Eastern Association Veterans Competition Rules 2019-20 Team and Player Expectations All players should be aware that we are a social competition and that they are expected to play the game in a true sportsman like manner. Courtesy and respect should be shown at all times to opponents, umpires and spectators. The smooth and enjoyable running of the match is the responsibility of the captains who should ensure that play is conducted within the spirit of the game as well as the .

1 Applications of ECA Senior Rules and Laws of Cricket ECA senior competition rules shall apply if not covered within the following Veterans rules. Where senior rules do not cover an issue, the laws of cricket apply.

2. Team Registration Teams must be registered with the ECA Veterans Secretary prior to the 15th September in the current season, however late inclusions may be considered by the Veterans Executive Committee (the “Committee”).

3. Player Eligibility a) Players must have turned 40 years of age on or before the day of the match they are competing in. Exceptions to this rule are permissible where a club submits written rationale to the Committee for consideration and approval. b) All players must be registered via the ECA online registration process via MyCricket. The Committee may request verification of age of a player from clubs as needed. The onus of ensuring a players age and eligibility to participate rests with the club. c) Players from other Cricket Associations are eligible to play within this competition. d) Players within ECA clubs are eligible to play with another ECA Club Veterans team however, ECA Seniors rule 11.8.1 does not apply. e) Any player suspended or disqualified by the ECA or any other Cricket Association during the season will be ineligible to play in the ECA veterans competition for the duration of that suspension. f) Clubs more than one team in the competition may alternate players between divisions However, those players will only be eligible for finals in the team for which they have played the most matches or, in the case of an even number of matches played in multiple divisions, the higher division.

4. Number of Players a) A team can play 13 players with only 11 players being allowed to bat, and only up to 11 players being able to bowl (i.e. the 12th and 13th players can either bat or bowl – not both). b) All players named in a team must physically take the field at some stage during the match. c) The maximum number of players on the field, at any one time for the fielding side is 11. d) The Committee will only consider disputes brought to it by a club that can produce a copy of both team sheets from that match. Captains are required to exchange team sheets before the match commences. Where there is a dispute lodged for a match, clubs will be required to submit their score book to the relevant Division Grade Secretary.

5. Commencement of Play a) Play shall commence at 1.00 PM unless a time is previously agreed to by both captains or the Vets Committee. b) Scheduled close of play is expected to be approximately 6.00 PM. c) A match will continue until a result is achieved. d) A 20 minute afternoon tea interval will be held at the conclusion of the first and the home team is required to provide a substantial & balanced afternoon tea for players. e) The minimum number of players required for a team to commence a match shall be 8. In the event of a team playing short, their opposition will not be required to provide substitute fieldsmen. At the agreement of the opposing captain, a spectator -minimum age 40 years and - may play as a substitute fielder, but will not be allowed to bat or bowl. Only 2 substitute fieldsmen are allowed.

6. Player Attire a) Players shall wear traditional white cricketing attire or an ECA approved coloured outfit. b) Specific coloured cricket footwear can be used.

7.1 Match Conditions a) A maximum of 36 overs shall be bowled by either team. b) Overs will be bowled in blocks of 6 overs at one end, and then change to the other end, until a maximum of 36 overs are bowled. c) The option of changing ends at the end of each over is only permissible if both captains agree to these conditions prior to commence of play. d) A minimum of eight players will be required to bowl at least one over each and are restricted to a maximum of six overs each in a completed 36 over innings. e) The maximum number of balls allowed per over for overs 1 to 30 shall be nine (9) irrespective of the number of legal balls bowled. f) The final 6 overs (overs 31 to 36) shall continue until 6 legal balls have been delivered. g) A no ball shall be called where a bowler, irrespective of speed, delivers a full toss above waist height or bounces a ball that passes above shoulder height to a batsman standing in a regular batting stance. h) A delivery with which the striker has not made contact, not being a no ball, shall be called a if It passes to either side of the so that the striker , whether he moves from his normal stance at the crease or not, does not have a reasonable opportunity to score. i) In Divisions 1 & 2, only one (1) leg side delivery will be permitted per over and in Divisions 3,4 & 5, only two (2) leg side deliveries will be permitted per over - any further deliveries will be called as a “wide”. A leg side delivery shall be called “wide” when a ball pitches outside leg stump to a batman standing in a regular batting stance. j) A batsman will retire immediately following the ball on which they have reached their 40th and may not bat again in that innings. A batman can make a maximum of 45 runs. All retirements shall count as a wicket lost in the scorebook for match purposes. Note that “retired-” is recorded in MyCricket, therefore not reducing a batsman’s average. k) Only a 2 piece ECA approved can be used as directed by the Veterans Committee. l) If there is no official paid , each team will provide 2 umpires during their batting innings. In the event of an official paid umpire being present the batting team will provide one umpire who shall officiate as the second umpire at square leg only. It is a requirement that players acting as umpires must be experienced as far as possible in the laws of cricket.

7.2. Fielding Restrictions (a) This rule applies to all matches and in all Divisions: (b) Fielding restrictions only apply from over number 25 onwards in each innings. (c) Ground markings will be applied for the inner circle measuring 25 metres from the centre of the pitch. (d) A minimum of five (5) players are to remain within the 25 metre markings (this includes the wicket keeper & bowler) and a maximum of six (6) players outside the 25 metre area. NOTE: If markings are not allowed to be used (synthetic surfaced ground, change of ground at late notice, etc.), then it is the responsibility of both captains to apply common sense and instruct their players to play within the spirit of this rule.

8. Match Completion a) When a team passes the required runs to win the match, the match will cease. b) Match results shall be lodged electronically on the ECA MyCricket website no later than 8.00 PM on the Tuesday following the completion of the match. Both sides must accurately lodge their named participating players and match scores. The winning club is responsible to confirm the result and claim their match points. It is important that all clubs adhere to these timelines.

*Fines may apply at the discretion of the Committee. c) Any disputes regarding match results should be reported to the ECA Veterans Chairman via email no later than 6.00pm on the Monday following the match. d) The Committee is empowered to do all things necessary and make decisions that bring into effect the interpretation and implementation of these Rules. It will refer to the Laws of Cricket, ECA Senior rules and spirit of cricket as required. This committee is the adjudicator and their decision is final.

9. Professional ECA Umpires a) Paid ECA professional umpires are available to umpire a match if either: i) Both clubs agree to umpires officiating and will share costs or ii) Where only one club requests an umpire and they agree to pay the full costs for that umpire. b) Teams that wish to request an umpire must do so by writing to the ECA Veterans Secretary via email by 8.00 PM on the Wednesday before the match. Where this occurs the clubs requesting the umpire must include the opposition club on the email so as to advise their decision. c) Clubs will be provided Veterans Co-ordinator details for each club within the competition.

10.1 Match Points Points will be awarded for match outcomes as follows: a) Win = 4 points b) Receiving a forfeit win = 4 points PLUS (+) a NRR Adjustment (see Rule 10.2 f) c) Bye = 4 points d) Tie = 2 points each team e) Draw/No Result = 2 points each team f) Abandonment (no reserve day) = 2 points each team g) Giving a forfeit / loss = -1 point

10.2. Ladder Calculations a) The teams in each grade shall be placed on their respective ladders in the order of the number of match points earned. b) If two or more teams are equal on match points, the relevant positions of those teams on the ladder shall be determined by the “” of each team, which shall be calculated by using the following formula: A divided C B by D Where :- A = the total number of runs scored by the team B = the total number of overs faced by the team C = the total number of runs scored against the team D = the total number of overs bowled by the team. c) The team having the higher “net run rate” shall be placed higher on the ladder. d) For the calculation of “net run rate” any over commenced shall be deemed as a completed over. e) For the calculation of “net run rate”, a team will be deemed to have faced their full allocation of overs where they have been dismissed in less overs. f) Where a team receives a forfeit, a NRR adjustment will be awarded as follows: In the Division where the forfeit has occurred, the average NRR increase of the remaining winning teams in that specific round will be added - (including tied matches). g) If a club has more than 1 team in the competition and is unable for any reason to field a team in any round (forfeits the match), then the lowest graded team will be deemed as the forfeiting team.

11. Weather Policy Heat Any reference to a forecast temperature in these procedures is the Melbourne Forecast maximum temperature on the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) website (Victoria/Melbourne Forecasts). http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/melbourne.shtml a) If at 9.00am on any scheduled day of play the forecast temperature is 37°C or above, then scheduled matches in all Divisions will be cancelled. b) If the forecast is for temperatures between 34-36 degrees, captains may both agree, prior to the commencement of play, to shorten the match to 30 overs per side should they believe that is prudent. If the forecast temperature exceeds 30°, there must be a minimum of two drinks breaks per session. Where matches are played under shortened overs, players will be allowed to bowl a maximum of 4 overs and batsmen will be required to retire once they have reached 30 runs. A maximum of 35 runs is allowed.

Lightning a) In the event of a thunderstorm and lightning, play shall cease immediately and all players and umpires shall retire to safe shelter without delay.

Determination and advice on abandoned matches a) Where matches are scheduled on a turf wicket and if the wicket is unsuitable for play, the home club must utilize its synthetic wicket / ground as an alternative. b) All turf clubs must provide the details of their synthetic wicket on the Team Registration Form prior to the commencement of the season. c) Two factors shall be used in determining the fitness of grounds for play in wet conditions: (i) Runs up should be free of mud and surface water and safe for bowlers to operate. and (ii) Within 20 meters of the , the fielding area should be free of surface water. d) Where the conditions dictate that the abandonment of the round is required either through heat or wet weather conditions, an email and SMS will be forwarded to all club co-ordinators no later than 10.30 AM on the scheduled day of play. Notification of the abandonment will also be posted on the ECA website. e) In the event of lost time at the start of play through adverse weather, there will be a reduction of one over for each full 3 minutes lost after the first 20 minutes. The remaining calculated overs are to be split equally to each batting side and shortened match rules apply for batting (runs) and bowling (overs) maximums. (i) Overs remaining between 28 & 34: Batsmen must retire at 30 (35 Max.) and Bowlers can bowl 5 overs max. with a minimum of 7 bowlers to be used. (ii) Overs remaining between 21 & 27: Batsmen must retire at 25 (30 Max.) and Bowlers can bowl 4 overs max. with a minimum of 6 bowlers to be used. f) A match can only be played if at least 21 overs are available to each team.

12. Matches rescheduled by Veterans Executive Committee a) The Committee shall reschedule the first round that has been washed out or cancelled due to the heat policy being invoked providing it falls before the stated “reserve day” as advertised in the fixture. b) Provision for one reserve day is included in the season fixture for this purpose. c) Clubs are to ensure that they are aware of this reserve day. d) Any other rounds lost due to weather will not be rescheduled prior to the finals. e) For other rounds abandoned without a reserve day – both sides shall lodge their players via MyCricket by 8.00 PM on the following Tuesday to register their players towards finals eligibility. Clubs can only list players who were named to play and were physically available and present to participate. f) The Committee will endeavour to create reserve days and will advise clubs on a season by season basis.

13. Finals - Participating teams a) The top 4 teams in each division shall play in the semi-finals. b) Semi-finals will be between the following teams: (i) 1 vs 4 (ii) 2 vs 3 c) The two semi-final winners will contest the grand final. d) All finals will be played at the grounds of the team qualifying highest, subject to the ground conditions meeting the approval of the veterans executive committee. e) Matches will commence at 1.00pm and cease at 6.45pm.

f) A reserve date will be set (where possible from season to season) for all semi-finals & grand finals not played on the fixtured date. In the event of no result on the reserve day of the semi-finals or grand finals, the highest qualifying team will be deemed the winner. g) Where semi-finals and/or grand-finals are not completed on the fixtured date, then matches will continue on the reserve day. Play will continue on from where the match stopped on the first (1st ) day. h) In the event of a tied match in either semi-final or grand-final matches, the following method will be used to determine the winner as follows:

Super Overs (i) Each team will bowl two (2) super overs - one (1) from each end. (ii) The home captain will toss a coin and the winner can decide who bats first. (iii) No restrictions on which players can bat or bowl. (iv) The match will be awarded to the team that scores the most runs (wickets lost does not affect the result). In the event of a further tie after the super overs, then the match will be awarded to the team who finished higher on the ladder. (v) Fielding restrictions apply to all semi-final, grand-final & super over play-offs - see Rule 7.2.

14. Player Finals Eligibility a) To qualify for finals participation a player must have physically participated and played in a minimum of 3 matches for that team during the home and away series. b) Where players are legally named in a team in MyCricket , in the event of an abandoned match due to washout, application of the heat policy or a forfeit, those matche(s) will also contribute to a players finals qualification eligibility. c) A player qualifying for more than one team will only be eligible for the highest qualified team.

15. Injury Code - Blood Rule a) Each team shall have in their possession a properly stocked first aid kit and ice. b) Where a player suffers an injury during the match which causes bleeding, then the umpire or team captain must ask the player to leave the field until appropriate first aid has been administered and prevent further bleeding. c) The player cannot resume playing until the bleeding has stopped or the wound has been securely covered. A batsman who is injured is deemed to have temporarily retired (retired hurt) and may return at the fall of any future wicket. d) If the batsman injured is the last wicket, a small break of up to a maximum of 10 minutes shall be taken and the batsman resume at that time. If the bleeding cannot be stemmed or injuries overcome in this period then the batsman shall be ruled “”Retired Hurt”” and the innings closed. Substitute batsmen are not allowed in this instance. e) There shall be no reduction in the number of overs to be bowled due to injury. Where an umpire is injured, the above rules shall equally apply. The batting side will provide a temporary umpire to allow the match to continue until the umpire is able to resume.

16. General Information a) All nominated teams by clubs shall be graded into Divisions by the Committee and it reserves the right to redraw the Divisions after 2 matches if required. b) Where a club cannot provide a ground for play in any fixtured round through circumstances beyond their control (Council advice, alternate ground not availabe, etc.), they must inform in the 1st instance and as soon as possible, the Veterans Secretary and also advise the relevant Divisional Secretary. The Vets Committee will endeavour to find a ground that can be utilized suitable to both teams for the match to be played. c) Clubs are not permitted to reschedule any fixtured round to another date to suit their own purposes. No points in that scheduled round will be awarded to either club.

17. Insurance – public liability and player insurance a) All clubs are to ensure that a public liability and player insurance policies is in place.

18. Common sense rule a) Players are expected to play the match in a true sportsmanlike manner. Captains will be responsible for ensuring teams adhere to the rules with the primary objective being the enjoyment of the match taking into consideration the health of our players. Links: Laws of Cricket: https://www.lords.org/mcc/laws-of-cricket/ ECA Senior Rules: http://www.easterncricket.com/