Over limitation

[Richard]

50 0ver game.
Each bowler is allowed to bowl 10 overs.
1st team scores 105 all out.
Next team comes to bat.
Penultimate (49th) over of the match, with batting side needing 3 runs to win with 2 wickets in hand, a bowler comes on to bowl what turns out to be his 11th over. This is not 'discovered' until his 3 rd ball. The umpire then says that the over has started so it should finish. The bowler gets the 2 wkts at the end of his 11th over.
The losing team is clearlly upset and 'protesting' the decision. It was a very important game to decide a championship.
What should happen?
Result stands ie team batting 2nd lost.
Replay the whole game.
Replay the last 2 overs.
Or something else?

[jaybee]

Once it's got to this point what you do about the result is more a matter for the body that organises the competition - it's past the point of umpiring.

I hope that I never miscount the number of overs in this way. But if I did I would have said that, although you can't undo what's already happened, the last 3 balls would have to be bowled by somebody who hadn't reached his limit (and who didn't bowl the previous over!).

Is it possible to commit hara kiri by disembowelling oneself with a cricket stump?

[Acumen]

This illustrates a mistake made by many umpires who keep a record simply by ticking off at the end of each over.

It is strongly recommended that umpires write down the actual over number against the bowler's name at the beginning of each over, which might then look like

Andy 1 3 5
Bill 2 4 6 8 10
Chris 7 9

This also gives a clear answer as to whether Andy, aged 16, would be allowed to bowl the next over.

[Reggie Duff]

In my competition, the onus is squarely on the captains to keep track of their bowlers limits.

A grand final in a lower grade was "awarded" to a team after the captain had bowled an underage player one more ball than his limit. The opposition captain knew it was about to happen and as soon as the ball was bowled he checked with the scorers - (who really should have notified the umpires before it happened anyway) and then phoned the competition executive who confirmed that under the rules as they then were that match was to be "awarded". The rule was changed after this (the captain who bowled the player was in fact the assistant administrator of the competition) so that now in such a situation, as soon as the umpires have been told about it the bowler will be taken off and the over completed by another eligible bowler.

I did come across this after the rule change where we were notified after the first ball of the over - fortunately it was a wide, so both captains agreed that the 1 run for the wide would stand and that an eligible bowler would bowl the rest of the over.

[missingleg]

I find that very unfair. Does that competiton expect the captains to carry overs cards. In my understanding it is the captains who have the duty of care for juniors & their restrictions and the umpires who are responsible for making sure the grand limit isn't exceeded (although I would still tke responsibility for a junior going past a spell limitation).

Acumen is definately right about the importance of noting the over number of each over bowled. For one, you can't possibly say when a junior can come back, also it's far easier to look back and correct yourself when you go wrong. Simply ticking off the card isn't good enough for these issues.

[jaybee]

Aug 11, 2011 14:42:46 GMT missingleg said:

I find that very unfair. Does that competition expect the captains to carry overs cards. In my understanding it is the captains who have the duty of care for juniors & their restrictions and the umpires who are responsible for making sure the grand limit isn't exceeded (although I would still take responsibility for a junior going past a spell limitation).

In my experience captains tend to ask the umpire to confirm how many overs juniors are allowed and, from time to time, how many overs they have left or when they can come back on. But I don't think it's unfair of the organisers of the competition to put the onus on the captain - he can always ask the umpires/scorers if he's unsure.

Acumen is definately right about the importance of noting the over number of each over bowled. For one, you can't possibly say when a junior can come back, also it's far easier to look back and correct yourself when you go wrong. Simply ticking off the card isn't good enough for these issues.

I agree. This year I started using Acumen's Umpire's Log Book and it made it much easier to keep track of the overs for juniors.
My only criticism is that some of the boxes are a bit small to write in though there's obviously a problem fitting it all in and keeping the size down so that it can easily go in the pocket.
[Do I get a discount for the advert?]

[Acumen]

Thanks for the plug.

I do appreciate that it needs a sharp pencil and keen eyesight or reading glasses. It was the best compromise I could make in view of the need to include space for timings. Any suggestions to improve would be welcome.

I sometimes "cheat" with a bowler on a long spell by going:
1 3 5 7 9 11 3 5 7 9 21 3 5 7 9 31 3.

I always place a thick vertical line at the end of a spell - and try to ensure the tens figure is shown in full in the last box/

[SUHAS SAPRE]

Hi,

Earlier such type of mistakes have occurred at the international level. One of the English umpires had made this mistake in a ODI match at Sharjaha a few years back, and he had to cancel that over. The moment you notice a mistake has occurred, correct it immediately.

Here one could have averted the mistake at the very moment, it came into light. You can either cancel the over or if something had happened, you could just ask the captain of the fielding side that mistake is occurred that your bowler is bowling his 11th over, and need to be changed immediately. Allow another bowler, who has not completed his over of quota and neither he would have bowled the previous over nor he could bowl next over, to complete that over (i.e. remaining 3 balls).

What would happen if a batsman is out of a 7th ball of an over? Its a part of the game. It will stand. But if after 7th ball is bowled and you are informed by your colleague that the over is finished, you have to immediately call over, even though that 7th ball is not a legitimate delivery.

In your case, the moment the umpire is informed he cannot say over started and got to be finished. He should have immediately confirm and consult with his colleague and from the Official Scorer. In my opinion, the other bowler should have finished the over by bowling remaining 3 balls.

As the umpire allowed that over, it will stand and the result will also thereby to stand as it is. Result cannot be changed unless there is a mistake in score has occurred that effects the result of the match and if the time for the match is left thereby or overs are remained to be bowled. Nothing could happen than what I described here. Its an human error and everybody must accept it. Winning, losing are part of the game. But remember, nowadays, if an over is miscounted and it needs to be corrected if somebody immediately points it out. For an example, if an umpire calls 'over; when still 1 ball is left to be bowled in the over, even though he has left his position, as soon as it is pointed out, he should revoke the call of 'over' and should allow that remaining ball to be bowled. But if the mistake is not pointed out immediately then it will stand.

The umpire should have corrected his mistake no sooner the mistake was brought to his notice. That is the blunder of the event, nothing else.

SUHAS SAPRE (BARODA 17/08/2011)

[Acumen]

I am pleased to announce that Acumen Books has at last received the new supply of Umpire Log Books (record the overs and the times etc - also contains useful crib sheets) £8.00 inc UK p&p cheque with order 167 Nantwich Rd, Audley, ST7 8DL

[sillypoint]

There are two separate issues raised by this discussion. First, in any situation where there are limits to a bowler's total overs or spell, it is fundamental umpiring technique that you must keep accurate records. Second, if a mistake is discovered, as in the initial scenario, you have to live with it but you most certainly must not persist with it. The bowler should have been replaced immediately.