Cup Competition Rules

61.    The Challenge and Supplementary Cups shall be 40 over each innings, no bowler shall bowl more than eight overs.  Ten overs are the minimum to constitute a match in all cup competitions.

62.    All cup-ties (except Challenge Cup Final ties) abandoned are to be decided by a bowl-out (b) or coin toss. All games tied by runs will be decided by a super over (a) immediately following the close of play.  Once a cup tie is either tied or abandoned by the umpire(s), no further player(s) may be entered on the official scoresheet and no further players shall be allowed to take part in the bowl-out irrespective of Rule 47 in these circumstances.

a)   Super Over – The team having batted second in the match will bat first in the super over. Each team selects three batsmen giving them two wickets for the over. The bowling team decide which end to bowl from. Should the scores be tied at the end of the super overs then the team having lost least wickets will be declared the winner. If score and wickets are equal, then the match will be decided on the toss of a coin.

b)    Bowl-out – The bowl-out may take place anywhere within the ground, and each player in both teams shall bowl at a complete set of wickets and the team bowling down the wickets most shall be the winners.  The ball must be bowled overarm and must pitch before striking the wickets.  A ball striking the wickets without pitching shall be called “no ball” and all no ball calls shall not count and shall not be re-bowled.  If the first bowl-out fails to provide a winner, then a player from each team will bowl-out in turn on a sudden death basis.  The order of bowling in a sudden death bowl-out to be separately decided by the respective captains.  Further sudden death bowl-outs shall continue until a result is achieved.  If a team does not have eight players to bowl-out the match shall be awarded to their opponents (in these circumstances, this will not constitute a failure to fulfil a fixture providing the offending team already has a minimum of eight players signed on the scoresheet.

63.    The League shall organise both Challenge and Supplementary Cups and entry into these Cups is mandatory.  All Cup-ties where possible to be allocated on the ground of the team drawn first (except finals).  League matches have priority for grounds over Challenge Cup ties, and Challenge Cup ties have priority over Supplementary Cup ties.  The Fixture Secretary has the power to change the venue for Cup-ties if grounds are not available. Ground hire costs for all cup matches to be shared by both teams.

64.    The final of all Cup competitions shall be organised by the League.  The League shall be responsible for the umpires’ expenses and mementos. The Fixture Secretary will publish a reserve date for Challenge Cup finals, preferably a week after the original scheduled final date. The following scenarios will apply:-
(i) If one team is unable to fulfil on the original Challenge Cup final date, then the opponents will be awarded the trophy.
(ii) If the reserve date is to be used due to original final date being abandoned, if one team cannot fulfil that date then the opponents will be awarded the trophy.
(iii) If the reserve date is to be used due to original final date being abandoned, if both teams cannot fulfil that date then the trophy will be shared.
(iv) If the reserve date is to be used due to original final date being abandoned, if the reserve date is also abandoned then the trophy will be shared.

65.    No player shall be registered for Cup-ties from the 1^st August each season.  A player who plays in a Cup-tie for a team shall be cup-tied to that team for all Cup competitions that season.   Cup match qualifications are as follows: Quarter Final – one match; Semi-Finals – three matches; Finals – four matches.  Qualification for Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final of a Cup competition must be for the same team. (Appearances as an umpire or 12th man will count towards qualification, but being a 12^th man on the scoresheet or acting as a Substitute Fielder (Law 24) will not cup-tie that player to that team.) Teams may provide to the League Match Secretary a list of players they wish to include in a quarter-final, semi-final or final of a cup competition for the Match Secretary to confirm the eligibility of each player.  The Match Secretary may reduce the qualification appearances where two or more complete weekends are lost to weather. A player having de-registered from a club and registered with a new club as per Rule 22, will not carry over any cup match qualifications from games played for the previous club.

66.    Once a team has entered a League organised cup competition the team will be fined £50.00 if the team is withdrawn after the draw is made up to the date of the cup-tie.  (For the date of the fixture the rules covering failure to fulfil a fixture will apply.)  Any team failing to fulfil their first match in the Challenge Cup shall be disqualified from playing in the Supplementary Cup.

67.    Any team including an ineligible player shall forfeit the Cup-tie, if both teams include an ineligible player, both teams will be disqualified for that Cup competition.  Any team forfeiting a Cup-tie shall be replaced by the team they last played.