Proposed Changes to the Laws

[zaremba]

The MCC is to vote on a series of changes to the Laws which would come into force in October 2010.

The major changes are as follows:

1. "Offering the light" to go

Umpires suspending play as a result of the fitness of the ground, weather or light will no longer "offer the light" to the batting side, but decide to suspend play themselves when they consider it to be "unreasonable or dangerous".

2. Mid-air boundary saves

In view of the increasing frequency of athletic saves on the boundary, the MCC has created a law to clarify when the ball is beyond the boundary. The Laws sub-committee felt "it would be wrong to allow a fielder, seeing a ball flying over his head and over the boundary, to retreat beyond the boundary and then to jump up and parry the ball back towards the field of play." The change will require the fielder's first contact with the ball is when he is grounded within the boundary or, if he is in the air, his final contact with the ground before touching the ball was inside the boundary.

3. Run-outs and dropped bats

A batsman will be not out if, having grounded some part of his foot behind the crease, he loses contact with the ground at the time the stumps are broken; for example, if his bat gets jammed in a bowler's footmark and he drops it after having entered the crease.

There are various other proposed amendments as well.

Cricinfo has produced an excellent piece here.

[Neil Pickup]

They all seem reasonable enough - not sure I get the detail of the third one, where you mention (a) the batsman will be not out if, having grounded some part of his foot behind the crease, he loses contact with the ground at the time the stumps are broken - but then exemplify as (b) for example, if his bat gets jammed in a bowler's footmark and he drops it after having entered the crease.

[Matt79]

Seem fair enough. Well and truly time to do away with the batsmen being offered the light.

[andyc]

Thought the second new rule was already the way it went, personally.

Edit: Just looking through the article, about batsmen damaging the pitch:

In the proposed new version, there is a warning on the first instance of the batsman damaging the pitch, but any repetition will see any runs scored disallowed, five penalty runs awarded to the fielding side and a report being lodged with the appropriate governing body.

Is that talking about batsmen running on the pitch, or stuff more like Afridi dancing on a length?

[Teja.]

All the amendments sound good.

[Athlai]

My flatmate has ranted and raved about that 2nd one, this will put an end to the argument. Heard some commentators mentioing that they didn't like the rule that is being fixed by the 3rd when you can just catch a batsman off guard and 'run him out' despite being behind the crease and not running if he is in the air.
All good sensible changes.

[Nnanden]

Not a big fan of the second change. Who doesn't like seeing those catches?

EDIT: Reading it more closely, it's not so bad.

[zaremba]

Originally Posted by Nnanden

Not a big fan of the second change. Who doesn't like seeing those catches?

EDIT: Reading it more closely, it's not so bad.

Yeah I thought exactly that myself, hence the edit to my OP

[Scaly piscine]

I'm glad about 2.

Teams haven't really made the most of that. Generally the ropes are pulled in, so players can just go 5-10 yards past the boundary edge jump up and palm the ball back in play. That also created potential for some pretty nasty injuries.

[Sir Alex]

Good amendments.

I have a doubt about the third one. So is it not out when batsmen are stumped overbalancing themselves? Great if so.

[Athlai]

A stumping isn't a run out though.

[Sir Alex]

Originally Posted by Athlai

A stumping isn't a run out though.

Would've loved to rectify that. It should be not out when the batsman is stumped trying to overbalance, provided he had his leg in the crease at the point of ball passing by the stumps and the subsequent leaving the crease was involuntary and not an attempt to take a run.

[Marcuss]

I don't get what's to understand about the third one, unless I've misunderstood it which is incredibly likely knowing me. But basically if a batsman plays a shot and lets go of his bat and then takes a run, as soon as he grounds his foot behind the crease he's effectively in, regardless of whether he continues to run and is then in mid air if and when the stumps are broken.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by Nnanden

Not a big fan of the second change. Who doesn't like seeing those catches?

EDIT: Reading it more closely, it's not so bad.

Yeah, the rule change is good. It still allows you to jump from inside the rope and flick it back in; you just can't jump from outside and do it.

[Uppercut]

Number 1 should have been changed long ago. I don't mind it so much in tests, it's in ODIs where it becomes an absolute joke- teams can turn down the light when they're behind on D/L, then accept it as soon as they edge ahead. Would have been a talking point last year if John Dyson didn't manage to lose the game chasing anyway.