Bowler exceeding overs limit

[johnfgolding]

I was standing in a match yesterday where adult bowlers are limited to 12 overs per match.

I was at the strikers end and noticed the bowler about to start his 13th over. I tried to attract my partners attention but failed to do so before the bowler started his run up and completed a delivery.
My partner had simply mis counted.

What should happen after that first ball?
What if a wicket was taken?

[fatpunter]

Hindsight being a marvellous thing, I would have shouted across to my colleague before the over had started.

However, after one ball I would have called a "dead ball" and got the over restarted with another bowler. I'm not sure if this is techinically correct but it seems to make sense to me.

Just as a point, it is always bowlers who are restricted. Why not have batsmen retire at, say, 50. Why should a bowler be penalised? [glow=red,2,300][/glow]

[wisden17]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

If you noticed that he was about to bowl a 13th over you should have tried to attract the attention of your partner quite quickly and obviously. I actually had this situation in a match, where my partner had miscounter, so to attract attention (as the bowler was back at his mark) I walked very quickly over towards my partner shouting his name quite loudly. Did the trick and got the problem sorted.

However, as in your case where the bowler has started the over the best thing to do is to take the bowled off and get a new bowler to bowl the over (and of course the 5 balls will then count as 1 full over for that bowler's 12 overs).

[swerveman]

This happened in a U12 game a couple of weeks ago. I twigged what was going on just too late, and we did what fatpunter suggested, forgot about the ball just bowled and had a complete over with a new bowler.

Mind you, with an adult it might be a good idea to follow wisden17's advice, and just complete the over with a new bowler.

[wisden17]

I suppose I should add that what you could also do if that you notice and fail to attract your partner's attention before the bowler starts his run-up then you ought to simply call and signal dead ball, and stop the ball from ever being delivered.

[johnfgolding]

Thank you. We actually followed Wisdens advice counted the one ball and then let a new bowler finish off the remaining 5 balls. Both teams were happy with the outcome. But what if that ball had taken a wicket?

I did shout to my colleague and showed him, from a distance, my score card. He acknowledged my signal and made me wonder whether I had miscounted.
This is easy to deal with when not under match pressure, when you have about 15 seconds at the most to realise and react towhat is going on.
Fortunately both captains, as I mentioned previously, were happy at the outcome. In fact we both got marked very highly by the captains in their match report.

[wisden17]

Well even if the ball took a wicket you could have an interesting situation! You really need to let it not get to that stage, and in the example you've provided John, I'd have made sure I went and spoke to my colleague, and if there was any doubt then to check with the scorers.

However, if it does happen that the ball is bowled and a wicket is taken then my answer doesn't change. The wicket stands and you simply take the bowler off after that and get on with the game (and hope at this point it is only a friendly and not a cup final!)

[umpireindia]

Wisden is right. You can recall signal that you made. But not a delivery that was bowled due to your miscount. If you notice that in the middle of the over, the overs will stand as they are and another bowler has to comeplet that part over and this will count as one over for the over limit for the other bowler as well.

[daveb]

I feel that this type of error, and we all make errors, only illustrates how important it is that both umpires regulary consult with each other. Not just when a wicket falls but at all times, and particulary when such restrictions are in place.