Morning,
I'll start by explaining that cricket over here (Norway) is a little different to the UK. No club has it's own ground, so ca 70 clubs use 6 council owned pitches to play. This means that playing Saturday afternoons is not at option, so we have an evening slot (starting 4pm) at each ground, and then a morning and an afternoon one each weekend day.
Usually this has resulted in 3-4 midweek games a season per team as we pay from March until end of September. For reasons only known to them (but that we can guess at from one change) this season we will only play Mid May until August, meaning ca 7 midweek games per team.
However, this year our board has made the following rule changes that I wanted peoples opinions on to see if they match ours, or if we're just being difficult.
1) §5.5.4 At temperatures below 8 degrees, the match must not be started. If the temperature drops
below 8 degrees during the match, the match must be stopped - possibly canceled, if not reported
higher temperatures later. More than one weather source must be used. Same rules as for rain will apply.
I'm presuming this is connected to them removing games in September, but struggle to see why this rule is there and cannot imagine any other country has a similar rule. The September temperatures in Oslo are much like in the UK. My other idfficulty is with how this should be measured.
2) This is the one we really think is madness:
§7.2.2 The teams must be present on the pitchin in approved uniforms no later than the toss. There must
be at least eight players from each team present on the ground before toss so that toss can
take place. The team lineup cannot be changed after toss. If one or both teams do not have
Eight players present 15 minutes before the start of the match is considered to be delayed.
For match start there must be 11 players present, otherwise rules for reduction of overs and
walkover apply. A player / players who have to leave due to injury or other valid reasons
the path will not trigger consequences. There must be a minimum of 8 players on the pitch at all times.
If there are fewer than 8 players after the start of the game, the match cannot continue. Walkover rule will
also apply in this case.
§7.2.4 A match cannot begin later than 30 minutes after the scheduled start time, with
Unless there are weather conditions and safety-related challenges that create challenges
before the match. That means the time of walkover at e.g. Missing attendance is 61.
minute after set start time, per match schedule.
Basically if a side connot raise 11, game off, or (and especially poignant given our number of 4pm midweek starts) if someone is delayed more than an hour, game off.
In these times when club cricket is struggling and the ECB are running the getthegame.com on campaign, this strikes us as utter utter madness. The reason given was to make clubs more organised, and so they can emphasise to players the importance of being on time for the games.
Incidentally does anyone know who at the ICC we could have an off the record word about this with?
END RANT
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Topic: New league rules - opinions (Read 4178 times)