Wisden's Answers To Cricket Queries

Northern Advocate, 4 December 1947, Page 9

Wisden's Answers To Cricket Queries

The value of* official umpires in club cricke.it matches in Whangarei this season has often been stressed by players who appreciate the enthusiasm of the few who have come forward to offer their services in this worthwhile capacity. Unfortunately the umpires have not yet been formed into an association and while some of them are rather strange to their jobs, this makes it difficult for members to discuss rules and the many interesting points which crop up in the course of a season. play. One point which has been noticeable on one or two occasions at Kensington Park has been the apparent oversight of umpires to signal “no-balls.” This has caused a little confusion among scorers, but has been put right by a cjuery. SIGNALLING To assist umpires, players and scorers to understand the correct code of signals, the following extract has been taken from Wisden’s latest edition. “Boundaries shall be signalled by waving the hand from side to side. *‘A boundary six shall be signalled by raising both arms above the head. “Byes shall be signalled by raising the open hand above the head. “Leg byes shall be signalled by raising the leg and touching it with the hand. “Wides shall be signalled by extending both arms horizontally. “No-balls shall be signalled by extending one arm horizontally. “The decision ‘Out’ shall be signalled by raising the index finger above the head. “ ‘One short’ shall be signalled by bending the arrfl upwards and bytouching the top of the.nearest shoulder with the tips of the fingers of one hand.” SCORING “NO-BALLS” Discussions frequently occur on the correct method of scoring in the case of “no-balls.” The point raised is: Does the “noball” count against the bowler in the final bowling analysis ? When no runs are scored from the “no-ball,” Wisden’s says that the bowler is not debited with the run. To quote: “If no run is scored from the bat off a “no-ball,” the latter should be entered as an extra and a dot placed on the bowling analysis with a circle round it to show that the ball does not count in the over. “If runs are scored from the bat off a “no-ball,” they should be credited to the striker and entered in the bowling analysis with a circle round the figure. Such runs count against the bowler in his analysis even though the ball does not count in the over. “Whatever runs are scored from “wide balls” are entered as “extras” and inserted in the bowler’s analysis with a cross to indicate that the ball does not count in the over.” Another point raised recently concerned the batsman running after a wicket has been broken by a throwin. A batsman may run when this has happened and', > if} a fieldsman wishes to run him out, he must lift a stump from the ground with the ball in his hands. THE LAST OVER

Yet another question which cropped up affected the law concerning the last over. Wisden’s deals with the matter in its entirety thus: /“Cricketers everywhere will welcome the introduction of a law on the controversial last over of a match. MCC proposes that this shall be played right out at the request of either captain, even if a wicket falls after time has been reached. “Under the laws now in operation, if a wicket goes down within two minutes of time, stumps are pulled up, unless the incoming batsman claims his right to bat for the time remaining; but if a batsman is out after time has been reached play ceases at that point. “The present law gives an unfair advantage to the batting side as, in some circumstances, it can pursue a possible victory and, in others, can deprive its opponents of forcing a win by declining to finish the over if a wicket falls within two minutes of time. “It must be emphasised that the option of completing the over will apply only at the end of a match. At all intervals, such as lunch, tea, and close of play on other days time will be called if a wicket falls or a batsman retires within two minutes of that interval, even though an over is incomplete.”