Teams bowling slow over rates to be fined

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33095, 9 December 1972, Page 46

Teams bowling slow over rates to be fined

(N.Z.P.A. -Reuter—Copyright) LONDON. England’s test and county cricket board has tightened up the rule regarding a bowler running on to the pitch. After a meeting yesterday, the board announced that in future an umpire who warns a bowler that he is running unfairly on the pitch must also tell the umpire at the other end.

' During last season, and especially in the test match at Nottingham where the Australian fast bowler, D. K. Lillee, was warned, there was some confusion as to whether Lille could start afresh, without any warnings, from the Other end.

The board also announced that it would take strong action to improve the over rate. Counties failing to average 18J overs an hour will be fined. “The amount of the fine may be in the region of £5OO (about $985), and it is proposed that the money brought in would be distributed among the counties managing to average 19| overs an hour or more,” said the board’s assistant secretary, Mr J. Bailey. On the figures for the 1972 season in the county cricket championship, only Hampshire, with 19.04, and Leicestershire, 18.86, managed an over rate which would avoid penalty — and no team sent down the overs fast enough to qualify for a bonus.