BOWLING : Stop practicing your bowling (and other changes to the Laws of cricket)

Years ago, changes to the Laws of cricket changed the game.

Round arm allowed bowlers to increase their pace in the 1800’s. In the 1930’s, the Bodyline controversy caused fielding restrictions and the banning of the overuse of bouncers.

Dramatic stuff.

These days Law changes don’t have quite the impact, but they still happen.

Canny cricketers always take a moment to find out about the changes, just in case. You wouldn’t want to miss the modern equivalent of round-arm bowling would you?

Besides, its stuff you should know for when you do your umpiring stint.

So here is the amateur cricketers guide to the latest tweaks in the Laws by the MCC (all came into force for all levels of cricket on October 1^st 2010).

You can’t delay your decision if you win the toss

It used to be the case that you could win the toss and not tell the opposition captain your decision until 10 minutes before play. It makes sense as an opener (bowler or batsman) that this isn’t very fair.

So now the decision has to be announced at the toss. And an umpire should be there.

Law 12.4 and 12.5

Bowling to mid off is banned

This is one I think will be ignored by a lot of club players. You know how you used to bowl a couple of balls to mid-off (or whoever) before you started your spell?

Well, now you can’t. The MCC consider it altering the condition of the ball illegally.

As most bowlers I play with do this, it’s going to take some smart umpires to put an end to it, especially at lower levels where the umpire is usually a player.

Law 42.3

Slow bowlers front foot must stay on the same side

In the past, it was legal for a bowler to bowl over the wicket but land his front foot on the other side of the stumps. This essentially means he (or she) is bowling around the wicket.

I’ve never seen it, but it sounds unfair to me. And it did to the MCC too, so they changed the Law to ban it.

Now you must land your whole foot on the same side of the wicket as you are bowling from.

Law 24.5

A broken bat can get you out

If your bat breaks and the broken bit dislodges a bail you are now out (before it wasn’t out).

While this seems pretty unlucky, it brings the Law into line with other weird forms of getting out like your cap hitting the stumps or the slightly more common treading on the wicket.

Law 28.1

Those are the headlines.

There are a few other changes that are less relevant to club players. I’ve never seen any of the Laws applied in their old or new form in 20 years of playing: Umpires won’t offer the light any more, batsmen lose a warning for running on a wicket, You can’t be run out of your feet are in the air after grounding your foot behind the popping crease and you can only start fielding the ball inside the boundary.

So very little drama this time around, it’s all minor stuff, but knowing it may give you the tiny advantage you need.