First-class cricket
31-502: The Middlesex County Cricket League (MCCL) is the only adult Saturday league for recreational club cricket in the historic county of Middlesex , England. In practical terms, this means it encompasses teams from North and West London. The league was founded in 1972, and since 1999 the top division of the Middlesex County Cricket League has been a designated ECB Premier League . Four MCCL clubs have won
62-548: A captain declares their team's innings closed and a forfeiture occurs when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings without batting. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 15 of the Laws of Cricket . This concept applies only to matches in which each team is scheduled to bat in two innings; Law 15 specifically does not apply in any form of limited overs cricket . The captain of the batting side may declare an innings closed, when
93-560: A club who are in the well-known Birmingham League . Similarly, Steve Smith and David Warner played in Sydney Grade Cricket during their suspension from the Australia national cricket team during 2018-19. Standards of play can vary from semi-professional to occasional recreational level. While many clubs train in similar ways to professional teams, village or park cricket is played purely for fun, and club cricket
124-660: A game against Kent at the Bat and Ball Ground in Gravesend , Wright declared Nottinghamshire's second innings closed on 157 for 5 to set Kent a target of 231 to win. The tactic nearly paid off as the game was drawn with Kent on 98 for 9 and Nottinghamshire requiring one more wicket to win. Frank May proposed at the Annual General Meeting of the Marylebone Cricket Club on 2 May 1906 that in
155-489: A result. Only one innings has been voluntarily forfeited in Test cricket . This was on 18 January 2000 at Centurion , South Africa , in the fifth and final Test between South Africa and England . South Africa had already won the series, as they were up 2–0 (with 2 matches drawn) after the first four matches. After South Africa scored 155 for 6 on the first day, rain washed out the next three days. With only one day remaining,
186-440: A result. Winning a game gains a team considerably more points than drawing it, so captains are often willing to risk giving the opposition an opportunity to win that they otherwise would not have had as long as they are getting a similar opportunity in return. In August 2020, in a rain-affected match between Durham and Leicestershire in the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy , both teams agreed to forfeit an innings in an attempt to produce
217-407: A small degree of bias is occasionally perceived, this arrangement functions remarkably well. The same scenario applies to scorers . Some teams may have an official scorer who attends all of their home games, but often it is simply left to the batting side to keep score. It is expected that this task is undertaken with impartiality. One means for the fielding side to prevent cheating is to ensure that
248-476: A target for the opposing team) against those of declaring too late or not at all (thus making it easier for the opponents to force a draw preventing the completion of the match). In May 1889, the laws of cricket were revised to allow for declarations but on condition they only took place on the final day of the match. The first captain to declare in English first-class cricket was Charles Wright in 1890 . In
279-469: A two-day match, the captain of the batting side has power to declare their innings closed at any time, but such declaration may not be made on the first day later than one hour and forty minutes before the hour of drawing stumps. After some discussion the resolution was passed. Before declarations were made legal, batsmen of a team that wanted to get the other team to bat again would deliberately get themselves out, leading to some farcical situations, where
310-564: Is a mainly amateur, but still formal form of the sport of cricket , usually involving teams playing in competitions at weekends or in the evening. There is a great deal of variation in game format although the Laws of Cricket are observed. The main nations that club cricket is played in include Pakistan , England , Australia , South Africa , Sri Lanka , West Indies , New Zealand , Bangladesh , Nepal , Zimbabwe , Kenya , Ireland , Wales , Scotland , Netherlands , Hong Kong and in some of
341-478: Is limiting the game by time only. Games can range from a few hours in the evening to three days long. Saturday league cricket is the most serious format of club cricket. The game will usually be a limited overs contest of between 40 and 60 overs per side, with bonus points awarded based on runs, wickets, and whether or not the match was a "winning draw" or an outright win to one-side. This format of cricket covers teams that vary in standard between occasional players in
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#1732781134250372-478: Is often enjoyed as much for the social element as for the competition. This is particularly true in England where the between-innings teas and post-match beer are as important as the result. However, this may vary depending on the standard. In the higher leagues, umpires are appointed by the local umpires association to preside over the game and receive a fee and transport allowance for their time. However, as
403-601: The Cricketer Cup ; and amateur clubs such as the Free Foresters , I Zingari and the XL Club . Whereas professional cricketers often tour abroad during the winter, many amateur cricket clubs play indoor cricket during the winter months, leading to a full 12 month calendar of cricket fixtures for the keen amateur cricketer. Declaration (cricket) In the sport of cricket , a declaration occurs when
434-752: The ECB National Club Cricket Championship : Enfield (1988), Hampstead (1969), Southgate (1977), and Teddington (1989 and 1991). Ealing have won the ECB National Club Twenty20 twice (2011 and 2015). The MCCL was officially founded in 1972, after holding a 'dry run' in 1971 to ensure that the league's launch went smoothly. It was founded with 16 clubs as members (Brentham, Brondesbury, Ealing, Edmonton, Enfield, Finchley, Hornsey, North Middlesex, Richmond, Shepherds Bush, South Hampstead, Southgate, Stanmore, Teddington, Wembley, and Winchmore Hill), and in
465-590: The Middlesex Championship ahead of the 2021 season. Following those mergers the League consists of six full divisions and a shorthanded seventh division for first XIs; five full divisions and a reduced size fifth division for second XIs; and nine divisions for third, fourth and fifth XIs. Source: Club cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms Club cricket
496-455: The UK for entry into the higher divisions of club competitions. The rest of the actual field is always natural grass. Most clubs have their own ground to play on regularly, including a field and pavilion or club house. Some also have nets for practice. These facilities may be owned or leased by the club itself, or may be provided by the local authority. A groundsman may be employed to look after
527-444: The ball is dead , at any time during a match. Usually this is because the captain thinks their team has already scored enough runs to win the match and does not wish to consume any further time batting which would make it easier for the opponents to play out for a draw . Tactical declarations are sometimes used in other circumstances. A captain considering declaration must balance the risks of declaring too early (thus setting too low
558-413: The fielding side would make no attempt to dismiss a batsman who was trying to be dismissed. Under the current Laws, a captain may forfeit either of their side's innings. A forfeited innings shall be considered as a completed innings. Usually this happens in shorter competitive two-innings matches, where captains need to agree with each other how to set up the match so that there is a reasonable chance of
589-495: The first season Hornsey won the league title with ten wins from their fifteen fixtures. Nine of the ten clubs who are expected to play in the Premier Division in 2024 were among these founder members. The format of matches was the same for the formation of the league until 2014, with all matches played on a "timed" basis, with draws possible. From 2015 onwards, the format was changed in the Premier Division such that half
620-531: The game where the condition of the pitch and ground changes radically from one week to the next). These matches usually have two innings per side. Most players are amateur, but often cricket clubs employ the services of professionals as coaches and players. Many of these have played first-class or Test cricket . Also, first-class players returning from injury will sometimes appear at club level as match practice - for example, Shoaib Akhtar during Pakistan's tour of England in 2006 when he played for Berkswell C.C,
651-405: The laws only permitted a side to forfeit its second innings, so England's first innings was treated as having been declared at 0 for 0 after 0 balls. England went on to score 251 for 8 and win by 2 wickets. It later emerged that Cronje had been approached by a bookmaker , and asked to ensure the game would end with a positive result. Nasser Hussain and the England team were not aware of this at
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#1732781134250682-420: The lower divisions to professional and ex-professional players in the highest leagues. Friendly cricket often takes place on a Sunday. These games tend to follow the more traditional format of declaration cricket in which a time limit or number of overs - typically 80 to 120 - is set for the whole match. It is then up to the team batting first to declare their innings early enough to give themselves time to bowl
713-570: The major cities in India . Club cricket is also now played in the United States and Canada , as both countries have large communities of immigrants from mainstream cricket-playing regions such as the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia. Club cricket is usually played in league or cup format. Games are limited by either time or overs . A less common, but more traditional, format
744-472: The match was set for a certain draw. That was until Hansie Cronje , the South African captain, entered into a deal with his English counterpart, Nasser Hussain , that South Africa would continue batting till they reached about 250 and then declare. England and then South Africa would then both forfeit an innings, leaving England approximately 250 to win (in the event the target was 249). At that time,
775-421: The matches were timed, and half played in a limited overs format; in 2016, other divisions followed, with all adopting split formats. The dominant team in the league has evolved over time, with Finchley dominant in the 1970s and 1990s, while Ealing won an unprecedented seven consecutive titles from 2005 to 2011. The league is played (other than in the lowest divisions) between divisions of ten clubs, each playing
806-452: The number of umpires available is typically considerably less than the number of games scheduled, the majority of games are played without externally appointed umpires. In this scenario, members of the batting side not currently involved in the action take it in turns to take on the umpiring responsibilities, typically in stints of 10 or 15 overs at a time. The umpires are expected to remain impartial and unbiased in their judgements, and although
837-547: The opposition out and force victory. The widest variety of cricket is generally seen in this format, with teams batting second either aggressively chasing a total or attempting to bat conservatively and save the draw. Evening cricket is the least formal format of club cricket, and the route by which many new players are introduced to the game. It tends to follow the 20-20 version of the game, with additional time saving measures such as using 15 8-ball overs and not re-bowling wides or no-balls (which then count as 2 runs each rather than
868-447: The other members of their division twice for an 18 week season, commencing in early May and ending in early September. Divisions are segregated so that a first XI from one club will only play first XIs of other clubs; the same is the case for second XIs, while third, fourth and fifth XIs play in a merged competition. The MCCL has undergone two major mergers in recent years, merging with the 1987 League in 2019, and then subsequently absorbing
899-475: The pitch and the outfield on either a full-time or part-time basis, or in smaller clubs the pitch may be maintained by the players themselves on a voluntary basis. Clubs without grounds are known as "wandering" or "nomadic" clubs. Examples include the various sides affiliated to larger clubs, such as the club MCC sides and county "Gentlemen of" sides that often play against schools; school old boy sides, such as Eton Ramblers and Harrow Wanderers, which often play in
930-405: The scoreboard is updated at the end of each over. This way any unexpected change in the number of runs and wickets would quickly be noticed and challenged. Club cricket is played extensively in most cricketing nations, and also by immigrants from cricketing nations. Club cricket can take place on an artificial turf pitch or a more traditional grass pitch. A traditional grass pitch is compulsory in
961-539: The standard 1). This version of the game also puts an emphasis on inclusivity, with rules such as each bowler being limited to 2 overs each, and batsmen retiring after reaching 25 runs being used to ensure that every player has a part to play in the outcome of the game. Finally, in Australia and New Zealand two day matches are occasionally played over both Saturday and Sunday, or, alternatively, over successive Saturdays (though this can sometimes have unfortunate effects on