Hungarian Cricket League 2010

Premier Division Rules and Regulations

Revised and Updated April 2010

1. Related Documents

The HCL 2010 Premier Division Rules and Regulations operate in conjunction with the HCA 2010 Code of Conduct, the HCA 2010 Disciplinary Procedures, the MCC Laws of Cricket and the ICC Spirit of Cricket.

2. MCC 'Laws of Cricket'

Apart from the HCL Bylaws described below, the HCL uses the Official MCC Laws of Cricket (2000 Code 3^rd Edition - 2008). HCA umpires and captains will receive a separate document that highlights and clarifies some commonly misunderstood MCC Laws, to help reduce on-field confusion.

3. Umpires

• The HCA aims to provide two official and neutral umpires to each match.
• These two umpires may share their duties equally or according to their mutual agreement (e.g. they may decide that a more 'senior' or experienced umpire may officiate the bowler's end for the entire match).
• Team captains will have no say in how the umpires share their duties.
• If just one official and neutral umpire can attend, the second umpire will be provided by the batting team and will act ONLY as a striker's end ('square leg') umpire. The official and neutral umpire will become responsible for all decisions except 'stumped' and 'run-out' at the striker's end. (Even calls for high no-balls will become the responsibility of the official and neutral umpire, from the bowler's end.)
• If no official and neutral umpire can attend, the match must be rescheduled. (Teams may still decide to play a 'friendly' match, in which case only ground rental fees need to be paid by the teams.)

4. Scoring

• Scorer(s) are to be provided by each batting team to keep the scorecard during their innings.
• Scorer(s) may be non-players on the day (in fact, this is preferable).
• The score must be shown on the ground's official scoreboard, to be updated at the end of each over.
• Umpires will keep track of and record runs scored from each over, periodically checking the correctness of the scoreboard.

5. Over Restrictions

• Each match consists of one innings of a maximum of 30 six-ball overs, per team.
• Each bowler may bowl a maximum of six overs in the match.

6. Time Restrictions and Intervals in Play

• A maximum of 2.5 hours (150 minutes) is allotted for each innings; the final over of the innings must begin before this time has elapsed.
• A maximum of 5 minutes is allowed for mid-innings drinks intervals, and this time counts as part of the aforementioned 150 minutes.
• Unless otherwise agreed between umpires and captains prior to the start of the match, there will be one drinks interval per innings, to be taken at the end of the 15^th over.
• Time lost due to other unavoidable delays (e.g. searching for lost balls, tending to an injured player) will be taken into account by the umpire(s) before applying any run penalties.
• Umpires are expected to announce and record the time at the start and end of each innings, and at the start of the drinks interval or any other break in play (e.g. due to adverse weather conditions, lost ball, etc).
• At the completion of the first innings the umpire(s) will inform the captains of the time for the second innings to commence. The between-innings break should be between 20 and 30 minutes, at the umpire's discretion.
• At each (re)commencement of play, umpires will enforce the start of play at the expected time even if a member of the fielding team is not present, and to 'time out' batsmen who are not ready to play within two minutes of this time.
• In the case of time lost (e.g. due to adverse weather conditions), all efforts should be made to extend the hours of play in order to complete the full 30 overs per team. Playing time lost in such situations will be considered when calculating the time used to complete the innings.

7. Slow Over Rates

Run penalties apply to teams who bowl slower than the expected rate of 5 minutes per over. The appendix of this document details and provides examples of the run penalties that apply. All run penalties are to be added to the batting team's score, not taken away from the bowling team's score.

8. Time Wasting

Players suspected of deliberate time wasting may be warned and reported according to the MCC Laws of Cricket, the HCA 2010 Code of Conduct, and the HCA 2010 Disciplinary Procedures.

9. Match Abandonment or Cancellation

9.1 Due to ground, weather, light reasons:

• If a match is abandoned or cancelled due to ground, weather or light reasons and a result has not been achieved (after including any relevant penalty runs), the match will be declared a no result and two points will be awarded to each team. However, if BOTH team captains request the HCA to reschedule the match, every effort will be made to do so, in which case the match will completely restart (i.e. not continue from where it finished).
• There are no provisions for revising targets based on a lower number of overs - i.e. no Duckworth/Lewis-style calculations apply. (Note: the addition of penalty runs for slow bowling in the second innings may result in the target being reached, but the target itself is not reduced in any way)

9.2 Due to team organization reasons:

• More than two weeks prior to a scheduled match, either team may cancel and ask for the rescheduling of the match, without penalty.
• Each team is allowed ONE occasion in the season where they may cancel less than two weeks but more than 48 hours prior to the match, without penalty.
• Any other cancellation with less than two week's notice, and all cancellations with less than 48 hours' notice, will automatically result in a 'walkover' win being awarded to the other team.

10. Points and League Table

• A 'Bonus Win' applies when:

1. The team batting second reaches the winning target by the end of the 15th over, or
2. The team bowling second dismisses the batting team for less than 1/2 of their own total.

(EXAMPLE: 1^st team scores 120; 2^nd team all out for 60: no bonus point; 2^nd team all out for 59: bonus point.)

• The HCL League Table will show teams ranked according to:

1. Points
2. Record against team(s) with same points
3. Net run-rate

11. Squad Lists

• All teams must provide the HCA with a 'Squad List' and a 'Player Registration Form' for each player on the squad list at least one week prior to the commencement of the season.
• Squad lists may be added to at any time, but the HCA must receive the relevant Player Registration Form before any player can officially play for a team.
• Players for whom the HCA has not received a Player Registration Form can only play as a 'Guest Player'.
• Players may only be officially moved from one team's squad list to another during the first week of June or the first week of August (two 'windows' for players to change squads mid-season). This rule applies equally to players changing teams within one club as it does to players changing clubs.
• Each player is permitted to change teams only once per season.
• In exceptional circumstances it may be permitted for players to transfer from one club to another at other times during the HCL season, but only with the approval of the player, both captains involved, and the HCA Executive Board.
• Between HCL seasons there are no restrictions regarding players changing teams or clubs: each individual player is free to choose the club they wish to play for in the following season.

12. Guest Players

• Up to 3 'Guest Players' are permitted per team, but only when a team is unable to provide 11 players from their own squad list. (It is not acceptable to have official squad members declined the opportunity to play in order to allow a guest player to take part in the match.)
• No Guest Players are permitted in any HCL Final or Semi-Final.
• Captains are required to email the official HCA Guest Player List, copying in the HCA President, before searching for/arranging their own Guest Players.
• Players from the official HCA Guest Player List who make themselves available for a match must be selected as Guest Players ahead of players not on this list.
• If a team uses ONE Guest Player, this player may bowl a maximum of 4 overs, and must bat at number 6 or below.
• If a team uses TWO Guest Players, each guest may bowl a maximum of 3 overs, and must bat at number 7 or below.
• If a team uses THREE Guest Players, each guest may bowl a maximum of 2 overs, and must bat in the last three batting positions.
• ONE Guest Player may keep wicket, for a maximum of 15 overs.
• A player may represent a particular team as a Guest Player on a maximum of three occasions in the same season. After that the player cannot represent that same team in the same season unless they have been officially registered or transferred in accordance with HCA requirements.
• All Guest Player rules apply equally, even to players representing another team within their own club.

13. HCL Bylaws

13.1 Safety

• Each team must bring at least 1 helmet to each match, and must be willing to share the use of the helmet with the other team.
• Any player under the age of 18 (on the day of the match) must wear a helmet when batting.
• Any wicket-keeper under the age of 18 (on the day of the match) must wear a helmet when standing up to the stumps, for any speed of bowling. Non-compliance with this will result in the umpire(s) immediately stopping the game and instructing the wicket-keeper to put on a helmet, or stand back from the stumps.
• A first-aid kit will be available at each HCA ground and umpires and captains must be informed of its location prior to the commencement of the match.
• If, within 24 hours of the scheduled start of a match, the official forecast of www.met.hu is for temperatures of 37C or higher on the day of the match, either captain may request the HCA that the match be rescheduled, without penalty. This request may not take place after 9am on the day of the match.

13.2 Dead Ball

All 'official' dead ball situations will apply according to the MCC Laws of Cricket (Law 23). In addition to these, the condition of pitches currently used in Hungary necessitates the following additional bylaw:

'If immediately after its first bounce the ball keeps significantly and unnaturally lower than expected, in a manner deemed by the umpire to be due to the surface of the pitch (i.e. not the bowler's skill), the bowler's end umpire may call and signal 'dead ball'. The ball will not count as one in the over and no resulting consequences of the ball will count.'

• For all Laws, but for this bylaw especially, the call is entirely at the discretion of the umpire(s).
• Note that the bylaw does not refer to a specific height for the ball to pass the batsman or hit the stumps. It is a question of an unfair low bounce, for which each umpire must make their own judgement.
• The bylaw applies even when the low bounce benefits the batting team (e.g. resulting in byes or a lucky edge for four runs).
• A 'wide' call overrules the possibility of this type of dead ball (i.e. if a bowler clearly bowls a wide ball, it is irrelevant whether or not there is subsequently an unnaturally low bounce).

13.3 No Ball

• A short-pitched ball that passes or would have passed the popping crease higher than the striker's shoulder in an upright standing position is to be called a no ball.
• A full toss that passes or would have passed the popping crease higher than the striker's shoulder (slow bowlers) or waist (all other bowlers) in an upright standing position is to be called a no ball.

13.4 Drinks Intervals

Players are permitted to leave the playing area during drinks intervals but are expected to be ready to play at the completion of the 5-minute drinks interval.

5. Late Arrival of a Player

Provided that the player has been named in the team's official starting eleven (as given to the umpires prior to the start of the match), a member of the fielding team arriving late may (at the change of overs) commence full participation in the game (i.e. may bowl or keep wicket immediately).

13.6 Seven-Player Minimum

• If a team has less than seven players ready to commence play at the scheduled start of the match, the offending team automatically forfeits the match as a 'walkover'.
• If both teams have less than seven players ready to commence play at the scheduled start of the match, the match will be declared as a 'No Result', and will not be rescheduled.
• All match fees remain payable in these situations.

6. Smoking and Alcohol

• No player or umpire is permitted to smoke or drink alcohol on the field of play during an official HCA match.

14. Other Administrative Requirements

1. Player Registration

• The HCA will prepare and send a Player Registration Form to each captain detailing the information required for each player on their squad list.

• This form will request information regarding the length of time each player has spent in Hungary, which is essential for determining a player's eligibility for the Hungarian National Team.
• This form will also request captains to identify players willing and capable of officiating as HCA umpires.
• Players for whom the HCA has not received a Player Registration Form will be considered to be 'Guest Players', even if they have been declared on a team's squad list.

2. Team Fees

• An HCL Entry Fee of Ft 50,000 per team is payable to the HCA by 30 April 2010. This officially enters the team into the HCL Premier Division League and Cup competitions.

• A Match Fee of Ft 20,000 per team is payable in cash to the umpires prior to play commencing on the day of the match.
• The Match Fee is still payable by teams who cancel a match after the deadlines stated above.
• No refunds are possible for matches that begin and are subsequently abandoned.

3. Match Results

• The umpire(s) are required to complete a 'Match Report Form', on which team scores and the Match Result will be recorded.

• Both captains must sign the Match Report Form on the day of the match. If a captain fails to do so they automatically accept the scores and result as declared by the umpire.
• If a captain disagrees with a score or the result stated, the matter will be referred to the HCA Executive Board if it cannot be resolved on the day by the umpire(s) and captains.
• Each captain must ensure that the scorecard for their team's innings is entered to computer in the official format and e-mailed to the HCA within 72 hours of the completion of the match, for publication on the HCA website. Failure to do so may result in a 1 point deduction from their team.
• It is helpful if captains arrange for someone from either team to write a more detailed, informal report of the match for publication on the HCA website.

4. Match Reports - from Umpires

Separate guidelines will be prepared for the reporting expectations of umpires, which will include matters such as Match Result, Disciplinary Report, etc.

APPENDIX

Run Penalties For Slow Over Rates

1. Overs not completed in time, but subsequently fully completed (applies to both innings)

If a team fails to bowl the required overs within the allotted time, they still need to bowl the full 30 overs and will additionally be penalized 5 runs for each full over that was not yet bowled at the completion of the allotted time. The penalty will be added to the batting team's final score at the completion of the 30 overs.

EXAMPLE: Bowling team has bowled only 25.4 overs after 150 minutes => 4 full overs not yet bowled => Penalty 4*5 runs = 20 runs, to be added to the batting team's score from the full 30 overs.

2. Overs not completed in time, and play subsequently abandoned before overs fully completed (relevant only in second innings)

If the bowling team fails to complete the overs in the allotted time, the above penalty of 5 runs per unbowled over will automatically apply. If play is subsequently abandoned before they are able to complete the full 30 overs, they will be penalized an additional 5 runs per over for each full over they are unable to bowl at all. All penalty runs will be added to the batting team's score when play was abandoned.

EXAMPLE: Team bowling second has bowled only 25.4 overs after 150 minutes => 4 full overs not yet bowled => Penalty 4*5=20 runs. After 27.2 overs it rains and play is abandoned => 2 full overs not bowled at all => extra penalty 2*5=10 runs. TOTAL PENALTY = 20 runs (4 overs not bowled in time) +10 runs (2 overs not bowled at all) = 30 runs, to be added to the batting team's score when play was abandoned.

3. Play abandoned before completion of allotted time and overs behind the required rate (relevant only in second innings)

If play is interrupted and subsequently abandoned before the completion of the allotted time for an innings, the umpire(s) will calculate the number of overs that should have already been bowled at the time that play was interrupted (calculation: 5 minutes per over). For each full over that the bowling team is behind the expected amount, they will be penalized 5 runs. These runs will be added to the batting team's score.

EXAMPLE: Play stops 120 minutes in to an innings and is subsequently abandoned. The bowling team should have completed 24 overs (120 minutes÷5=24 overs) but has completed only 21.3 overs => 2 full overs not yet bowled => Penalty 2*5 runs = 10 runs, to be added to the batting team's score