MARSHALL HATCHICK TWO COUNTIES CRICKET CHAMPIONSHIP RULES APR 2025
All changes for 2025 season are highlighted in bold.
- The Championship shall be called the “TWO COUNTIES CRICKET CHAMPIONSHIP” but this title shall automatically incorporate the name of any current sponsor of the competition. All participating clubs shall have grounds situated either in Suffolk or in Essex and shall be affiliated to either the Suffolk County Cricket Board or the Essex County Cricket Board.
2 There shall be an entry fee of £10 payable on acceptance into the competition. There shall be an annual subscription payable by 1st April, the amount of which shall be determined at each Annual General Meeting for the ensuing year.
3 The conduct of all matches in the competition will be governed by the MCC official laws of cricket unless otherwise specified in the rules below. The Championship will comply with the ECB Directives on Fast Bowling and Guidelines for Young Cricketers. These Directives can be found under the ECB Regs and Directives tab on the website
4a The competition shall be a feeder league into the East Anglian Premier Cricket League (EAPL). The Management Sub-Committee shall adjust the composition of the lower divisions where necessary. Home and away matches shall be played against each team in the division at mutually agreed venues. The Champions of Division One shall be eligible to enter play-offs for one place in the EAPL provided that the Club meets the criteria laid down for entry into that league.
4b Member clubs may enter a team in the “non-feeder” Sunday League and Two Counties Ladies Competitions. Matches shall be played against each club in the division at mutually agreed venues but Clubs shall arrange their fixtures themselves.
5 League positions will be decided by points gained. The Teams gaining the highest points total in their respective divisions, shall be adjudged the winners. In the event of two or more clubs being equal on points for any important position at the close of the competition, positions in the table shall be decided on their respective net run rates.
6 AUTOMATIC promotion and relegation shall be applied according to documentation which shall be distributed to all member clubs prior to the AGM every year.
6a In exceptional circumstances, the Management Sub Committee reserves the right to alter or adjust the composition of the divisions to maintain the integrity of the league.
7 Should one or more team(s) withdraw from any Division and the vacancy not be filled during the season, then the number of teams relegated from the Division affected shall be reduced by the number of unfilled vacancies so caused.
8 Applications by Clubs for admission to the Competition, must be made in writing to the League Secretary by 1st September each year. Any vacancies shall be filled by election at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting. Newly elected Clubs must receive a majority in favour of two thirds of Member Clubs voting in order to be elected. Member Clubs MUST notify the Secretary, in writing by 1st September, of the number of their participating teams for the following season.
9a The Annual General Meeting of the Competition shall be held not later than 31st October in each year. Each member Club shall attend and each Club shall have one vote. For the purpose of conducting business at the Annual General Meeting and at any Special General Meeting, the delegates from all member Clubs shall form the Management Committee. Six members of the Management Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Any items that require a decision will be decided at the meeting and shall be declared carried if more than 50% of member clubs voting are in favour. Clubs shall be given 21 days notice of any Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting.
9b A Special General Meeting shall be called by the Secretary at the request of six or more Clubs. Any items that require a decision will be decided at the meeting and shall be declared carried if more than 50% of member clubs voting are in favour.
10a The Officers of the Competition shall be President, Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Fixture Secretary, Results Secretary, League Safeguarding Officer, and Chairman of the Disciplinary Sub-Committee -Disciplinary & Appeals Officer, elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. The President shall have residence within the Counties of Suffolk or Essex.
10b The Competition shall be managed by a Sub-Committee. The Management Sub-Committee, consisting of the Officers of the Competition and a representative from a minimum of four member clubs, with equal numbers from Suffolk and Essex, to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.
11 Alteration shall only be made to these Rules by the Management Sub Committee. Suggested alterations to the rules shall be submitted to the Secretary by 1st September each year. Any Club not represented at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting may be expelled from the competition or fined up to a maximum equivalent of two year’s subscriptions at the discretion of the Management Sub Committee.
- Reserved for future use
PLAYERS
13a There will be registration of players using the England & Wales Cricket Board registration form on the Two Counties play-cricket website. All players must be registered on play-cricket. Players can only be registered after the 1st August with the permission of the Management Sub-Committee. Players cannot play for more than one Club in the East Anglian Premier League Feeder System (Cambridgeshire & Huntingdon Premier League, Norfolk Cricket Alliance, and the Two Counties nor be a registered player for any Premier League, and any connected feeder system during a season except with permission from the Management Sub-Committee. One transfer per season per club will be allowed for players transferring between TC Member EAPL Clubs to the same Two Counties Clubs. The deadline for this application will be 1st July each year.
The Management Sub-Committee will consider applications for transfers of players during the season on a case by case basis. Applications for transfers must be made on the prescribed “TRANSFER” form and countersigned by their current club. The transfer form is downloadable from the Two Counties website.
EXCEPTIONS
1) Any player playing for a Club in the Two Counties Saturday divisions is allowed to play for another Club in the Sunday League and in the Two Counties Ladies competitions.
2) Any player aged over 50 on the previous 31st August or any player Under 16 as of 1st April of the current season is allowed to play for another Club within the Championship. All loans must be agreed by the MSC before they play for their loaning club. Division 9 clubs are permitted to loan players from fellow Division 9 clubs throughout the season. The club wishing to borrow an eligible player must submit a registration form on the Two Counties Play-Cricket website, but not check the box for a permanent transfer. The parent club will then be asked for permission for the loan to go through and also add the agreed length of the loan period. Players taken on loan shall not play against their parent club, neither should they play for the loaning club’s highest ranked team that is currently playing in the Championship if they have more than one team in the Championship.
3) Players who travel away to study at a college or university outside the boundaries of the Championship may register and play for another club during term time. The parent club must advise the Secretary of the name of the player and the dates of departure and expected return. Preferably, his temporary club will transfer his play-cricket file for the duration of the term. Should the player wish to make the occasional appearance for his parent club during term time then confirmation that his temporary club and their league are acceptable with dual registrations will be required.
13b There may be occasions when a new player represents his club before registration on play-cricket has been completed. The registration should be completed within the same time frame as the requirement to post the full scorecard on play-cricket (Rule 19b). Should that registration still be incomplete 7 days after the date of the match then a deduction of 5 points will be levied. Any further delay could result in Rule 13C being applied. As from 1st August, registration must have been completed prior to the player being eligible to play.
13c Any Club adjudged to have fielded an ineligible player shall be penalised by forfeiting any points gained in that match plus a further sixteen points. In addition, the opposing team will automatically be awarded the match and receive 20 points. There will be a right of appeal for both player and club. A deposit of £150 is required to activate an appeal which will be conducted in accordance with the appeals procedure as set out under the ECB General Conduct for Recreational Cricket. The player involved may be banned from the Championship for the remainder of the season. An ineligible player is one who is not registered on play-cricket for the club he/she was playing for or deemed to be ineligible by the Management Sub-Committee.
13d The movement and re-registration of players between clubs during the close season shall be completed using the play-cricket website. The new Club shall enter the players details on their play-cricket website and apply for Two Counties registration at the same time as transferring their playing record from their former club. The former club then has 14 days in which to approve or object to the new registration. If the former Club takes no action within that 14 day period then the Two Counties will approve the registration.
13e No player will be allowed to play for a new club if he/she owes any money to his/her previous club or if they are subject to any outstanding disciplinary issues.
13f No player shall receive any payment, inducement or provisions from any source whatsoever for playing in the Two Counties Cricket Championship. NB. PROVISIONS include benefits in kind; air fares, accommodation, cars, petrol tokens, etc. Where it is normal practice to pay bona-fide travelling expenses to bona-fide members, these can be allowed but the amount paid shall not exceed the cost of petrol, assuming 30 miles = one gallon (4.5 litres), and shall only be paid to the car owner/driver. In addition, the costs of public transport shall be evidenced. Any club in breach of this rule is liable to be expelled from the Championship.
13g No more than one overseas cricketer or coach (Category 3) per team shall be allowed to play cricket in the Two Counties Cricket Championship. A Category 3 player is one who is not ordinarily resident in the UK as defined by the Home Office/ECB.
All Category 3 players and their clubs must comply with the conditions of the Player’s Entry Visa at all times and the player cannot play in the Championship until he/she is registered on play-cricket. Information on all these requirements can be found on the overseas tab on the website.
13h The rules concerning Category 3 registration are to be found on the ECB Player Registration document which is found on the Overseas Player tab on the Two Counties website.
13i Clubs may pay coaches for coaching provided that the coach has a minimum UKCC Level 2 (or the overseas equivalent) and the coach is registered with the League Secretary before representing that club in the Two Counties Championship. Any coach from overseas shall be accepted only if they enter the country on a Tier 5 International Sportsperson Visa, forward a copy of their contract of employment to the Management Sub-Committee and are registered with the League Secretary. No payment can be made by the Club or any third party on its behalf to the coach for playing cricket in the Two Counties Championship.
13j Before the commencement of a match, captains MUST exchange team sheets showing clearly the names of ALL players and clearly showing the age group of players aged Under 19.
MATCHES
14a Start Times
Division 1 (100 overs) Matches shall start not later than 12.00pm.
Divisions 2-9 (90 & 80 overs) Shall start not later than 12.30pm in April. From 1st May until 15th August all matches shall start not later than 1.00pm. From 16th August all matches shall start not later than 12.30pm. From 1st September all matches with panel umpires shall start not later than 12.00pm except in Div. 1 where the start time will be 1130am.
14b In matches where panel umpire(s) have been appointed, the match may NOT be cancelled before the start time without permission of any panel umpire.
14c For matches without appointed panel umpires, the home team must speak to an official and or the captain of the visiting team and give them the opportunity to visit the ground before calling the match off. To call a match off by text message or leaving a voicemail is NOT acceptable.
14d Umpires shall be provided by Member Clubs except in Divisions One and Two where the umpires will be appointed from the Umpires’ Panel. Clubs must provide a non-playing scorer. The failure of a club to provide a non-playing scorer will be penalised by a £20 fine for the first two offences in the same season and there will be an official warning issued by the Management Sub-Committee.
14e Clubs must accept and have no right to change the umpires appointed by the elected Umpires Appointments Officer. Appointed umpire’s travelling expenses will be shared equally by both Clubs and must be paid in cash before the start of the match. The Suffolk Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers shall be responsible for the evaluation of appointed umpires.
14f Umpires appointed by the panel must be marked by BOTH Clubs after each game. These reports must be lodged with the Secretary by the Monday following the match or Tuesday for matches played on a Bank Holiday Monday. An automated umpire report form is available on the Two Counties website or the standard pro forma may be completed and emailed.
14g In Divisions One to Six there will be a 30 yard fielding circle, which shall be denoted by white discs placed at frequent intervals.
Division One. The first 10 overs (or pro rata for shortened matches) shall be deemed a power play during which only two fielders may be positioned outside the fielding circle at the instant of delivery. In the event of an infringement the striker’s end umpire shall call and signal ”No Ball”.
Division One (overs 11 to 50) and all overs for Divisions Two to Six. At the instant of delivery there will be at least four fielders plus the bowler and the wicketkeeper within the circle. In the event of an infringement the striker’s end umpire shall call and signal “No Ball”.
14h Limitation of Overs Per Bowler
Division 1 – 50 overs per innings – maximum 10 overs per bowler. For reduced overs matches, a maximum of 20% of the available overs per bowler (rounded up).
Divisions 2-6
45 overs per innings – maximum 9 overs per bowler.
40 overs per innings – maximum 8 overs per bowler.
35 overs per innings – maximum 7 overs per bowler.
30 overs per innings – maximum 6 overs per bowler,
25 overs per innings – maximum 5 overs per bowler.
20 overs per innings – maximum 4 overs per bowler
Divisions 7-9
45 overs per innings – maximum 12 overs per bowler.
40 overs per innings – maximum 11 overs per bowler.
35 overs per innings – maximum 10 overs per bowler.
30 overs per innings – maximum 9 overs per bowler,
25 overs per innings – maximum 7 overs per bowler.
20 overs per innings – maximum 6 overs per bowler
Where mutually agreed, matches for a duration other than listed above will use the nearest formula below the agreed number. eg, a 37 over match will use the 35 over rule with a maximum of 10 overs per bowler.
14i Leg Side Wides
In Divisions 1 – 3, any ball bowled down the legside will be interpreted by a Panel Umpire as follows;
Any ball that is bowled and passes down the leg side and behind the batter shall be interpreted as negative tactics and called wide; irrespective of where the batter starts from or moves to. That ball will then be re-bowled by that bowler. If a batter changes stance for a switch-hit, they lose all the benefit of a leg side wide.
In the event of there being no Panel Umpire officiating in Divisions 1, 2 or 3, then the above leg side wide rule will be interpreted by the two Captains.
In Divisions 1 – 3 white or blue marking lines to be painted 17 inches from the return crease to enable interpretation of off side wides.
14j- In Divisions below Division 3, white or blue marking lines to be painted 17 inches from the return crease. These are to be used as guidelines for offside and legside wides in non- panel umpire matches.
14k- Limitation of on side fielders – Div. 1 only – At the instant of the bowler’s delivery there shall not be more than five fielders on the leg side. In the event of infringement of this Law by any fielder, the striker’s end umpire shall call and signal No ball.
14l- In Div. 1 only – Regardless of how wide of the striker a delivery is, there shall be no more than two deliveries per over that after pitching pass or would have passed clearly over shoulder height of the striker standing upright at the popping crease. In the event of infringement of this Law, the umpire shall call and signal No ball.
Match Duration
15a Division One – the match shall consist of one hundred overs (100) with each side having a maximum of fifty overs.
Divisions 2-8 the match shall consist of ninety overs (90) with each side having a maximum of forty-five overs.
Division 9 – the match shall consist of eighty overs (80) with each side having a maximum of forty overs.
There will be NO transfer of uncompleted overs to the second innings in ANY division.
15b The side batting second cannot declare in any match.
15c In Divisions One, Two and Three where panel umpire(s) are officiating there are time limits for the completion of each innings. In Division One it is required that the final over shall start within the time allowance of 3 hours 15 minutes. In Divisions Two and Three it is required that the final over shall start within the time allowance of 2 hours 56 minutes.
The time allowance includes wickets falling, drinks, sight screen moving, changes of kit etc with only serious injury to a player not to be included. Should the required number of overs not be completed within the appropriate time, six penalty runs for each whole over that has not been bowled shall be credited to the batting side. This rule applies to both innings. Time allowances for shorter games will be calculated on a pro rata basis by the umpire(s). However the umpire(s) may use discretion to allow an extension of the time allowance in exceptional circumstances or where the primary blame for slow play does not lie with the fielding side.
Drinks breaks and changes of kit (batting gloves, bats etc) must take place on the field of play.
15d Clubs in any Divisions may also agree to play a shorter match ie 80 overs, 70 overs, 60 overs, 50 overs and 40 overs.
Points
16a Fifteen points shall be awarded to the side scoring the higher number of runs, irrespective of wickets lost. Each side shall take five points in the event of scores being level.
16b ALL scores, results and points obtained MUST be agreed before the away team leaves the ground.
BONUS POINTS shall be awarded as follows
Winning side bowling points only
Losing Side batting and bowling points
BONUS POINTS shall be determined as follows;
BOWLING:
One point for each two wickets that are captured, ie a maximum of five points. In the event of a side fielding less than eleven players being all out, the opponents shall take the maximum bowling points. In addition, the team batting first declaring will be deemed to be all out and the opponents shall take the maximum bowling points.
BATTING:
For 100 Over Matches
1 point for 125
2 points for 150
3 points for 175
4 points for 200
5 points for 225
For 90 Over matches. For 80 Over matches
1 point for 100 1 point for 90
2 points for 125 2 points for 115
3 points for 150 3 points for 140
4 points for 175 4 points for 165
5 points for 200 5 points for 190
For 70 Over matches For 60 Over matches
1 point for 80 1 point for 70
2 points for 105 2 points for 95
3 points for 130 3 points for 120
4 points for 155 4 points for 145
5 points for 180 5 points for 170
For 50 Over matches For 40 Over matches
1 point for 60 1 point for 50
2 points for 85 2 points for 75
3 points for 110 3 points for 100
4 points for 135 4 points for 125
5 points for 160 5 points for 150
17 In rained off matches both Teams will be awarded six points each. When a match is abandoned during play, both teams shall be awarded six points plus any bonus points already gained at the time of the abandonment. In the event of bad weather, a match can be reduced in length by agreement between participating Captains and Umpires, if time and weather permit. A result can be obtained so long as the match is not reduced below 40 overs of which the side batting first must not exceed 20. However once a game has started the original playing conditions agreed at the commencement must be continued. If the start is delayed and agreement cannot be reached, the number of overs will be reduced by two overs for each six minute period or part thereof lost. However, once play has started, even if interrupted through bad weather, all games must continue with play as bonus points are still available for both teams even if the game may not reach a conclusion so long as the Panel Umpires agree that play is possible.
18a Clubs running two or more teams within the Championship must maintain the team in the highest division should they be unable to fulfil the fixtures for all their teams. This to apply to teams withdrawing either before the start of the season, during the season, or on a match day. In the event of a club wishing to withdraw its highest ranked team, application must be made to the Management Sub-Committee.
18b In the event of a Club failing to fulfil a Championship fixture for any reason other than bad weather or adverse ground conditions, the game shall be recorded against the offending Club as receiving no points including failure to comply with rule 14c.
On the FIRST occasion;
If the Home Club concedes, a financial penalty, if requested, of £50 shall be paid to the Away Club and 20 points awarded to the non-offending Away Club.
If the Away Club concedes, a financial penalty, if requested, of £125 shall be paid to the Home Club and 20 points awarded to the non-offending Home Club.
On the SECOND occasion;
The same financial penalties as on the first occasion but in addition the deduction of 10 points from the offending team’s total and 20 points awarded to the non-offending team.
On the THIRD occasion;
The same financial penalties as on the first occasion but in addition the deduction of 20 points from the offending team’s total.
On the FOURTH occasion;
The same penalties as on the first occasion but the team from the offending club will not be accepted for entry into the Two Counties Cricket Championship for the following season unless approved by the Management Sub Committee.
If so elected, the team will start again in the lowest Division. The financial penalties paid to non-offending teams is in lieu of all claims for compensation.
19a The Home Club must:
Ensure that the match scores, result, and points gained are entered on the Two Counties play-cricket website by midnight on the day of the match. This includes all conceded, cancelled, and abandoned matches.
19b The Home Club must:
Ensure that the full match scorecard is loaded on to the Two Counties play-cricket website by the Monday following the match or Tuesday for matches played on a Bank Holiday Monday). Failure to comply will incur a penalty for each complete week the scorecard remains outstanding.
20 Any infringements of Rules 14f, 19a and 19b will be met with a fine of £20. In addition repeated offences by any Club shall receive an official warning from the Management Sub-Committee and additional fines may be applied.
21 In all Divisions, both Team’s shall provide one new quartered ball for each match selected by and purchased through the Management Sub-Committee.
22 The Management Sub-Committee shall arrange all fixtures in the feeder league and these matches must be completed by the end of the second Saturday in September.
Sunday League & Ladies matches must be completed by 30th September in each year.
23 Allocated trophies shall be awarded to successful Clubs in each Division and shall be held for one year.
24 All Clubs shall be required to comply with a minimum standard of facilities, the standard to be set and monitored regularly by the Management Sub-Committee. Any Club with facilities that do not comply is liable to penalties to be imposed by the Management Sub-Committee. A schedule of these standards can be found under the More tab on this website-
25 Reserved for future use.
26 DISCIPLINARY MATTERS
26a The Championship shall adopt disciplinary and appeals rules as defined by the ECB General Conduct for Recreational Cricket. The amount of deposit required for an appeal hearing and the maximum financial penalty shall be determined by the Management Committee at each Annual General Meeting. Any reasonable costs incurred by a disciplinary hearing, be it venue hire, or travelling expenses of the disciplinary committee members will be borne by the offending Club/Player on being found guilty. If the offending Club/Player is found not guilty the Two Counties Championship will cover the costs.
26b If any other matter arises that is not dealt with by the rules, the Management Sub-Committee shall have the power to deal with it and their decision shall be final and binding on all parties.