BCF T20 Cup Match Format and Playing Conditions – 2015

Playing Conditions

The Laws of Cricket 2000 Code 5th Edition 2013 will apply except when varied below. Where this code has been amended competition regulation has been added in brackets to help identify the change. Where the current law is quoted, either in part or full, the phrase ‘Laws 2013’ follows the text.

Duration of Matches

1.1 All Matches

Matches will consist of one innings per side and each innings will be limited to 20 overs.

All sides are expected to complete the bowling of their 20 overs within 1 hour 20 minutes playing time.

Hours of Play and Intervals

2.1. Start and Cessation Times

The start and cessation times for all T20 Cup games are explained in detail in the “BCF T20 Cup and League Timings”.

2.2 Sessions of Play and Interval Between Innings

There will normally be two sessions of play of 1 hour 20 minutes each, separated by an interval of 10 minutes between innings.

When the innings of the team batting first is completed earlier then the 10 minute interval shall take place immediately and the innings of the team batting second will commence correspondingly earlier.

2.3 Intervals for Drinks

No drinks intervals are permitted.

An individual player may be given a drink either on the boundary edge or at the fall of a wicket, on the field, provided that no playing time is wasted. No drinks will be taken onto the field of play without the permission of the umpires. Any player taking drinks onto the field shall be dressed in proper cricket whites.

Length of innings

3.1 General regulations for uninterrupted matches

Each team shall have the opportunity to bat for 20 If they are dismissed before the completion of these 20 overs or a result is reached, the remaining overs will not be bowled.

If the side batting first is dismissed before the completion of their 20 overs, then for all subsequent purposes they are deemed to have faced their full quota of overs.

If the team batting first is dismissed before the completion of their 20 overs the team batting second are entitled to have the opportunity to bat for 20 overs.

In either innings, the umpires will monitor the over rate as the innings progresses and will inform the fielding captain, at appropriate times, if the over rate is showing signs of slowing down to an unacceptable level. The umpires shall take account of circumstances that are outside the control of the fielding side when making this judgement – eg delays caused by the batting side, extended time taken to retrieve the ball (maximum 2 minutes per instance), delays caused by serious injury(ies).

If the team fielding first fail to bowl the required number of overs by the scheduled time for cessation of the first session, play will continue until the required number of overs has been bowled.

In the second innings, if the team fielding second fails to bowl 20 overs by the scheduled cessation time the hours of play shall be extended until the required number of overs have been bowled or a result reached.

Law 42.9 will not be applied for slow over rates. Clause 10 Over Rate Penalties below will apply.

3.2 General regulations for delayed or interrupted matches

The object must always be to arrange the number of overs so that both sides have the opportunity of batting for the same number of overs. When a recalculation of overs is necessary, this calculation will be based on an average of 15 overs per hour in the total remaining time available for play (i.e., not counting time for the interval).
If either side is dismissed before the completion of their agreed allocation or recalculated overs, it is deemed that they have faced their full quota of overs and any subsequent calculations e.g. Over Run Rate (ORR), will be based on their having faced their full quota of overs.

c) If the team batting first are dismissed before the completion of their allocated or recalculated overs the team batting second are entitled to bat for their full allocation.

Even though a match may be reduced in length the principles laid out in 3.1 b), and c) above still apply. Any contravention of these Regulations will still attract the relevant penalties. The fact that a match is reduced in length does not negate the requirement that the overs have to be bowled within the laid down time limits – even though these limits will differ according to the unique circumstances surrounding a particular match.

A start may only be legitimately delayed provided the delay is not caused by either team (where a team is responsible for a delay it shall be penalised in line with the T20 Cup Rules and the General Rules and Administration). However if the start of the game is delayed because a junior game or an earlier T20 game runs over time, that will be considered as a legitimate delay not caused by a club (but clubs are asked to take the necessary steps to avoid junior matches running excessively over time). Where a match is legitimately delayed in this way, section 3.3 for recalculating match overs will apply, unless both captains agree beforehand to play a full 20 overs per side prior to the toss.

3.3 Delay to the start of, or interruption during, the 1^st innings

a) Any recalculation of overs based on 3.2 a) will be divided by two and any odd over ignored – eg a recalculation that gives 19 overs remaining (and taking into account the 10 overs that have already been played) would give a match total of 29 overs means that the match is now one of 14 overs per side.

Where the situation arises that, having done this calculation, the side batting first have already exceeded the new innings total for each side, their innings will be terminated immediately. The side batting second will receive the balance of the overs. For instance, a match reduced to 28 overs in total (should be 14 each) but the side batting first have already received 16, the side batting second will bat for 12 overs (28 – 16 = 12).

The target score for the side batting second will be calculated using the principles as laid down in 12.1 d) The Result. For instance in the above, if the side batting first score 108 in their 16 overs, their ORR is 6.75, so the target score for the side batting second is 12 x 6.75 = 81 + 1 = 82.

In order to constitute a match, both sides must have the opportunity to face at least 10 In the first instance, the teams must make a genuine attempt to reschedule the fixture. When the game couldn’t be played on the rescheduled date the game will be considered as “Cancelled” and no points will be given to both the team.

When the game couldn’t be started before Start time + 1 hour 20 minutes, the game will be treated in the same way as explained in 3.3b.

Restrictions on the Placement of Fielders

4.1 For the entire length of the innings – at the instant of delivery, there may not be more than five fielders on the leg side.

4.2 Two semi-circles shall be drawn on the field of play. The semi-circles have as their centre the middle stump at either end of the pitch. The radius of each of the semi-circles is 27.5m. The ends of each semi-circle are joined to the other by a straight line drawn on the field on the same side of the pitch. The field restriction area should be marked by continuous painted white line or ‘dots’ at 4.5 m intervals, each ‘dot’ to be covered by a white plastic or rubber (but not metal) disc measuring 18 cm in diameter. These discs will NOT be fixed to the ground by means of a nail/pin or any other dangerous, sharp object. (Discs are recommended but painted markings will be acceptable as long as they are marked sufficiently clearly).

4.3 For the first 6 overs – at the instant of delivery, no more than two fielders are permitted to be outside this outer fielding restriction area.

4.4 For the remaining overs – at the instant of delivery no more than 5 fielders are permitted outside this outer fielding restriction area.

4.5 In circumstances where the number of overs for the batting team is reduced, the number of overs in regard to the restrictions in 4.3 above shall be reduced proportionately in a ratio of 6:20 in accordance with the table below. Fractions are to be ignored in all calculations re the number of overs.

Total overs No. of overs for which

in innings fielding restrictions in 4.3

above will apply.

10-13………………………………………………………………………………… 3

14-16…………………………………………………………………………………. 4

17-19…………………………………………………………………………………. 5

20………………………………………………….…………………………………… 6

Where the number of overs for the team batting second is reduced, the aim will be to maintain the restrictions in 4.3 for the same proportion of the second innings that they were maintained for the first innings (fractions to be ignored).

4.6 In the event of infringement of any of the above fielding restrictions, the striker’s end umpire will call and signal “No Ball”.

Number of Overs Per Bowler

No bowler shall bowl more than 4 overs in an innings.

If the start of the match is delayed and the overs are reduced for both teams, no bowler may bowl more than one fifth of the total overs allowed. Where the total overs are not equally divisible by 5, one additional over shall be allowed, to as many bowlers as is necessary, in order to make up the balance – eg in a game reduced to 14 overs a side, and using 5 bowlers, their allocations would be 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 14.

In a match where the innings of either or both sides is reduced after the start of the match, the maximum number of overs allowed per bowler shall remain as at the start of the match.

In the event of a bowler becoming ill, injured or suspended thus being unable to complete an over, the remaining balls will be bowled by another bowler. Such part of an over will count as a full over only in so far as each bowler’s limit is concerned.

Law 14 Declaration and Forfeiture

Law 14 will not apply. The captain of the batting side may not declare his innings closed at any time during the course of a match nor can he forfeit an innings (competition regulation).

Wides and No Balls

7.1 Law 25.1 Wide Ball – Judging a Wide

No delivery will be called wide if

It comes into contact with the striker’s bat or person or
It is called a No Ball (Laws 2013).

For all other deliveries, the following interpretation will apply:

Off side Wides

Two white lines will be painted joining the bowling and popping creases. Each line will be parallel to the Return Crease and will be 35” (89 cm) from the centre of the middle stump.

Any delivery that passes over or outside of this line will be called a Wide by the umpire.

It does not matter that the striker may move thus bringing the ball into an area where he could play a normal cricket stroke – it will still be a Wide (competition regulation).

It will also be a Wide if the striker moves away from the ball and it passes over or outside of this white line (competition regulation).

Leg side Wides

The white line markings mentioned above do not apply to leg side deliveries. A ball will be judged a Wide if it passes the striker behind his legs when standing in a normal guard position (competition regulation).

If the striker moves to the off side to play the ball and the ball passes behind his legs the umpire will have to imagine the profile of the striker standing in a normal guard position, and only provided that the ball would have passed behind this profile, will he call it a Wide. If the ball would have hit this profile it will not be a wide (competition regulation).

Umpires are instructed to apply a consistent interpretation in regard to this Law, in order to prevent negative bowling wide of the wicket.

Umpires should try and be consistent:

in their own interpretation
with the interpretation of their colleagues