However, a bowler deliberately bowling a ball thus on to the ground will contravene Law 42.3 (The match ball changing its condition). (iii) other practice shall be permitted, subject to the restriction in (i) and (ii) above, either at the fall of a wicket.or during other gaps in play for legitimate activities, such as adjustment of the sight-screen.
• (c) (i) Practice at the Fall of a Wicket must cease as soon as the incoming batsman steps on to the square.
• (ii) Practice During Other Legitimate Gaps in Play must not continue beyond the minimum time required for the activity causing the gap in play. If these time restrictions are not observed, umpires shall apply the procedures of Law 42.9 (Time wasting by the fielding side).
• Penalty for Contravention - If a player contravenes 1, 2, 3(b)(i) or 3(b)(ii) above, he shall not be allowed to bowl until either at least one hour has elapsed or there has been at least 30 minutes of playing time since the contravention, whichever is sooner. If the contravention is by the bowler during an over, he shall not be allowed to complete that over. It shall be completed by another bowler, who shall neither have bowled any part of the previous over nor be allowed to bowl any part of the next over. 5.. Trial run up A bowler is permitted to have a trial run up subject to the provisions of 3 and 4 above.
• 4. Ball Beyond the Boundary -A ball may be caught, subject to the provisions of Law 32, or fielded after it has crossed the boundary, provided that (i) the first contact with the ball is by a fielder either with some part of his person grounded within the boundary, or whose final contact with the ground before touching the ball was within the boundary. (ii) neither the ball, nor any fielder in contact with the ball, touches or is grounded beyond, the boundary at any time during the act of making the catch or of fielding the ball. The act of making the catch, or of fielding the ball, shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with some part of a fielder person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control both over the ball and over his own movement and has no part of his person touching or grounded beyond the boundary.
• 5. Fair Delivery - For a delivery to be fair in respect of the feet, in the delivery stride (a) the bowler back foot must land within and not touching the return crease appertaining tohis stated mode of delivery. (b) the bowler front foot must land with some part of the foot, whether grounded or raised (i) on the same side of the imaginary line joining the two middle stumps as the return crease described in (a) above and (ii) behind the popping crease. If the bowler end umpire is not satisfied that all of these three conditions have been met, he shall call and signal No ball.
• LAW 29 Batsman out of his Ground. When out of his ground (a) A batsman shall be considered to be out of his ground unless his bat or some part of his person is grounded behind the popping crease at that end. (b) Notwithstanding (a) above, if a running batsman, having grounded some part of his foot behind the popping crease, continues running further towards the wicket at that end and beyond, then any subsequent total loss of contact with the ground of both his person and his bat during his continuing forward momentum shall not be interpreted as being out of his ground.
• 14. Batsman damaging the pitch - (a) If either batsman causes avoidable damage to the pitch, at the first instance the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of the occurrence. The bowler end umpire shall then (i) warn both batsmen that the practice is unfair and indicate that this is a first and final warning. This warning shall apply throughout the innings. The umpire shall so inform each incoming batsman. (ii) inform the captain of the fielding side and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side of what has occurred. (b) If there is any further instance of avoidable damage to the pitch by any batsman in that innings, the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of the occurrence. The bowler end umpire shall then (i) disallow all runs to the batting side from that delivery other than the penalty for a No ball or a Wide, if applicable.(ii) additionally, award 5 penalty runs to the fielding side.(iii) return the batsmen to their original ends. (iv) inform the captain of the fielding side and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side of what has occurred. (c) The umpires together shall report the occurrence as soon as possible after the match to the Executive of the batting side and to any Governing Body for the match who shall take\par such action as is considered appropriate against the captain and player or playersr concerned.
• Wicket put down - (a) The wicket is put down if a bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or a stump is struck out of the ground, (i) by the ball, or (ii) by the bat if he is holding it or by any part of his bat that he is holding, or (iii) not with standing the provisions of Law 6.8(a), by the striker bat in falling if he has let go of it, or by any part of his bat becoming detached, or (iv) by the striker person or by any part of his clothing or equipment becoming detached from his person, or (v) by a fielder with his hand or arm, providing that the ball is held in the hand or hands so used, or in the hand of the arm so used. The wicket is also put down if a fielder strikes or pulls a stump out of the ground in the same manner. (b) The disturbance of a bail, whether temporary or not, shall not constitute its complete removal from the top of the stumps, but if a bail in falling lodges between two of the stumps this shall be regarded as complete removal.