PUBLISHED ON www.cricketyorkshire.com – February 2013
The Law Of Unintended Consequences
There is an example of interference from the very top of the game of cricket which is having an entirely opposite effect to what was originally intended, in the process proving the laws of unintended consequences – and why those on high should not meddle with the grass roots. Several years ago the English Cricket Board (ECB) introduced its Fast Bowling Directives. The common view amongst league cricketers I speak to is that the regulations are ill-conceived and unworkable but leagues appear to have little ability to challenge these. Ultimately, I believe these are damaging to the recreational game.
They were introduced in response to a growing number of injuries sustained to young fast bowlers, largely stress-related and the result of over-working young, developing bodies; fast bowling is tough on the body. The rules mean that for specific age groups there are a maximum number of overs in a single spell and in a day that a junior may bowl (one anomaly is where the same child may play junior cricket in the morning and a senior game in the afternoon) and the core guidelines are as follows:
AGE GROUP PER SPELL PER DAY
Up to Under 13s 5 10
Up to Under 15s 6 12
Up to Under 19s 7 18
PROGRESS?
In 2010, after a two-year consultation process, the ECB relaxed the directive by one over a spell; in ECB terms that is real progress. Kevin Shine, then ECB lead fast bowling coach, said: “The elite fast bowling group has been researching injury prevention, performance enhancement and workloads…It is clear that our young bowlers need to bowl more so that they can develop match winning abilities and habits…and teams more of a chance to play match winning cricket.” Note the use of the term “elite” and the reference to developing skills.
Central to the directive is that a bowler, elite or not, cannot re-appear, presumably having not even broken sweat in their first spell, till the same number of overs they have just bowled from one end are bowled. In other words if your fast nineteen year old has opened up with seven overs, no matter how good nor if the opposition are reeling, it will be the twenty-ninth over before they can reappear by which time a game may have taken on a totally different course and the initiative earned now lost.
Get Loose Old Ted!
This makes games wholly artificial as captains juggle with bowling changes that often have no bearing on the stage of the game. Equally, as an ageing batter, I know that even if the young lad is fizzing it past my nose consistently scaring me witless, all I have to do is survive seven overs at most; and if I can nick a quick single I can leave my mate to face most of the barrage as I sit on my bat at the other end refusing anything but the longest of singles. I can then wait for Ted the Trundler to replace Fiery Fred Jnr safe in the knowledge that Old Ted can bowl a much longer spell and hoping to nick one to the keeper before Young Fred comes back or Old Ted collapses.
To illustrate this one year we had our four main bowlers all caught by the seven over regulation; after all we were promoting junior cricket which is what the ECB want. One day the opposition were reeling as one young bowler had figures of three for next to nothing in seven overs but then he had to come off and rest. It was sheer madness infuriating the young man, even causing a rueful shake of the head from the umpire and allowing the opposition time to recover from a perilous position. If I was batting at the time I would have sent a cheque in gratitude to the ECB. A few weeks later we had drafted in a slightly older bowler and bowled him within a whisker of a heart attack free of any ECB directive on killing off a forty-something and what to do with the body.
A Wide Delivery
You may argue that the original intention to reduce injuries is sensible and laudable but this is totally misleading as the problems only ever occurred as a result of too much cricket at the elite end. Only the best players ever got too much cricket, as they still do, simply by being picked for more matches; these days most kids simply do not get anywhere near enough to risk a toenail fracture.
For the average club junior bowling one spell a week – weather permitting – they simply do not get the game time in our short season to develop skills, strength and knowledge. The last thing they need are any restrictions and so the regulations miss the target completely in a fixation on the elite minority at the expense of the recreational majority. With Sky TV money flowing freely and Team England the focus, issues like this are constantly ignored up in the free seats at Lords.
Why Can’t I Bowl, Sir?
As a result we are losing kids from the game for a number of inter-linked reasons. Most cannot get enough overs under their belts to simply survive if they graduate to the higher levels of senior cricket. In addition, often captains have to gamble by opening with a youngster with the new ball to try to leave room for a second spell; if this goes badly there may be no second spell at all and a truncated initial one. Finally, you have young lads in their late teenage years unable to bowl longer than seven overs without blowing through their backsides. Get loose Ted, you’re on again, Young Fred’s puffing!
If a youngster, fed up with only being allowed an artificially contrived part in a game, ultimately calls it a day then what good is any directive? They have more chance of a stress fracture on the night club floor than bowling. We have to consign this to the bin as it has no place in the recreational game at all. There is no cricket in schools and the recreational game desperately needs players. As coaches and administrators we are here because we love the game but tinkering around the edges by those on high is an additional handicap we simply do not need. Trust those closest to get it right at the grass roots.
Peter McDonald says
What happens if a captain refuses to take a young bowler off after permitted spell
Steve says
Not sure what you mean Peter? In the current circumstances a captain has no choice.
David Bowering says
Hi Steve
What is your interpretation of the directive, if a bowler bowls 3 overs in his first spell and has 6 overs off would he be able to bowl a 7 over spell after this break?
Thanks for your help
Steve says
David – I think you are right but the whole law is an ass promoted to protect the elite with no thought as to the grassroots.
David Bowering says
Thanks for your help. We have a u17 who was stopped from bowling more than 4 overs in his second spell by the umpires!! They had obviously a different interpretation of the directives than us. We have now clarified with our league and the umpires have been told to review their ACO cards!! As you say in your original blog the directives actually hinder the young bowler as he was bowling very well at the time.
Thanks again for your input.
David
Steve says
It is an utter farce…defending 100 on Saturday we had the opposition 19-3 and our opening bowler – strapping 19 year old – had taken 3-11. We had to bring him and his mate off and the game was effectively lost. Idiots at the ECB living in cuckoo land with no idea of the grassroots.
Mark says
Great stuff, Steve. The next thing will be an introduction of the restrictions to net practice! I feel for juniors in other sports. Imagine having to run around for 90 minutes for example.
Steve says
Madness but thanks for your interest