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Historic England Cricket Club Bans Hitting Sixes; Check Out Bizarre Reason


Southwick and Shoreham Cricket Club has banned six-hitting (Twitter)Southwick and Shoreham Cricket Club has banned six-hitting (Twitter)

In a move that's turning heads and sparking debates, the historic Southwick and Shoreham Cricket Club, established in 1790, has thrown a real curveball with their latest ruling.

Located in West Sussex in England, the club has introduced a peculiar regulation that penalizes players for hitting sixes.

No More Sixes! 234-year-old cricket club introduces bizarre rule

Under the new guideline, which might remind some of the informal 'gully cricket', batsmen will face a no-score penalty for the first boundary-clearing six they hit. Should they dare to dispatch the ball over the rope a second time, they will be declared out.

The reason behind this eyebrow-raising rule? It’s all about neighbourhood peace. The club's ground, snugly situated within a residential area, has seen its share of cricket balls turning into unwanted missiles, threatening windows, cars, and even the odd garden shed.

As a result, insurance premiums have skyrocketed, and the risk of legal battles has turned into a potential minefield for the club.

Players, unsurprisingly, are up in arms over the change. "Hitting the bowler for a six is part of the glory of the sport. How can you ban it? It’s ridiculous. To take that away removes the joy of it. I don’t agree that the rules should be tinkered with in this fashion," lamented one disgruntled batsman to MailOnline.

It is worth mentioning that this isn't the first time cricket has seen such unconventional rules. Over in Canterbury's St Lawrence Ground, trees within the boundary fetch four runs if hit, and Lancing Manor awards two runs for similar arboreal interactions.

Nonetheless, this latest rule from Southwick and Shoreham is certainly one for the books and is making waves as perhaps the most unorthodox adjustment to the gentleman’s game in recent memory.