Stories
MCC: Bat-Ball Balance Crucial, New Laws Reward Fielding Side More
- •MCC Head of Cricket Fraser Stewart emphasized the importance of maintaining a fair balance between bat and ball, noting recent law changes favor the fielding side.
- •The latest Laws of Cricket, effective October 1, include 73 changes, with a significant alteration benefiting bowlers in multi-day cricket.
- •Under the new law, if a wicket falls in the final over of a day, the incoming batter must face the remaining deliveries, rewarding the fielding side.
- •MCC previously reduced bat sizes in 2017 to curb batting dominance, but batters continue to evolve with stronger play.
- •MCC is collaborating with ICC to simplify and translate the Laws of Cricket, launching a new app in multiple languages including English, Hindi, and Urdu.
Key Questions Answered
Under the latest law changes, if a wicket falls during the final over of a day's play in multi-day cricket, the incoming batter must come out and face the remaining deliveries instead of play ending immediately. This change aims to reward the fielding side and provides a tactical choice for the batting team, such as sending in a night watchman.
The MCC has collaborated with the ICC for the first time to translate the Laws of Cricket into multiple languages, launching a new Laws of Cricket app in English, Hindi, and Urdu, with Bangla and Kannada versions following shortly.
In 2017, the MCC reduced the sizes of cricket bats to limit the dominance of the bat over the ball. While this helped have an effect, officials note that batters continue to grow stronger and play an increasingly attacking style of cricket.
