Lawyers v. Artists: The Rules

The Laws of Cricket apply, varied, adapted and supplemented as follows:

 

Teams

1. No-one may play who, in November 2011, was not aged at least 40. 

2. There is no upper limit on the number of players in each team, but when a team bats no more than 11 may go into bat, and when a team fields no more than 11 may be on the field at any one time.

3. All players will wear cricket whites (or creams), and when fielding will wear their team cap for at least the first over.

 

The Game

1. Mandatory warm up begins at 9.00 am.  The Toss takes place at 9.50 am.

2. Play commences at 10.00 am.  Unless decided otherwise by the umpires or agreed by the captains, drinks are taken after 20 overs and lunch is taken between innings.

3. Each team will bat once for a duration of 40 overs or until it is out or declares its innings closed.

4. If the captains agree that sufficient time remains after the completion of the second team’s innings to allow it, each team may bat a second time for an agreed number of overs.

5. The team that scores the most runs is the winning team.

6. If for any reason there is a loss of scheduled playing time, the reduced quota of overs to be bowled shall be calculated at the rate of one over for each 5 minutes lost.  If conditions prevent the team batting second from receiving its quota of overs, then the match shall be decided on the comparison of run rates of both teams, being the total runs scored divided by the total number of overs bowled.

 

Batting

1. The first legitimate delivery that a batter faces is a 'free hit'; thereafter, they are fair game (the 'Woods variation'). 

2. For the free hit, a batter may be out only for Hit the ball twice, Obstructing the field, and Run out.

3. A batter whose mobility is adversely affected by injury may retire hurt for a period and resume their innings on the fall of a wicket, and/or may have a runner.

4. A batter who has been dismissed without scoring, or if there is none then one who is nominated by the opposing captain, may take the place of a batter who has retired hurt and is unable to resume batting (the 'de Carvalho variation')

5. A batter must retire on scoring 30 but may resume their innings if there are deliveries remaining in the allotted number of overs and ten other batters in the team have been to the crease.

6. A batter who has been dismissed without scoring may take the place of a retired batter who would otherwise resume batting (the 'Moorhouse variation').

 

Bowling

1. No player shall bowl more than six (6) overs.

2. If, because of the previous rule, the bowling team does not have enough bowlers sufficiently fit to bowl the allotted 40 overs, then bowlers who have bowled six (6) overs may bowl a maximum of two (2) additional overs except that the opposing captain may, if he wishes, nominate one bowler who may not bowl any additional overs.

3. A bowler may not commence his run up more than eight metres from the bowling crease.

 

Wides and No-Balls

1. Wides: The Laws of Cricket shall apply, namely that any delivery on either side of the wicket which, in the opinion of the umpire, does not give the batsman a reasonable opportunity to score shall be called a wide. The ‘One-Day’ rule in relation to wides, particularly leg side wides, shall not apply.

2. No Balls: The Laws of Cricket shall apply, provided also that

   1. any ball which bounces twice before reaching the batting crease, and

   2. any ball that passes above the shoulder of the batsman in his normal stance, shall be signalled ‘no ball’.

3. Each no-ball and wide shall be penalised one run, but no more than a total of two wides and no balls may be re-bowled in an over; that is, no over may exceed eight deliveries. This rule does not apply in the final two scheduled overs of an innings (Jono's prophylactic variation).

 

Fielding

1. The only fielder who may wear a helmet is the keeper.

2. A fielder may not have a runner.

3. Sledging is allowed only if audible to an umpire, and determined by said umpire to be humorous.

4. Fielders shall be replaced only between overs, except in the case of injury or indisposition.

 

Umpires

1. The Umpires and their decisions shall be accorded complete respect, seriously.

2. Umpires constitute the Court of Only and Final Appeal in relation to any issue arising out of interpretation or the application of these Rules. 

3. Subject to their personal response to inducements offered to them by any player, the umpires shall apply a generous but fair interpretation of these Rules.

 

Amendments

The captains may agree to amend these Rules at any time, but any amendments after the commencement of play must first be proposed and agreed to by the umpires, and shall not take effect during an over.