Cougar Cricket Wellington Indoor League FAQs

 Q:        Where and when do the games take place?

A:        The games will all take place at the Princess Royal Sports Complex, Wellington School. The season will commence on 17^th January and finish on 11^th April. All games will be scheduled on Sundays, with the first game starting at 10:30am and the last game finishing at 4:30pm. Each game will be allocated a one hour slot to discourage slow play. Teams can request certain time slots but nothing can be guaranteed. The games will take place on 17^th January, 31^st January, 7^th February, 7^th March, 28^th March and 11^th April. Each team will play eight games and will be required to play two matches in a weekend on two occasions.

Q:        How do the games work? And how much does it cost us?

 A:        The games are very simple. Each team will have 6 players per side and the game will last 12 overs. The rest will work like normal cricket, one innings each and whoever scores the most runs will win. Each team has to register at least six players. There is no maximum on the number of players you can register but one person cannot be registered to more than one side. Send your registration form to Cougar Cricket along with an entry fee of £30. You will then have to pay a match fee of £24 per game, only £4 per player.

Q:        What do the captains have to do on a match day?

 A:        It would help immensely if captains ensured arrival 10 minutes ahead of match time in order to toss up. They will also need to collect the scorecard and match fee envelope from Rob (situated in reception) whilst the ‘home’ captain is also responsible for picking up the match ball. Both captains then return these items at the end of the hour’s play. Used match balls will be available to teams at the end of the season for practice/nets etc.

Q:        What ball do we use?

 A:        Unlike many other indoor leagues which favour a coloured hockey style ball, we offer a ball that aside from its weight replicates exactly what you would find with a regular outdoor cricket ball. This means that in our league there is the opportunity to spin, seam or swing your way to victory. A new ball is provided at the start of every game.

Q:        The scoring looks very complicated, how does it work?

 A:        It’s really not that difficult! If you hit the wall behind the bowler without the ball bouncing you get six and if the ball bounces then you get four, just like a boundary in normal cricket. If you hit any other wall or the ceiling then you get one run. You can also run between the wickets, a completed run will score you two runs. For example, if I hit the side wall and run once between the wickets I will score three runs.

Q:        Can I be caught off the wall?

 A:        Yes you can! You can be caught off any wall except from the Boundary Wall, the wall behind the bowler. If the ball hits either side wall, the back wall or the ceiling without bouncing the batsman can be caught out.

Q:        Who umpires the games? How will they be scored?

 A:        Each team will provide an umpire for the game. Whilst we recommend bringing along a separate umpire to enhance the players enjoyment of the game, the umpires can be registered players and playing on the day. The scoring will be done by players from the batting side. Scorecards will be provided by Cougar Cricket. At the end of the game both scorecards should be filled in completely and submitted to the league. The scoreboard is situated on the balcony of the complex and should be tended to by at least one member of the batting team at the end of each over. It is suggested that, in the absence of non-playing umpires, at the start of play one of the next two batters in does the scoring whilst the lower order batters umpire, as is the way with regular outdoor cricket.

Q:        How are the points scored at the end of the game?

 A:        The team that wins the game will be awarded 10 points. Sides will also pick up bonus points depending on their performance with bat and ball. For every 25 runs the batting side score they will receive one bonus point, with a maximum of six points. The bowling side will receive one bonus point for every wicket they take. In the interest of fairness the side batting second will also receive a bonus point for every wicket they have in hand if they win the game. For example, if Team A are playing Team B and Team A bats first and scores 82 – 5 and Team B reaches 83 – 4 then Team A will receive 3 batting points, 4 bowling points and nothing for losing. Team receive five bowling points, three batting points, two points for wickets in hand and 10 points for the win. In total Team A will receive seven points and Team B will receive 20 points. Simples!

Q:        Where can we find results and the league table?

 A:        A results/league table email will be sent to teams on a Monday, complete with player performances of the week. Both the fixtures and league table will also be available online at www.sportsouthwest.co.uk and in print version in the Sunday Independent and Wellington Weekly, courtesy of Richard Walsh

Q:        What do we win?

 A:        Aside from the honour of victory in our inaugural season the winning team receive both a trophy and medals for all squad members. The best batter and bowler in the league also win their own individual trophies whilst the best performing player across all Cougar Cricket leagues win the coveted special prize.