2018 Law Changes (effective April 2109)
There are several changes to the Laws some of which are not significant to club cricket.
1 Spirit of Cricket
The wording of the Preamble has been altered to read “match officials” instead of umpires.
2 Law 11 Intervals (2.2) Change of reference to read: “See, however, 11.3, 11.5 and 11.6”.
3 Law 15.1 Declaration and Forfeiture has had “A declared innings shall be considered to be a completed innings” added.
4 Law 16 The Result (3.3) re-worded to read: “If action as in 16.3.2 takes place after play has started and does not constitute a refusal to play.
Playing time shall be counted as lost from the time of the call of Play, excluding intervals (Law 11) and suspensions of play (Law 2.8)
The time for close of play on that day shall be extended by this length of time.
If applicable no overs shall be deducted during the last hour of the match solely on account of this time.
5 Law 16.7 para 2 reworded … “opposing side, the innings of the side batting last has been completed has been completed, but as the result of the award of 5 Penalty runs its total of runs is then sufficient to win, the result shall be a win to that side by Penalty runs”.
6 Law 18.6 Scoring Runs additions to second part from “Note however”: the restrictions on the award of Penalty Runs in Laws 18.5, 23.4, 26.4, 28.2, 28.3, 41, and 42.
7 Law 21.6 No Ball new wording – the concept of attempting to run out the non-striker has been removed.
“If the ball is delivered and if the non-striker is not dismissed under Law 41.16 either umpire shall call and signal No Ball if the bowler breaks the wicket at any time after the ball comes into play and before the completion of the delivery stride. This shall include any clothing or other object that falls from his/her person and breaks the wicket”.
8 Law 21.12 Clause 20.4.2.7 has been removed from the list in this law. i.e. no longer revoke the call of No Ball in a case deliberate distraction as this penalises the batting side.
9 Law 29.1 Wicket is Down Clarification
29.1.1.6 The wicket is also put down if a fielder strikes or pulls a stump out of the ground as in 29.1.1.5.
10 Law 30.1.2 Batsman out of Ground clarification to avoid duplication
The final part of the last sentence has been removed.
11 Law 33.4 Caught
Correction of reference to Law 18.11 should read Law 18.12 (batsmen returning to wicket left).
12 Law 34.3 Hit the Ball Twice rewording of second para
The striker may guard his/her wicket even if the delivery is a No Ball. However, the striker may not prevent the ball from being caught by striking the ball more than once in defence of his /her wicket (Law 37.3 Obstructing the field).
13 Law 37.3 Obstructing the Field alteration to law
37.3.now has 4 clauses:
37.3.1 If the delivery is not a No Ball the striker is out OTF id wilful obstruction or distraction by either batsman prevents the Striker being our Caught.
37.3.2 37.3.1 shall apply even if an obstruction is caused by the striker in lawfully guarding his his/her wicket under Law 34.3.
37.3.3 If an obstruction or distraction takes place from a NO Ball then the batsman who caused the obstruction or distraction will be OTF.
37.3.4 37.3.3 shall not apply if the striker obstructs while instinctively defending his wicket with a lawful second strike.
14 Law 39.3.1 Stumped clarification
The wording is changed to “The striker will not be out stumped if, after having received the delivery, he/she has left his /her ground in order to avoid injury.
15 Law 39.3.2 Stumped - amendment – the reference to Law 26.6.5 (Runner) has been removed as it is already covered in 39.1.1.
16 Law 41.2 & 41.19 Unfair Play
Law 41.2 has been re written to include 41.19. Law 41.19 has been deleted.
The final sentence of Law 41.2, stating that umpires should not intervene when the laws do not direct them to, has been deleted as it was deemed to be guidance not law.
17 Law 41.7 Dangerous and Unfair Non-Pitching Deliveries Amendment/Change to law
The catch all situation of a Beamer being deemed dangerous and dealt with under the law has been altered to put the onus on the umpire to decide whether or not the delivery constitutes a danger to the striker (to match the case of short pitched deliveries).
The key clause is 41.7.2: the bowling of a non-pitching delivery is dangerous if the “bowler’s end umpire considers that there is risk of injury to the striker”, taking into account “the speed, height and direction of the delivery; the skill of the striker; the repeated nature of such deliveries” and disregarding any protective equipment worn by the striker.
In essence the onus is now on the umpire to decide if a non-pitching delivery is dangerous.
18 Law 41.16 Running out the Non-Striker
This section now has three clauses but the essence remains the same: the non-striker can be run out if he is out of his ground at any time between the ball coming into play and the moment when the bowler would normally be expected to release the ball. He can be run out by the bowler breaking the wicket by throwing the ball at the stumps or by striking the wicket with the hand holding the ball. The ball does not have to be delivered.
If the ball is not delivered and there is an appeal the umpire shall make a decision on whether the batsman is out. If the batsman is not out the umpire shall call Dead Ball. The ball does not count in the over
If the ball is delivered and there is an appeal the umpire shall decide if the batsman is out. If not, out play shall continue. The umpire shall signal No Ball (Law 21.6). The ball shall not count in the over.
19 Law 42.1 Players’ Conduct
Changes allow for time to be added on in a case where the umpires have had to stop the match to deal with an incident relating to players’ behaviour.
20 Law 42.4.2.3.2 Suspension of Player – new wording
44.4.2.3.1 in a match where the innings are not limited to a number of overs “Any balls remaining in the over in progress at the time of suspension shall not count towards the overs for which the player is suspended.”
42.4.2.3.2 in a match where the innings are limited by the number of overs and a player is suspended for one fifth of those overs (as allocated at its start) the any part over resulting in the calculation shall be considered as a whole over. Any balls remaining in the over being bowled shall not count towards the suspension.
21 Law 42.7 Additional Points
Applies to matches of more than one innings per side.
When an offence committed by a runner the batsman and the runner will both suffer the penalty. The penalty for the runner (for a Level 4 offence) will apply for the whole match. The penalty for the batsman will only apply in the current innings.
22 Definition of waist height: “waist height is the point at which the batsman’s trousers would conventionally when be he/she is standing upright at the popping crease”.