Old Gits Cricket Board

When permission for recreational cricket is given there will need to be a number of amendments to playing regulations. These are listed below and will be adhered to at all times.

Matches will be limited to 20 overs per side but may be reduced for older age groups i.e 5 overs per side for Over 90’s.

All teams must bring with them a Balls Officer and a Health Officer in addition to team members. All members must travel individually in their cars to the ground unless walking, in which case they must bring a chair with them. The teams must park their vehicles (or chairs) in a row behind the boundary on the opposite side of the ground to the opposition, with at least 5 yards between vehicles (or chairs).

Team members must travel to the ground changed into their kit. Any player attempting to change at the ground will incur a penalty of 10 runs which will be added to the oppositions batting total.

The Health Officer must bring to the ground and erect a toilet tent and portable toilet placed a suitable distance behind the cars. If they need to players must use this facility queuing in a socially acceptable manner. The Health Officer must deep clean the tent after every usage. Any player relieving himself/herself in any other manner will incur a penalty of 10 runs. Play may not be held up because there is a queue. Note. It is permissible for one member of the team to drive in a motorhome which contains a toilet which may then be designate the team toilet, but must be supervised as above by the Health officer.

During the break between innings all members of both teams must return to their vehicle (or chair) and consume any food or drink they have brought with them. Passing food between players is not permitted.

The umpires, whether aged over 70 or not must wear full length protective clothing.

The Balls Officer must bring with him/her three boxes and two bottles of hand sanitiser. In each of two boxes there must be 60 cricket balls. When fielding a box of balls and a hand sanitiser must be placed 20 yards directly behind each set of stumps. The procedure for the bowler is that he uses the sanitiser on his hands, picks a ball from the box and bowls, and sanitises his hands again before selecting the next ball. After each ball is bowled the ball must be finally returned to the wicket keeper who must roll it off the field of play towards the Balls Officer, who must collect it and place it in his third box so that at the end of the innings he has 120 balls in the box. These must then be isolated for a minimum of 72 hours after which they may be used again. Whilst collecting the balls the Balls Officer must wear disposable gloves.

To maintain social distancing the following must apply. The wicket keeper cannot stand up to the stumps. The only permitted close offside fielding positions behind the stumps will be third slip, gulley and old fashioned point. The non striker must run up and down a parallel wicket at least two strips away. Run outs at the non strikers end can only be effected by the bowler, wicket keeper or by a direct hit. If a throw misses it can only be retrieved by the bowler, wicket keeper or the thrower. Any transgressions of these rules will result in a penalty of 10 runs for each offence and therefore more than one penalty can be incurred whist one ball is in play. For example if first and second slips were in place and long off nipped behind a tree to relieve himself then a penalty of 30 runs would apply.

If a player is injured the Health Officer must bring on the First Aid kit and from a suitable distance throw it to the injured player so he can treat himself. Should a batsman be hit in the nether regions players may gather round in a socially acceptably distanced circle and offer advice to the batsman writhing on the ground.

If at any time in the game players collide with each other 20 runs penalty are applied if they are on the same side. If on opposite sides the umpire will apply a penalty of 20 runs against the player he judges caused the collision. In all cases after the match all players involved in a collision must return home and self isolate for 14 days.

If during play a batsman manages to hit the ball so it strikes either of the boxes or sanitiser bottles then his side is awarded 10 extra runs. If however he hits the ball into the box of balls then 30 runs are added to his personal score.

At the end of the match both sides must line up socially distanced on the boundary in front of their cars and shout congratulatory comments or insults to each other depending how the match has been played.

These rules have been approved by Boris for matches in England. For Wales Lord Drakeford has said that he will need to take three weeks to study them before granting acceptance. In Scotland the First Minister has asked for a consultative document on what cricket is.