15 Laws of cricket that you need to know

10. Damaging the pitch:

The law 42 of the rule book states that it is incumbent on all players to avoid unnecessary damage to pitch. A player will be deemed to be causing avoidable damage if either umpire considers that his presence on the pitch is without reasonable cause. It is unfair to cause deliberate damage the pitch. There is a small part of the pitch called ‘the protected area’ where none of the players on the field are not allowed to enter unnecessarily. It is defined as that area contained within a rectangle bounded at each end by imaginary lines parallel to the popping creases and 5ft/1.52m front of each, and in the sides by imaginary lines, one each side of the imaginary line joining the centres of the two middle stumps, each parallel to it and 1ft/30.48cm from it.

A bowler will be deemed to be causing deliberate damage to the pitch if the umpire considers that his presence on the protected area is without reasonable calls. The bowler will contravene this law if he runs onto the protected are either after delivering the ball or if he fails to release the ball, at first he will receive a caution, the second he will get a final warning and if he does it again he will be suspended from bowling for the rest of the match and may face disciplinary action after the match.

In the case of the batsman, it is the whole pitch that they must not damage not just the protected area. If the batsman causes deliberate damage to the pitch, the batsman will be given a 1^st and final warning. The warning given to him will apply throughout the innings and each incoming batsman will be warned.

If any fielder causes deliberate damage to the field he will face a similar portion and be reported to his captain, if there is a repeat offense by any fielder during that innings, five runs are awarded to the batting side.