Golden Oldies Cricket Harrogate

Cricket Ethos and Rules

The Golden Oldies Experience begins when you accept that you’re at greater risk from what you may do to yourself, and have done to you socially, than anything which may happen to you on the field.

There are four main principles on which every
Golden Oldies World Cricket Festival is built on:

1. To provide players from any country an environment in which sportsmanship and camaraderie thrive. The Festivals are founded on Fun, Friendship and Fraternity for those who have retired from serious competitive play, but wish to continue participating in their favourite sport for sheer enjoyment.

2. To provide an environment for participants to play against others who still prefer to play games more competitively, the opportunity to do so against like-minded teams, but still remaining dedicated to playing in a spirit of goodwill.

3. To provide opportunities for team members and their spouses or partners to travel, create new friendships and renew old acquaintances.

4. To encourage continuing respect for the traditions and values of cricket. 

Together, these opportunities can contribute to highlighting and promoting cricket throughout the world, and to creating positive reasons for enthusiasts to retain an active interest in cricket. Golden Oldies Cricket works with and is sanctioned by the governing bodies of each region that hosts World Festival ensuring strong involvement with clubs, cricket development and charities in the host area.

Golden Oldies Cricket Harrogate 2020

Golden Oldies Cricket Rules and Standards

1. The Laws of Cricket apply to Golden Oldies Cricket except where varied to suit Golden Oldies Cricketers. The rules of Golden Oldies Cricket may be varied from those suggested with the agreement of the captains of the teams involved in the match.

2. The rules are designed to maximise participation and enjoyment. The rules and variations may take account of the region in which the match is taking place and the pitches on which matches are played.

3. Matches to be 35 or 40 over per side as may be agreed by captains. In the very unlikely event of no agreement, 40 overs per side will be required.

4. Maximum of 8 overs per bowler.

5. Minimum of 6 bowlers to be used.

6. Maximum run up for bowlers 12 metres.

7. Suggested variations that can be applied at the option of the captains (designed to increase participation of all members of teams).

8. Compulsory batting retirements and recycling at score of 35 (batsmen who retire after scoring 35 can resume their innings at the fall of the last wicket). 

Suggestions for Umpires

1. Laws of cricket apply for LBW decisions and batsmen being dismissed for a duck.

2. In the interests of getting the games finished in reasonable time, the various laws with respect to wide’s are to be applied with leniency. Strict interpretation could lengthen some overs beyond cricketing recognition.

Suggestions for Players

Though not banned from matches’, sledging is discouraged on the grounds that:

1. Players are insufficiently witty to provide true amusement.

2. The likelihood is that many on the field will as a result of health decline not hear what is being said resulting in a waste of breath and creativity.

3. Insults about a player’s physical shape and fitness are likely to be close to true and could be particularly hurtful.

4. Excessive talking on the field leads to shortness of breath and may limit the sledgers ability to take a full part in the game until his breath is fully recovered.

5. With gradual decline in memory at this stage of our cricketing career sledges need to be kept short lest we start a long sledge and lose track of the thought and forget how it ends...if you see what we mean.

6. Take care at afternoon tea as one team recently lost their opening bowler who strained his shoulder reaching for a scone.

Respect for the Game

1. Teams are expected to respect our great game, their opponents, umpires and supporters by recognising that to many of us cricket still represents good sportsmanship, decent standards, friendship, fraternity and enjoyment of one of the greatest games.

2. Teams are expected to wear correct cricket clothing.

3. Coloured shirts are acceptable as part of a team outfit.

Golden Oldies Cricket Mantra

“At a time when sport is taking off in unprecedented ways at the top commercial levels, your presence at a Golden Oldies Cricket Festival will remind us that the soul of sport still resides in the hundreds of thousands of players from many different backgrounds in many different places who play games socially for the love of it, promoting respect and understanding amongst people in the process.”

Dr Andre Odendaal, past Chief Executive, Western Province Cricket Association, South Africa.