LEAGUE RULES
1. All sides wishing to compete in the ECCL Heritage League must be bona fide clubs,
registered/affiliated with Essex County Cricket Board and, other than in exceptional
circumstances, have a first team which competes in an affiliated Saturday League.
2. All matches to be played on Weekdays (preferably Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and in order
to complete and maximise the fixture programme, matches may be re‐arranged to Sundays or
Bank Holiday Mondays.
3. The ECCL Heritage League is designed to bridge the gap between junior and senior cricket. Each
team must contain a minimum seven players aged Under 19. It provides a friendly but
competitive framework and aims to encourage the development of young (13-19 year olds) and
inexperienced players to enable them to make the step up from colts and youth cricket to adult
cricket.
4. All Heritage League matches (including rearranged matches) will play a maximum of 20 overs
each.
5. All matches are to commence at 5.30pm and finish by 8.30pm unless agreed otherwise
between the respective clubs but they must always last no more than three hours, with 1 hour
16 minutes the maximum time for each innings and 10 minutes for the changeover between the
innings. Captains should ensure this happens, only with suitable allowance for delays caused by
lost balls and injuries. 38 minutes for 10 overs from one end is plenty of time.
6. No match will exceed three hours playing duration. The umpire(s) shall impose a cut off time of
8.45pm after which no further overs will be bowled. In such circumstances the result shall
classed as drawn and the appropriate points awarded.
7. The away club is to supply TWO pink (league) match balls. Team cards must be completed fully,
signed by the Captain and exchanged at the toss. Throughout the match the team cards must
be kept available to the umpires, captains and scorers (usually with the on-field umpires).
Afterwards each Club must keep their own team card in case of any need for them to be seen
later. The League may ask to see them at any time after the match in case of need.
8. Where rain interrupts play during the first innings of 20, 1 over will be deducted from each
innings for every 6 minutes of play lost.
9. It is always unfortunate when unexpected rain interrupts the second innings. It is unfair on the
side batting first just to use averages and we don’t understand the Duckworth Lewis Method,
therefore the match will classified as drawn.
10. 10 overs must be completed by each side to constitute a match.
11. 10 overs will be bowled continuously from each end. Thus, the fielding side will choose which
end to start bowling from and 10 overs will be bowled from that end by alternating bowlers;
then 10 in the same manner from the opposite end.
12. 2 penalty runs to be awarded for all wides with no additional delivery except in the 20th over of
an innings. A clear mark must be made one foot from each outside stump. All leg side deliveries
passing the batsman and one foot or wider must be adjudged wide. However, if both sides
agree before the match commences, they can judge all balls passing the batsman outside the
leg stump to be treated as wide.
13. In all respects not amended by these Rules & Regulations, the Laws of Cricket are to be applied;
so an extra delivery will be required after a No Ball but there will be no ‘free hits’.
14. The maximum overs one bowler can bowl is 4 overs. In a reduced overs match, the bolwers are
restricted to a maximum of 1/5 of the overs.
15. Batsmen are to retire on reaching the score of 50 runs and are permitted to return in the order
in which they retired when the last batsman in the team is out.
16. Teams may play in coloured clothing.
17. As this is a development league – there will be no end of season winners with the emphasis
being on player development. All clubs will get a shield to commemorate their participation.
However, Points will be awarded as follows:
a. 4 points for a win
b. 3 points for a tie
c. 2 points each for a no-result
d. 1 point for defeat
18. Results must be posted on the Play-Cricket League website by the home side within 48 hours of
the match and the away side must tick the posting off or post alterations by the end of the
week.