Cricket coaching, fitness and tips - Laws of Cricket

Quick Tip: You Are the Umpire

David Hinchliffe — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:12:53 +0000

So you think you know your Laws of cricket?

If you do, well done, most players and coaches are pretty hazy on the details. I can't remember the last time I went through a season without hearing someone clearly stating a Law that was utterly wrong.

So here is a test for you. A couple of questions to see if you know your stuff.

"When batsmen are running and a throw comes in, hitting his body or bat and flying away, is the batsman able to run again?"

Thanks to Dinusha for the question.

What do you think?

What usually happens is that the batsman does not run. But what if the team need two runs to win off the last ball and it happens when running the first?

Leave a comment and tell me what you think.

The second tester is a variation on the first, from Rohit:

"We had a recent game where the batsman hit the ball directly to a fielder and did not go for a run. The fielder (not going for a run out) threw the ball to the bowler and the bowler missed the ball. The batsmen stole a run. Is this allowed?"

Again, what do you think?

Leave a comment a let us know what you think should happen, and what the Laws actually say. If I get enough comments I'll give you the answer.

Cricket Show 113: What Happened in Edinburgh?

David Hinchliffe — Fri, 13 May 2011 10:00:28 +0000

The show is packed to the rafters with cricket advice and analysis this week as we take a detailed look at a week with Watsonian Cricket Club.

We have interviews with club pro Tim Weston and captain Craig Wright. I also recorded a diary of the grudge game against rivals Grange CC. That means you get tips on how to become a professional, an insight into how a club side like yours manage a game and ways a captain can help his team work on weak areas.

Burners and David have not forgotten your questions either. We take some questions on the Laws of cricket and give a detailed answer to a common problem of feeling like you don’t know how to score runs as a batsmen.

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Now it's even easier to solve your cricket problems

David Hinchliffe — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:51:00 +0000

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Fair or even: The dilemma every player-umpire faces

PitchVision Academy — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:22:39 +0000

Would you cheat when you do your umpiring stint?

Imagine standing at the bowler’s end, hearing and seeing the slight nick and not giving it out. That’s cheating.

I was returning to the game after a 5-year absence. During the second game, we were in the field, I was wicket keeping and we had appeal after appeal turned down by the opposition umpires. I was convinced a couple of times that the batsman had got an edge, or been plumb in front.

The umpire didn’t agree.

At the level I play, there are rarely appointed umpires, so players from the batting team fill in.

During the break our captain came over to me and said because their umpires had been strict, we should have the same attitude. Don’t give them anything. Be strict on the wides.

Then it got worse.

He told me to throw in a few no balls, don’t give anything out LBW and unless the batsman walks, do not put the finger up for any edges.

I was flabbergasted.

This is my new team. My new captain and here he is asking me to cheat. What is even worse, after 14 overs one of our batsman got a slight edge and I stood still.

No finger.

I’m still not sure why I didn’t give him out. Then the bowler started screaming at me, opposition captain running over, pointing his finger, calling me a cheat. I had cheated. Thankfully, a couple of wickets fell soon after and I was due to bat. I walked into the changing room.

Our captain gave me a pat on the back, for cheating.

I could not stop thinking about it. New team, new captain, early season game and I hated it.

I spoke to the captain in the pub at the end of the game. I explained it was wrong, to me anyway, to umpire is the same manner as the opposition team. Yes, they had been wrong, and we did win the game. Our best batsman, the person who edged it, who I did not give out, got a run-a-ball 80 to see us home. I did not enjoy the victory and tried to convey this to the captain. He nodded, and did not ask me to umpire for the rest of the season.

I left after that one season.

The lesson taught me that you have to think about your approach to the game. Here are my tips to anyone else in the same dilemma:

Decide how you want to play the game.
Do not be afraid to speak your mind, the other players will respect you for it in the long run.
If you are ever asked to umpire, and you are sure the batsman is out, always give them out. The game is meaningless without integrity. Moreover, so is any subsequent victory.
Strict umpiring is different from blatant cheating. Remember, the benefit of the doubt always goes to the batsman.
Enjoy umpiring, it can teach you a lot about the rules, how the pitch is playing and the opposition bowlers.

To learn how to umpire properly as a player, get the online coaching course The Umpiring Survival Guide for Players, Coaches and Non-Umpires available now on PitchVision Academy.

Laws of Cricket: Umpires prevented play?

David Hinchliffe — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 07:49:55 +0000

This edition of Laws of Cricket, in association with the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, covers some more tricky questions of the Laws.

Many times on the pitch (and after the game) we have come to discuss whether a controversial situation should be allowed or not. There are precious few players with a deep enough understanding of the laws for our arguments to be resolved, but many times it's the players who also act as umpires. Now we can consult a team of expert experienced umpires for the answers to those tricky questions.

You can submit your own questions to the umpires here.

"We were about to play a really vital game in the league. It had been raining, on and off, all week, and it's true the ground was slippery, but we were keen to play the match, and so were the other side. The umpires inspected the pitch twice and eventually called off play, even though both captains wanted to continue. Are the umpires allowed to do this?"

They're not only allowed to, they're obliged to do this!

There is a big difference between playing conditions being just unsuitable and them being 'unreasonable' or 'dangerous'. Unreasonable is for exceptional circumstances when to play would not be sensible and it really does mean exceptional and should not be used for inclement weather. If the conditions are dangerous there will be no play.

In this case, the umpires judged that there was an obvious and foreseeable risk of someone being injured.

They had to use their duty of care to prevent this happening. Sorry, but this was done for everyone's safety!

The re-issue of the Laws in October 2010 makes it clear that the umpires have sole and complete responsibility for whether play is to take place. The captains are no longer involved and therefore play will not continue even if both captains want to play in poor conditions.

Want more tips on how to umpire? Get instant access to The Umpiring Survival Guide on PitchVision Academy. Now with a free bonus 91 page quizbook.

Stop practicing your bowling (and other changes to the Laws of cricket)

David Hinchliffe — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:23:45 +0000

Years ago, changes to the Laws of cricket changed the game.

Round arm allowed bowlers to increase their pace in the 1800’s. In the 1930’s, the Bodyline controversy caused fielding restrictions and the banning of the overuse of bouncers.

Dramatic stuff.

These days Law changes don’t have quite the impact, but they still happen.

Canny cricketers always take a moment to find out about the changes, just in case. You wouldn’t want to miss the modern equivalent of round-arm bowling would you?

Besides, its stuff you should know for when you do your umpiring stint.

So here is the amateur cricketers guide to the latest tweaks in the Laws by the MCC (all came into force for all levels of cricket on October 1^st 2010).

You can’t delay your decision if you win the toss

It used to be the case that you could win the toss and not tell the opposition captain your decision until 10 minutes before play. It makes sense as an opener (bowler or batsman) that this isn’t very fair.

So now the decision has to be announced at the toss. And an umpire should be there.

Law 12.4 and 12.5

Bowling to mid off is banned

This is one I think will be ignored by a lot of club players. You know how you used to bowl a couple of balls to mid-off (or whoever) before you started your spell?

Well, now you can’t. The MCC consider it altering the condition of the ball illegally.

As most bowlers I play with do this, it’s going to take some smart umpires to put an end to it, especially at lower levels where the umpire is usually a player.

Law 42.3

Slow bowlers front foot must stay on the same side

In the past, it was legal for a bowler to bowl over the wicket but land his front foot on the other side of the stumps. This essentially means he (or she) is bowling around the wicket.

I’ve never seen it, but it sounds unfair to me. And it did to the MCC too, so they changed the Law to ban it.

Now you must land your whole foot on the same side of the wicket as you are bowling from.

Law 24.5

A broken bat can get you out

If your bat breaks and the broken bit dislodges a bail you are now out (before it wasn’t out).

While this seems pretty unlucky, it brings the Law into line with other weird forms of getting out like your cap hitting the stumps or the slightly more common treading on the wicket.

Law 28.1

Those are the headlines.

There are a few other changes that are less relevant to club players. I’ve never seen any of the Laws applied in their old or new form in 20 years of playing: Umpires won’t offer the light any more, batsmen lose a warning for running on a wicket, You can’t be run out of your feet are in the air after grounding your foot behind the popping crease and you can only start fielding the ball inside the boundary.

So very little drama this time around, it’s all minor stuff, but knowing it may give you the tiny advantage you need.

For more on how to practically apply the Laws of cricket click here.

Ask the Readers: Do you play in the Spirit of Cricket

David Hinchliffe — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 07:29:15 +0000

An incident in the 2010 England-Pakistan Test series got me wondering how you play your games. Do you play in the Spirit of Cricket?

Leave a comment and let me know how hard you play.

Despite being miles ahead in the match, Stuart Broad threw a ball at Zulqarnain Haider in frustration at being unable to get him out.

Critics said it wasn’t cricket. Fans said it showed the aggression needed to win modern matches.

But right or wrong, it shows how the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ is an idea that belongs in the hearts of the purists rather than the actions of the players.

There certainly is little room for spirit in the league club cricket that I play.

The general attitude is to win by doing as much as you can get away with. There is little time for maintaining the unique character of the game.

Maybe you have seen some of the things I have in games over the years:

Batsmen not walking when they know they have hit it
Appealing when there is no chance the batsman is out
Batsmen getting sent from the field with a volley of abuse from the bowler
A little extra being applied to the ball to help it swing
Open disrespect for umpire’s decisions and opposition players
Sledging batsmen to put them off
Appealing for a catch that was taken close to the ground and bounced

If the game was really played in the proper spirit this pushing of legality wouldn’t happen.

All shaking hands at the end and having a quick drink in the bar together under the banner of Playing Hard But Fair doesn’t cut it. Everyone plays Hard But As Unfair As They Can Get Away With.

Which brings me back to the original question.

Do you play your games as the MCC intended?

Or is winning more important and, as long as you don’t get caught, there is nothing that is too far?

Leave a comment and tell us what you think.

Laws of cricket: Run out with an elbow?

David Hinchliffe — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 07:09:40 +0000

This edition of Laws of Cricket, in association with the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, covers some more tricky questions of the Laws.

You can submit your own questions to the umpires here.

Run out with an elbow?

"We were in a very exciting run-chase. My pal, who was on strike, hit the ball and called me for a sharp single. The fielder did a great job, running in, picking up and firing the ball back to the ‘keeper, all in one movement. I had nearly made my ground when the ‘keeper took off the bails with his left elbow, not with the ball, which was in his left hand, and then appealed. I was given out Run out. Surely the umpire was wrong to do this?"

Assuming you had not made your ground, no, he wasn’t. In this situation the Law permits the use of the arm in breaking the wicket, provided the ball is in the same hand at that moment.

But, if the ‘keeper had broken the wicket with his left arm with the ball in his other hand, you should not be given out.

Sorry, but the umpire was right.

Law 28.1 The wicket is down (Open Learning Manual Page 88)

Laws of cricket: Rebound off the fielder and batsman is recalled

David Hinchliffe — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:01:06 +0000

This edition of Laws of Cricket, in association with the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, covers some more tricky questions of the Laws.

You can submit your own questions to the umpires here.

Rebound off the fielder

"The bowler bowled a ball that was going wide but it hit one of our close fielders on the shoulder and rebounded onto the striker' wicket with the striker out of his ground. We thought he was out Bowled, but the umpire at the bowler's end said Not out, so we appealed to the other umpire for Run out. He said Not out. Were they both correct?"

Yes, both those decisions were correct, but bowler's end umpire should also have called No ball, followed immediately by Dead ball.

MCC say that this situation is to be treated as equivalent to the ball coming to rest before reaching the line of the striker's wicket. The call of No ball penalises the fielding side and should prevent them using it as a tactical ploy. The call of Dead ball is because the striker did not have a reasonable opportunity to receive and to attempt to play the ball. No matter how wide the ball was going, the call of Wide ball would be wrong for two reasons: No ball takes precedence over Wide and a ball cannot be called a Wide until it passes the striker's wicket and by that time it was considered dead.

Law 24.6 No ball (Open Learning Manual Page 76)

Law 38.1 Run out (Open Learning Manual Page 115)

Batsman is recalled

"We were involved in a charity match and it was obvious that a lot of the players hadn’t played the game for years. If ever! One of these chaps, while batting, was hit by a delivery on the forearm just above the glove. The ball was then nicely caught by second slip. Someone appealed. The batsman promptly walked off, believing he was out. The umpire called him back. Is the umpire allowed to do this? I thought it was only a captain who could withdraw an appeal?”

If he was hit on the arm, above the glove, he wasn’t out anyway! Captains can, indeed, request the consent of the relevant umpire to withdraw an appeal. But umpires have a duty to stop a batsman walking if, as the Law says, he’s doing so ‘under the misapprehension’ that he’s out.

Law 27.7 Appeals (Open Learning Manual Page 85)

Want more tips on how to umpire? Get instant access to The Umpiring Survival Guide on PitchVision Academy. Now with a free bonus 91 page quizbook.

Laws of cricket: Keeper on the move and evasive action

David Hinchliffe — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:43:49 +0000

This edition of Laws of Cricket, in association with the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, covers some more tricky questions of the Laws.

You can submit your own questions to the umpires here.

Keeper on the move

I was watching a game in which the bowler and the wicket-keeper were obviously very well used to playing in the same team. The ‘keeper seemed to know just when his colleague, who usually bowled medium fast, was going to slip in a slower ball, and would take a step or two towards the stumps from his usual wicket-keeping position. On one occasion, though, the bowler was obviously going to bowl a very much slower ball. While he was running in to bowl, the ‘keeper ran right up to the stumps, whereupon the umpire at square leg called Dead ball. Why?”

Because the striker is entitled to know where the fielders are stationed before the ball comes into play. A step or two forward by the wicket-keeper is deemed permissible, but such ‘significant movement’ as you describe is considered unfair.

Law 23.3 Dead ball (Open Learning Manual Page 74)

Law 40.4 The wicket-keeper (Open Learning Manual Page 121)

Evasive action

Our opening bat was having a torrid time against a young quick bowler who was spraying them around all over the place. One delivery was a very fast ball which reared up just short of a length. Our opener tried to avoid it, but the ball struck him on the shoulder, and disappeared over the boundary. The umpire signalled four Leg-byes, but I thought you could only be awarded a leg-bye if you had tried to hit the ball? “

If the batsman had not attempted to play the ball, but simply allowed it to hit him, then Leg-byes should not be given.

But if, as here, he was hit by the ball while taking evasive action to avoid being struck by it, then Leg-byes can be awarded .

Law 26 Bye and leg bye (Open Learning Manual Page 66)

Want more tips on how to umpire? Get instant access to The Umpiring Survival Guide on PitchVision Academy. Now with a free bonus 91 page quizbook.