AboutGary S Nichol Expertise General or specific questions on the MCC Laws of Cricket, which have changed recently. Also general question on the English First-Class game. Not too good with cricket in other countries, as I am English!
Experience Qualified Member - Umpire of the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers (ACU&S). This catagory of membership, the highest possible for a cricket umpire, requires taking two written exams, an oral exam, two full years of experience and then approval of the application for membership by a committee. I have been umpiring full-time for the past 5 years
Organizations The Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers (United Kingdom)
Awards and Honors 1997 ACU&S Tom Smith Award
1999 ACU&S Arthur Sims Award
Question hi Gary, can you answer a question that often pops up during my bowling ! i for some reason, always bowl from behind the bowling crease(the stump line) and have been no balled several times, the reasons given were, not telling the umpire i was gonna bowl from there, or if the umpire is stood right up to the stumps, they say that they can't see my bowling action ! So can i bowl from behind the stump line, and if so, do i have to inform the umpire.
many thanks
graham bartlett
Answer Hello Graham
Well I would say a bit of extra work on both parts is needed here. In theory every delivery is to be considered a no-ball unless the umpire is satisfied it isn't. So the usual place from which bowlers will bowl, i.e. with the foot somewhere around the popping crease, it is easy for the umpire to see the feet and be happy it is not a no ball. Clearly if you bowl from behind the bowling crease - and maybe the umpire - then the front foot no ball law does not apply. However, the umpire must also be sure that your back foot does not touch or go beyond the return crease (the side lines). If you bowl from behind the umpire then he cannot be sure your back foot was in the correct place, hence "no-ball".
I think it's poor umpiring to do this though. Very occasionally I will come across a bowler with an unusual method of delivery. Some will ask me to stand in a particular place, maybe right up to the stumps, or a bit further back than I usually would stand, so that I'm not in the way. Usually I oblige. So if you are going to be bowling from somewhere unusual then it is polite to inform the umpire. From the umpire's side of things, if someone bowled from an unexpected place, and didn't inform me, then I would ask the bowler if he will be bowling like that all the time, and make sure we're both positioned in a suitable place. Don't confuse this with switching from over to around the wicket (or vice versa) and not telling the umpire - this definitely does count as a no-ball under the Laws because the umpire cannot be sure that the batsman has been informed of the change.
