Revised MCC Laws With effect 1 st October 2010 MCC the guardians of the laws of cricket, has produced a fourth edition of the 2000 code and has introduced changes that are aimed at providing me fairness to both sides and helps to reduce the amount of playing time lost. There are eight significant changes to the laws; 1. Ground, Weather and Light. 2. The Toss. 3. Fielding beyond the boundary. 4. Practice on the field. 5. Fair delivery the feet. 6. Wicket put down. 7. Batsman out of his ground. 8. Batsmen damaging the pitch. Batsmen will no longer be Offered the Light Umpires will now be the Sole Arbiters of whether play should continue in po light. The batting side will no longer have a say in the decision. This was often used f tactical reasons, as was used in the 2005 Ashes when Australia accepted the offer of bad light. At least one Umpire will now be required to attend the Toss and the winning Captain must notify his counterpart of his decision to Bat Field immediately. Previously, captains could wait until 10 minutes befe the start of the game. In some cases this was being exploited to the losing sides disadvantage and was thus against the Spirit of Cricket. Other law changes are aimed at achieving me fairness between teams. Batsmen, who damage the pitch, now receive only one warning befe penalty runs are issued. This mirrs the punishment f fielders. A bowler who declares to be Right Arm Over the wicket and then crosses the imaginary line between the middle stumps, thus becoming a round the wicket bowler. Fbidding bowlers bowling the ball into the ground to a team mate, this may damage the ball and may waste time. Fielders are no longer able to practice with a 12 th man coach outside the boundary during a game, as this affds them an opptunity to prepare that is not granted to a batsman in the middle. T20 cricket has seen greater athletic fielding and the MCC have tried to ensure the laws deal with these challenges in the modern game. A fielders first contact with the ball must be within the boundary, if airbne, when his last contact with the ground was within the field of play. He may subsequently step outside the boundary, but if contact is then made with the ball and the ground befe they return inside the boundary, a boundary 4 6 will be sced. Law 28.1. has been amended, if a batman s bat breaks while in the act of playing a shot and the broken part of the bat hits the stumps and dislodges a bail, the batsman will be OUT. Law 29.1. a batsman who gained his ground, but due to fward movement no part of his body bat are grounded when the bails are removed will now be deemed to be IN.
Ground Weather and Light 3.8 Fitness f play (a) It is solely f the umpires together to decide whether either conditions of ground, weather light exceptional circumstances mean that it would be dangerous unreasonable f play to take place. Conditions shall not be regarded as either dangerous unreasonable merely because they are not ideal. (b) Conditions shall be regarded as dangerous if there is actual and feseeable risk to the safety of any player umpire. (c) Conditions shall be regarded as unreasonable if, although posing no risk to safety, it would not be sensible f play to proceed. 3.9 Suspension of play in dangerous unreasonable conditions (a) All references to ground include the pitch. See Law 7.1 (Area of Pitch) (b) If at any time the umpires together agree that the conditions of ground, weather light, any other circumstances are dangerous unreasonable, they shall immediately suspend play, not allow plat to start to recommence. (c) When there is a suspension of play it is the responsibility of the umpires to monit conditions. They shall make inspections as often as appropriate, unaccompanied by any player officials. Immediately the umpires together agree that the conditions are no longer dangerous unreasonable they shall call upon the players to resume play.
The Toss Laws 12.4 and 12.5 4. The toss The captains shall toss f the choice of innings, on the field of play and in the presence of one both of the umpires, not earlier than 30 minutes, n later than 15 minutes befe the scheduled any rescheduled time f the match to start. Note, however, the provisions of Law 1.3 (Captain) 5. Decision to be notified As soon as the toss is completed, the captain of the side winning the toss shall notify the opposing captain and the umpires of his decision to bat to field. Once notified, the decision cannot be changed.
Practice on the field Laws 17.1, 17.2, 17.3, 17.4 and 17.5 1. Practice on the pitch There shall be no practice of any kind, at any time on any day of the match, on the pitch on either of the two strips parallel and immediately adjacent to the pitch, one on either side of it, each of the same dimensions as the pitch. 2. 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 befe the start of play after the close of play on that day. Practice befe the start of play (a) must not continue later than 30 minutes befe the scheduled time any rescheduled time f 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. 3. Practice on the outfield (a) All fms of practice are permitted on the outfield befe the start of play after the close of play on any day during the lunch and tea intervals between innings providing the umpires are satisfied that such practice will not cause significant deteriation in the condition of the outfield. Such practice must not continue later than 5 minutes befe the time f play to commence 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 batting practice on the outfield. Bowling a ball, using 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. during other gaps in play f 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 f 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). 4. Penalty f contravention If a player contravenes 1, 2, 3(b)(i) 3(b)(ii) above, he shall not be allowed to bowl until either at least one hour has elapsed 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 n 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 Fielding beyond the boundary Law 19.4 A ball may be caught, subject to the provisions of Law 32, fielded after it has crossed the boundary, provided that (i) (ii) the first contact with the ball is by a fielder either with some part of his person grounded within the boundary, whose final contact with the ground befe touching the ball was within the boundary. neither the ball, n any fielder in contact with the ball, touches is grounded beyond, the boundary at any time during the act of making the catch of fielding the ball. The act of making the catch, of fielding the ball, shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with some part of a fielder s 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 grounded beyond the boundary. Fair delivery - the feet Law 24.5 5. Fair delivery - the feet F a delivery to be fair in respect of the feet, in the delivery stride (a) the bowler s back foot must land within and not touching the return crease appertaining to his stated mode of delivery. (b) the bowler s front foot must land with some part of the foot, whether grounded 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 s end umpire is not satisfied that all of these three conditions have been met, he shall call and signal No ball.
Wicket put down Law 28.1 1. Wicket put down (a) The wicket is put down if a bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, a stump is struck out of the ground, (i) by the ball, (ii) by the striker s bat if he is holding it by any part of his bat that he is holding, (iii) notwithstanding the provisions of Law 6.8(a), by the striker s bat in falling if he has let go of it, by any part of his bat becoming detached, (iv) by the striker s person by any part of his clothing equipment becoming detached from his person, (v) by a fielder with his hand arm, providing that the ball is held in the hand hands so used, in the hand of the arm so used. The wicket is also put down if a fielder strikes pulls a stump out of the ground in the same manner. (b) The disturbance of a bail, whether tempary 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.
Batsman out of his ground Law 29.1 1. When out of his ground (a) (b) A batsman shall be considered to be out of his ground unless his bat some part of his person is grounded behind the popping crease at that end. 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 fward momentum shall not be interpreted as being out of his ground.
Batsman damaging the pitch Law 42.14 14. Batsman damaging the pitch (a) (b) (c) If either batsman causes avoidable damage to the pitch, at the first instance the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, infm the other umpire of the occurrence. The bowler s 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 infm each incoming batsman. (ii) infm the captain of the fielding side and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side of what has occurred. 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, infm the other umpire of the occurrence. The bowler s end umpire shall then (i) disallow all runs to the batting side from that delivery other than the penalty f a No ball a Wide, if applicable. (ii) additionally, award 5 penalty runs to the fielding side. (iii) return the batsmen to their iginal ends. (iv) infm the captain of the fielding side and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side of what has occurred. The umpires together shall rept the occurrence as soon as possible after the match to the Executive of the batting side and to any Governing Body f the match who shall take such action as is considered appropriate against the captain and player players concerned.