Twilight Cricket Rules
Twilight cricket is played under the standard rules of cricket with the following exceptions.
1. Each game shall consist of one innings per team, each innings consisting of twenty; six ball overs. Only orange Regent Day-Glo balls of good quality should be used (captains must present their match ball for exchange prior to play and only the balls exchanged may be used in the match).
2. A team must have a minimum of 7 players by 5.45 pm to constitute a game. Games start at 5.30 pm sharp. If a team does not have 7 players ready to play at 5.35 pm, then that team automatically loses the toss and forfeits the game at 5.45 pm.
3. The first innings should be completed no later than 6.40 pm. If the full 20 overs have not been bowled by this time then the innings is reduced and the team to bat receives the same number of overs. This rule should be strictly adhered to during the early and latter parts of the season; otherwise captains may agree to waive the rule.
4. The fielding side may bowl from only one end with the batsmen swapping ends at the completion of each over. This is a time saving measure which may be disregarded by captain’s agreement.
5. Batsmen must retire upon scoring 30 runs, this occurs when their last scoring shot equals or passes30 runs i.e. at 29 a 4 is scored, batsman is retired on 33 not out.
However, if the batting team is dismissed before the allotted over’s are completed the not out batsmen may bat again but must retire on the same basis. (If there is more than 1 not out batsman they must bat in order of first retired).
- If a team commences play with only 7 players (the minimum permissible) the not out batsman may return to bat only after all other team players have batted.
- If players field for a team and for any reason forfeit their turn to bat so as to provide a not out batsman with and advanced opportunity to bat again that opportunity to bat again is forfeited.
6. There shall be no dismissals by way of LBW.
7. Each bowler may bowl a maximum of two overs each. If a team has 9 players or less then some players will be required to bowl 3 overs, these players must be elected by the batting captain during the course of the innings.
8. Ineligibility Rule
Players may only play for a team in a semi or final if that player has played a minimum of 5 games for the team during the season.
- Division 1: no more than 2 Premier and 2 Senior A Saturday players.
- Division 2: no more than 1 Premier and 2 Senior A Saturday players.
- Division 3: no Premier or Senior A players.
(a player is deemed to be a Saturday grade player by virtue of playing 3 or more matches in any Saturday Premier or Senior A competition, restrictions do not apply to Saturday Senior B or C grade teams). This rule may be waived by the opposing captain. A team found in breach of these rules through protest with the HCA will forfeit the match and be deducted equivalent points of a win.
9. Wides
A ball is deemed to be wide if it passes the batsman down the leg side eg must pass outside the leg stump and not over it and if the delivery passes down leg side but not leg side of the bats man then the delivery shall be a legitimate delivery.
An off side wide is called when the ball passes outside the off stump by a distance greater than the full length of a bat i.e. nothing wider than 6 inches inside the edge of the concrete pad. If a pitch has been marked for wides, use that as your guide.
Wides are automatically given 2 runs and are not re bowled, except in the 20th over. A wide is recorded against the bowler as a square and recorded a 2 in the extra’s column and 2 runs added to the teams running total. Wides are also recorded against the bowler’s figures.
If a wide ball is hit by the bats man or strikes the bats man or any part of his equipment then it is not a wide.
If the bats man chooses to run on a wide then the 2 runs will not apply and the bats man scores runs completed only and can be run out.
In the event of a wide delivery crossing the boundary 4 runs are recorded as extras’.
This is shown as a 4 encompassed by a square against the bowler, 4 runs are recorded in the extras’ column and 4 runs added to the running total.
A bats man may be stumped off a wide but the batting team still receives the 2 extras’.
Notes: If a ball going wide is hit by the batsman, or strikes either the batsman or any part of his equipment then it is not a wide. The exception to the rule is when the ball hits the edge of the pitch or matting or bounces off the pitch on the full. In this circumstance it is still a wide but treated like a no ball in that the batsman may hit it and not be out except run out. If the ball hits the batsman or his equipment in this situation it is still regarded as a wide. However if the batsman hits the ball then the ball is no longer a wide and whatever runs are scored off the bat; count, the batting team does not however also get the 2 runs for a wide.
10. No Balls
A delivery shall be deemed a no ball if the bowler over steps the front crease on delivery, or if the ball passes or hits the batsman above waist height on the full (waist height is to be assumed from the batsman’s batting stance), or if a delivery passes or hits the batsman (after pitching) above shoulder height.
In either instance if the batsman charges the delivery then a no ball cannot be awarded. Charging is defined as the front foot being advanced twice or more.
The ball must also be re-bowled.
For recording purposes a no ball is defined by a circle with a number of runs inside eg if no runs are scored off a no ball delivery, record as a circle against the bowler (2 runs) and record in the running total as 2 runs and record in no ball extras as 2 runs. The batsman does not accrue these runs.
If a batsman hits a no ball i.e. for a boundary 4, then a 4 bounded by a circle is recorded against the bowler, 2 runs are recorded to the extras, 6 runs are recorded to the teams running total, the batsman receives 4 runs and all 6 runs go against the bowlers figures.
A batsman may be run out off a no ball.
11. Points System
| Result | Times |
|---|---|
| win | 4 |
| Loss | 1 |
| Tie | 2 |
| Bye | 2 |
| Completely rained off | 0 |
| No result reported | 0 |
Where most games can be completed in wet weather points will stand however for all games not completed teams will be awarded 2 points each (same points as a tie).
All teams regardless of result must enter the result of the game through PlayHQ or please contact NDCA Should you have any queries, please contact NDCA at competitions@ndca.co.nz by 8.30 am on the day following the completion of the match.
