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[Red Ink Cricket]

Following on from the thread yesterday we had an incident that occurred last night in a midweek game and i wanted to know the correct decision.

New bowler comes on to bowl for us, runs up and delivers the ball from 23-25 yards. the umpire is standing in a normal position so in theory the bowler is bowling level or behind the umpire. Our umpire ( the only one there) does nothing and the ball stands as legal. The oppo captain starts ranting and raving at square leg saying it should be a no ball as the ball has to be delivered in front of the umpire.

although our umpire isnt the best, far from it actually is his decision right? Im aware of saqlain and croft bowling from 23+ yards but not sure where the umpire is in relation to them when the ball is released?

[Simmy]

dont think there is a rule where u have to release the ball?

[tim2000s]

Following on from the thread yesterday we had an incident that occurred last night in a midweek game and i wanted to know the correct decision.

New bowler comes on to bowl for us, runs up and delivers the ball from 23-25 yards. the umpire is standing in a normal position so in theory the bowler is bowling level or behind the umpire. Our umpire ( the only one there) does nothing and the ball stands as legal. The oppo captain starts ranting and raving at square leg saying it should be a no ball as the ball has to be delivered in front of the umpire.

although our umpire isnt the best, far from it actually is his decision right? Im aware of saqlain and croft bowling from 23+ yards but not sure where the umpire is in relation to them when the ball is released?

Law 24.5 No-ball - Fair delivery - the feet...

For 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 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’s end umpire is not satisfied that all of these three conditions have been met, he shall call and signal No ball.

As long as the front foot is behind the popping crease, then the delivery is legal...

Contrary to the oppos opinion, the ball doesn't have to be delivered in front of the umpire, and the square leg umpire can call no-ball for any throwing going on. The bowler should probably ask the umpire to stand back if he is going to bowl from so far back though, or the umpire could move.

I'd argue though that most bowlers don't bowl in front of the umpire anyway. My back foot always lands a fair bit behind the stumps, as do many other bowlers. I therefore bowl alongside the umpire rather than in front of him...

[Lekka Global Alliance]

Legal delivery.

[jonwilson]

I thought the ball had to be delivered in front of the umpire - how else could the umpire see if the ball was a legal delivery, not thrown, bowler bowling with the other arm etc etc

[richthekeeper]

answered above - square leg umpire would intervene

[tim2000s]

I thought the ball had to be delivered in front of the umpire - how else could the umpire see if the ball was a legal delivery, not thrown, bowler bowling with the other arm etc etc

Just to add to that, I've never seen a non-square leg umpire call a throwing no-ball. It has always been the square leg umpire.

[jonwilson]

Just been reading up and yes, square leg umpire would call.  Seem to recollect the other day watching Croft bowl in one of the 20/20 matches that he varied his delivery stride - remember the commentators stating (incorrectly it would seem) that the ball had to be delivered in front of the umpire. 

[richthekeeper]

the bowler's end umpire wouldn't be able to watch for a bent-arm action and observe the bowler's foot placement simultaneously, so it makes sense that the square leg umpire would call throwing no-balls.

[Number5]

Agreed.  Legal delivery. 

It's up to the Umpire to determine where to stand so that he has a view of the bowlers delivery stride (to consider front foot and back foot no ball decisions) and with regard to the view to the strikers end batsman.  There's no point in standing so far back that it makes it difficult to judge what's happening at the other end for LBW's etc. 

Square leg Umpire checks bowlers action. 

[johnnyw]

Jerome Taylor bowls a stride before normal delivery sometimes to try and confuse the batsman