General
1. Except as specified in the playing conditions, the Laws of Cricket
(Code 2000) will apply.
Fixtures
2.
The schedule of fixtures for League and Cup matches shall be published
by the
HKCA Office after League & Cup Committee (LCMC) approval.
Any changes to such fixtures must be approved by the HKCA
Match & Disciplinary
Committee (MDC).
Postponement of Matches
3. a) Postponements of competition matches and changes of venue will
not be normally permitted, and requests for blank dates and other particular
arrangements must be made before the season commences except as provided
for in the rules for knock-out competitions. Player(s) availability
will not be considered good reason to postpone or change any fixture.
In exceptional circumstances, requests may be made to the Match And
Disciplinary Committee (MDC) whose decision shall be final.
b) If Saturday or Sunday League matches are affected by adverse weather
conditions to the extent that a result cannot be achieved, the points
for that match will be evenly split between the teams. In the event
of disagreement, the matter shall be referred to the MDC whose decision
will be final.
Match Result
4. a) If any League match is adversely affected by weather or ground
conditions to the extent that a result cannot be achieved, the points
for that game shall be shared equally between the teams.
b) In the
event of any team being unable to raise a side, a walkover shall
be awarded to the opposition with ‘win’ points earned.
A side shall be of no less than seven players.
Ground, Weather and Light
5. Before the Toss has taken place, the decision with regard to the
fitness of the ground will rest with the authority responsible for
the maintenance of the ground, or in the absence of the ground authority,
Umpires appointed by HKCA, or in their absence, the team captains After
the toss has taken place, the Umpires appointed by the HKCA or, in
their absence, the Captains shall be the sole judges of conditions
being fit for play. If both Captains cannot agree on whether to play,
both teams shall remain at the ground for one hour after the scheduled
start time at which time the home Captain shall decide whether or not
play is to commence.
Disputes
6. All disputes during a match shall be determined by the Umpires
appointed by HKCA or in their absence, by the team captains. If they
disagree the existing state of affairs shall continue. Rulings given
by the MDC on any disputes brought before them shall be final.
Match And Disciplinary Committee (MDC)
7. The HKCA
Match Disciplinary Committee shall be elected annually by the HKCA
League & Cup Committee and shall consist of four members
elected by the LCMC. This committee shall be the authority within the
HKCA (subject to the authority of the Executive Committee) for all
decisions regarding the playing of an HKCA league match, cup fixture,
Summer 8’s or representative match or tour. The MDC is empowered
to make retrospective decisions on any of the above and impose whatever
sanctions it deems appropriate.
(See: HKCA
MDC Charter & Procedures at page 29)
Registration and Eligibility of Players
8. a) Individual membership of the HKCA is available in the following
categories:
b) Prior to the start of the league season, each team is required
to register a minimum of 11 players and pay the requisite individual
membership and team fees. The names and addresses of all players to
be registered must be submitted at this time.
c) Should the said individual and team membership fees not be made
by the team prior to the commencement of the season, consideration
will be given to removing the team from the League or Cup competitions
for the current season. Any matches played prior to payment of the
membership fee may be declared null and void. The MDC may award full
points to the non-offending team.
d) Playing a non-registered player may result in the deduction of
league points. However, an individual may play a maximum of two games
in each HKCA League without registering. Such a player is required
to register as a HKCA member before his third game in any one League.
e) No non-member of the HKCA shall be chosen to represent any Association
side in representative games. It shall be the responsibility of the
Chairman of Selectors to ensure that all representative players are
members of the HKCA.
Transfer of Players
9. A player
shall not, without the prior permission of the MDC, play for more
than one team in the same competition. Applications for transfer
must be submitted in writing to the Chairman of the MDC at least
72 hours before the transfer is required to take effect. This must
be
accompanied by the written approval of the Captain of the player’s
previous team. Breaches of this rule will be referred to the MDC
who may impose appropriate sanctions including, the deduction of
league
points or removal of the offending team from the Cup competition.
The Ball
10. Home teams are to supply identical, HKCA approved match balls
and one new ball shall be used for each innings. The LCMC will decide
which balls are to be used for HKCA competitions. Non-approved balls
are not to be used and breaches of this rule shall be dealt with by
the MDC who may impose penalties, including the deduction of points.
Overs and Fielding
11. a) Should a bowler become incapacitated, another bowler may complete
the over. A part of an over counts as a complete over for the purpose
of calculating how many overs a bowler has bowled in matches where
bowlers are subject to restrictions on the number of overs they may
bowl. A part of an over does not count as a complete over for any other
purposes (eg total number of overs bowled by the team; statistical
purposes).
b) It shall be the responsibility of the Captain of the fielding
side to ensure that no bowler exceeds any permitted number of overs.
c) All teams are required to bowl at an average rate of 17 overs
per hour. In the event of a slower over rate without good cause, Umpires
and/or Captains are to report this to the MDC for appropriate action.
An unnecessarily slow over rate may result in the deduction of points.
d) At no time will more than 5 fielders be permitted to field on
the leg side during a match.
Match Result Cards
12. a) A match result card for each match shall be submitted to the
HKCA office by the winning team and, in the event of a tie, the home
team. These result cards shall be sent by fax to the HKCA office: Fax
2577 8486.
b) The full
names of all players taking part in a match must be entered on the
match result card. This includes any match started but abandoned
as No Result due to adverse weather conditions. Such a match counts
as a game for registration purposes. In matches where a team plays
less than 11 men, the word “ABSENT” shall be written
on the match results card in the corresponding location.
c) In a match
started but abandoned as No Result due to adverse weather conditions,
players’ individual batting, bowling and fielding
figures count towards their season’s averages, and, if applicable,
should be shown on the Match Result Card.
d) Failure to submit a Result Card by noon on the first working day
after a game may result in action. The HKCA office will bring breaches
of this rule to the attention of the MDC who will decide on the appropriate
action.
Dangerous & Unfair
Bowling (Law 42 - 2000 Code)
The Bowling of Fast, Short Pitched Balls
13. a) Bowling
fast, short pitched balls is dangerous and unfair if the umpire at
the bowler’s end considers that by their repetition
and taking into account their length, height and direction they are
likely to inflict physical injury on the striker, irrespective of
the protective equipment he may be wearing. The relative skill of
the striker
shall be taken into consideration.
b) Any delivery which, after pitching, passes or would have passed
over head height of the striker standing upright at the crease, although
not threatening physical injury, is unfair and shall be considered
as part of the repetition sequence in (a) above. The [either] umpire
shall call and signal No ball for each such delivery.
c) A bowler
shall be allowed to bowl one fast, short-pitched delivery per over
(not being a Wide or a No Ball.) A fast, short-pitched delivery
is defined as a ball that passes or would have passed above the shoulder
height of the striker standing upright at the crease, but not clearly
above the batsman’s head. In the event of the bowler bowling
more than one fast, short-pitched delivery in an over, the umpire
shall call and signal No Ball. The penalty shall be one run for the
No Ball,
plus any runs scored from the delivery. This regulation is not a
substitute for Law 42.6 which umpires may apply at any time and applies
to all
HKCA one-day matches.
The
Bowling of High Full Pitched Balls
14. a) Any delivery, other than a slow paced one, which passes or
would have passed on the full above waist height of the striker standing
upright at the crease is to be deemed dangerous and unfair, whether
or not it is likely to inflict physical injury on the striker. The
[either] umpire shall call and signal No ball for each such delivery.
b) A slow delivery, which passes or would have passed on the full
above shoulder height of the striker standing upright at the crease
is to be considered dangerous and unfair, whether or not it is likely
to inflict physical injury on the striker. The [either] umpire shall
call and signal No ball for each such delivery.
Saturday League Rules
Hours of Play
1. Matches will commence at 1315 hrs, or earlier if both Captains
agree, except as in Rules 3 and 8 below. Matches will be of one innings
per team. Each team shall receive a maximum of 35 overs.
Umpires
2. In the absence of HKCA appointed umpires, the batting side Captain
is to nominate the umpires during each innings. It is the responsibility
of the Captains to ensure that his nominees are familiar with the Laws
of Cricket and the rules of the competition. The Captain may be held
responsible by the MDC in any cases of unfair conduct.
Periods
of Play & Intervals
3. Periods of play and intervals shall be:
Periods of Play and Intervals
4. a) The team fielding first shall bowl 35 overs, or complete the
over which is in progress at 1530 hrs if this arises first, unless
it dismisses its opponents in fewer than 35 overs.
b) The team batting second shall be limited to the same number of
overs, unless the team batting first is all out in fewer than 35 overs,
in which case the team batting second shall have the opportunity of
batting for the full 35 overs.
c) Declarations are not permitted.
d) The first innings shall consist of 35 overs unless otherwise agreed
before the toss as per Para. 5 (a) below. If, without good cause, the
bowling side fails to complete 35 overs within the scheduled time,
the innings shall be extended until 35 overs are completed and the
second innings restricted to the number of overs completed at the scheduled
time. The over in progress at the scheduled time shall count as a completed
over.
e) There will be a ten minute interval between innings.
f) If the team fielding second has not bowled the same number of
overs as the team fielding first by 1755 hrs, the fact and circumstances
may be referred to the Match Disciplinary Committee for action.
g) Captains shall agree before the match on the clock or watch to
be followed during the match.
h) No bowler may bowl more than 10 overs.
Restricted Matches
5. In order
to achieve a result in a match delayed or interrupted by adverse
conditions of weather, ground, light or other good cause
beyond the teams’ control, the following procedures apply:
a) If the first innings has not been started or is interrupted on
one or more occasions, two overs shall be deducted from the total number
of overs originally due to be bowled (normally 70) for every six minutes
lost and the revised number of overs shall be shared equally between
the two teams.
b) The second innings shall consist of the same number of overs as
the first, subject to reduction of one over for every three minutes
lost due to any similar delay or interruption, subject always to Rule
4b). If the second innings is of fewer overs than the first for any
reason other than that of a win / loss having already been achieved,
the result shall be determined by the net run rates.
Note: The intention of Rule 3 is to encourage games to be played
where both Captains agree there is a prospect of play. Thus, a minimum
10 overs per side game could commence as late as 1625 hrs.
The Result
6. a) A result is achieved after both teams have completed their
innings under Rule 2 and/or Rule 3. The team scoring the higher number
of runs shall be the winner.
b) In the event of bad weather preventing the completion of the second
innings, the team with the higher net run rate shall be the winner.
Net run rate is to be calculated by total runs scored divided by total
legitimate balls bowled.
If 10 or more overs have been bowled, the team with the higher run
rate shall be deemed the winner, and bonus points allocated as in Rule
6 below.
c) In the event of a Tie, wickets taken are not to be taken into
account except for bonus points purposes.
Points
7. Points for matches will be awarded as follows:
a) 12 points for WIN (bonus points do not apply)
b) 6 points for a TIE (plus bonus points)
c) 0 points for a LOSS (plus bonus points)
d) Matches not started:
i) No Result/Match Abandoned - 6 points each.
ii) Walkover – 12
points to opposition.
e) Matches not started because the ground is unavailable will be
rescheduled at a later date, if at all possible.
Bonus Points
8. Bonus points will be awarded to the losing team, or both teams
in a tied match, as follows:
a) one batting point for 125, 150 and 175 runs
b) one bowling
point for 3 and 6 with a further bowling point if the opponents are “all out”.
League Champions
9. At the conclusion of the season, if the top teams have the same
number of points, the following will be the order of preference for
deciding the League Champions:
a) Team with most wins
b) Team with fewest lost matches
c) Team with most bonus points
Should all the above be identical then the Championship will be shared.
Saturday Morning Matches
10. Under
normal circumstances the League & Cup Committee will
not allow League matches to be played on Saturday mornings. However,
the MDC may, for special reasons and / or under exceptional circumstances,
allow / order matches to be played on Saturday mornings. If authorised,
such matches will be played under the Saturday League Rules with
the following exceptions:
a) Matches are to commence at 0830 hrs.
b) The team fielding first shall bowl 35 overs or complete the over
which is in progress at 1045 hrs if that arises first.
c) The team fielding second shall bowl 35 overs or
be limited to the same number of overs as the team bowling first, except
that the last over of the match will be the over in progress at 1310
hrs.
d) Teams will be allowed 35 overs each for batting, if required,
and will be penalised for slow bowling in the same manner as Saturday
afternoon matches under Rule 2.
Saturday Cup Rules
Entrants
1. a) The
Saturday Cup Competition is open to all Saturday League teams. In
addition, the LCMC may invite ‘social’ sides
to enter and may amend the Cup format at its discretion.
b) The format
of the Saturday Cup and Plate Competitions shall be decided by the
League & Cup Committee.
c) Teams must notify the HKCA of the names of their players before
the draw is made for the first round. No transfers or additions will
be allowed without the prior approval of the MDC.
d) All players
must have played at least two Saturday League matches during the
current season and be HKCA members. This rule may be waived
for any ‘social’ sides. However, the MDC shall be the sole
judge of the eligibility and/or appropriateness of any players entering
the competition under the ‘social’ category.
e) The player eligibility rule will be strictly enforced.
Draw
2. The draw for each separate round of matches will is made by the
LCMC Chairman (or his representative) and a minimum of three HKCA members
appointed by him.
Competition Conditions
3. a) The Saturday Cup and Plate competitions will be on a straight
knockout basis.
b) All matches are to commence at 1315 hrs or earlier if both Captains
agree and will be of one innings for each team.
c) Teams losing first round matches will enter the Plate Competition.
d) Teams losing qualifying round matches will not be able to enter
the Plate Competition.
e) Where possible, the MDC will reschedule a match abandoned as No
Result due to inclement weather. Where this is not possible the match
will be decided by the toss of a coin.
Playing
Conditions & Intervals
4. Playing conditions and intervals will be the same as those for
the Saturday League, except that:
a) A fielding circle, marked or notional, is to be observed 27.5
metres (30 yds) in diameter from the bases of both centre stumps. A
minimum of four fielders, in addition to the bowler and wicket keeper,
must be within the circle at the moment of delivery throughout the
game. Either umpire, upon seeing a breach of this condition, shall
call and signal No ball.
b) The team fielding first shall bowl 35 overs or complete the over
which is in progress at 1530 hrs, if this arises first.
c) The team batting second shall be limited to the same number of
overs unless the team batting first is all out in fewer than 35 covers,
in which case the team batting second shall have the opportunity of
batting for the full 35 overs.
d) Notwithstanding b) and c) above, the team batting first may declare
at any time before 35 overs are completed, in which case the team batting
second shall receive the full 35 overs.
e) The team fielding second will be expected to bowl the same number
of overs as the team fielding first by 1755 hrs. Complaints of slow
over rates may be referred to the MDC under General Rule 13 c).
f) No bowler may bowl more than 10 overs. In the event of a bowler
becoming incapacitated, Competition General Rule 13 a) will apply.
g) There will be a ten minute interval between innings.
h) A fielding
circle shall be drawn or otherwise marked with disks by the home
side in each game. Such fielding circle shall be 25 metres
in diameter measured from the base of both centre stumps. Four
fielders, the bowler and the wicket keeper shall remain within the
fielding circle
at the point of delivery of the ball by the bowler throughout the
game. The square leg umpire shall monitor the position of the above
players
and should any fielder or fielders be outside the fielding circle
at the point of delivery, he shall call and signal “No Ball”.
Said “No Ball” shall be construed and scored under
the Laws of Cricket.
Result
5. a) The team scoring the higher number of runs in the allocated
number of overs will be deemed the winner.
b) In the event of tied scores, the team losing fewer wickets will
be the winner.
c) If both teams have scored the same number of runs and are all
out, but the number of overs bowled is unequal, the winner will be
the team with the better net run rate (total runs scored divided by
total legitimate balls bowled).
d) Where both teams have scored the same number of runs, lost the
same number of wickets and bowled the same number of overs, the winner
will be the team with the better run rate at the end of 20 overs and,
if still identical, at the end of 10 overs.
e) If the team batting second has not received ten overs, the match
will be abandoned as No Result, provided the team batting second is
not all out in fewer than ten overs. If the match is abandoned, Rule
3 e) above will apply.
Match Balls
6. The attention of Captains is drawn to Competition General Rule
10.
Match Expenses
7. In all rounds, expenses incurred by the home team will be shared
by both teams.
