rules of cricket, out jumps another new law ...

Actually, several changes and rewrites have recently been made to existing laws, however one rule change in particular threatens to greatly affect the outcome of matches, as well as adding `teeth' to the powers of umpires and match officials.

However, the overall aim is noble, that of curtailing negative play and outright cheating.

For teams will now suffer or benefit from the delivery of `instantaneous on-field justice' in the form of the penalty runs being doled out for blatant transgressions of the rules by either the batting or fielding team.

Domestically penalty runs will come into effect at the start of the 2001 season, however, Bermuda's Red Stripe-bound national squad will be force fed such changes during the tournament later this month, with the laws placed into effect as of October 1.

Top local umpires Randy Butler and George Francis learned first hand of the various alterations during a recent four-day conference in Antigua conducted by respected English official Nigel Plews.

"I feel with the penalty runs it gives the umpire a bit more authority to bring the game under control in a sense,'' said Butler, one of the few local officials that are internationally certified by the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association.

"Before it was a matter of having to write a report on a certain thing and sometimes those reports were never acted on.

"Now you can take action on the field of play. Runs can be awarded and the game keeps flowing, even though you still have to report some instances to the authorities after the match.'' Butler added that it was a necessary step in curtailing play detrimental to the spirit of the game, drawing reference to the example of a batsman deliberately damaging the pitch with little threat of recourse.

"A batsman who damaged the pitch by continually running down the centre you could only give him a warning,'' explained Butler.

"Now, if he continues to do it, you give him one warning, which applies to the whole side, and with the third warning for him or any subsequent batsman you award five penalty runs to the other team.

"So, if you want to continually damage the pitch it means that you are giving runs away to the other side.'' Other instances of penalisation include ball tampering, players returning to the field without permission after injury breaks, deliberate distraction or obstruction of a batsman, batsmen stealing runs, time wasting by the fielding side and deliberate short runs to name a few.

Other minor changes involve when a batsman can call for light, the definition of a catch in relation to the boundary, as well as allowing for the batsman to be caught off any part of the glove on the hand holding the bat and what is termed a six.

Francis said: "It's been 20 years since the code has not been updated or changed and I feel these changes will be accepted by the public and players,'' said Francis. "Cricket must change with the times and they must realise that change is got to come.

"I'm glad they're being made because it gives the umpire a little more teeth.

Cricket was made to be played as a gentlemen's game, with these penalties it will secure the umpire.

"Our plan is to go out to the clubs and meet with the players, coaches, captains as well as get this out through the media as much as possible, so that they can understand these changes.

"I think umpires will be quite reasonable to this sort of things and not jump on guys first chance.

"One must remember that all MCC and the ICC are asking is that the game be played in the spirit of the game and maybe these penalty runs will never be used.''