Constitution
Downloads 2009 Constitution (88.24 Kb PDF) Wet Weather Guidelines (55.19 Kb PDF) |
1 Title
2 Object
3 Membership
4 The Executive
5 Meetings of the Executive
6 Management Committee
7 Chairman
8 Umpires' Association
9 Finance
10 Rules Committee
11 Registration
12 Player Eligibility
13 Players
14 Financial Status of Players
15 Protests
16 Fixtures
17 Senior League Competitions
18 Senior Cup Ties
19 Tea Intervals
20 Results
21 Cups and Trophies
22 Individual Prizes and Averages
23 Indiscipline
24 Bowler's Attire
25 Standard Ball
26 Constitution and Rules
WET WEATHER GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA
Composition of Grades
Competition Rules for Individual Trophies
The Turriff Cup
Press and Journal Trophy
Junior Competition Rules
1. Title
The Association shall be called the "Aberdeenshire Cricket Association".
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2. Object
The object of the Association shall be the general improvement and control of cricket in the district.
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3. Membership
All properly constituted Clubs within the former Grampian Region shall be eligible for admission subject to the approval of the Executive. Applications for admission must be made in writing to the Secretary of the Association before 1st November.
Clubs which are already members of the Association and which do not desire to take part in any of the Association competitions must give notice to the Secretary by 1st November. Such Clubs shall then become affiliated members of the Association and shall pay a fee as per Rule 5(b)(v) but such Clubs shall have no vote at Executive meetings. Affiliated member Clubs desiring to resume full membership of the Association shall give notice to the Secretary by 1st November.
Clubs wishing to enter a team (whether singly or jointly) into junior age-group competitions shall do so through a sub-committee of the Association known as the Grampian Junior Cricket Group.
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4. The Executive
The business of the Association shall be managed by the Executive consisting of a President, Vice President, representatives from each Club (one from each team entered), a Secretary and Treasurer and two members appointed by the Umpires' Association.
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5. Meetings of the Executive
There shall be two annual meetings of the Executive.
(a) The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held before 31st December. The business at this meeting shall include the following:-
(i) A report of the proceedings of the Association, together with a copy of all the financial statements for that year shall be submitted for approval at this meeting, copies of the report and financial statements having been forwarded to each Club at least fourteen days before the meeting.
(ii) A report of the Grampian Junior Cricket Group, together with a copy of all it financial statements for the last completed financial year shall also be available at this meeting, copies of the report and accounts having been forwarded to each Club at least fourteen days before the meeting.
(iii) The annual report of the Umpires' Association shall be submitted.
(iv) The competitions which are to take place during the following season and the terms and conditions of entry thereto shall be determined, and provision shall be made for promotion and relegation between grades. The draws for the Knock-Out Cup Competitions shall be made.
(v) All matters relating to the past season shall be disposed of.
(vi) A Secretary and Treasurer for the following year shall be appointed.
(b) The Spring General Meeting shall be held before 28th February. The business at this meeting shall include the following:-
(i) A President, Vice President, Honorary President and Vice Presidents shall be elected.
(ii) An Auditor shall be appointed.
(iii) One representative from each grade shall be elected, who together with the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and a representative nominated by the Grampian Junior Cricket Group, shall constitute the Management Committee of the Association (See Rule 6).
(iv) A Selection Committee shall be elected. (see Rule 6(d)).
(v) Fees payable for membership of the Association and for entry to the various competitions shall be determined. (See Rule 9).
(vi) Umpire's travelling and tea expenses shall be determined. (See Rule 8).
The Management Committee shall have powers to postpone the date of this meeting if necessary, but the reasons for the postponement shall be explained to the meeting.
(c) An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the President or the Secretary within seven days of receiving a requisition from not fewer than five Clubs in the Association. Such a requisition must be signed by the Secretary and two Committee Members of each Club. At such an extraordinary meeting, twenty members of the Executive shall form a quorum.
(d) Any Club unrepresented at a General Meeting of which due notice has been given shall be liable to a fine of £5, subject to the power of the Management Committee to waive the penalty on good cause shown.
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6. Management Committee
The functions of this Committee shall be as follows:-
(a) To manage all the Association's Competitions. (See Rules 11 to 24).
(b) To consider and decide all protests and disputes between Clubs. In all such cases the Management Committee's decision shall be final. (See Rule 14).
(c) To investigate and act upon any matter which may be detrimental to the Association.
(d) To arrange representative matches under the auspices of the Association; The selection of teams for such matches to be the responsibility of the Selection Committee.
(e) To arrange a social gathering to be held in the Autumn at which the Cups, Prizes and other Trophies shall be presented.
The sanctions available to the Management Committee, in disposing of matters under this Rule which do not fall within the remit of the Disciplinary Committee, shall be the same as those available to that Committee under Rule 23 – Indiscipline.
6. Management Committee
The functions of this Committee shall be as follows:-
(a) To manage all the Association's Competitions. (See Rules 11 to 24).
(b) To consider and decide all protests and disputes between Clubs. In all such cases the Management Committee's decision shall be final. (See Rule 14).
(c) To investigate and act upon any matter which may be detrimental to the Association.
(d) To arrange representative matches under the auspices of the Association; The selection of teams for such matches to be the responsibility of the Selection Committee.
(e) To arrange a social gathering to be held in the Autumn at which the Cups, Prizes and other Trophies shall be presented.
The sanctions available to the Management Committee, in disposing of matters under this Rule which do not fall within the remit of the Disciplinary Committee, shall be the same as those available to that Committee under Rule 23 – Indiscipline.
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7. Chairman
The Chairman of the meetings shall have a casting vote only. When business of a contentious nature comes before any meeting of the Executive or Committee relating to the Club of which the President or the Chairman of the said Committee is a member, he shall vacate the Chair until the said business is disposed of, and the Vice President shall preside or another Chairman shall be appointed by the meeting.
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8. Umpires' Association
There shall be an Umpires' Association which shall elect its own Office Bearers but the President and Secretary of the Aberdeenshire Cricket Association shall be ex-officio members of the Committee. The appointment of Umpires shall rest with the Umpires' Association who shall as far as possible appoint Umpires for all matches under the jurisdiction of the Aberdeenshire Cricket Association. Travelling and tea expenses incurred by the Umpires shall be borne equally by the competing Clubs.
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9. Finance
The Bank Accounts of the Association shall be operated by the President or Vice President and the Treasurer jointly, all cheques being signed by the President or the Vice President and the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be allowed to retain in his hands in any one year, a sum not exceeding £40 to meet current expenses. All Association entrance fees shall be payable by 1st June. Clubs in arrears after that date may be excluded from all the Association's Competitions.
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10. Rules Committee
There shall be a Rules Committee of the Association, comprising five persons elected by the Executive of the Association with the Secretary of the Association in attendance. The Rules Committee shall be elected at the Spring Meeting of the Association and shall serve for three years, with any or all of its members being eligible for re-election. The Rules Committee shall appoint its own Convener, and any casual vacancy shall be filled by co-option, subject to ratification by the next Spring Meeting. The remit of the Committee shall be to keep under review the Rules of Competition of the Association and Structure of the Grades, and to make recommendations for amendment thereto to the Executive at the AGM. Changes to rules proposed by the Rules Committee shall be exempt from the requirement that they be proposed formally by three Clubs.
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11. Registration
Each Club shall send to the Secretary of the Association on or before the 20th day of April each year, a list signed by the Secretary of such Club registering the legal family/surname, preferred forename and addresses of all its members. New members joining the Clubs after the lists have been sent in must be registered with the Secretary of the Association prior to taking part in any of the competitions. No professional, that is any person who has received payment in cash or kind as an inducement to, or to facilitate, her/his playing cricket, and/or who has appeared in First Class Cricket or a List A One Day International, in each case in either the current or the two preceding calendar years, as evidence by the Association of Cricket Statisticians Yearbook, shall take part in any of the competitions. Any team playing an unqualified player, shall, on protest, be adjudged to have lost the match.
The names under which players are identified in any official scoring record must be those under which they have been registered with the Association for the purpose of this Rule.
11. Registration
Each Club shall send to the Secretary of the Association on or before the 20th day of April each year, a list signed by the Secretary of such Club registering the legal family/surname, preferred forename and addresses of all its members. New members joining the Clubs after the lists have been sent in must be registered with the Secretary of the Association prior to taking part in any of the competitions. No professional, that is any person who has received payment in cash or kind as an inducement to, or to facilitate, her/his playing cricket, and/or who has appeared in First Class Cricket or a List A One Day International, in each case in either the current or the two preceding calendar years, as evidence by the Association of Cricket Statisticians Yearbook, shall take part in any of the competitions. Any team playing an unqualified player, shall, on protest, be adjudged to have lost the match.
The names under which players are identified in any official scoring record must be those under which they have been registered with the Association for the purpose of this Rule.
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12. Player Eligibility
In any game, each team may field no more than one player who has not been ordinarily resident in the European Economic Area for the 183 days (six months) prior to the match concerned. This restriction does not apply to:
(a) students registered on a full-time course of education in Scotland;
(b) individuals in full-time employment in Scotland for which a Work Permit is required and has been granted;
(c) players eligible to represent Scotland, but abroad temporarily;
(d) the spouse, civil partner or dependent relative of any of (a) to (c) above.
(a) students registered on a full-time course of education in Scotland;
(b) individuals in full-time employment in Scotland for which a Work Permit is required and has been granted;
(c) players eligible to represent Scotland, but abroad temporarily;
(d) the spouse, civil partner or dependent relative of any of (a) to (c) above.
A player may only play for one Club in any one season with the exceptions that :-
a) In League competitions only a lower Grade player may play two trial matches for a higher Grade Club provided he has the permission from his Club and that the Association Secretary has been previously notified. Before he may play a third time s/he must be registered as per Rule 10 and cease to belong to the lower Club. Clubs may not field trial players in any cup game.
b) If, during the season, a Club withdraws from all Association fixtures, a player who had been registered with that Club, may re-register for any Grade Club, but for whom he may not play in Cup-tie Competitions if he has already done so with his previous Club.
c) If for any reason during a season a player wishes to change Clubs he may be allowed to do so provided he has received permission to do so from the Management Committee after having forwarded written statements to them from both Clubs explaining the reasons why and provided he has played no more than a maximum of six games for the Club he wishes to leave.
d) No player over the age of 21 on 1 September of the previous season who in any season has played in more than 2 games in any division of the Scottish National Cricket League shall thereafter be allowed to play in any fixture under the aegis of the Association for the remainder of that season.
e) In junior age-group competitions, a player may play for a team run by a Club or Clubs other than that for which he/she plays at senior level, provided that he or she plays for only one such team in any competition in any season.
f) In Grade 4 only, if both captains agree, a club may loan up to three players to its opponents, in order that a fixture may be fulfilled which would otherwise have been scratched.
g) In the event that any Club has two teams in the same Grade in the same season, that Club will be required to notify the Secretary of the Association and the other teams in the Grade that they are about to participate in, of the names of a number of members to be determined by the Executive at its Annual General Meeting from time to time[currently 6] who will be allowed to play only for the Club’s recognised 1st XI during that season. With that exception, Clubs with 1st and 2nd XIs may play their members in either XI as often as they wish.
h) Any of sub-sections (a) to (g) notwithstanding, no player may play for more than one team in any given cup competition in the same season.
a) In League competitions only a lower Grade player may play two trial matches for a higher Grade Club provided he has the permission from his Club and that the Association Secretary has been previously notified. Before he may play a third time s/he must be registered as per Rule 10 and cease to belong to the lower Club. Clubs may not field trial players in any cup game.
b) If, during the season, a Club withdraws from all Association fixtures, a player who had been registered with that Club, may re-register for any Grade Club, but for whom he may not play in Cup-tie Competitions if he has already done so with his previous Club.
c) If for any reason during a season a player wishes to change Clubs he may be allowed to do so provided he has received permission to do so from the Management Committee after having forwarded written statements to them from both Clubs explaining the reasons why and provided he has played no more than a maximum of six games for the Club he wishes to leave.
d) No player over the age of 21 on 1 September of the previous season who in any season has played in more than 2 games in any division of the Scottish National Cricket League shall thereafter be allowed to play in any fixture under the aegis of the Association for the remainder of that season.
e) In junior age-group competitions, a player may play for a team run by a Club or Clubs other than that for which he/she plays at senior level, provided that he or she plays for only one such team in any competition in any season.
f) In Grade 4 only, if both captains agree, a club may loan up to three players to its opponents, in order that a fixture may be fulfilled which would otherwise have been scratched.
g) In the event that any Club has two teams in the same Grade in the same season, that Club will be required to notify the Secretary of the Association and the other teams in the Grade that they are about to participate in, of the names of a number of members to be determined by the Executive at its Annual General Meeting from time to time[currently 6] who will be allowed to play only for the Club’s recognised 1st XI during that season. With that exception, Clubs with 1st and 2nd XIs may play their members in either XI as often as they wish.
h) Any of sub-sections (a) to (g) notwithstanding, no player may play for more than one team in any given cup competition in the same season.
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14. Financial Status of Players
Protests must be intimated in writing to the Secretary of the Association, to reach him not later than five days, including Sunday, following the date on which the match was played, and must be accompanied by a fee of £25. In addition, a protest, except in regard to the eligibility of any players, must be intimated to both Umpires and to the Captain of the opposing team either before or during the progress of the game, but a protesting team must play out the match although under protest. Should the protest be judged frivolous, the £25 shall be forfeit. Should the protest be upheld, the opposing team should pay a fine of £25.
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16. Fixtures
Fixtures and venues for the ensuing season shall be arranged by the Management Committee and promulgated to Clubs as soon as practicable after the Annual General Meeting. They shall thereafter be published in the Association Handbook and no alterations shall be made without the sanction of the Management Committee. The Management Committee themselves shall have powers to make alterations should circumstances arise to make such a course necessary. In the event of any Club refusing or failing to fulfil its engagement on the date and ground fixed or to continue to play out the fixture without reasonable cause for so doing the match may be awarded to the opposing Club. In this context a League fixture re-arranged by the Committee, provided that two weeks notice is given to both Clubs, is as binding as a fixture published in the handbook.
For the purposes of this Rule, “notification” shall be considered to include one or more of the following: verbal communication with an official of the club or clubs concerned; an e-mail, receipt of which has been acknowledged by the addressee; or official notification on the Association Web Site.
Notes: (1) A Club normally fielding two or more elevens in the Grades, and which has two or more fixtures on the same day, must (if unable to fulfil all its fixtures) scratch (or by agreement with its opponents and the consent of the Management committee, postpone) its scheduled fixtures from the lowest division of the Grades, working upwards.
*(2) In the event of a game being called off for whatever reason, the message of the cancellation must be passed onto an official of the opposition by word of mouth – not by fax or answering systems.
*(3) Any Club scratching a fixture must do so and both teams must inform the Association Secretary by 7.00p.m. the night before at the very latest. Any Club failing to comply shall incur a 10 point penalty.
(4) Fixtures in Grade 4, which involve second or third elevens, may be re-arranged from Saturday to Sunday, if both clubs agree.
(5) In determining whether a team has failed to fulfil or play out any fixture the Management Committee shall have regard to clubs’ adherence to the Association’s “Wet Weather Rules and Procedures”, as approved and issued by it from time to time.
*Failure to abide by these rules may be taken by the Management Committee as evidence of failing to fulfil a fixture “without reasonable cause” in the event of a protest. Provision has been made for publication of additional contacts in the Association Handbook for this purpose.
All competition matches shall take place on Saturdays and Sundays and all matches shall be decided by a single innings. Except in cases where the Management Committee shall fix a different hour, all matches shall start at 1.00p.m., subject to the right to the away team to request a postponement to 1.30p.m. where the fixtures is more than 25 miles distant, or of either team to request such a postponement should players from their club be involved in junior or schools cricket on that day. Teams may however elect to start earlier by agreement. Any unreasonable delay in the commencement of a match being reported to the Association, the Management Committee shall have powers to impose a fine not exceeding £2 on the offending Club and/or to award the match to their opponents.
Notes:
(1) The attention of Clubs is drawn to the fact that by Law 12 the Captains shall toss for the choice of innings on the field of play not earlier than 30 minutes and not later than 15 minutes before the time scheduled for the match to start. Any Club failing to be available to toss the coin shall be adjudged to have lost the toss.
(2) In the event of any match [or, where applicable, match in the group stage of a league cup competition] not having been played or completed on account of weather or state of ground or for any other reason, such match shall automatically be null and void, unless either (a) it is the only match between the two teams scheduled to be played under league conditions in the competition concerned for that season or (b) it is the second such match scheduled and the first match has previously been null and void; in either of which circumstances the match must be played or replayed on the first date that is available to both teams.
(b) Ten points shall be awarded for a win, and five to each team in the event of a tie. In the event of a draw after 90 overs the points awarded shall be determined by the duration of the first innings, according to the following table in which Team A is the team batting first and Team B the team batting second:-
16. Fixtures
Fixtures and venues for the ensuing season shall be arranged by the Management Committee and promulgated to Clubs as soon as practicable after the Annual General Meeting. They shall thereafter be published in the Association Handbook and no alterations shall be made without the sanction of the Management Committee. The Management Committee themselves shall have powers to make alterations should circumstances arise to make such a course necessary. In the event of any Club refusing or failing to fulfil its engagement on the date and ground fixed or to continue to play out the fixture without reasonable cause for so doing the match may be awarded to the opposing Club. In this context a League fixture re-arranged by the Committee, provided that two weeks notice is given to both Clubs, is as binding as a fixture published in the handbook.
For the purposes of this Rule, “notification” shall be considered to include one or more of the following: verbal communication with an official of the club or clubs concerned; an e-mail, receipt of which has been acknowledged by the addressee; or official notification on the Association Web Site.
Notes: (1) A Club normally fielding two or more elevens in the Grades, and which has two or more fixtures on the same day, must (if unable to fulfil all its fixtures) scratch (or by agreement with its opponents and the consent of the Management committee, postpone) its scheduled fixtures from the lowest division of the Grades, working upwards.
*(2) In the event of a game being called off for whatever reason, the message of the cancellation must be passed onto an official of the opposition by word of mouth – not by fax or answering systems.
*(3) Any Club scratching a fixture must do so and both teams must inform the Association Secretary by 7.00p.m. the night before at the very latest. Any Club failing to comply shall incur a 10 point penalty.
(4) Fixtures in Grade 4, which involve second or third elevens, may be re-arranged from Saturday to Sunday, if both clubs agree.
(5) In determining whether a team has failed to fulfil or play out any fixture the Management Committee shall have regard to clubs’ adherence to the Association’s “Wet Weather Rules and Procedures”, as approved and issued by it from time to time.
*Failure to abide by these rules may be taken by the Management Committee as evidence of failing to fulfil a fixture “without reasonable cause” in the event of a protest. Provision has been made for publication of additional contacts in the Association Handbook for this purpose.
All competition matches shall take place on Saturdays and Sundays and all matches shall be decided by a single innings. Except in cases where the Management Committee shall fix a different hour, all matches shall start at 1.00p.m., subject to the right to the away team to request a postponement to 1.30p.m. where the fixtures is more than 25 miles distant, or of either team to request such a postponement should players from their club be involved in junior or schools cricket on that day. Teams may however elect to start earlier by agreement. Any unreasonable delay in the commencement of a match being reported to the Association, the Management Committee shall have powers to impose a fine not exceeding £2 on the offending Club and/or to award the match to their opponents.
Notes:
(1) The attention of Clubs is drawn to the fact that by Law 12 the Captains shall toss for the choice of innings on the field of play not earlier than 30 minutes and not later than 15 minutes before the time scheduled for the match to start. Any Club failing to be available to toss the coin shall be adjudged to have lost the toss.
(2) In the event of any match [or, where applicable, match in the group stage of a league cup competition] not having been played or completed on account of weather or state of ground or for any other reason, such match shall automatically be null and void, unless either (a) it is the only match between the two teams scheduled to be played under league conditions in the competition concerned for that season or (b) it is the second such match scheduled and the first match has previously been null and void; in either of which circumstances the match must be played or replayed on the first date that is available to both teams.
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17. Senior League Competitions
(a) All League matches shall be limited to a maximum of 90 six-ball overs. The second innings shall consist of the balance of overs remaining after dismissal of or declaration by the side batting first, an unfinished over in the first innings to count as one over. The team batting first shall not bat for more than 46 overs.
(b) Ten points shall be awarded for a win, and five to each team in the event of a tie. In the event of a draw after 90 overs the points awarded shall be determined by the duration of the first innings, according to the following table in which Team A is the team batting first and Team B the team batting second:-
Duration of 1st innings | Points to Team A | Points to Team B |
42 overs or less | 7 | 1 |
43 overs | 6 | 2 |
44 overs | 5 | 2 |
45 overs | 4 | 3 |
46 overs | 3 | 3 |
An uncompleted over shall count as 1 over for this purpose.
The result decision shall be made by the normal Laws of Cricket. In addition, bonus points shall be awarded as follows:-
(c) The winning team shall automatically receive twenty bonus points. For other sides, one bonus point shall be awarded to the bowling side for each wicket taken, while one bonus point shall be awarded to the batting side on scoring 40 runs and one additional point for each additional 15 runs, up to a maximum of ten bonus points.
(d) A Captain may declare his innings closed at any time by doing so to the opposing Captain and the Umpires but declarations are not allowed to be retrospective.
(e) The Captains must provide the Umpires (or, in the event of there being no official Umpires, the opposing Captain) with a team list prior to the toss for innings.
(f) In the event of a nominated player failing to appear to bat, his team’s innings shall be considered to be completed when the last batsman available is dismissed or retires.
(g) In all grades no bowler may bowl more than 12 overs. More stringent requirements apply to the number of overs, which may be bowled by junior players (see the Association Handbook for details).
(h) The Umpires, or failing appointed officials, the two Captains, must satisfy themselves on the correctness of the scores and the Captains must sign each scorebook or sheet.
(i) In the event of a match being unfinished due to weather conditions, it shall be null and void and no points shall be awarded unless a re-match is required under the provisions of the final paragraph of Rule 16.
(j) The Clubs that, during the season, shall have obtained the greatest number of points expressed as a percentage of the points (including bonus points) available for a win shall be the Champions of their respective Grades. In the event of a tie, placing will be decided by a figure calculated by dividing the average runs per wicket for by the average runs per wicket against, the higher such figure shall win.
(k) A team scratching a fixture shall have ten wickets added to their total of wickets lost for the purpose of assessing average. In a declared innings only those wickets actually fallen shall be counted.
(l) If during the season a club should withdraw from all remaining league fixtures the matches it has already played shall be deemed null and void. If during a season a Club fails to fulfil at least two-thirds of its fixtures all matches played by that Club shall be null and void and the Club or Team in question shall be required to apply for re-admission for the following season (see Rule 3).
(m) The Laws of Cricket (2000 Code – 2nd edition 2003) will apply generally except where modified by the above Special Local Regulations.
All replays will take place within seven days or at the discretion of the Management Committee. The Cup-tie Finals shall be played on grounds to be fixed by the Management Committee.
The result decision shall be made by the normal Laws of Cricket. In addition, bonus points shall be awarded as follows:-
(c) The winning team shall automatically receive twenty bonus points. For other sides, one bonus point shall be awarded to the bowling side for each wicket taken, while one bonus point shall be awarded to the batting side on scoring 40 runs and one additional point for each additional 15 runs, up to a maximum of ten bonus points.
(d) A Captain may declare his innings closed at any time by doing so to the opposing Captain and the Umpires but declarations are not allowed to be retrospective.
(e) The Captains must provide the Umpires (or, in the event of there being no official Umpires, the opposing Captain) with a team list prior to the toss for innings.
(f) In the event of a nominated player failing to appear to bat, his team’s innings shall be considered to be completed when the last batsman available is dismissed or retires.
(g) In all grades no bowler may bowl more than 12 overs. More stringent requirements apply to the number of overs, which may be bowled by junior players (see the Association Handbook for details).
(h) The Umpires, or failing appointed officials, the two Captains, must satisfy themselves on the correctness of the scores and the Captains must sign each scorebook or sheet.
(i) In the event of a match being unfinished due to weather conditions, it shall be null and void and no points shall be awarded unless a re-match is required under the provisions of the final paragraph of Rule 16.
(j) The Clubs that, during the season, shall have obtained the greatest number of points expressed as a percentage of the points (including bonus points) available for a win shall be the Champions of their respective Grades. In the event of a tie, placing will be decided by a figure calculated by dividing the average runs per wicket for by the average runs per wicket against, the higher such figure shall win.
(k) A team scratching a fixture shall have ten wickets added to their total of wickets lost for the purpose of assessing average. In a declared innings only those wickets actually fallen shall be counted.
(l) If during the season a club should withdraw from all remaining league fixtures the matches it has already played shall be deemed null and void. If during a season a Club fails to fulfil at least two-thirds of its fixtures all matches played by that Club shall be null and void and the Club or Team in question shall be required to apply for re-admission for the following season (see Rule 3).
(m) The Laws of Cricket (2000 Code – 2nd edition 2003) will apply generally except where modified by the above Special Local Regulations.
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18. Senior Cup Ties
All replays will take place within seven days or at the discretion of the Management Committee. The Cup-tie Finals shall be played on grounds to be fixed by the Management Committee.
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19. Tea Intervals
The tea interval in any competition match shall not exceed 20 minutes.
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20. Results
Results, including notice of abandonment, postponement, scratching and walkover, must be phoned by the Home Team to the Association Secretary (Tel.: 01224 822835) by 8.15p.m. on the evening of the day set for the game concerned. If, due to adverse weather, a match is likely to be continuing beyond 8.15pm, the Secretary should be contacted by the side currently batting before that hour by mobile phone. Any team failing to comply with this deadline shall have 5 points deducted from their total of league points for the season for each infringement.
In the event of a scratching, BOTH teams must phone the Association Secretary to notify their decision.
“We, the Secretary and two Members of the <………> Club, winners for Season 20 of the Cup called the <..……> And which we have now received, do hereby, on behalf of our said Club and individually and collectively, undertake to return the said Cup in good order and condition, to the Secretary of the Aberdeenshire Cricket Association for the time being on or before the First day of August, 20xx”.
A Club failing to hand over the Cup by the 1st of August shall be fined £2, which must be paid before 31st December in that year.
A player, re-registered as per Rule 13 may not use his combined performances when calculating his Grade averages. The allocation of prizes shall be in the hands of the Management Committee but they shall be under no obligation to find prizes. All Clubs shall return to the Secretary of the Association, their best averages for batting, bowling and wicket-keeping, immediately after the last match of the season, in order that they may be verified by the weekly returns or by the scorebooks of the respective Clubs as may be decided by the Management Committee.
20. Results
Results, including notice of abandonment, postponement, scratching and walkover, must be phoned by the Home Team to the Association Secretary (Tel.: 01224 822835) by 8.15p.m. on the evening of the day set for the game concerned. If, due to adverse weather, a match is likely to be continuing beyond 8.15pm, the Secretary should be contacted by the side currently batting before that hour by mobile phone. Any team failing to comply with this deadline shall have 5 points deducted from their total of league points for the season for each infringement.
In the event of a scratching, BOTH teams must phone the Association Secretary to notify their decision.
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21. Cups and Trophies
“We, the Secretary and two Members of the <………> Club, winners for Season 20 of the Cup called the <..……> And which we have now received, do hereby, on behalf of our said Club and individually and collectively, undertake to return the said Cup in good order and condition, to the Secretary of the Aberdeenshire Cricket Association for the time being on or before the First day of August, 20xx”.
A Club failing to hand over the Cup by the 1st of August shall be fined £2, which must be paid before 31st December in that year.
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22. Individual Prizes and Averages
A player, re-registered as per Rule 13 may not use his combined performances when calculating his Grade averages. The allocation of prizes shall be in the hands of the Management Committee but they shall be under no obligation to find prizes. All Clubs shall return to the Secretary of the Association, their best averages for batting, bowling and wicket-keeping, immediately after the last match of the season, in order that they may be verified by the weekly returns or by the scorebooks of the respective Clubs as may be decided by the Management Committee.
(a) Any player behaving in an un-gentlemanly manner or insulting any Umpire in either a visible or verbal manner during the course of or in connection with a match, or otherwise breaching the Laws of Cricket [including the Preamble thereto, entitled “The Spirit of Cricket”] or bringing the game into disrepute, or the captain of such a player, shall be liable to disciplinary action at the instance of the Disciplinary Committee of the Association.
(b) For the purposes of this rule:-
(i) the expression ‘player’ shall be deemed to include any player, member, or official of any Club;
(ii) the expression ‘Disciplinary Committee’ shall mean a Committee comprising a maximum of seven persons elected by the Executive of the Association at the Spring Meeting of the Association and serving for three years, with any or all of its members being eligible for re-election. A quorum of the Disciplinary Committee shall be three members and any vacancies may be filled by co-option, subject to ratification at the following Spring Meeting. The Committee shall appoint its own Convener and Secretary.
(c) The Disciplinary Committee will not consider any complaint against a player unless written notice of any such complaint is received by the Secretary of the Association from any Club or member of the Umpires Association within five days after the date of the alleged offence. A meeting of the Disciplinary Committee shall be convened within ten days of receipt of any such written complaint. The player against whom the complaint has been made will be entitled to be present at the meeting in order to answer the complaint or to have a representative present to speak on his behalf before a decision is reached. Unless specifically exempted, both captains on the day of any match in respect of which indiscipline is reported, must also attend any disciplinary hearing. The captain of a player reported may also where appropriate be disciplined, irrespective of whether directly involved in any ungentlemanly behaviour reported, if in the opinion of the Disciplinary Committee s/he failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the behaviour concerned, as may the captain of the opposing side if, in the opinion of the Disciplinary Committee, actions by her/his players contributed materially to the incident of indiscipline reported
(d) Any player found by the Disciplinary Committee to have committed an offence under paragraph (a) above will have a right of appeal to the Management Committee provided that a written notice setting out the grounds of appeal is received by the Secretary of the Association within seven days of the notification of the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and is accompanied by a deposit of £50. An appeal hearing will be convened within ten days of receipt of any such written appeal, with the player having the same rights of attendance or representation as were available to him at the original hearing. The Management Committee may confirm, vary or reverse the decision of the Disciplinary Committee but will have no power to increase any penalty imposed. The Management Committee will also be empowered to order the £50 deposit to be forfeited should it consider an appeal to be frivolous, as to which it shall be the sole judge. The decision of the Management Committee on the appeal will be final. Any penalty imposed by the Disciplinary Committee will be suspended pending the outcome of any appeal.
(e) A member of the Disciplinary Committee or of the Management Committee will not be permitted to participate in the hearing of any case involving a player from the Club of which he is a member or which arises from a game in which his Club was involved.
(f) The sanctions available under this Rule shall be one of more of the following: oral or written reprimand; suspension of a player, players, or of a team from Association competitions for a specified period; a fine on a club (but not on individuals) not exceeding £50; deduction of not more than 20 league points; or award of a match to the opposition.
(g) The standard of proof in proceedings under this Rule shall be the civil standard – “more likely than not”.
Amendments to the alterations must be in the Secretary’s hands in time for Clubs to get fourteen days notice of same.
Disputes as to the fitness of the ground or weather for play are inevitable from time to time and on the rare occasions when a protest is made as a result of such a dispute the Management Committee has the almost impossible task of determining the rights and wrongs of the case without having been present at the time of the dispute and with only the verbal accounts of the protagonists upon which to base their decision.
At the request of the Committee of Inquiry held in 1988, the Management Committee drew up, and has revised, the following set of guidelines, which attempt to set out the procedures to be followed and the criteria to be used in cases of doubt over the fitness of the ground or weather for play. It is hoped that by following these guidelines, Captains can come to an amicable agreement and protests will not be necessary at all.
However, where there are no officially appointed Umpires and the Captains cannot agree, then a protest can be made where one Captain considers that the other is refusing to start, resume or to continue play without good reason. Captains should bear in mind that a protest should only be made as a last resort and only after exhausting the procedures set out in the guidelines. If a protest is made for this reason then both Captains must follow the procedure as set out under "Making a Protest.”
While the following guidelines are just that - guidelines, the Committee earnestly hopes that Captains will bear them in mind in their discussions with their opposite number. The Committee gives notice that where protests do come before the Committee, failure by either or both Captains to adhere to these guidelines may be taken into account in making a decision.
WET WEATHER GUIDELINES – 2008
1. Where an independent groundsperson refuses to allow play to start or insists that play is suspended then his decision must be accepted as final.
2. Where Umpires have been appointed then Law 3.8 and 3.9 of the 2003 Code - "Fitness of Ground, Weather and Light ...." shall apply; and in particular:
"(8) The Umpires shall be the final judges of the fitness of the ground, weather and light for play.”
Before however deciding to suspend play or not to start play or not to resume play after an interval or stoppage, in conditions which the Umpires consider unsuitable but not dangerous they must first establish whether both Captains (the Batsmen at the wicket may be deputize for their Captain) wish to commence or to continue in the prevailing conditions; if so, their wishes shall be met. This right of the captains to insist on play does not apply where the umpires together agree that the conditions of ground, weather or light are so dangerous that there is obvious and foreseeable risk to the safety of any player or umpire: in which event play must be suspended.
Note: Where only one Umpire has been appointed then his/her decision shall apply as above.
3. BEFORE THE TOSS FOR INNINGS
i) No match should be postponed prior to the morning of the match.
ii) If, during the morning of the match, the Captain of the "Home" side is of the opinion that the ground is unfit for play he should advise the Secretary or Captain of the "Away" side at the latest before 11.30 a.m. (11:00 a.m. if more than 25 miles distance)
The "Away" club should then have the option of agreeing to the postponement of the fixture, or, of insisting on a pitch inspection 30 minutes before the scheduled starting time. In this case, both teams and umpires, if appointed, should attend at the ground in time to start the match at the scheduled time if play is possible.
iii) On no account may the "Home" club postpone the fixture without the agreement of the "Away" club. In the event of an agreed postponement the "Home" club should
a. Advise the Umpires (if appointed)
b. Advise the association Secretary.
4. WHERE NO UMPIRES HAVE BEEN APPOINTED
It is IMPORTANT that the following guidelines as set out under part 4 are only to be considered where there are NO officially appointed UMPIRES. Where UMPIRES have been officially appointed then part 4 must be disregarded and parts. 1, 2 & 3 only shall apply.
4.1 GENERAL PRINCIPLES
i) Any decision concerning the fitness of the ground or weather for play shall rest with the two Captains and with the aid of the attached criteria; they shall decide on the fitness of the ground or weather for play.
ii) For this purpose, the batsmen at the wicket may deputise for their Captain but only as long as there is no dispute. Should there be disagreement between the batsmen at the wicket and the Fielding Captain then the Batting Captain should be called upon to confer with the Fielding Captain.
iii) Players and Captains should be aware that this is a matter for Captains to decide and that players should refrain from trying to influence the decision. For this reason it is IMPORTANT that the Captains confer ALONE and that they make every effort to reach an agreement.
4.2 WHEN PLAY IS IN PROGRESS
i) If, at any time during play, conditions deteriorate to such an extent that continuing would be "unreasonable" (see attached criteria), then the batsmen at the wicket or the Fielding Captain may ask for a suspension of play. The Batting Captain cannot ask for a suspension of play unless he is one of the batsman at the wicket.
ii) If it is agreed that play should be suspended then the Captains must agree the time at which they will review the situation. If it is close to tea-time the Captains may agree to take an early tea interval.
iii) Should there be disagreement between the batsmen at the wicket and the Fielding Captain the Batting Captain shall be called upon to confer with the Fielding Captain.
iv) The Captains, with reference to the attached criteria, must make every effort to come to an agreement. They have the following options:
a. Agreeing to continue play.
b. Agreeing to suspend play subject to review at an agreed time.
c. Agreeing to continue play subject to a review after an agreed number of overs have elapsed.*
d. Take an early tea-interval if appropriate.
* an over in progress shall count as a completed over.
v) If the Captains cannot agree on one of these options, they must record the reason for the disagreement and the time, overs and score in both scorebooks. Play will then be suspended subject to a review after 15 minutes.
At this stage it is hoped that the weather will either improve or deteriorate to such an extent that there is no further dispute or in any event that the 15 minute suspension of play will act as a "cooling off" period and that reason will prevail. Players should at all times refrain from aggravating the situation and the Captains especially should set a good example in this regard.
4.3 WHEN PLAY IS NOT IN PROGRESS
(That is before the start of the match, during an interval, during the change of innings or where play has been suspended for any reason.)
ii) If, while play is not in progress, weather or ground conditions are such that to start or resume play would be "unreasonable" (see criteria) then either Captain may ask that the start or resumption of play be delayed. Note that should conditions delay the scheduled start then the toss may be delayed to 15 minutes before the agreed starting time as under Law 12.4 the Toss.
iii) The Captains, with reference to the attached criteria, must make every effort to come to an agreement. They have the following options:
a. Agreeing to start or resume play.
b. Agreeing to stay off subject to review at an agreed time.
c. Agreeing to start or resume play subject to a review after an agreed number of overs have elapsed.
d. Take an early tea-interval if appropriate.
e. Agree to abandon the match.
iv) If the Captains agree to delay the start or resumption of play then they must agree a time at which they will review the situation. This delay should not be more than 30 minutes.
v) If the Captains cannot agree on one of these options, they must record the reason for the disagreement and the time, overs and score in both scorebooks. Play will then remain suspended subject to a review after 15 minutes.
At this stage it is hoped that the weather will either improve or deteriorate to such an extent that there is no further dispute or in any event that the 15 minute further suspension of play will act as a "cooling off" period and that reason will prevail. Players should at all times refrain from aggravating the situation and the Captains especially should set a good example in this regard.
4.4 WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CAPTAINS STILL CANNOT AGREE?
i) In nearly all cases the above procedures should, if common sense prevails, produce an 'agreement of some sort. To get to the stage of recording one "official" disagreement in the scorebook should be a rare occurrence and two recorded disagreements should be rarer still.
ii) The Management Committee hopes that the process of recording the disagreement will concentrate the Captains minds and that protests will therefore be unnecessary but should the situation arise that there have been THREE recorded disagreements, and that after the latest period of 15 minutes, agreement is still not possible then the match shall be abandoned.
iii) The options open to the Captains at this point are as follows:
a. Both Captains may agree to let the result stand, (i.e. match abandoned as void, subject to Rule 16 if a replay is required).
b. Either Captain may lodge a protest with the Management Committee if he considers that the opposition Captain has consistently refused to start, continue or resume play without good reason.
5. MAKING A PROTEST
If either Captain wishes to claim the match by lodging a formal protest to the Management Committee he must:
a. Inform the opposition Captain there and then - .i.e. before leaving the ground.
b. Make sure that both scorebooks are signed by both Captains as they should be in any case.
c. Intimate the protest in "writing to the Secretary of the Association, to reach him no later than five days, including Sunday, following the date on which the match was played." The protest "must be accompanied by a fee of £25."
6. ACTION OF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ON RECEIPT OF PROTEST
On receipt of a protest from a Club claiming the match as in 5 the Management Committee shall:
d. arrange a meeting of the Management Committee and
e. invite both the Captains (or persons acting as Captain on the day in question) to attend and to bring with them a written account of the events as they saw them, their scorebook and any other evidence they see fit.
The Management Committee may view the protest as "frivolous" (under Rule 15 of the Constitution) if the procedures in part 4 of these guidelines have not been observed by the Captain of the protesting Club, or if the Captain of the protesting Club fails to attend the meeting or to bring with him the scorebook or a written account, or if the fee has not been paid.
Similarly, if the Captain of the club defending the protest has failed to observe part 4 of these guidelines, or fails to attend the meeting or bring with him the scorebook and a written account this may be taken into account by the Committee in reaching its decision.
The Management Committee, under the Constitution, is only allowed to make one of two decisions, namely:
i) they can uphold the protest and award the match to the protesting Club.
ii) they can turn down the protest. In this event the match shall be void unless Rule 16 applies and a replay is required.
WET WEATHER CRITERIA
"UNREASONABLE" CONDITIONS:
The following ground or weather conditions are to be considered "unreasonable" for starting, continuing, or resuming play:
1. Heavy rain, which wets players through.
2. Lighter rain driven by a strong wind.
3. Water pooling on the pitch or on the outfield within 25 yards of the pitch.
4. Wet ground on the pitch or bowlers run-ups such that the batsmen or bowlers cannot run or turn with safety. A slight restriction in foothold is not however "unreasonable".
5. Water rising round ones feet when the pitch is subject to foot pressure.
6. Water splashing up when the ball pitches.
7. Foggy or misty conditions where the pitch is not visible from the boundary.
8. Where, the bowler or either batsman normally plays in spectacles and their vision is being seriously affected by rain obscuring the lenses. Wearing a cap 'can often help in this situation.
NOT "UNREASONABLE" CONDITIONS:
The following ground or weather conditions should not be considered as "unreasonable" and are therefore not sufficient reasons for suspending, not starting or not resuming play:
1. Light rain which may be unpleasant but does not wet through or seriously affect the wicket but which may make the ball slippery or difficult to control.
2. Wet slippery grass or small pools of water outwith 25 yards of the pitch.
3. Light mist or fog where visibility is such as to allow the pitch to seen from the boundary. The scorers may have to take up their position at the boundary if necessary.
4. Soft wet pitches which may make batting difficult but are not so bad that they are "unreasonable" under points 3 to 6 above.
5. Players who cannot obtain sufficient footholds in wet conditions because they are wearing unsuitable footwear. (But see Note below).
NOTE
(Where the match is being played on an artificial wicket however and bowlers and batsmen are compelled to wear non-spiked footwear then the condition of the bowler's run up may well make play impossible if the bowler's run up is dangerous in non spiked footwear).
COMPOSITION OF GRADES
Grade 1 – shall consist of ten teams who shall compete for the Aberdeenshire and Bain Cups. In League Competition each team shall play two matches with every other team. At the end of the season the two bottom teams shall be relegated to Grade 2.
Grade 2 – shall consist of ten teams who shall compete for the Bon Accord and Junior League Cups. In League Competition each team shall play two matches with every other team. At the end of the season the two top teams shall be promoted to Grade 1, and the two bottom teams shall be relegated to Grade 3.
Grade 3 - shall consist of eight teams who shall compete for the Ross and Reid Cups. In League Competition each team shall play two matches with every other team. At the end of the season the two top teams shall be promoted to Grade 2 and the two bottom teams shall be relegated to Grade 4.
Grade 4 - shall consist of the remaining teams who shall compete for the Cannon Cup and the Johnston Rose Bowl. In League Competition each team shall play two matches with every other team. At the end of the season the top two teams shall be promoted to Grade 3.
(b) For the purposes of this rule:-
(i) the expression ‘player’ shall be deemed to include any player, member, or official of any Club;
(ii) the expression ‘Disciplinary Committee’ shall mean a Committee comprising a maximum of seven persons elected by the Executive of the Association at the Spring Meeting of the Association and serving for three years, with any or all of its members being eligible for re-election. A quorum of the Disciplinary Committee shall be three members and any vacancies may be filled by co-option, subject to ratification at the following Spring Meeting. The Committee shall appoint its own Convener and Secretary.
(c) The Disciplinary Committee will not consider any complaint against a player unless written notice of any such complaint is received by the Secretary of the Association from any Club or member of the Umpires Association within five days after the date of the alleged offence. A meeting of the Disciplinary Committee shall be convened within ten days of receipt of any such written complaint. The player against whom the complaint has been made will be entitled to be present at the meeting in order to answer the complaint or to have a representative present to speak on his behalf before a decision is reached. Unless specifically exempted, both captains on the day of any match in respect of which indiscipline is reported, must also attend any disciplinary hearing. The captain of a player reported may also where appropriate be disciplined, irrespective of whether directly involved in any ungentlemanly behaviour reported, if in the opinion of the Disciplinary Committee s/he failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the behaviour concerned, as may the captain of the opposing side if, in the opinion of the Disciplinary Committee, actions by her/his players contributed materially to the incident of indiscipline reported
(d) Any player found by the Disciplinary Committee to have committed an offence under paragraph (a) above will have a right of appeal to the Management Committee provided that a written notice setting out the grounds of appeal is received by the Secretary of the Association within seven days of the notification of the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and is accompanied by a deposit of £50. An appeal hearing will be convened within ten days of receipt of any such written appeal, with the player having the same rights of attendance or representation as were available to him at the original hearing. The Management Committee may confirm, vary or reverse the decision of the Disciplinary Committee but will have no power to increase any penalty imposed. The Management Committee will also be empowered to order the £50 deposit to be forfeited should it consider an appeal to be frivolous, as to which it shall be the sole judge. The decision of the Management Committee on the appeal will be final. Any penalty imposed by the Disciplinary Committee will be suspended pending the outcome of any appeal.
(e) A member of the Disciplinary Committee or of the Management Committee will not be permitted to participate in the hearing of any case involving a player from the Club of which he is a member or which arises from a game in which his Club was involved.
(f) The sanctions available under this Rule shall be one of more of the following: oral or written reprimand; suspension of a player, players, or of a team from Association competitions for a specified period; a fine on a club (but not on individuals) not exceeding £50; deduction of not more than 20 league points; or award of a match to the opposition.
(g) The standard of proof in proceedings under this Rule shall be the civil standard – “more likely than not”.
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24. Bowler's Attire
No bowler shall be allowed to bowl in dark clothes in any of the competitions without the consent of the Captain of the opposing team.
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25. Standard Ball
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26. Constitution and Rules
Amendments to the alterations must be in the Secretary’s hands in time for Clubs to get fourteen days notice of same.
Any proposed alteration to rules (other than one proposed by the Rules Committee) or amendment thereto (whether to a proposal made by the Rules Committee or otherwise) must be proposed by a minimum of three Clubs
WET WEATHER GUIDELINES AND CRITERIADisputes as to the fitness of the ground or weather for play are inevitable from time to time and on the rare occasions when a protest is made as a result of such a dispute the Management Committee has the almost impossible task of determining the rights and wrongs of the case without having been present at the time of the dispute and with only the verbal accounts of the protagonists upon which to base their decision.
At the request of the Committee of Inquiry held in 1988, the Management Committee drew up, and has revised, the following set of guidelines, which attempt to set out the procedures to be followed and the criteria to be used in cases of doubt over the fitness of the ground or weather for play. It is hoped that by following these guidelines, Captains can come to an amicable agreement and protests will not be necessary at all.
However, where there are no officially appointed Umpires and the Captains cannot agree, then a protest can be made where one Captain considers that the other is refusing to start, resume or to continue play without good reason. Captains should bear in mind that a protest should only be made as a last resort and only after exhausting the procedures set out in the guidelines. If a protest is made for this reason then both Captains must follow the procedure as set out under "Making a Protest.”
While the following guidelines are just that - guidelines, the Committee earnestly hopes that Captains will bear them in mind in their discussions with their opposite number. The Committee gives notice that where protests do come before the Committee, failure by either or both Captains to adhere to these guidelines may be taken into account in making a decision.
WET WEATHER GUIDELINES – 2008
1. Where an independent groundsperson refuses to allow play to start or insists that play is suspended then his decision must be accepted as final.
2. Where Umpires have been appointed then Law 3.8 and 3.9 of the 2003 Code - "Fitness of Ground, Weather and Light ...." shall apply; and in particular:
"(8) The Umpires shall be the final judges of the fitness of the ground, weather and light for play.”
Before however deciding to suspend play or not to start play or not to resume play after an interval or stoppage, in conditions which the Umpires consider unsuitable but not dangerous they must first establish whether both Captains (the Batsmen at the wicket may be deputize for their Captain) wish to commence or to continue in the prevailing conditions; if so, their wishes shall be met. This right of the captains to insist on play does not apply where the umpires together agree that the conditions of ground, weather or light are so dangerous that there is obvious and foreseeable risk to the safety of any player or umpire: in which event play must be suspended.
Note: Where only one Umpire has been appointed then his/her decision shall apply as above.
3. BEFORE THE TOSS FOR INNINGS
i) No match should be postponed prior to the morning of the match.
ii) If, during the morning of the match, the Captain of the "Home" side is of the opinion that the ground is unfit for play he should advise the Secretary or Captain of the "Away" side at the latest before 11.30 a.m. (11:00 a.m. if more than 25 miles distance)
The "Away" club should then have the option of agreeing to the postponement of the fixture, or, of insisting on a pitch inspection 30 minutes before the scheduled starting time. In this case, both teams and umpires, if appointed, should attend at the ground in time to start the match at the scheduled time if play is possible.
iii) On no account may the "Home" club postpone the fixture without the agreement of the "Away" club. In the event of an agreed postponement the "Home" club should
a. Advise the Umpires (if appointed)
b. Advise the association Secretary.
4. WHERE NO UMPIRES HAVE BEEN APPOINTED
It is IMPORTANT that the following guidelines as set out under part 4 are only to be considered where there are NO officially appointed UMPIRES. Where UMPIRES have been officially appointed then part 4 must be disregarded and parts. 1, 2 & 3 only shall apply.
4.1 GENERAL PRINCIPLES
i) Any decision concerning the fitness of the ground or weather for play shall rest with the two Captains and with the aid of the attached criteria; they shall decide on the fitness of the ground or weather for play.
ii) For this purpose, the batsmen at the wicket may deputise for their Captain but only as long as there is no dispute. Should there be disagreement between the batsmen at the wicket and the Fielding Captain then the Batting Captain should be called upon to confer with the Fielding Captain.
iii) Players and Captains should be aware that this is a matter for Captains to decide and that players should refrain from trying to influence the decision. For this reason it is IMPORTANT that the Captains confer ALONE and that they make every effort to reach an agreement.
4.2 WHEN PLAY IS IN PROGRESS
i) If, at any time during play, conditions deteriorate to such an extent that continuing would be "unreasonable" (see attached criteria), then the batsmen at the wicket or the Fielding Captain may ask for a suspension of play. The Batting Captain cannot ask for a suspension of play unless he is one of the batsman at the wicket.
ii) If it is agreed that play should be suspended then the Captains must agree the time at which they will review the situation. If it is close to tea-time the Captains may agree to take an early tea interval.
iii) Should there be disagreement between the batsmen at the wicket and the Fielding Captain the Batting Captain shall be called upon to confer with the Fielding Captain.
iv) The Captains, with reference to the attached criteria, must make every effort to come to an agreement. They have the following options:
a. Agreeing to continue play.
b. Agreeing to suspend play subject to review at an agreed time.
c. Agreeing to continue play subject to a review after an agreed number of overs have elapsed.*
d. Take an early tea-interval if appropriate.
* an over in progress shall count as a completed over.
v) If the Captains cannot agree on one of these options, they must record the reason for the disagreement and the time, overs and score in both scorebooks. Play will then be suspended subject to a review after 15 minutes.
At this stage it is hoped that the weather will either improve or deteriorate to such an extent that there is no further dispute or in any event that the 15 minute suspension of play will act as a "cooling off" period and that reason will prevail. Players should at all times refrain from aggravating the situation and the Captains especially should set a good example in this regard.
4.3 WHEN PLAY IS NOT IN PROGRESS
(That is before the start of the match, during an interval, during the change of innings or where play has been suspended for any reason.)
ii) If, while play is not in progress, weather or ground conditions are such that to start or resume play would be "unreasonable" (see criteria) then either Captain may ask that the start or resumption of play be delayed. Note that should conditions delay the scheduled start then the toss may be delayed to 15 minutes before the agreed starting time as under Law 12.4 the Toss.
iii) The Captains, with reference to the attached criteria, must make every effort to come to an agreement. They have the following options:
a. Agreeing to start or resume play.
b. Agreeing to stay off subject to review at an agreed time.
c. Agreeing to start or resume play subject to a review after an agreed number of overs have elapsed.
d. Take an early tea-interval if appropriate.
e. Agree to abandon the match.
iv) If the Captains agree to delay the start or resumption of play then they must agree a time at which they will review the situation. This delay should not be more than 30 minutes.
v) If the Captains cannot agree on one of these options, they must record the reason for the disagreement and the time, overs and score in both scorebooks. Play will then remain suspended subject to a review after 15 minutes.
At this stage it is hoped that the weather will either improve or deteriorate to such an extent that there is no further dispute or in any event that the 15 minute further suspension of play will act as a "cooling off" period and that reason will prevail. Players should at all times refrain from aggravating the situation and the Captains especially should set a good example in this regard.
4.4 WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CAPTAINS STILL CANNOT AGREE?
i) In nearly all cases the above procedures should, if common sense prevails, produce an 'agreement of some sort. To get to the stage of recording one "official" disagreement in the scorebook should be a rare occurrence and two recorded disagreements should be rarer still.
ii) The Management Committee hopes that the process of recording the disagreement will concentrate the Captains minds and that protests will therefore be unnecessary but should the situation arise that there have been THREE recorded disagreements, and that after the latest period of 15 minutes, agreement is still not possible then the match shall be abandoned.
iii) The options open to the Captains at this point are as follows:
a. Both Captains may agree to let the result stand, (i.e. match abandoned as void, subject to Rule 16 if a replay is required).
b. Either Captain may lodge a protest with the Management Committee if he considers that the opposition Captain has consistently refused to start, continue or resume play without good reason.
5. MAKING A PROTEST
If either Captain wishes to claim the match by lodging a formal protest to the Management Committee he must:
a. Inform the opposition Captain there and then - .i.e. before leaving the ground.
b. Make sure that both scorebooks are signed by both Captains as they should be in any case.
c. Intimate the protest in "writing to the Secretary of the Association, to reach him no later than five days, including Sunday, following the date on which the match was played." The protest "must be accompanied by a fee of £25."
6. ACTION OF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ON RECEIPT OF PROTEST
On receipt of a protest from a Club claiming the match as in 5 the Management Committee shall:
d. arrange a meeting of the Management Committee and
e. invite both the Captains (or persons acting as Captain on the day in question) to attend and to bring with them a written account of the events as they saw them, their scorebook and any other evidence they see fit.
The Management Committee may view the protest as "frivolous" (under Rule 15 of the Constitution) if the procedures in part 4 of these guidelines have not been observed by the Captain of the protesting Club, or if the Captain of the protesting Club fails to attend the meeting or to bring with him the scorebook or a written account, or if the fee has not been paid.
Similarly, if the Captain of the club defending the protest has failed to observe part 4 of these guidelines, or fails to attend the meeting or bring with him the scorebook and a written account this may be taken into account by the Committee in reaching its decision.
The Management Committee, under the Constitution, is only allowed to make one of two decisions, namely:
i) they can uphold the protest and award the match to the protesting Club.
ii) they can turn down the protest. In this event the match shall be void unless Rule 16 applies and a replay is required.
WET WEATHER CRITERIA
"UNREASONABLE" CONDITIONS:
The following ground or weather conditions are to be considered "unreasonable" for starting, continuing, or resuming play:
1. Heavy rain, which wets players through.
2. Lighter rain driven by a strong wind.
3. Water pooling on the pitch or on the outfield within 25 yards of the pitch.
4. Wet ground on the pitch or bowlers run-ups such that the batsmen or bowlers cannot run or turn with safety. A slight restriction in foothold is not however "unreasonable".
5. Water rising round ones feet when the pitch is subject to foot pressure.
6. Water splashing up when the ball pitches.
7. Foggy or misty conditions where the pitch is not visible from the boundary.
8. Where, the bowler or either batsman normally plays in spectacles and their vision is being seriously affected by rain obscuring the lenses. Wearing a cap 'can often help in this situation.
NOT "UNREASONABLE" CONDITIONS:
The following ground or weather conditions should not be considered as "unreasonable" and are therefore not sufficient reasons for suspending, not starting or not resuming play:
1. Light rain which may be unpleasant but does not wet through or seriously affect the wicket but which may make the ball slippery or difficult to control.
2. Wet slippery grass or small pools of water outwith 25 yards of the pitch.
3. Light mist or fog where visibility is such as to allow the pitch to seen from the boundary. The scorers may have to take up their position at the boundary if necessary.
4. Soft wet pitches which may make batting difficult but are not so bad that they are "unreasonable" under points 3 to 6 above.
5. Players who cannot obtain sufficient footholds in wet conditions because they are wearing unsuitable footwear. (But see Note below).
NOTE
(Where the match is being played on an artificial wicket however and bowlers and batsmen are compelled to wear non-spiked footwear then the condition of the bowler's run up may well make play impossible if the bowler's run up is dangerous in non spiked footwear).
COMPOSITION OF GRADES
Grade 1 – shall consist of ten teams who shall compete for the Aberdeenshire and Bain Cups. In League Competition each team shall play two matches with every other team. At the end of the season the two bottom teams shall be relegated to Grade 2.
Grade 2 – shall consist of ten teams who shall compete for the Bon Accord and Junior League Cups. In League Competition each team shall play two matches with every other team. At the end of the season the two top teams shall be promoted to Grade 1, and the two bottom teams shall be relegated to Grade 3.
Grade 3 - shall consist of eight teams who shall compete for the Ross and Reid Cups. In League Competition each team shall play two matches with every other team. At the end of the season the two top teams shall be promoted to Grade 2 and the two bottom teams shall be relegated to Grade 4.
Grade 4 - shall consist of the remaining teams who shall compete for the Cannon Cup and the Johnston Rose Bowl. In League Competition each team shall play two matches with every other team. At the end of the season the top two teams shall be promoted to Grade 3.
If, at the date of the Spring Meeting preceding the start of any season, the above structure would result in their being fewer than 6 sides in Grade 4, then Grades 3 and 4 shall compete for that season as a single league, playing each other in league competition once only, but shall automatically revert to playing as two leagues in subsequent years in the event of further teams being elected to the league.
All alterations to the Composition of Grades shall take effect from the end of the season following the A.G.M. at which alterations were made, subject to the right of the Management Committee, with the approval of the Executive, if one or more teams withdraw, to restructure the leagues up to the date of the Spring Meeting before the season concerned.
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COMPETITION RULES FOR INDIVIDUAL TROPHIES
THE TURRIFF CUP
Rule 1. The Trophy – to be named “Turriff C.C. Trophy”.
Rule 2. The Trophy to be competed for annually on a knock-out basis with all Grade Clubs being eligible to enter the competition. All players taking part must be registered as per Rule 11 of the Association.
Rule 3. Ties shall normally take place on a Sunday, limited to 20 overs per team with each individual bowler being limited to a maximum of 4 overs; but may be re-arranged to a weekday evening provided both Clubs agree and the consent of the Management Committee has been obtained.
Rule 4. In the event of two teams scoring the same number of runs after the 20 overs each, the team losing the fewer wickets to go forward to the next round.
Rule 5. If for any reason a tie is postponed or abandoned with less than seven wickets down, the tie shall be null and void and replayed if possible on the same ground. If for any reason a replay is necessary the other Club shall become the home Club. Replays of cup-ties will take place seven days after the date of the original fixtures; any exceptions to this will be permissible only with the agreement of the Management Committee (and both Clubs concerned).
Rule 6. Draw for various rounds, entry fees and fixture dates to be arranged by the Aberdeenshire Cricket Association.
Rule 7. In the event of any match not having been completed on the scheduled date, it must be re-arranged to take place within the ensuing 21 days, if necessary as an evening fixture as provided for by
Rule 3 above. The date of the re-arranged fixture must be notified to the Association Secretary not later than noon on Friday following the date originally set, failing which the date shall be determined by the Management Committee. If a match is called off on a second or subsequent occasion then the same procedure shall apply.
Rule 8. There must be a maximum of 4 players outside a circle, 25 metres from the stumps at each end, for the first 5 overs of each innings, then a minimum of 4 inside that circle for the remainder of the same innings; excluding the wicket keeper and the bowler in each case.
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PRESS AND JOURNAL TROPHY (THISTLE SPORTS 7-a-side)
Rule 1. Open to all Clubs in membership of the Association.
Rule 2. Players must be registered as per Rule 11 of the Association and be participating regularly in the Grades: i.e. have played for their Club in not fewer than two league games under the auspices of the Association up to and including the weekend before the week in which the competition commences. Sections (e), (f) and (g) of Association Rule 16 shall apply. Team lists must be available for collection by a member of the organising Committee during the course of the competition. (Rule currently suspended)
Rule 3. Clubs may enter as many Sevens as they so desire. Clubs may enter joint Sevens. No player can play for more than one Seven during the course of the competition.
Rule 4. Entry fee for the competition shall be arranged by the Association.
Rule 5. Each Seven shall be allowed SIX by EIGHT ball overs in all rounds.
Rule 6. Six members of the team shall bowl in succession, the Wicket-Keeper being excepted, and only six wickets shall fall. In the event of a nominated player failing to appear in time to bowl his over, or being unable through injury to bowl his over the opposing Captain shall nominate any of the other bowlers to bowl his over. The Wicket-Keeper shall not bowl under any circumstances.
Rule 7. Each competing team shall provide one Umpire, who shall be allocated to matches by the Committee running the Tournament.
Rule 8. The first matches each evening shall commence at 6.30p.m., and the second matches at 7.45p.m.
Rule 9. In the event of the Tie ending in equal number of runs, one over shall be bowled by each team. Any member of the seven to bat or bowl.
Rule 10. The Management Committee of the Aberdeenshire Cricket Association shall exercise full control over the Tournament and may amend the Rules of the Competition as may be deemed necessary.
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JUNIOR COMPETITION RULES
All rules for junior age-group competitions shall be as set by the Grampian Junior Cricket Group at its Annual General Meeting.
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