The International Cricket Council have recently updated the Laws of Cricket, with some of the changes and additions to feature in this season in the South Metropolitan Cricket Association.
The changes and whether they will apply to the SMCA are outlined below, effective immediately. The updates will also be made permanently available on our website, under the ‘Downloads’ section.
Summary Of The New Laws of Cricket 2017
(1) Now written in language applying to all persons, regardless of gender.
(2) Law 2 (The Umpires – Suspension of Play) Law has been changed to if one umpire thinks that conditions are dangerous or unreasonable, then play will be suspended. Previously, both umpires had to agree to suspend play. Similarly, both umpires must agree that conditions are safe for play to be resumed.
(3) Law 5 (The Bat) This law places limits on the thickness of the edges and the overall depth of the bat. The maximum dimensions will be 108cm in width (unchanged), 67mm in depth with 40mm edges.
(4) Law 8.3.4 (Bails) Law has been changed, to help prevent injuries, to allow specially designed mechanisms which tether the bails to the stumps, thereby restricting the distance that they can fly off the stumps but without limiting their ability to be dislodged.
(5) Law 12.5.2 (Completion of Over) If the batsman is dismissed or retires with less than 3 minutes (previously 2 minutes), before the interval, the interval will be taken immediately. This change is to bring this rule consistent with the Timed Out Law (Timed Out – a new batsman has 3 minutes to be ready to face the next delivery).
(6) Law 20.1 (Dead Ball) The ball no longer becomes dead if it becomes trapped in the helmet worn by a fielder.
(7) Law 20.4.2.10 (Lost Ball) This law has been deleted and is now covered under Dead Ball.
(8) Law 21.7 (Ball Bouncing More Than Once) Law changed from bouncing more than twice.
(9) Law 21.10 (Ball Bouncing Over Head Height of The Striker) The umpire shall call and signal No Ball for any delivery which, after pitching passes or would have passed over head height of the striker standing upright at the popping crease.
This new Law will not be applied in the SMCA.
Existing Local By-laws for both one and two day matches to be applied.
(10) Law 21.12 (Revoking a Call of No Ball) An umpire shall revoke the call of No Ball if Dead Ball is called under any of Laws 20.4.2.4 to 20.4.2.9.
(11) Law 21.16 (Runs Resulting From a No Ball) The one run penalty shall be scored as a No Ball extra and shall be debited against the bowler. Any runs completed by the batsmen or any boundary allowance shall be credited to the striker if the ball has been struck by the bat; otherwise they shall also be scored as Byes or Leg Byes as appropriate.
(12) Law 24 (Substitutes) Substitutes are allowed to keep wicket, with the consent of the umpires. Umpires must be satisfied that a fielder has been injured or become ill during the match or for any other wholly acceptable reason.
(13) Law 24 (Fielders Absence – Penalty Time)
Law 24.2, 24.3 and 24.4 will not be applied in the SMCA.
Existing Local Bylaws for players leaving the field or arriving after the start of play to be applied.
(14) Law 30 (Batsman Out of His Ground) This law has been amended to give protection to a running or diving batsman whose bat bounces up after having been grounded beyond the popping crease.
(15) Law 33, Law 38 and Law 39 (Caught, Run Out and Stumping) Changes have been made so that the ball can be caught after it strikes a helmet which is being worn by a fielder or the wicketkeeper.
With the wearing of helmets by wicketkeepers and close in fielders now compulsory at many levels of the game, it has been decided that the helmet will be deemed as being part of the fielder’s person, meaning that a catch or stumping can be taken after the ball has struck the helmet, or becomes lodged in it. This also applies for Run Out decisions.
(16) Law 36 (Leg Before Wicket) If the ball strikes both bat and person (pad) simultaneously, the Law now states that if this happens, it is considered that the ball hit the bat first before the striker’s person (pad), hence not to be considered for LBW.
(17) Law 37.1.2 (Handled the Ball) Law has been deleted, with its contents merged into Obstructing the Field, reducing the list of dismissals from ten to nine. This will have no effect on whether a batsman is dismissed, rather, it is just the method of dismissal that might be changed.
(18) Law 41.7 (Bowling of Dangerous and Unfair Non-pitching Deliveries) Any delivery, which passes or would have passed, without pitching, above waist height of the striker standing upright at the popping crease, is to be deemed dangerous and unfair, whether or not it is likely to inflict physical injury on the striker.
This new Law will not be applied in the SMCA.
Existing Local By-laws for both one and two day matches to be applied.
(19) Law 41.8 (Deliberate Front Foot No Balls) This law now covers the bowling of deliberate front foot No Balls, which will result in the bowler being suspended from bowling.
(20) Law 41.16 (Run Out of Non Striker) Law has been changed so that the non-striker risks being Run Out if he leaves his ground before the bowler would normally be expected to release the ball.
(21) Law 42 (Player Conduct) This new Law gives an in-match consequence for poor on-field behaviour including, for the most serious offences, temporary or permanent removal from the field of play.
This new Law will not be applied in the SMCA.
Existing Local By-laws for Cautions, Prescribed Penalties and Reports to be applied.