Playing Conditions

In all competitions, the rules of cricket shall apply with the following exceptions:

• PreAmble – The laws of cricket start with a preamble about “The Spirit of Cricket”. In the Youth Competitions of the District Board, it is recognised that the major responsibility for ensuring the spirit of fair play rests with the team managers of the clubs involved. Whilst captains are solely responsible for the actions of their teams on the field of play, managers must ensure all players within their team(s) understand what is expected behaviour within the Spirit of the Game and take action whenever inappropriate conduct occurs.
• Law 1 – The Players – there is no need for captains to nominate players in writing before the toss.
• Law 3 – The Umpires – they do not have to be at the ground at least 45 minutes before the scheduled start of each day’s play.
• Law 40.2 – The Wicket-Keeper – Gloves – will not be applied
• Law 42.6b – Bowling of High Full-Pitched Balls – irrespective of pace of delivery, all balls which pass or would have passed on the full above waist height of the striker standing upright at the popping crease are to be deemed dangerous and unfair, whether or not it is likely to inflict physical injury on the striker. As such they are to be considered as no-balls.
• Law 42.17 – Penalty Runs – no penalty runs will be awarded at any stage unless the game is under the control of officially appointed independent umpires. The only exception to this rule will be as described under law 41.3 – Protective helmets belonging to the fielding side.

Please note that additional rules pertaining to specific age groups can be found within the relevant age group pages

Player Eligibility

All players must be bona-fide members of any club they represent. In the event that a player moves between clubs, he will not be allowed to represent his new club until formal confirmation of release by his old club, which will not be unreasonably withheld. In any event, he will not be allowed to represent his new club in the District Board competitions for the season in question, if the move occurs after June 30th of that season.

Rules concerning the age of players eligible to play at the various age group levels are contained in the relevant match rules. It should be noted that where reference is made to players with learning difficulties (as indicated with an *), the following applies:

•  The rationale is that a player can drop down to a lower age group to allow them a fair chance to play cricket. However, If the individual can play well enough and are happy at their current age level then they are best to stay there.
•  If a player does need to drop down an age group through their disability, they would normally have a Statement of Educational Needs. The statement does not always mean they have a disability, a lot of people with a statement just have a small learning difficulty or a behavioural issue. It is hoped that clubs will be able to identify the right players and only drop them down a group if it is in the best interests of all involved and following consultation with parents.

Match Administration

Pre-Confirmation of Matches

The home team manager must contact his away team counterpart to confirm the start time, venue and number of players per side (for Under 11 matches) ideally 1 week before, but certainly no later than 48 hours before the match is due to take place. If no such confirmation is made, it is strongly suggested that the away team manager attempt to contact his home team counterpart and report the fact when notifying the result.

Match Cancellation

If for any reason, the away team cancels the match after it has been confirmed , less than 48 hours prior to the commencement of the match, the home team shall have the right to claim from the away team, any additional pitch fees that they may incur to re-arrange the match.

If, either team fails to appear for a pre-confirmed match, they will be deemed to have forfeited the match and 3 points will be awarded to their opponents.

At all other times, where matches are postponed for any reason, agreement must be reached on a rearranged date within 7 days of the date of the original match. It is incumbent on the two clubs concerned to re-arrange the match at a mutually convenient time prior to the end-of-season deadline. However, in the event that agreement cannot be reached, the home club must offer the away side three alternative dates, one of which, for Under 11 and 13 matches only, must be a Sunday. If the away side declines this offer then three points will be awarded to the home side only.

Result Notification

At the end of each match, both team managers must agree the match result and exact scores.

Both sides should confirm the results to the appropriate results secretary shown below, within 24 hours of completion of the match, either by telephone or email. Each score should include the total runs scored, number of wickets lost and any outstanding personal performances. For Under 11 matches, the net score (after deductions for wickets lost) and overs played should also be reported. Failure to comply with this requirement will render the offending club liable to a fine of up to £5 for each occurrence.

All results will be published on the District Board web-site on a weekly basis and any disputes must be notified to the appropriate results secretary within 1 week of publication. After that time, no disputes will be considered.

Results Secretaries

Under 11 Jeff Noble                          Tel: 01268 558337                 Email: jrandkanoble@virginmedia.com

Under 13/15 Neil Mason                Tel: 07775 666798                 Email: neilmason1@sky.com