KOOKABURRA
MID BUCKS CRICKET LEAGUE
(In
association with HAWKINSPORT & SON)
Instituted
1974
THE LAWS OF CRICKET - THE PREAMBLE – THE SPIRIT
OF THE GAME
Cricket is a game that
owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only
within its Laws but also within the Spirit of the Game. Any action which is
seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself. The major responsibility
for ensuring the spirit of fair play rests with the captains.
1.
There are two Laws which place the
responsibility for the team’s conduct firmly on the captain.
The
captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted
within the Spirit of the Game as well as within the Laws.
In the
event of a player failing to comply with instructions by an umpire, or
criticising by word or action the decisions of an umpire, or showing dissent,
or generally behaving in a manner which might bring the game into disrepute,
the umpire concerned shall in the first place report the matter to the other
umpire and to the player’s captain, and instruct the latter to take action.
According
to the Laws the umpires are the sole judges of fair and unfair play.
The umpires
may intervene at any time and it is the responsibility of the captain to take
action where required.
3.
The umpires are authorised to
intervene in cases of :
§
Time
wasting
§
Damaging
the pitch
§
Dangerous
or unfair bowling
§
Tampering
with the ball
§
Any
other action that they consider to be unfair
4.
The Spirit of the Game involves
RESPECT for:
§
Your
opponents
§
Your
own captain and team
§
The
role of the umpires
§
The
games traditional values
5.
It is against the Spirit of the
Game:
§
To
dispute an umpire’s decision by word, action or gesture
§
To
direct abusive language towards an opponent or umpire
§
To
indulge in cheating or any sharp practice, for instance:
(a)
to
appeal knowing that the batsman is not out
(b) to advance towards an umpire in an
aggressive manner when appealing
(c) to seek to distract an opponent
either verbally or by harassment with persistent clapping or unnecessary noise
under the guise of enthusiasm and motivation of one’s own side.
There is no
place for any act of violence on the field of play.
Captains
and umpires together set the tone for the conduct of a cricket match. Each
player is expected to make an important contribution to this.