So you think you know the Laws?

The following has been suspended until further notice although Mike Dixon is willing to resurrect if there is sufficient demand.
(Saturday 8th July 2006)

page set by Mike Dixon (MCUA)

In my role as Training Officer, I thought it would be a good idea to set a question each week on the laws of the game to test the knowledge of umpires (good) against players (not so good). I will post the answer each week with a new question. Hopefully this will raise some stimulating conversation on the forum. replies to mcua@blueyonder.co.uk

Well, here's this week's teaser:-

Saturday 8th July 2006

Answer 15:
When a 'no ball' has been called and the striker is not attempting a run and out of his ground, he cannot be run out SOLELY by the wicket keeper. A fielder or combination of a fielder and wicket keeper can effect the run out but the wicket keeper soley cannot.

Saturday 1st July 2006

Question 15:
A 'no ball' is called.  The striker is standing out of his ground 'gardening' but not attempting to run. The wicket keeper collects the ball from in front of the stumps where it has come to rest. He breaks the wicket at the striker's end with the striker some 2 feet out of his ground. There is an appeal. Which umpire answers this and what is his answer?

Answer 14:
The appeal is for 'hit wicket' and this is answered soley by the striker's end umpire. The answer to the appeal is NOT OUT. The striker can only be out hit wicket if he sets off for a run IMMEDIATELY after playing a stroke or receiving the ball and then breaking his wicket as a result. If he sets off after a delay and then breaks his wicket he cannot be out 'hit wicket'.

Saturday 24th June 2006

Question 14:
The Umpires can allow a 12 a side game. However, if they do so they must ensure that NO MORE than 11 players field at any one time.

Answer 13:
The striker hits a fair delivery to cover point. He calls "NO" and remains in his ground making no attempt to run. The ball is misfielded and the striker calls "YES" and sets off for a run. In doing so, he stands on his stumps and there is an appeal by the fielding side. What will the appeal be for?  Which umpire answers the appeal?  How does he answer the appeal?

Saturday 17th June 2006

Question 13:
At the pre-toss meeting, both Captains ask the umpires if a 12 a side game could be played instead of the normal 11 a side game. What advice would you and your colleague give to the Captains? If agreeing to the request, what must both umpires constantly check for throughout both innings?

Answer 12:
The bowler can attempt to run out the striker by throwing the ball at the striker's wicket and the attempt must be made prior to him reaching his delivery stride. If attempting to run out the striker, EITHER umpire can call and signal 'no ball' and play continues as it would for any other 'no ball' delivery. If the ball eludes the wicket keeper and crosses the boundary, a boundary 4 will be scored as 'no ball' extras.  In total 5 'no ball' extras would be scored. The ball does not count as one in the over. The bowler's end umpire should caution the bowler for the throw. It is likely under the circumstances for the striker's end umpire to make the call of 'no ball' as he would have a clearer view of the throw in the bowler's run up. Any successful run out as a result of the throw, will be upheld.

Saturday 10th June 2006

Question 12:
If the bowler throws the ball at the non strikers wicket in an attempt to run him and and he fails to do so, the umpire at the bowlers end will calland signal dead ball. The ball does not count in the over. The striker's end umpire is not required to take any action.

Answer 11:
The bowler in his run up throws the ball at the strikers wicket in an attempt to run him out. He misses the strikers wicket and the ball eludes the wicket keeper and runs over the boundary. What signals, if any, is the bowler's end umpire required to make?  What signals, if any, is the striker's end umpire required to take?

Saturday 3rd June 2006

Question 11:
A bowler in his run up stops and throws the ball at the non striker's wicket in an attempt to run him out as the non striker is clearly out of his ground. The ball misses the stumps but crosses the boundary. What signals should the bowler's end umpire make to the scorers?  Is the striker's end umpire required to take any action?

Answer 10:
The batsman's stance at the time the ball comes into play is what matters. If he is a normal right hander and then changes to a left hander, his right handed stance is what is to be considered and vice versa should he be a normal left hander and then change to a right hander.

Saturday 27th May 2006

Question 10:
1. A right handed batsman changes his stance to left handed before the bowler bowls and the ball hits him on the pad after pitching outside his old leg stump which is now his off stump. 

2. A right handed batsman changes his stance to left handed before the bowler bowls and the ball hits him on the pad after pitching outside his old off stump which is now his leg stump. 

Could he be given out 'lbw' under these circumstances?

(This question was prompted by Kevin Pietersen's reverse sweep for six off Muttiah Muralitharan during the recent test match against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston).

Answer 9:
The ball is dead when the batsmen offers no stroke and the batsman made no attempt to run. The act of illegal fielding, ie throwing the hat on the ball, does not come into consideration when the ball is dead.  Not many umpires call and signal dead ball when the ball hits the pads and no stroke is offered by the batsman if they do not run but the laws statethat this should be done.

Saturday 20th May 2006

Question 9:
The bowler bowls a fair delivery which hits the striker on the pad without the player offering a shot.  The ball rolls towards silly mid off who takes his cap off and throws it on the ball.  What is the umpire at the bowler's end required to do?

Answer 8:
Once nominated, a player cannot be changed without the consent of the opposing captain, who may if he chooses, decline.  If permission is granted, the replacement player may take a full part in the game without any restrictions.  A replacement may be requested at any time during the match. Should a replacement be approved, the scorers must be informed as soon as possible.

If the request is declined, the umpires may allow a substitute who can only field, cannot bat, bowl, keep wicket or act as captain.

Saturday 13th May 2006

Question 8:
You and your colleague are walking onto the field of play for the start of the game when you are approached by the fielding captain.  He tells you that one of his players has fallen, twisted his ankle and will not be able to take any part in the game.  He asks you if he can change him as a nominated player.  State in full what advice you and your colleague would give, whether he can be changed as a nominated player, what dictates this and what are his options if he cannot be changed?

Answer 7:
The striker's end umpire can answer an appeal for lbw only if it was from the last ball of the previous over and provided that time has not been called and the ball from the next over has not come into play. Most unusual and highly unlikely and in all probability you would probably not be bought a drink in the bar if you answered in the affirmative?

Saturday 6th May 2006

Question 7:
Can a batsman be given out lbw by the striker's end Umpire? If so, under what circumstances and if not, why not?

Answer 6:
No Ball, Wide Ball, Dead Ball and Short Run at the Umpire's end.

Saturday 29th April 2006

Question 6:
What four signals made by an Umpire are accompanied by a call?

Answer 5:
(a) the other Umpire, (b) whether the replacement can take a full part as an umpire, (c)  he will stand at the striker's end only.

Saturday 22nd April 2006

Question 5:
One of the umpires is taken ill and leaves the field.  An club official from the home club says that one of the spectators would be prepared to umpire for the remainder of the match. 
(a)  Who is required to make the decision as to who takes over as umpire? 
(b)  The captains are permitted to agree on one specific point about the replacement.  What is that point?
(c)  What happens if they do not agree on this point?

Answer 4:
No Ball. Signal Bye to indicate that the striker did not hit the ball with his bat.  The runs are allowed because the striker although not playing a shot, was attempting to avoid being hit by the ball.  Signal boundary 4. A six can only be scored off the bat.  So 5 no ball extras have been scored all debited to the bowler's analysis.

Saturday 15th April 2006

Question 4:
The bowler's end umpire calls 'no ball' for a fast short pitched delivery. The striker ducks but the ball flicks off his helmet and flies over the boundary on the full, behind the wicket keeper. What signals do you make to the scorers?

Answer 3:
The striker's end Umpire would answer 'not out'. On the call of 'wide ball' by the bowler's end umpire, the game is concluded. The side batting would have obtained the one run for the 'wide ball', won the game and anything that happens after that is irrelevant.

Saturday 8th April 2006

Question 3:
Last ball of the game, Side A batting needs 1 run to win, side B bowling needs 1 wicket to win.  Bowler bowls the ball and the striker walks down the pitch to hit the ball. He misses and is out of his ground when he is stumped by the wicketkeeper. The bowler's end umpire has called and signalled 'wide ball'.  There is an appeal to the striker's end umpire. What is his decision?

Answer 2:
The striker is out caught. You would think that logic states that the sequence of events would dictate the answer, i.e. the non striker being out of his ground when his wicket is put down. However, as most people know logic has very little to do with cricket! Caught takes precedence over all dismissal other than bowled.  Therefore the striker is out caught.

Saturday 1st April 2006

Question 2:
The striker hits a fair delivery directly back to the bowler who knocks the ball onto the non striker's wickets with the non striker out of his ground.  The ball cannons off the stumps and is caught by mid on.  At no time did the ball hit the ground.  There is an appeal.  What is the decision of the bowler's end umpire and why?

Answer 1:
The batting side has won, so the striker's end umpire would answer 'not out'.  The instant the winning run is completed the ball is dead and the match is over - the bowler's end umpire called 'time' and removed the bails.

If this had NOT been the winning run, then the ball would still have been in play, the injured striker would have been run out and NO RUNS would have been scored. 

Congratulations to John Armstrong who replied to me directly with a correct 'version' of the above.

Saturday 25th March 2006

Question 1:
The batting side needs 2 runs to win. The striker is injured and has a runner. He hits the ball into the outfield and the runner and non striker complete 2 runs as the ball is returned to the wicketkeeper who properly breaks the wicket with the injured batsman standing outside his ground. The wicketkeeper appeals. What is the match situation and how should the striker's end umpire answer the appeal?