Cricket

• The ICC Standard Playing Conditions for Twenty20 matches provide the playing framework for all Twenty20 cricket. They are updated every year to reflect developments in the game. The latest ICC documents related to rules and regulations can be found at http://www.icc-cricket.com/about/91/rules-and-regulations/overview

• All matches in the NHSSA Grade 7-10 competition are played under the laws of cricket unless otherwise stated below.

• Teams shall consist of a maximum 13 players each.

• No team may commence play on any day without at least eight (8) players at the ground. If for any reason a team is not ready to start play by 4.15pm it shall automatically forfeit the match.

• Matches will be played between 4:00pm and 6:30pm. The first innings shall commence at 4:00pm and conclude by 5:15pm. The second innings shall commence at 5:25pm and conclude by 6:30pm. In the event the team batting first is dismissed within 20 overs and prior to 5:15pm, the second innings may commence immediately following a 10 minute break, with the bowling team having 1 hr and 10 minutes to complete 20 overs.

• No over may be started after 6:30pm on any evening. It is the responsibility of umpires and coaches to ensure that this rule is not broken.  Late starts, slow over rates and weather interruptions are not excuses for breaking this rule.

• Late starts due to weather: Should a late start occur due to the weather conditions, the time remaining shall be divided in half and overs calculated at the rate of one over every 3 minutes. Should the number of overs remaining not be devisable by two, add one additional over to ensure both teams receive an equal number of overs.

• No team may bat for more than 20 overs and a Compulsory Declaration will occur at 5:15pm regardless of whether the 20 overs have been completed.

• In the event that the team batting first does not get bowled out and are forced to close their innings prior to facing their allotted 20 overs, the team batting second shall only receive the same number of overs as they bowled to the team batting first.

• Play shall cease at 6:30pm or at the completion of the over that commenced prior to 6:30pm. Should the team batting second receive fewer overs than the team batting first, the result will be determined by the runs scored at the completion of the equal number of overs faced by each team.

• The ball to be used is to be of good quality, but a red 2 piece Kookaburra practice preferred.

• Only those matches where results are achieved will count for the purpose of net run rate calculations. Where a match is abandoned, but a result is achieved the following will apply. If the innings of the team batting second is shortened, then the amended target score will be calculated as follows:
• 1. The total runs scored by the team batting first from the same number of overs to be received by the team batting second.
• 2. The highest scoring overs of the team batting first shall be counted.
• 3. This total is then discounted by the rate of 0.5% per over lost. e.g. If the match was reduced to a 35 over match the second team must score 95% of the sum of the 35 highest scoring overs from the first 45 over innings.
• 4. The target score is then the discounted total (ignoring fractions) plus 1 run. 

BATTING

• A batsman must retire after facing 25 balls during an innings.  Retired batters may return to bat at the fall of the last wicket of that innings, in the same order that they retired.
• New batsmen must be in position within 90 seconds of a wicket falling.

BOWLING RESTRICTIONS

• No Bowler may bowl more than 4 overs in a game.
• 6 balls per over (maximum of 8 balls per over except the last over where 6 legal deliveries must be bowled).
• NO BALLS
• A No Ball is;
• 1. A short pitched delivery that passes or would have passed above the batsman standing upright at the crease.
• 2. A full toss over waist height regardless of the speed of the bowler.
• 3. A No Ball equals one run plus any runs scored by the batsman, and should be rebowled up to a maximum of 8 balls per over.
• 4. The delivery following a no ball shall be a free hit to the batsman with standard rules on no-ball dismissals applying.
• 5. Discretionary rule: only one free hit per over to prevent games exceeding time limit.

FIELDING RESTRICTIONS

• All fielders must be at least 10 metres from the batter. This restriction doesn’t apply to the wicket keeper or slips cordon, including Gully.
• No player allowed to field closer than 10 metres from bat in front of wicket.
• No more than four (4) fielders may be within 20 metres of the boundary for any delivery. The 20 metre mark shall be judged by the umpire/s.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• RESULTS
• The result is decided on the number of runs scored by each team at the same number of overs as per Rule 12. If both teams are tied on the same number of runs, the result in this case is a Tie.
• N.B. Declarations are counted as team dismissed.
• Each team must face a minimum of five (5) overs for a result to be attained from a match.

• SCORING
• NO BALLS:
• As stated above, a No Ball will incur a one run penalty to be scored in the No Balls column.
• In the case that runs are taken off a No Ball, these will be additional to the one run penalty for the bowling of the No Ball. If these runs are off the bat, any runs taken will go to the batsman, with the one run penalty being recorded in the No Balls column. If runs are taken as byes or leg-byes, the same situation will occur with one run added to the No Balls column and any additional runs completed added to the byes or leg-byes column.
• WIDES:
• A wide equals one run and shall be re-bowled, up to a maximum of 8 balls per over. Should the wide not be taken by the wicket keeper or any other fieldsman, the additional runs are scored as wides, for example, if a wide is bowled and the batsmen run two, the total is three wides.

• MATCH POINTS
• The match points in this competition are awarded as follows;
• Win = 5 / Loss = 1 / Draw/No result (Wash out) = 3 / Forfeit Loss = 0 / Forfeit Win = 5