September 25th saw the Regional Championships take place the University of Leicester. Many turned up to the event to support their local team as they batted their way to win the regional rounders championship.
This event was the culmination of a number of matches that had taken place around the country, so the best of the best Rounders skills was on display for all to see by the final 7 teams:
Leicester Rep Team
Rugby Rounders
4th Base
Oddballs
Drayton Devils
Your Base or Mine
Somervale Squad
For those that do not know, the object of the game is to hit a ball (roughly the size of a tennis, but much harder) with a bat. Once the ball is hit you then need to run around 4 bases to score a run. The team with the most runs at the end of the game is deemed the winner. Each game is officiated by a bowling and batting umpire. These umpires are to adjudge the integrity of the game and also pick on any infractions whilst the game is taking place. It’s also up the umpires to try and keep all players safe as well as keeping equipment in the best possible order. Whilst waiting to go into bat, the batting team must all wait in the batting area found 10m behind the playing line. Two areas should be constructed, one with the waiting batters and the other with the out batters.
Each batter will face just one delivery. It’s up to them to try and get to first post before being given out. If a player reaches the first post but then breaches one of the out laws, then they will be given out. A no ball will be called if a bowler fails to bowl the ball underarm, the ball is above shoulder or blow knee height, ball bounces before reaching the batter, is too wide of the batter for them to hit the ball or the bowler’s foot is outside the pitching square. Players can be given out by being caught, foot outside the batting square, running inside any of the posts, stumped at a post before they reach it (must be running to that post), overtaking a fellow batsman whilst running, throw the bat or lose contact with the post before the ball is bowled.
So, as you can see, there are a lot of finer details to take into account!
The next event I will be working on alongside #RoundersEngland on October 22nd for the 'ROUNDERS TOUR DERBY'
To read the full day's roundup, please visit: Somervale Squad clinch win with undefeated Rounders matches at Regional Final - Rounders England