Christmas Challenge – 2016
The Scratchers have challenged the Notchers to yet another fire-side fixture this year. Readers are invited to accept the challenge by completing the scorecard and giving the result of the following match.
Please send your entry( limited to one per reader) to The Third Umpire, 60 The Lawns, Rolleston-on-Dove, Staffordshire, DE13 9DB to arrive by first post on 16th January 2017( or email johnmbrown60 @ gmail. com). Please mark your entry‘ ECB ACO’.
All entries will be examined and the names of all the correct entries will be put into the umpire’ s hat, from which the winner of the prize will be drawn at random.
You are invited to solve the clues in order to discover how many runs each player scores. You should record all these scores in batting order and complete your solution by giving the result of the match. Normal Laws of Cricket apply( no special regulations). There are no trick questions – all relevant information is provided in the clues, and you should assume that the umpire gives appropriate signals.
Notchers’ XI( batting first)
1. Team A have been dismissed for 128 and Team B have reached 128 for 9 – the striker hits a no ball for six. What is Team B’ s final score?
2. The bowler bowls a no ball, the striker ducks without playing a shot, but the ball hits his helmet and runs away to the boundary. How many separate signals would you expect the umpire to make?
3. How many separate acknowledgements should the scorer make?
4. How many runs should be added to the total?
5. In a two-day match, Team A have been dismissed for 201. How many runs must Team B score to avoid the possibility of being asked to follow on?
6. In normal circumstances, how many pieces of wood are required on the field while play is in progress?
7. A bowler has bowled 13.3 overs including four no balls. How many deliveries has he bowled altogether?
8. The striker hits the ball to deep square-leg, and the batsmen have crossed on their second run when the long-leg fielder dives to stop the ball. While still lying on the ground he throws the ball to the mid-wicket fielder, but the throw is misdirected and goes over the boundary. How many runs should be added to the total?
9. The striker’ s end umpire calls and signals no ball for three fielders behind the popping crease on the on-side. The bowler’ s end umpire calls and signals wide ball. What should the scorer record? Wide ball – 5, no ball – 10, wide ball and no ball – 15.
10. The bowler delivers a no ball which the striker makes no attempt to play. The ball hits the striker’ s pads and runs to fine-leg. The batsmen complete one run. How many runs would you expect to be added to the total?
11. The bowler delivers a no ball which the striker makes no attempt to play; the ball hits the striker’ s pads and runs to fine-leg. The batsmen run, but the non-striker fails to make good his ground at the striker’ s end, where the wicketkeeper fairly breaks the wicket. How many runs should be added to the total?
Extras: Who would you expect to face the next ball? Striker – 5, non-striker – 10, new batsman – 15.
Scratchers’ XI
1. Team A have been dismissed for 137 and Team B have reached 136 for five. The batsmen have just crossed on their second run when the ball crosses the boundary. What is Team B’ s final score?
2. Opening batsman A has scored 47 and his partner is on 36. There have been three byes, four leg byes and two wides. Batsman A snicks the ball to the wicketkeeper, but it does not carry and the wicketkeeper only succeeds in parrying the ball on to the helmet lying on the ground behind him. The ball deflects from the helmet to the boundary. What is batsman A’ s score now?
3. What is the total?
4. How many of the 14 official signals require the umpire to use both hands?
5. A match is due to start at 2.15pm. What is the earliest time that the toss may be made? How many minutes after 1pm?
6. How many minutes after that does the captain winning the toss have to make the decision whether to bat or field?
7. The striker hits the second ball off an over to deep extra-cover. The batsmen have completed two runs and have just turned to start on their third when a fielder throws his cap at the ball and stops it. How many runs should be added to the total?
8. How many balls remain to be bowled in that over?
9. The striker plays a shot at a no ball but misses the ball, which strikes him on the thigh, after which the batsmen run three. The umpire signals short run. How many runs should be added to the total?
10. How many of those runs should be debited to the bowler?
11. How many of those runs should be recorded as leg byes?
Extras: What is the minimum number of people required to be on the field when the toss is made?
Result:
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