Team Composition

Maximum 8 on the field. Players should be in Year 5 at the start of the season.  ACA is lenient on granting dispensations to allow players to play at the right level for their developmental age, this includes moving up or down a competition grade to suit a player’s current development.

Players who are in Year 4 do not require a dispensation to play in Year 5.

Players who are in Year 6, who are better suited to learning in Year 5 can apply for a dispensation to ACA through their Club Manager. ACA reserves the right to ask Year 6 players to move up a grade if they develop significantly during the season and ACA believes they should be playing in Year 6.

Mixed teams are allowed.

Graded

Teams should be based on geographical location, school attending, and friendships.  ACA recommends having balanced teams within grades e.g. within White Grade if you have 2 teams they should be of equal strength rather than an “A” and a “B” side.

Toss

Made no later than 15 minutes before play starts.  If a team is not available, they will be deemed to have lost the toss.  All players must be entered into CricHQ before the toss.

Hours of Play

9.30am – 12.00pm.  If 20 overs are not bowled by 10.40am play should continue with time made up by not having a break.  Should the first innings not be completed by 10.50am, the second innings will be reduced by 1 over for every full over not bowled at 10.50am.  If the second innings is not concluded by 12pm, the number of full overs not completed will be multiplied by 6 runs and added to the second innings score e.g. if innings is in 18th over at 12pm, 12 runs will be added to the score (2 complete overs multiplied by 6) and if possible, the remaining overs will be completed.

Times are to be recorded and agreed by the two scorers at the start and end of each innings.  Scorers to also consider any delays for injury or scoring problems at the time they occur and jointly agree to add extra minutes before penalties are imposed.  Should a penalty be required in either innings, scorers are to advise the umpires/coaches at the point where the penalties begin to be incurred and at the completion of the innings apply the appropriate penalties. 

Coaches

All Coaches are to have completed the Advanced Foundations Coaching Course. All on field coaching should be done quickly to ensure no delays.  Only umpires, coaches or managers can provide on field coaching.

Intervals

Maximum of 5 minutes between innings.

The Result

The side which has scored the most runs in their complete innings will be deemed the winner.

Overs

20 overs. All overs to be bowled from one end.

Please Note:  Umpires should remind teams about pace of play as the innings progresses.  If required umpires can require shorter run ups and other measures to speed up play. 

Pitch Length

16m.  Use marked lines at one end and measure 4.12m from the other end and mark line for stumps and a further 1.22m for the popping crease.  Spray landscape chalk, available from Bunnings, is ideal to mark lines.

It is the home team’s responsibility to ensure the pitch length and boundaries are marked accurately.  The two sides are not permitted under any circumstances to agree to different pitch lengths and boundaries.  If these are not followed, the home team is subject to losing the game by default.

Boundaries

30m circle to be marked by cones.  The boundary must be measured from the batter’s end.

 

Fielding Exclusion Zone 

Markers are placed 18m square either side of the stumps at batter’s end. The square leg umpire is to position at the 18m marker.  The fielding exclusion zone is deemed to be from the umpire behind the stumps at the bowler’s end, to the markers either side of the stumps at the batter’s end.  Excluding the bowler, fielders may only enter the exclusion zone after the batter has played their shot.  If players encroach early, the umpire will signal and call a ‘no ball’.

Fielders should field in proper cricket fielding positions outside of the fielding exclusion zone.  The exclusion zone exists to encourage quick singles and active fielding.

 Ball

White Grade (Hard Ball): A 142gm ball is to be used. Kookaburra Commander White Ball.  The match ball does not have to be new, but umpires must agree that it is fit for play.

Batting

The batting 8 must entered into CricHQ prior to the start of play.

Batters bat in 5 over partnerships.

After 3 consecutive counted balls if batters have not swapped ends they must swap i.e. three 4’s or 3 dot balls would both require the batters to swap ends. No end of over swap of ends required so long as batters swapping after 3 counted balls throughout partnership.

Each dismissal 3 runs will be deducted from the batting side and batters swap ends.

Batters will not leave the crease until their 5 over partnership is completed.

Players are required to wear safety equipment in Hard Ball Grades.

Modes of Dismissal

Normal cricket rules apply except no LBWs, stumpings, mankads are to be given. Umpires can require a batter to take guard on middle stump.  Umpires are to ensure backing up batters do not leave early.  Dead ball can be called by umpires.

Bowling

One over consists of 6 balls including any wides and/or no balls bowled.

All players must bowl a minimum of 2 overs. No player may bowl their second over until all others except the wicket keeper have bowled 1. No player can bowl more than 3 overs per day.

A cone should be placed 10m behind the wickets at the bowler’s end, which is the longest run up permitted.

A minimum of 3 overs of spin/slow bowling per innings.

No Balls and Wides

Umpires must agree wide lines prior to the game.

Any delivery which passes, or would have passed, above the batter’s shoulder is a no ball.

Any delivery which passes, or would have passed, above the batter’s waist on the full is a no ball. If a ball bounces more than once before reaching the popping crease it is a no ball.

Any delivery that bounces outside of the pitch will automatically be deemed a no ball.

If a bowler, in the two umpire’s opinions, bowls two dangerous deliveries within an over, the umpire can instruct the bowler to finish the over bowling slower deliveries.

Leniency if recommended for front foot no balls. If a bowler is struggling to bowl from the 16m pitch, it is encouraged that they be allowed by umpires to bowl from a shorter distance.

There shall be no restriction on the number of wides or no balls called in an over. However, each over will consist of a maximum of 6 balls. The last over has no maximum deliveries.

Called a no ball if the ball, without having touched the bat or person of the striker, bounces more than once, or rolls along the ground, before reaching the popping crease.

No Balls and Wides are worth 2 runs.

Fielding

All overs are to be bowled from the same end.

To ensure a fast game teams must rotate in the field i.e. each player moves clockwise after each over. Bowlers will bowl in the order of rotation until minimum overs are bowled by all players other than first wicket keeper (i.e. player fielding next to bowler on the onside will be the next bowler always and then after bowling will move to the next fielding position on the offside).

No player may field within the marked fielding exclusion zone.

Wicket keeping

Two wicket keepers must be used during an innings.  Wicket keepers should be changed at the 10 over point to ensure that the match is not unduly delayed.  Each wicket keeper must bowl two overs.  Wicket keepers must wear helmets.

Umpiring

Umpires to stay in position (at bowler’s end or square leg) for 10 overs then swap positions for each innings or they can swap at the end of each over, so long as they do not delay the game.  Umpires are required to have completed the free online Umpires Coaching Course.  We encourage the same umpires remain throughout the game to ensure consistency.  Umpires should provide guidance to both sides to assist with game development.  All on field coaching should be done quickly to ensure no delays of games.

Uneven Team Numbers

A team may bat 1 player twice if they have less than 8 players and the last batter does not have a batting partner, but the returning batter must be the lowest scoring batter.

The batting team must provide up to 2 players to assist with fielding only if the opposition team has less than 8 players who bat.

Music

The batting side is permitted to play music for the batters to walk on and off the field and during any breaks of play e.g. drinks break, innings break.  This should not delay the game.

Spirit of Cricket Rating

Both sides must complete a spirit of cricket rating for the opposition in CricHQ

Grades

ACA will divide entered teams into regional pools, with pool winners and runners up entering a regional finals format (e.g. quarterfinal, semi-final, final) to end the season.  Players cannot play in finals for any team they have not played at least 4 games for previously without ACA dispensation.

Pool Points:        Win = 3 points                   Tie or No Result = 1.5 points         Loss = 0 points

Note Regarding Finals Series Games

Please note due to time constraints it is not possible to have a Bowl Off or Super Over for these grades in the event of a tied game.  In an elimination match where a winner must be found (Quarter Final or Semi Final) if the game is tied at the end of the match the result will be awarded to the team with the highest seeding from pool/league play going into the match.

E.g. If 3rd is playing 5th and the match is tied the 3rd place team shall progress.

This rule would also take affect if the game was abandoned or washed out.

For the Final game if abandoned or tied the trophy shall be shared between the 2 teams.

Note, for the final game for all full season competitions, the final will be scheduled for the second to last playing date, allowing a rain date for the final playing date should it be required.  Should both playing dates for the final game be abandoned, the trophy shall be shared between the 2 teams. Should the rain date not be required, the last playing date will have a game scheduled so teams play the following years formats i.e. for year 5 if the final playing date is not used for a final, teams will be scheduled to play a game using the following year 6 format.

 

Weather Cancellations

ACA will cancel all junior and youth morning cricket should there be an Auckland weather advisory from the Metservice advising that it is unsafe to travel to games.  ACA checks for advisories constantly and will communicate through the ACA website, Facebook and email to all Club Managers.  Coaches / managers if you are unsure if the game is on we encourage you to use the contact list your club should have provided you to call the opposition team coach/manager to discuss this. If a mutual agreement cannot be made the home team manager has final say on pitch condition and playability.  If a game is abandoned, the home team coach/manager must enter the game as abandoned on CricHQ immediately.

If contact cannot be made with opposition team coach/manager or club manager, contact ACA.  If ACA receives a call from an away team advising they cannot contact the home team coach/manager or club manager at 7am or later, ACA has the ability to deem the fixture as abandoned if ACA believes the weather will not allow a fixture to be played.

If in any doubt, please ensure you arrive at the ground on time to avoid a default.

Defaults

If a Team defaults a match for any reason the following penalties shall be incurred:

(i) First default: The Team and Club to which the defaulting Team belongs shall receive a warning of the consequences of a further default.

(ii) Second default: The Team defaulting shall forfeit 3 Competition points, will be fined $100 and its Club shall receive a final warning.

(iii) Third default: The Team defaulting shall be debarred from participating in the remainder of the Competition.  The match fees already paid for that Team to the Association shall not be refunded to its Club or, alternatively, if the match fees have not been paid, they shall remain payable by the Club to the Association.