Updated Jan 2025
1. Playing Regulations
The NPCL League Cup competition shall be played in accordance with the ECB Generic 40 over Playing Conditions unless those playing conditions are overridden by the specific rules mentioned below.
For a full copy of those playing conditions:
Search on: ECB cricket rules and regulations
Select: rules and regulations – non first class
Scroll to: Generic 40 over Playing Conditions
[Please note: in the ECB document, conditions 4.4 and 4.5 apply only to W&G cricket.]
2. Overriders to the ECB Generic Playing Conditions
2.1 Start times. All games will commence at 12:30pm
2.2 There shall be an interval of 30 minutes between innings. If tea has been taken earlier during a break owing to adverse weather, the interval between the innings shall be reduced to 10 minutes. During a break in play due to adverse weather, tea may be taken early in an attempt to save playing time. The umpires shall take into account the wishes of both captains, but shall be the final judges of when the tea interval should be taken.
2.3 A second new ball. In the event of the match ball being lost during powerplay 1 (8-overs), a new ball of the same make and specification must be used to replace the lost ball.
- ECB Generic Rule 7 shall be amended by the addition of the following:
2.4 Any Offside or Leg Side delivery which in the opinion of the Umpire does not give the batsman a reasonable opportunity to score, shall be called a “wide”.
2.5 Two lines shall be marked at each end of the pitch running parallel to the return crease, 17 inches from the return crease. (This is to assist umpires when judging wide deliveries on the Offside of the wicket).
2.6 In the NPCL, for guidance purposes, any ball which passes leg side of the striker and leg side of the wicket, shall be called a wide. If the striker plays a switch hit or reverse sweep or gets into position to play such a shot, he shall be deemed to bring the ball equally within his reach on the leg side as on the off side. Consequently, in these situations the 17 inch line will be used on both sides of the wicket to judge a wide ball.
- In the Knockout phase, If conditions are unfit for a bowl out either on a grass pitch, artificial pitch or net wicket the match will be decided by the toss of a coin.
3. Competition Format
3.1 The league cup competition shall be played with a league stage followed by a Knockout phase.
3.2 The top 8 sides from the League stage will qualify for the quarter-finals.
3.3 Net Run Rate will be used to order those teams who are level on points in the league stage
3.4 In the League Phase, Points will be awarded as Win (3), Tie (2), No Result (1), Loss (0). No Bonus Points will be awarded
3.5 For all knockout rounds of the competition leading up to the final there will be no reserve date and therefore there must be a result on the day. This will be achieved by:
- Duckworth/Lewis Standard (G value 200)(where at least 10 overs have been completed in the 2nd innings)
- A bowl out (please see bowl out rules below)
- Toss of a coin
4. League Cup - General Rules
4.1 All member clubs of the NPCL shall compete.
4.2 All players taking part in the competition shall be registered members of their respective clubs in accordance with NPCL rules.
4.3 All matches shall be played using the Super Sports pink ball.
4.4 For the duration of the game all the match balls in play – new and spare – shall be provided by the batting side. Outside the 1st powerplay a spare ball does not necessarily have to be of the same make and specification as the original match ball but must be of a standard deemed acceptable by both umpires.
4.5 Coloured clothing shall be worn.
4.6 The League Cup draw shall be administered conducted by the NLEC and shall be conducted and witnessed by the NLEC.
4.7 Once completed the draw for that year’s League Cup competition shall be issued to clubs by no later than the end of January in the year of the competition.
4.8 Dates on which each round of the competition shall be played will be published by the NLEC no later than the end of January in the year of the competition.
4.9 The Venue for the League Cup Final will be announced by the NLEC by February 1st.
4.10 The Host club shall be responsible for catering and umpires expenses costs. The Host club may sell programmes to cover these costs.
4.11 Failure to fulfil a fixture. In the case of any team failing to fulfil a fixture, the club which that team represents shall be subject to a fine of £200 payable to the NPCL within 14 days and a 15-point deduction of League championship points. They shall also be responsible for any costs incurred by the host club either by way of travelling expenses, Umpire’s expenses, or catering costs.
Ground, Weather, Light
5.1 Where weather intervenes such that play is interrupted in either the 1st or 2nd innings overs shall be lost immediately.
5.2 Duckworth/Lewis (Standard) on the Play-Cricket.com scorer App will be used to calculate revised scores.
5.3 Where it has not been possible to bowl 10 overs in the 2nd innings, the game will be uncompleted unless the side batting second has already achieved the target score.
5.4 The home team will be responsible for ensuring that the Play-Cricket.com scorer App is available for the purpose of calculating Duckworth/Lewis (Standard) revised scores. A “G value of 200” will be used.
5.5 Calculations of revised scores will be the responsibility of the scorers although the captains and umpires should agree revised target scores before play recommences.
5.6 The home team will also be responsible, at the end of each over, for displaying the par score at the end of the forthcoming over and adjusting this should a wicket fall.
The Result - knockout phase – identifying winners and losers
6.1 In all knockout rounds of the competition before the final and on the reserve date for the final, winners and losers must be determined on the day. It might be helpful to set out the measures which will be used and the order in which they will be used, to determine the winners.
What follows is contained in Playing Condition 8 of the ECB generic 40-over rules and does not override those generic playing conditions.
6.2 In the Knockout Phase, Where a game ends abruptly in the second innings, at least 10 overs having been completed, Duckworth/Lewis (Standard) will provide a “par score” after every ball bowled in the second innings, this will be a whole number and is intended to reflect where a team should be given the number of overs/balls used and number of wickets lost. The actual score and the par score at that point are compared to determine the result. To win the game the team batting second need to have scored one more than this par score.
If the actual score and the par score are equal then the game shall be decided by a bowl out (see rules for Bowl Out below).
6.3 Games in the NPCL League Cup competition knockout phase should fit into one of 3 scenarios – A, B or C:
- Uninterrupted but completed
The start may have been delayed but once started there are no interruptions. In such games, Duckworth/Lewis does not apply. If such a game ends with scores level the winners shall be determined by the following hierarchy of tie-breakers:
- the side losing fewer wickets shall be the winner.
If the sides are still equal…
- the side with the higher score after 30 overs shall be the winner
If the sides are still equal…
- the side with the higher score after 20 overs shall be the winner
If the sides are still equal…
- the side with the higher score after 10 overs shall be the winners
If the sides are still equal…
- a bowl out will be used to determine the winner
(see bowl out rules below)
- Interrupted and uncompleted (more than 10 overs in 2nd innings)
The winners of this game will be determined by the Duckworth/Lewis (Standard) par score.
If D/L (Std) is used and the scores are tied then the winners will be determined by:
- a bowl out
If a bowl out is not possible…
- the toss of a coin
- Game abandoned (fewer than 10 overs in 2nd innings)
Of course, such a game might have been completed – the side batting second might have chased down the target score inside 10 overs; or, the side batting second may have been bowled out in less than 10 overs. But if the game has been abandoned and uncompleted, the winners shall be determined by:
- a bowl out
If a bowl out is not possible…
- the toss of a coin
Rules for a Bowl Out
7.1 In an abandoned game a bowl out will be used to determine the winner (see Rules for Bowl Outs below) except for the Final where there will be a reserve date.
7.2 The captains will agree a suitable pitch on or off the normal playing area.
7.3 The pitch will be 22 yards long and be marked in accordance with the MCC Laws of Cricket.
7.4 Both teams will bowl from the same end.
7.5 Five players from each team will be nominated to bowl two overarm deliveries alternatively at the wicket and each Captain shall nominate the order in which his players will bowl.
7.6 The captain winning the toss of a coin will decide which team bowls first.
7.7 The side which bowls down the wicket most times shall be the winner.
7.8 Any no ball infringement will count as one of the 2 deliveries for that bowler but not towards the score of the team. Furthermore, the ball must pitch before the popping crease. Where the ball does not pitch before the popping crease, the umpire at the ‘striker’s end’ shall call and signal a no-ball.
7.9 If the scores are equal after all 5 bowlers have bowled twice the same players in their original order will bowl 1 ball each alternatively to achieve a result on a sudden death basis.
7.10 The same suitable ball selected by the umpires will be used by both sides. If this ball becomes too wet it may be changed subject to the umpires’ approval.
7.11 If conditions are unfit for a bowl out either on a grass pitch, artificial pitch or net wicket the match will be decided by the toss of a coin.
