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[Watsontotty]

In our league you get 3 hours to bowl 50 overs and not a minute more and they have tightened up on this to a ridiculous degree now ? what is the rules around the country and do you find this is enough time as we struggle and I've just found out we lost our points from last week's game and we were also fined by the league.

If this continues then I will definitely think about hanging up the boots forever and go enjoy my golf which I never have time for, it's not like we take our time deliberately or anything but I don't think 3 hours is enough time to guarantee 50 overs are done. We play hard cricket and we play to win but this rule is making me consider the future as I'm starting to enjoy it less but I'm getting older as well lol !

[Liam-SCCC]

The pros get 1 and a half hours to bowl 20 overs so 3 to bowl 50 is unfair!

We don't have any rules on it in our division

[tbarnfield99]

We have the same rule. Suppose you just get used to it. I've yet to be docked points so must keep within the limits!

[tim2000s]

We seem to manage to bowl 46 overs in 2hrs 40, so I'm not sure it is unreasonable.

[Buzz]

I think 3 hours is loads of time to bowl 50 overs, 16.3 overs an hour is hardly charging through the overs.

[PedalsMcgrew]

3 hours to bowl 50 overs is easily achievable. Slow over rates kill cricket. I'm fairly sure your league haven't set you an unreasonable time limit! If every side in the league was getting fined every week then maybe...but if the other sides can manage it then you guys must be able too...

[uknsaunders]

over rates have gone down the pan over the last 20 years.

I use to play "timed cricket" in Sunday friendlies. Started at 2 pm, in 2 hours 45/50 mins we'd expect to bowl around the 50 over mark. In return we'd get after tea 1 hour 15 minutes or roughly 20-22 overs + 20 overs from 6.30pm. Worked for a long time before and a long time after I started. All of a sudden it was a 1.30pm start because teams would bowl 40 overs in 3 hours.

Bowlers have the same run ups, fields are much the same but many teams don't get on with it ie. spend time changing the field several times an over, idiot bowlers going around the wicket because they can't bowl straight. You get the idea.

I once got my colts to bowl 20 overs in an hour in a friendly. No problems, just a bit of urgency was required. It's a brilliant tactic to bowl 4 overs in 10 minutes and watch teams panic when they realise they are running out of time.

[tim2000s]

over rates have gone down the pan over the last 20 years.

I use to play "timed cricket" in Sunday friendlies. Started at 2 pm, in 2 hours 45/50 mins we'd expect to bowl around the 50 over mark. In return we'd get after tea 1 hour 15 minutes or roughly 20-22 overs + 20 overs from 6.30pm. Worked for a long time before and a long time after I started. All of a sudden it was a 1.30pm start because teams would bowl 40 overs in 3 hours.

Bowlers have the same run ups, fields are much the same but many teams don't get on with it ie. spend time changing the field several times an over, idiot bowlers going around the wicket because they can't bowl straight. You get the idea.

I once got my colts to bowl 20 overs in an hour in a friendly. No problems, just a bit of urgency was required. It's a brilliant tactic to bowl 4 overs in 10 minutes and watch teams panic when they realise they are running out of time.

Played a lot of timed cricket on Sundays with exactly the same setup. Astonished me that league cricket was taking 7 hours to play 50 overs per side...

[roco]

3 hours for 50 overs has just come into our league and is ok most weeks as we have two spinners but did it with seconds to spare yesterday

[ajm90]

From personal experience getting through the overs quickly also puts a lot of pressure on the batsman so that should be an incentive for the fielders to get through there overs quickly.

[Watsontotty]

The 3 hour rule isn't new to our league it's been around a number of years however they now are not allowing any variation at all or taking anything into consideration like injury or wet conditions etc etc.

Most teams in our league struggle every week unless they have spinners, we played last week and the team we played against only managed 45 overs in 3 hours but to be fair the field was wet and they weren't deliberately going slow.

[mdl_1979]

In the Herts League we get 3 hours to bowl 53 overs.  It can mean putting your foot on the gas a bit between overs, but should be readily achievable.  It's only just over 17 overs an hour which shouldn't really cause a problem.

[MJB3]

We have 3 hours 15 to bowl our 50, usually its been fine, however the Umpires aren't that strict. They use common sense if there's been an injury or incident, so a few minutes isn't an issue, as it doesn't really have an influence. Never seen points deducted for it though, seems a bit harsh, especially if  a first offence

[captainofcricket2011kse]

We have to bowl at 18 overs an hour, so our 45 over games usually take 2 and a half hours max to complete an innings. Some umpires are horribly strict, and others are much less strict, depends who you get. I think if you do not bowl your overs the opposition get extra runs for each incomplete over.

[Nickauger]

We get 3 hours 7 to bowl our 50, and don't often have a problem. Dropped down to the 2s though last week and I tell you what, you miss the limits when they aren't there. Oppo took 3 hours 56 to bowl 45.... absolute dross cricket!