Stroud and District Association Cricket Association
Competition Rules

Click here to view the SDCA constitution.

Saturday Cricket league Rules (amended 2011)

1. A fee as agreed by the Management Committee (currently £25) and ratified at the AGM for each team entered in the League shall be payable to the League on or before the last Monday in April of each year. In addition each club shall pay a deposit of £20 from which fines payable will be deducted.
2. The league shall be subdivided into such Divisions as the Management Committee sees fit, being dependent on the number of clubs who are accepted into the league by the cut-off date as advised by the Association Secretary. The composition of those divisions to be decided upon by The Management Committee
3. At the conclusion of each Season the bottom two teams in any division except the lowest shall be relegated and the top two teams in any division except the highest shall be promoted.
4. In the event of two or more teams from the same Club qualifying for the same division the Management Committee will re-distribute teams as they see fit.
5. In the event of sides wishing to enter an additional team into the competition or additional clubs wishing to join the league then the Management Committee may form an additional division as required.
6. The Management Committee will only accept applications from clubs who play within the boundaries of the Stroud and District Council or from those sides who have been members of the League in the past.

Fixtures

A new procedure will be put in place for the 2011 season - the SDCA will be producing its fixtures after the Gloucestershire County League. Clubs will be invited to join the leagues by filling out a form on the website and must do so before the AGM. Clubs will also need to inform the league of any dates their grounds are unavailable and any dates they cannot play - for any of the reasons listed below.

• Entries to the league must be made via the web form by the AGM. Clubs should include any dates where there ground is unavailable e.g. Village Fete or any dates when they cannot play and the reason for this. The League Secretary will decide if this is a reasonable request and will accommodate where possible
• The SDCA will aim to produce fixtures by the end of February (following the release of GCCL fixtures)
• All fixture changes must be agreed between the two teams and the League Secretary must be informed in writing (email is acceptable) with both teams copied in to the email. All fixtures changes must be received by the League Secretary 7 days prior to the Registration Meeting which takes place in early April. Failure to comply with this Rule shall incur a fine of £10.00 for both Clubs
• Fixtures can be re-arranged as follows:
1. Reverse home and away games between the two teams
2. Play on a date prior to the first scheduled Saturday of the season. No matches can be played after the last scheduled Saturday of the season.
3. Play on a Sunday during the season.
4. Play both games at the Home or Away ground.
• Any team which, having made a fixture, fails to honour the same (except in the case of inclement weather) may be liable to a fine of up to £20.00 and to a deduction of 20 points with 20 points awarded to the other team involved at the discretion of the Management Committee. If, in addition to the above an away team cancels at short notice, and repayment is requested, the away team shall pay £35 towards the cost of tea. If umpires were present the team cancelling at short notice shall be required to pay the fee for BOTH umpires (currently £10 per umpire). The defaulting team should also notify the League Secretary of the reason for cancellation.
• Clubs will be notified by the Treasurer of any fines they incur and the date by which fines are payable. Should these fines not be paid within the period stated, fines may be increased or a points deduction made at the discretion of the Management Committee.
• In the event of any dispute regarding fixtures the decision of the Management Committee shall be final.

Player Eligibility

• There will be no registration of players. No player can play in the competition for more than one member club in anyone season unless the player has resigned from one member club and joined another member club, and paid all his due fees to the former.
• In the event of any dispute regarding eligibility of players the decision of the Management Committee shall be final.

Champion Team

• The Champion Team in each division shall be the team which, at the conclusion of the League Season, shall have the highest average of points gained per completed match. In the event of two or more teams qualifying as champions then the side recording the most wins shall be champions. If this is not conclusive then the figure 'Runs Against per Wicket for each team in contention shall be divided into the figure 'Runs For per Wicket'for that team and the side which has the highest ration so obtained shall be declared champions

Match Balls

• Each league club shall purchase sufficient balls per team for every home league match per season from the Management Committee and payment for these balls shall be made with all other fees in accordance with rules above. Sides may carry forward appropriate league balls not used in previous seasons
• One County ball per innings to be used in the Premier League - each side shall provide a ball for use. One County ball per game in Divisions One and Two - the home side shall provide the ball.Two spare balls will be provided and a spare ball will be used immediately upon ball becoming lost. Batting side will retrieve lost ball.

Match Timing and Duration

1. Matches shall commence at 2.00 p.m. and any team not ready to start by that time shall be deemed to have lost the toss.A minimum of 8 players must be present from any side before a league fixture may commence. If less than 8 players are present at designated start time game must be delayed under late start rules. Under no circumstances will a league game be played with less than 8 players. The game will be considered to be cancelled by the side with less than 8 players and fines and points deductions applicable. Under no circumstances will any player be allowed to bat more than once in that teams innings
2. Matches shall be one innings per team, and shall be of a maximum of 80 six-ball overs in total. In the event of a late start for any reason the maximum number of overs in the match shall be reduced by 4 overs for every 15 minutes after 2.00 p.m. that the match begins.
3. No match shall be of less than 40 overs in total
4. In the event of tea being taken between innings this interval shall not exceed 20 minutes, otherwise the tea interval shall not exceed 20 minutes and the interval between innings shall not exceed 10 minutes.
5. Any drink interval must be agreed by both captains at the toss and must be restricted to 3 minutes each interval.
6. The team batting first shall receive a maximum of half the total overs for the match except:
• Where they shall be dismissed by their opponents
• Where the captain of the team batting first shall declare the innings closed.
7. The team batting second shall receive a maximum of half the total overs for the match plus that balance of overs not used by a team declaring its innings closed under section (a) (ii) of this rule except where the match result shall be determined before this total allocation has been reached.

Match Result

• When both innings have been completed, whether by duration of overs, dismissal of a team or by declaration, the winning team shall be the one which has scored the most runs. In the event of both teams scoring the same number of runs the match shall be considered tied.

Points System

• Points shall be awarded in respect of each completed match as described below:.
1. Winnings Team award 10 points, losing team awarded 0 points, tie - 5 points each
2. Bowling: 1 point for every 2 wickets taken and 2 additional points for dismissing opponents for less than 100 runs. Where an innings is completed the fielding side shall be deemed to have taken 10 wickets and in the event of a declaration the fielding side shall also be deemed to have taken all the remaining wickets of the batting team.
3. Batting: 1 point for ever 25 runs scored over 100 runs up to a maximum of 5 points (i.e. 100 is one point to a maximum of 5 for 200). 1 point for every 2 wickets in hand shall also be awarded to a side batting second and winning

Notification of Match Result (2011)

Following the match both teams should agree on result, totals and points accumulated. Results must be supplied as follows

• The home team enter the result and basic match details (scores, points and higlights) on their play-cricket website by 11.45am - this includes games cancelled due to inclement weather. Failure to do so by this time will mean the home team is fined £10 - the decision of the League Secretary in this matter is final. Clubs will be notified by the Treasurer of any fines they incur and the date by which fines are payable. Should these fines not be paid within the period stated, fines may be increased or a points deduction made at the discretion of the Management Committee.
• The home team are then responsible for entering FULL details of the match (including all individual scores i.e. full scorecard) on play-cricket by the Wednesday following the game. Once completed it is the away teams responsibility to confirm all details are correct

Officials and Match Scores

1. The League shall request the Stroud District Umpires' Association to nominate umpires for any game. Each appointed Umpire will be paid on the day of the match and before the game commences. Where two Umpires are appointed each side will be responsible for the payment of £10 to one of the Umpires. Where one Umpire is appointed he will stand at both ends and each side will pay him £7.50 before the game commences. In addition the SDCA will pay the Umpires £5 per match stood - this payment to be made at the end of the season by cheque.
2. Each team shall appoint a competent scorer for each match.
3. Where a league umpire is not available each team shall ensure the game is umpired according to the Spirit of Cricket and by umpires who understand the laws
4. The number of overs completed shall be displayed on the scoreboard during the course of each innings at least at intervals of 5 overs initially, and over by over for the last 10 overs of the innings.

Bowler Restrictions

1. No player shall bowl more than 12 overs in any match
2. In the event of a bowler breaking down and becoming unable to complete an over, that over shall be completed by another player, and the original bowler shall not bowl again in the match. Any ball or balls bowled by such a replacement bowler shall be counted as part of that player's allowance of 12 overs.

Disputes

1. Any dispute which may arise from any matter concerning the League may be submitted in writing by a member club to the League General Secretary. Such a dispute shall be considered by the Management Committee, whose decision shall be final. The SDCA follow the process as laid out in the ECB Model Rules
2. All matches shall be played under the current Laws of Cricket as revised, amended and published by the English Cricket Board, except as defined in these League Rules. The Spirit of Cricket should be adhered to at all times - captains are wholly responsible for the actions themselves and their players

Miscellaneous

1. A Registration Meeting will be held on the last Monday of April for the purpose of collecting all League dues and distributing League cricket balls and GCB handbooks for the forthcoming season. Each club must be represented by the Captain in order that he may be advised of any rule changes. Non attendance shall result in a fine not exceeding £20.
2. All trophies presented to clubs must be returned to the relevant competition secretary by the 1st September the following year.
3. Local Rules - home clubs shall make their opposition aware of any local rules prior to the start of the game

K.O. Competition Rules

1. The names of the competitions to be The Huntsmans Senior Cup and the Thrupp Tyres Junior Cup Clubs will compete for the aforesaid Cups and prizes from the prize fund to be decided by the SDCA Committee. The competition is open to member clubs of the SDCA only.
2. The management of the competition will be in the hands of the SDCA K.O. Committee which may include one representative of one of the sponsors.
3. The entrance fee to the competition will be laid down by the Management Committee, payable at a date laid down by the SDCA K.O. Committee.
4. Each member club may enter teams in the competition.
5. Players must be a bona-fide player of the club they represent and if the player plays for two clubs the K.O. Committee will decide to which club the player owes 'first love'. It is not permissible for clubs who play Saturday League Cricket to import players from other clubs. Any exceptions must be requested in writing to the Management Committee who will consider each case on its merits. The Management Committee decision will be final.
6. Any team playing an ineligible player will be disqualified.
7. No player may represent more than one side in any one season. No contracted professional player may take part. No overseas player may represent a club unless resident in the UK for minimum of TWELVE MONTHS
8. Any club that withdraws for whatever reason after entry without fulfilling fixture will be fined £20
9. All entries will go into a hat to be drawn by a person nominated. The first team out of the hat will be the home team.
10. Winners from the first round go through to the Senior Cup competition. Losers from the first round go through to the Junior Cup competition
11. All matches must be played on the date stipulated, there will be no postponements for any reason other than weather conditions. In the event of postponements due to weather conditions, the game will take place on the following Thursday, or in the event of further postponement the next weekday night and so on. In the shared ground situation, in the event of both teams being drawn at home, the second team shall play its games on the Wednesday if wet on the Friday.
12. The home team will provide ground and ball of the satisfactory standard. The SDCA will nominate grounds for the final. The ball for the semi finals and final will be provided by the SDCA
13. Matches will start at 6.15 p.m. except in final of competitions which will start at 6 p.m. Any team not ready to play at 6.15 p.m. (or in the final 6 p.m.) will automatically lose the toss, the umpires decision is final.
14. Matches will be of 20 x 6 ball overs each team and no bowler may bowl more than 5 overs. In the event of a bowler being incapacitated during an over, that over may be completed by another bowler provided that in so doing his allotment of 5 overs is not exceeded. If a match is not started by the time stipulated above the duration shall be reduced by 1 over each side for every full 6 minutes lost. A minimum of 10 overs per side is required to decide a match. If a match is curtailed by agreement between the umpires after the side batting first has completed its allocated overs, then the match shall be decided by comparing the score of the side batting second at the end of its last completed over with the side batting first at the equivalent number of overs, the side which has scored most runs is the winner. If the scores are level the side which has lost least wickets is the winner. If the wickets are equal the side which has scored the most runs at the end of 10 overs is the winner. If this fails to produce a result the preceding over counts, etc. If this still fails to produce a result a replay will be necessary.
15. Local rules will apply as specified in the SDCA League rules.
16. All teams will provide an umpire and scorer. The SDCA will provide umpires for the semi-finals and final and will be paid £5.00 per game, payment to be made by participating clubs.
17. The result to be telephoned to the competition secretary immediately after the match (failure to notify within 48 hours will result in the defaulting team forfeiting home advantage in the next round) and then emailed to admin@sdca-cricket.co.uk
18. In all other respects the laws of cricket apply.
19. Appeals: All appeals and protests must be made in writing to the competition secretary within 5 days of the event with a deposit of £10.00. The deposit will be forfeited if the committee rejects the appeal. The committee's decision is final.
20. Alterations to these rules can only be made by the SDCA K.O. Committee.
21. The decision of the Committee on all matters relating to the Competition is final.

Evening League Rules

1. The names of the competition will be the On The Limit Evening League. The competition is open to member clubs of the SDCA only.
2. The management of the competition will be in the hands of the SDCA Committee
3. The entrance fee to the competition will be laid down by the Management Committee, payable at a date laid down by the SDCA Committee.
4. Each member club may enter teams in the competition
5. No player may represent more than one side in any one season. No contracted professional player may take part. No overseas player may represent a club unless resident in the UK for minimum of TWELVE MONTH
6. All matches must be played on the dates stipulated, there will be no postponements for any reason other than weather conditions.
7. The home team will provide ground and ball of the satisfactory standard.
8. Matches will start at 6.15 p.m. Any team not ready to play at 6.15 p.m. will automatically lose the toss.
9. Matches will be of 20 x 6 ball overs each team, and no bowler may bowl more than 4 overs. In the event of a bowler being incapacitated during an over, that over may be completed by another bowler provided that in so doing his allotment of 4 overs is not exceeded. If a match is not started by the time stipulated in 5(c) the duration shall be reduced by 1 over each side for every full 6 minutes lost. A minimum of 10 overs per side is required to decide a match.
10. All teams will provide an umpire and scorer. Results should be texted to the League Organiser
11. Points will be awarded as follows. 3 pts for a win, 1 for a defeat, 2 for a tie, 1 point for failure to fulfil fixture due the weather, -3 points for failure to fulfill fixture for reasons deemed to be unacceptable to the Organisor whose decision will be final. The opposition gaining 3 points and a win in these circumstances. An automatic £10 fine will be levied to the club canceling. if both sides finish on level scores the side losing the fewer wickets will be deemed to have won. If both sides have lost the same number of wickets the match will be tied.
12. Appeals: All appeals and protests must be made in writing to the competition secretary within 5 days of the event with a deposit of £10.00. The deposit will be forfeited if the committee rejects the appeal. The committee's decision is final.
13. The decision of the Committee on all matters relating to the Competition is final.
14. Further rules can be found on the Play Cricket site