40 Over Sunday League Rules 2025
1. The Umpire’s fee is £60 and must be paid before the start of the game £30 each Team.
2. If an umpire turns up at a game and the game is called off without a ball being played then the teams have to pay £40 (£20 each Team).
3. The Umpire’s decision is final at all times.
4. New balls will be used at the start of each innings for all games, If the ball is lost in the first 4 overs then a new ball will be provided by the fielding side. This does not mean that if as an example a ball is lost in the 3rd Over then the 5 Overs will start again. If in doubt then please email the League for clarification.
The Umpire will be given 2 New Balls and 2 used match balls by the fielding side at the start of each fielding innings. It is the responsibility of the fielding side to provide the balls. These balls will be used in the event of the new balls being lost or unusable after the first 4 Overs; the used balls can be any ball as long as its condition is acceptable. No Dukes Balls – Umpire has the final say on which ball is used.
All Teams must have 7 New Balls with them at ALL matches.
The First 8 Overs will be Power Play. 2 Players outside the 30 Yard circle
5. All results MUST be entered on the website and sent in by Text to 07488363479 ONLY, at the completion of each game before 8.30pm on the match day by both sides. Any team failing to do this will be deducted 10 points. Results will on be published on the website if the results submitted by both teams match. Teams should try and submit the results on to the website when the match finishes to avoid any discrepancies which may cause delays. See Results section.
6. The text must contain both teams’ scores, the Overs and balls they have bowled and faced, and the player and team name of anyone scoring 50 runs or more, taking 4 or more wickets, and / or taking a Hattrick, performance of the Umpire out of 10 e.g.
“Team A, 120 for 6 in 39.4 Overs. M Ali 54.
S Hussain 4 for 28
Team B, 124 for 7 in 30.4 Overs. S Hussain 68.
M Hussain 5 for 28”
Umpires performance out of 10, 0 being the lowest, and 10 being the highest.
7. Games will start at 1.30pm unless delayed due to bad weather, or other ground issues;
8. Toss of coin will be at 1.15pm with a minimum of 8 players per team present. Any team that does not have the minimum number of players required for the toss at 1.15pm will lose the right of toss;
9. Each team must provide the Umpire with the 11 ID cards of the players playing in the game regardless of players arriving late. This needs to be done before the toss takes place. Both Captains have the right to check the cards of the opposing team; No Card No Play
10. The Umpire and the opposing Captain must be informed of any player(s) that will arrive late. Once the player cards have been handed into the Umpire, the players cannot be changed (i.e. if a player(s) fail to arrive). The number of cards handed to the Umpire at the time of toss will be the number of players allowed to play. Note that it is the team’s responsibility to ensure you have the required 11 player ID cards with you for handing in to the Umpire;
11. The cut-off time for players arriving late is 2.30pm (by the Umpire’s watch);
12. Player(s) arriving after the cut-off time cannot participate in the match
13. No substitutes will be allowed for late or absent players;
A New Rule has been announced.
If a Ball hits a Helmet worn by a Batsman or a fielder then the Ball will be called a DEAD BALL. THIS WILL APPLY IN ALL GAMES AND FORMATS.
14. Only registered players (those with a valid ID card) can be used as substitutes to play in place of players injured during a game etc.;
15. Substitutes cannot bat or bowl.
16. Player(s) arriving late cannot bowl or bat until they have been on the field of play for at least the time they were late, e.g. if the player was 30 minutes late, then he cannot bat or bowl for at least 30 minutes. Time starts when the Umpire allows the player(s) to take to the field, if fielding or if batting then 30 minutes after the umpire and the fielding Captain have been advised.
17. On arrival, late player(s) must inform their Captain. The Captain must then inform the Umpire that the player has arrived. The Umpire will ONLY use the time that the Captain informs him of the late arrival as confirmation as the time of the player(s) arrival. No excuses (i.e. “the player was here”, or the player was “getting changed”) will be accepted. Time of arrival will therefore be when the Umpire is notified and the player is ready to come on. For this purpose, the player must be by the boundary line in his correct attire. The ‘time’ will be according to the Umpire’s watch, therefore it is advisable to synchronise your watches with the Umpire’s watch at the beginning of the game;
18. A game cannot start if a team does not have a minimum of 8 players. For every 4 minutes lost due to player shortage, one over will be deducted from offending team;
19. The cut-off time for the game to start will be 2.30pm (minimum 8 players). Any team that does not have the minimum required amount of players at that time (regardless of bad weather and / or the game has not commenced because of it) will lose the game and also be responsible for paying the full fee for the Umpire and for the cost of hiring the ground.
20. Twenty (20) points will be deducted from the offending team where a game does not start, a fine of £50.00 will be imposed, and the opposition will be awarded 20 points.
21. If a team is unable to fulfil a fixture for any reason, then they will be responsible for the costs of the ground and the umpires’ fees and/ or any other charges that may be applicable;
22. In accordance with rule 18, for every 4 minutes lost, 1 Over will be deducted, e.g. 1 Over lost for 1 minute lost, 1 Over lost for 2 minutes lost, 1 Over lost for 3 minutes lost, 1 Over lost for 4 minutes lost, 2 Overs lost for 5 minutes lost, etc.; A maximum of 15 Overs can be deducted after which the game will be awarded to the opposition.
23. All games are 40 Overs per innings, unless bad weather disrupts play; (2hrs 55mins per innings)
24. A maximum of 8 Overs per bowler will be allowed per game;
25. New balls will be used at the start of each innings for all games;
26. All games in the LL Cricket Leagues’ 40-Over games will have a 30 yard circle. 9 PLAYERS will be inside the 30 Yard circle for the first 8 OVERS Power Play. Then 4 players (excluding the bowler and the wicket keeper) will be in the circle at all times during the match after the Power Play, otherwise a “no ball” decision will be given;
27. “Home Teams” are responsible for the stumps, bails, discs, and boundary markers;
28. There will be a break of 25 minutes after completion of first innings;
29. All legside deliveries will be recorded as wide (a ball going outside of the leg stump and the batsman);
30. Correct attire must be worn; white shirt or top with either long or short sleeves, worn together with the white trousers. No player will be able to play with shorts; No coloured kits allowed in Divisions 2, 3 and 4, any player wearing the coloured Parks League kit will not be allowed to play. For premiership teams and division 1, players must be dressed in coloured clothing provided by the league and any players not dressed in the correct clothing then they will not be allowed to play.
31. If the game does not start on time or before 4pm the match will be a draw. If the game starts at 4pm then it will be maximum twenty over game.
32. If there is no play at all by 4.00pm due to bad weather, then the game will be a draw;
33. Maximum allowable time for all 40 Overs (per innings) is approximately 2 hours 40 minutes which is 4.10pm (4 minutes for every Over); 15 minutes extra will be allowed for various other reasons so the cut-off time will be 4.25pm.
34. All first innings must be finished by 4.25pm (the “cut-off” time, the innings will close at 4.25pm), if no delays in 1st innings.
35. The second innings MUST start at 4.50pm (or 25 minutes after the completion of their first innings if finished before 4.25pm); or earlier if both teams agree to have a shorter break.
36. For games starting at 1.30pm.
In the event 40 Overs are not bowled by 4.25pm, The Team batting First will be allowed to bat till 4:35 to complete their innings. The 2nd innings should start no later than 4.50pm with a shortened break time. They will only face the amount of Overs they bowled at end of 4.25pm. These times must be adhered to regardless of if you have an official umpire or not. Any Team abusing this rule in any way will be penalised.
37. Any team deliberately wasting time to gain an advantage will be penalised. (5 Points will be deducted from the offending Team).
38. The Umpire’s decision will be final (the Umpire will take into account any injuries or any extreme circumstances); No Saliva will be used on the Ball, the umpire will Warn the Team on the first incident, on the second incident 5 penalty runs will be deducted. On the 3rd incident the offender will be removed from the whole match
39. Any team deliberately abusing the rules will be penalised. Penalties may consist of fines, losing points accrued in that game, and a deduction of 20 points. The leagues’ decision will be final.
40. Scorers must be provided by each team. If a team does not provide a scorer, then the opposing teams score will be the one that the umpire will scrutinise and agree.
41. A No Ball in the 40 Overs is not a Free Hit.
42. It will be a No Ball If more than 5 Players are on the legside.
43. One Ball over shoulder high is allowed in the Over, A No ball will be called if more than one Ball is bowled in any Over.
**Weather and Delay Rules**:
For the provision of bad weather affecting play, 20 Overs will constitute a game with the net run rate being the factor for determining the result (e.g. team batting first scores 200 runs in 40 Overs – net run rate will be 5; the team batting second will need a net run rate of 5 or more after the 20th Over or whatever over the games stopped after the 20th over to win the game). In short, the net run rate after any Overs faced after the 20 Overs in the example above will need to be 5 runs or more for the batting team for them to win the match. The same will apply to the fielding side who will need to keep the batting team below a net run rate of 5 per Over to win. If game is reduced, i.e. 30 Overs, then 20 Overs will constitute a game. 20 Overs will constitute a game in any case for rain effected or reduced games.
For a 40 Overs match a result can only be achieved if a minimum of 20 Overs are bowled or if the score is reached earlier.
eg. Team Batting First Scores 200 in 40 Overs, Team Batting Second scores 180 in 19.5 Overs the game result will be a Draw because to get a result a 20 Overs should be bowled, then the net run rate comes into play for obtaining a result
If it is not possible to play a match due to bad weather, the Home Team’s Captain needs to contact the Away Team’s contact and inform them by no later than 11.30am. Additionally, the Home Team Captain should phone the organiser so that the Umpire can also be informed. If a game is not playable after the Umpire has arrived, £15 will be paid by both Teams (£30 in total)
The Umpire will decide if the ground is fit to play after 1.30pm; that will be the Umpire’s decision only. The game can be called off by the Umpire or the Groundsman should he deem the ground unfit for play by 4pm.
If the game does not start at 4pm, then it will be called off with the result of the game being recorded as a draw (the first ball should be bowled before 4pm that for the game to be valid). Matches cannot be re-arranged.
- If a match has started and 1st innings is delayed (e.g., by rain or other issues) but a reduced 20-over match may be played, if agreed by the umpire. The Cut-off time is 5.45pm to complete 20 over in 1st innings. 2nd innings must start by 6:00 PM to achieve a 20-over game (each innings approximately 1 hour 40 minutes with a 15-minute break – excluding rain interruptions). Cut-Off time 7.45pm for 2nd innings. If 20 overs are not bowled in 1st innings by the end of 5.45pm, the match is a draw (10 points each).
For every 8 minutes of delay after scheduled start of 1.30pm and once match has started , one over is deducted from both innings.
Points System
Teams will accrue points for (win, tie, draw,):
• Win - 20 points (for an outright win – team who scores more runs )
• Tie /Draw - 10 points each Team (scores the same )
• Draw - 10 points each Team (no match / match results not possible)
There will be Bowling Points and Batting Points for the losing Team as follows-
Min 2 Wickets taken = 1 Bowling Point
Min 4 Wickets taken = 2 Bowling Points
Min 6 Wickets taken = 3 Bowling Points
Min 8 Wickets taken = 4 Bowling Points
All Out – Min 10 Wickets taken = 5 Bowling Points
Batting Points
0 to 99 Runs + 0 Points
100 to 134 Runs scored = 1 Batting Point
135 to 169 Runs scored = 2 Batting Points
170 to 204 Runs scored = 3 Batting Points
205 to 239 Runs scored = 4 Batting Points
240 and above Runs scored = 5 Points
2. If an umpire turns up at a game and the game is called off without a ball being played then the teams have to pay £40 (£20 each Team).
3. The Umpire’s decision is final at all times.
4. New balls will be used at the start of each innings for all games, If the ball is lost in the first 4 overs then a new ball will be provided by the fielding side. This does not mean that if as an example a ball is lost in the 3rd Over then the 5 Overs will start again. If in doubt then please email the League for clarification.
The Umpire will be given 2 New Balls and 2 used match balls by the fielding side at the start of each fielding innings. It is the responsibility of the fielding side to provide the balls. These balls will be used in the event of the new balls being lost or unusable after the first 4 Overs; the used balls can be any ball as long as its condition is acceptable. No Dukes Balls – Umpire has the final say on which ball is used.
All Teams must have 7 New Balls with them at ALL matches.
The First 8 Overs will be Power Play. 2 Players outside the 30 Yard circle
5. All results MUST be entered on the website and sent in by Text to 07488363479 ONLY, at the completion of each game before 8.30pm on the match day by both sides. Any team failing to do this will be deducted 10 points. Results will on be published on the website if the results submitted by both teams match. Teams should try and submit the results on to the website when the match finishes to avoid any discrepancies which may cause delays. See Results section.
6. The text must contain both teams’ scores, the Overs and balls they have bowled and faced, and the player and team name of anyone scoring 50 runs or more, taking 4 or more wickets, and / or taking a Hattrick, performance of the Umpire out of 10 e.g.
“Team A, 120 for 6 in 39.4 Overs. M Ali 54.
S Hussain 4 for 28
Team B, 124 for 7 in 30.4 Overs. S Hussain 68.
M Hussain 5 for 28”
Umpires performance out of 10, 0 being the lowest, and 10 being the highest.
7. Games will start at 1.30pm unless delayed due to bad weather, or other ground issues;
8. Toss of coin will be at 1.15pm with a minimum of 8 players per team present. Any team that does not have the minimum number of players required for the toss at 1.15pm will lose the right of toss;
9. Each team must provide the Umpire with the 11 ID cards of the players playing in the game regardless of players arriving late. This needs to be done before the toss takes place. Both Captains have the right to check the cards of the opposing team; No Card No Play
10. The Umpire and the opposing Captain must be informed of any player(s) that will arrive late. Once the player cards have been handed into the Umpire, the players cannot be changed (i.e. if a player(s) fail to arrive). The number of cards handed to the Umpire at the time of toss will be the number of players allowed to play. Note that it is the team’s responsibility to ensure you have the required 11 player ID cards with you for handing in to the Umpire;
11. The cut-off time for players arriving late is 2.30pm (by the Umpire’s watch);
12. Player(s) arriving after the cut-off time cannot participate in the match
13. No substitutes will be allowed for late or absent players;
A New Rule has been announced.
If a Ball hits a Helmet worn by a Batsman or a fielder then the Ball will be called a DEAD BALL. THIS WILL APPLY IN ALL GAMES AND FORMATS.
14. Only registered players (those with a valid ID card) can be used as substitutes to play in place of players injured during a game etc.;
15. Substitutes cannot bat or bowl.
16. Player(s) arriving late cannot bowl or bat until they have been on the field of play for at least the time they were late, e.g. if the player was 30 minutes late, then he cannot bat or bowl for at least 30 minutes. Time starts when the Umpire allows the player(s) to take to the field, if fielding or if batting then 30 minutes after the umpire and the fielding Captain have been advised.
17. On arrival, late player(s) must inform their Captain. The Captain must then inform the Umpire that the player has arrived. The Umpire will ONLY use the time that the Captain informs him of the late arrival as confirmation as the time of the player(s) arrival. No excuses (i.e. “the player was here”, or the player was “getting changed”) will be accepted. Time of arrival will therefore be when the Umpire is notified and the player is ready to come on. For this purpose, the player must be by the boundary line in his correct attire. The ‘time’ will be according to the Umpire’s watch, therefore it is advisable to synchronise your watches with the Umpire’s watch at the beginning of the game;
18. A game cannot start if a team does not have a minimum of 8 players. For every 4 minutes lost due to player shortage, one over will be deducted from offending team;
19. The cut-off time for the game to start will be 2.30pm (minimum 8 players). Any team that does not have the minimum required amount of players at that time (regardless of bad weather and / or the game has not commenced because of it) will lose the game and also be responsible for paying the full fee for the Umpire and for the cost of hiring the ground.
20. Twenty (20) points will be deducted from the offending team where a game does not start, a fine of £50.00 will be imposed, and the opposition will be awarded 20 points.
21. If a team is unable to fulfil a fixture for any reason, then they will be responsible for the costs of the ground and the umpires’ fees and/ or any other charges that may be applicable;
22. In accordance with rule 18, for every 4 minutes lost, 1 Over will be deducted, e.g. 1 Over lost for 1 minute lost, 1 Over lost for 2 minutes lost, 1 Over lost for 3 minutes lost, 1 Over lost for 4 minutes lost, 2 Overs lost for 5 minutes lost, etc.; A maximum of 15 Overs can be deducted after which the game will be awarded to the opposition.
23. All games are 40 Overs per innings, unless bad weather disrupts play; (2hrs 55mins per innings)
24. A maximum of 8 Overs per bowler will be allowed per game;
25. New balls will be used at the start of each innings for all games;
26. All games in the LL Cricket Leagues’ 40-Over games will have a 30 yard circle. 9 PLAYERS will be inside the 30 Yard circle for the first 8 OVERS Power Play. Then 4 players (excluding the bowler and the wicket keeper) will be in the circle at all times during the match after the Power Play, otherwise a “no ball” decision will be given;
27. “Home Teams” are responsible for the stumps, bails, discs, and boundary markers;
28. There will be a break of 25 minutes after completion of first innings;
29. All legside deliveries will be recorded as wide (a ball going outside of the leg stump and the batsman);
30. Correct attire must be worn; white shirt or top with either long or short sleeves, worn together with the white trousers. No player will be able to play with shorts; No coloured kits allowed in Divisions 2, 3 and 4, any player wearing the coloured Parks League kit will not be allowed to play. For premiership teams and division 1, players must be dressed in coloured clothing provided by the league and any players not dressed in the correct clothing then they will not be allowed to play.
31. If the game does not start on time or before 4pm the match will be a draw. If the game starts at 4pm then it will be maximum twenty over game.
32. If there is no play at all by 4.00pm due to bad weather, then the game will be a draw;
33. Maximum allowable time for all 40 Overs (per innings) is approximately 2 hours 40 minutes which is 4.10pm (4 minutes for every Over); 15 minutes extra will be allowed for various other reasons so the cut-off time will be 4.25pm.
34. All first innings must be finished by 4.25pm (the “cut-off” time, the innings will close at 4.25pm), if no delays in 1st innings.
35. The second innings MUST start at 4.50pm (or 25 minutes after the completion of their first innings if finished before 4.25pm); or earlier if both teams agree to have a shorter break.
36. For games starting at 1.30pm.
In the event 40 Overs are not bowled by 4.25pm, The Team batting First will be allowed to bat till 4:35 to complete their innings. The 2nd innings should start no later than 4.50pm with a shortened break time. They will only face the amount of Overs they bowled at end of 4.25pm. These times must be adhered to regardless of if you have an official umpire or not. Any Team abusing this rule in any way will be penalised.
37. Any team deliberately wasting time to gain an advantage will be penalised. (5 Points will be deducted from the offending Team).
38. The Umpire’s decision will be final (the Umpire will take into account any injuries or any extreme circumstances); No Saliva will be used on the Ball, the umpire will Warn the Team on the first incident, on the second incident 5 penalty runs will be deducted. On the 3rd incident the offender will be removed from the whole match
39. Any team deliberately abusing the rules will be penalised. Penalties may consist of fines, losing points accrued in that game, and a deduction of 20 points. The leagues’ decision will be final.
40. Scorers must be provided by each team. If a team does not provide a scorer, then the opposing teams score will be the one that the umpire will scrutinise and agree.
41. A No Ball in the 40 Overs is not a Free Hit.
42. It will be a No Ball If more than 5 Players are on the legside.
43. One Ball over shoulder high is allowed in the Over, A No ball will be called if more than one Ball is bowled in any Over.
**Weather and Delay Rules**:
For the provision of bad weather affecting play, 20 Overs will constitute a game with the net run rate being the factor for determining the result (e.g. team batting first scores 200 runs in 40 Overs – net run rate will be 5; the team batting second will need a net run rate of 5 or more after the 20th Over or whatever over the games stopped after the 20th over to win the game). In short, the net run rate after any Overs faced after the 20 Overs in the example above will need to be 5 runs or more for the batting team for them to win the match. The same will apply to the fielding side who will need to keep the batting team below a net run rate of 5 per Over to win. If game is reduced, i.e. 30 Overs, then 20 Overs will constitute a game. 20 Overs will constitute a game in any case for rain effected or reduced games.
For a 40 Overs match a result can only be achieved if a minimum of 20 Overs are bowled or if the score is reached earlier.
eg. Team Batting First Scores 200 in 40 Overs, Team Batting Second scores 180 in 19.5 Overs the game result will be a Draw because to get a result a 20 Overs should be bowled, then the net run rate comes into play for obtaining a result
If it is not possible to play a match due to bad weather, the Home Team’s Captain needs to contact the Away Team’s contact and inform them by no later than 11.30am. Additionally, the Home Team Captain should phone the organiser so that the Umpire can also be informed. If a game is not playable after the Umpire has arrived, £15 will be paid by both Teams (£30 in total)
The Umpire will decide if the ground is fit to play after 1.30pm; that will be the Umpire’s decision only. The game can be called off by the Umpire or the Groundsman should he deem the ground unfit for play by 4pm.
If the game does not start at 4pm, then it will be called off with the result of the game being recorded as a draw (the first ball should be bowled before 4pm that for the game to be valid). Matches cannot be re-arranged.
- If a match has started and 1st innings is delayed (e.g., by rain or other issues) but a reduced 20-over match may be played, if agreed by the umpire. The Cut-off time is 5.45pm to complete 20 over in 1st innings. 2nd innings must start by 6:00 PM to achieve a 20-over game (each innings approximately 1 hour 40 minutes with a 15-minute break – excluding rain interruptions). Cut-Off time 7.45pm for 2nd innings. If 20 overs are not bowled in 1st innings by the end of 5.45pm, the match is a draw (10 points each).
For every 8 minutes of delay after scheduled start of 1.30pm and once match has started , one over is deducted from both innings.
Points System
Teams will accrue points for (win, tie, draw,):
• Win - 20 points (for an outright win – team who scores more runs )
• Tie /Draw - 10 points each Team (scores the same )
• Draw - 10 points each Team (no match / match results not possible)
There will be Bowling Points and Batting Points for the losing Team as follows-
Min 2 Wickets taken = 1 Bowling Point
Min 4 Wickets taken = 2 Bowling Points
Min 6 Wickets taken = 3 Bowling Points
Min 8 Wickets taken = 4 Bowling Points
All Out – Min 10 Wickets taken = 5 Bowling Points
Batting Points
0 to 99 Runs + 0 Points
100 to 134 Runs scored = 1 Batting Point
135 to 169 Runs scored = 2 Batting Points
170 to 204 Runs scored = 3 Batting Points
205 to 239 Runs scored = 4 Batting Points
240 and above Runs scored = 5 Points
