Cricket is a complex sport with multiple technical elements and rules. A simple bat-and-ball game, maybe?
I mean, rule books are also part of the game in every sport, but they do help in the proper flow of play. Likewise, the laws of the MCC govern the game of cricket.
From the many laws that govern the game, one is the over-rate rule which nearly always takes prominence in a cricket match. This is a crucial rule in the cricket world that no team can ignore. If the teams do, they will incur heavy financial penalties.
What is an over rate in cricket really?
It is, in a nutshell, the number of overs bowled by the bowling team in one hour on average. And this average is controlled by ICC, International Cricket Council, which has decided upon a minimum over rate.
According to the definition, the teams have to bowl a given number of overs in an hour. They have some allowances coming their way, but still, if they cannot hold on to the minimum over rate, it will mean fines.
So what then is the minimum over rate for cricket matches?
The minimum over rate is different for each of the three international formats and the degree of the circumstance is also a factor in the calculation of over rate.
Over Rate in Test Cricket
To illustrate, the bowling team must deliver at least 15 overs an hour in a test match. Since a day consists of six hours of playing time, therefore, the umpires have to take care that a minimum of 90 overs are bowled per day.
The teams get a half-hour extension and are also allowed some time for medical issues and other situations, however, they should not deliver less than 14 overs per hour at all times.
Over Rate in ODIs and T20Is
In ODIs the minimum rate is this approximately. The bowling side has to deliver a minimum of 14.28 overs per hour. T20Is come to an averaging slightly less than that at 14.11 overs per hour.
What are the time allowances?
The over rate is calculated by umpires in the end of the match but they do not include the time lost for these situations:
a. Players getting treatment on the field
b. Injured player leaving the field
c. All umpire or player reviews
d. Batting side wasting time
e. Other unavoidable circumstances
f. Two minutes after every wicket (except the last one or if it falls near an interval)
g. Drink break: Four minutes for Tests, Two minutes and 30 seconds for ODIs and T20Is
What if teams fail to maintain the over rate after all the allowances?
A slow over rate will be the outcome if a team does not bowl the required overs in the prescribed time. The match referee will, therefore, impose a financial sanction on each of the players of the team that is guilty of the offence.
Though the punishment will be meted out after the match, ODIs and T20Is do have in-match penalties too. A team that fails to finish its overs within the time limit will have to restrict one of its fielders to the inner circle. Thus there will be only four fielders outside the circle for the duration of the match.
For Test matches that are part of the World Test Championship (WTC), teams run the risk of losing WTC points.
But in Tests, a bowling team won’t have to suffer penalties if they dismiss the batting team twice in 160 or fewer overs no matter what the minimum overs bowled. Moreover, when a bowling side takes all wickets in 80 or fewer overs in an innings, their over rate will not be considered if it is below the minimum limit.
Read Also:- What is a Ball Gauge in Cricket?
What is the punishment for slow over rate?
The penalty for each over missed in the given time will be that the players will lose five per cent of their match fees as a penalty. In the World Test Championship, teams will also be punished by losing a point for every over that they finish short of.
Surprisingly, the players end up losing only half of their match fees. Before, there was no limit on the amount of the penalty.
