Captain's Guide to Central Gauteng Lions Senior Club Cricket 2025/26

Under the CGL 2025/26 playing conditions:

1. At least 9 nominated players from each team must be present before the toss, which is no later than 15 minutes before the scheduled start.
2. Toss forfeited: a team without 9 players at the latest time for the toss forfeits the toss.
3. Grace period: the defaulting team then has up to 60 minutes (50-over, 35-over and time matches) or 30 minutes (20-over matches) to get its players to the venue. If it doesn't, the match is awarded to the other team and the matter is reported to CGL. If both teams default, the match is abandoned and both captains and the umpires report to CGL.
4. Overs lost in limited-overs matches: if only one team is late, overs lost at the start come off that team's innings only. If it bats second, its target isn't reduced, and the team that was on time keeps its full quota of overs.
5. Overs lost in time cricket: the day's overs are cut at 16 an hour and the first-innings cap is reduced in proportion, whichever team is batting.
6. Points: a late start costs 1 point, and repeat offences can draw more penalties.

Not turning up: a team that defaults from a fixture is penalised 4 points and the match counts as played. Three defaults in a season means expulsion from the league and its results are expunged. Under the CGL By-laws, a team is a "defaulting team" if it tells the opposition in writing by 16:00 on the Friday (followed by a WhatsApp or SMS, copying the CGL office). A team that doesn't turn up, or doesn't tell the opposition before 08:00 on match day, is a "no show".

It depends on the format (CGL 2025/26 playing conditions):

Limited-overs matches (50, 35 and 20 overs): no. A captain may not declare the batting innings closed at any stage, or forfeit it.

Time cricket (two innings each in one day):

• Declaring: you may declare when the ball is dead, at any time in the innings.
• Forfeiting: you may forfeit either innings before it starts. A forfeited innings counts as complete.
• Follow-on: the team batting first can make the other team follow on if it leads by at least 75 runs.
• Telling people: you must tell the opposing captain and the umpires. Once you've told them, the decision can't be changed.
• First-innings limits: the first innings of the match is capped at 65 overs if the toss winner chose to bat, or 75 overs if they chose to field. These caps are cut in proportion if time is lost.
• Second innings: a team batting in its second innings is treated as all out when it is 5 wickets down.

The Board treats a contrived declaration that manipulates log positions very seriously and may withhold all points from both teams.

Under the CGL 2025/26 playing conditions:

• No runners are allowed in any format.
• Substitute fielders: besides injury or illness, the umpires may allow a substitute fielder for any other wholly acceptable reason, at the start of the match or later. Substitutes and drinks carriers must wear long white trousers, white closed shoes and a white shirt with a bib (or a different-coloured top if there's no bib), even when near the boundary.
• Changing your XI: once the 11 players are nominated, none may be changed without the opposing captain's consent.
• Penalty time: a fielder who is off the field for more than 8 minutes must report back to the umpire and can't bowl until they've been back on the field for as long as they were away. They can't bat until the same amount of playing time has passed or 5 wickets have fallen, whichever is first.
• Penalty time cap: 40 minutes in 20-over matches, 90 minutes in 35-over and 50-over matches, and 120 minutes in time cricket.
• No penalty time if the player left because of an external blow suffered in the match (not an internal injury such as a pulled muscle), or for a very exceptional and wholly acceptable reason.

The CGL playing conditions don't provide for concussion replacements.

Under the CGL 2025/26 playing conditions:

Shortened matches: no bowler may bowl more than one-fifth of the innings' overs. If the overs don't divide by 5, enough bowlers get one extra over to make up the total. For example, in a 22-over innings, 2 bowlers may bowl 5 overs and 3 bowlers 4 overs.

Injured bowler mid-over: another bowler finishes the over. It counts as a full over against each bowler's limit (in 35-over matches it counts as one of the overs of the bowler who completes it). The bowler who completes it can't have bowled the previous over or bowl the next one.

Juniors: the limits above are subject to the CGL bowling restrictions for young players. Players aged 16 or under may bowl spells of at most 5 overs, with at most 15 overs in a day, and must rest for as many overs as they bowled before bowling again.

The CGL 2025/26 limited-overs conditions limit how many fielders may be outside the circle (two semicircles of 27.43 m radius for men and 23 m for ladies, measured from the middle stumps and joined by straight lines):

Leg side: no more than 5 fielders on the leg side at the moment of delivery. In 35-over matches, no more than 2 of them may be behind the popping crease.

Shortened innings: the phases shrink using tables in the conditions (for example a 22-over 35-over-format innings has a 7-over Power Play; a 15-over T20 innings has a 5-over Power Play). New phases take effect immediately, even mid-over.

Penalties: a breach is a no ball (and a free hit when official CGL umpires are present). Unfair movement by a fielder after the ball comes into play, other than minor adjustments, outfielders walking in, or reacting to the stroke, is a dead ball plus 5 penalty runs to the batting side.

It depends on the format (CGL 2025/26 playing conditions):

50 overs (15 overs an hour, excluding drinks):

35 overs: the innings ends when time runs out (the over in progress is finished). The batting side gets penalty runs for each over not bowled: the greater of 10 runs per over or the batting side's run rate (rounded down) times the overs not bowled. For example, 252/6 after 32 overs gets 3 × 10 = 30 runs added. The team batting second still gets its full 35 overs.

20 overs:

Time cricket: 16 overs an hour. 15.20 to 15.99 costs 1 point, 14.80 to 15.19 costs 2, and below 14.80 costs 3. This only applies to innings longer than 2 hours 30 minutes.

Allowances: the umpires allow for on-field treatment, injured players leaving the field, time-wasting by the batting side and other delays outside your control.

Discipline: for 50-over, 20-over and time matches, the captain or deputy is also charged under the disciplinary code. Serious or repeated slow over rates are a Level 2 offence.

Under the CGL By-laws and Code of Conduct, the captain:

• must know the Laws of Cricket, the CGL By-laws and the playing conditions for the competition
• is responsible at all times for the behaviour of the team and for play being in the spirit of the game, within the Laws and the Code of Conduct
• can be sanctioned if a player who can't be identified breaches the Code
• must keep checking the runs, wickets and overs recorded during the match
• must keep track of time constraints with the umpires; slow over rates are the captain's responsibility
• is responsible for the umpires' evaluation form being completed and submitted.

Escalation: if more than two disciplinary actions are brought against a captain in a season, the panel may move any guilty finding up to the next level of sanction. A captain who doesn't act within the spirit of the game, or fails to use their authority to control the game, commits a Level 2 offence (a 2 to 4 match suspension).

Contrived results: if the Board finds a result was manipulated through a contrived declaration, it may withhold all points from both teams.

In the Men's Premier League, CGL also uses the green, yellow and red card system under Law 42 for on-field conduct.

Official umpires are appointed by the CGL umpires' association (CGLCUA). If none are present, under the CGL 2025/26 playing conditions:

• The captains appoint the umpires. They must be members of the two teams (the 12th player and team manager count) or hold at least a Level 1 certificate from CGLCUA or an equivalent association. The captains control any change of these umpires during an innings.
• The captains, not the umpires they appointed, judge whether the ground, weather and light are fit for play. If the captains disagree, the status quo remains.
• One official umpire only: the official umpire stands at the bowler's end at both ends, and a member of the batting team stands at square leg.
• Free hits after a no ball apply only when official CGL umpires are present.
• A fielder returning from an absence reports to the captains rather than to the umpires the captains appointed.

Under the CGL 2025/26 playing conditions:

• Result card: the scorers fill it in, but both captains must check it's correct, and both umpires must sign it. It must be completed and signed even if no play was possible, and reach the CGL office by 18:00 on the Monday after the game. A late card costs a R100 fine and 1 match point.
• Umpires' evaluation form: each club must submit the official evaluation form to the umpires' association (CGLCUA) office by 18:00 on the Monday after the game, electronically or on paper. A late form costs 1 match point.
• Slow over rates: when an over-rate shortfall applies, the umpires and captains record it and sign the card.

The CGL By-laws also make the captain responsible for ensuring the result card is complete and correct and signed by both captains (or an authorised club official) and any official umpires, with each captain's daytime phone number.

Limited-overs matches (50, 35 and 20 overs):

• Batting bonus point: the team batting second reaches its target within 80% of its overs (for example 40 overs or fewer in an uninterrupted 50-over match).
• Bowling bonus point: the team bowling second holds the other side to 80% or less of the first-innings total (for example 80 or less after the first team made 100).

Time cricket: an outright win is worth 13 points (7 after trailing on first innings, 10 after a first-innings tie). A first-innings win in a drawn match is worth 6 and a first-innings tie 3. Bonus points (up to 6 each) are added for first-innings runs (1 point from 100 runs, up to 6 from 250) and first-innings wickets (1 point for 1 or 2 wickets, up to 6 for 10).

Penalty points (all formats): 1 point for a late start; 4 points for defaulting from a fixture (the match counts as played). A team that defaults 3 times in a season is expelled from the league.