Cheshire County Cricket League
APRIL, 2016 NEWSLETTER
Captains & umpires meet to
talk about 2016 changes
AN innovative meeting between League Club captains and Panel umpires took place at Timperley on Tuesday, March 29 to consider changes to playing regulations and to gain a common understanding of other issues likely to arise during the 2016 season starting on April 23.
Virtually all 36 clubs and 30 umpires were welcomed by League secretary Geoff Wellsteed, supported by Umpires chairman Ian Greensmith. A minute’s silence was observed in the memory of former umpire Rick Davis, who died on March 19.
The following were among the items discussed:
O The importance was stressed of the ‘meeting and greeting’ of umpires on their arrival at the ground, especially where new members were involved. The post match discussion had also proved useful feedback on both sides.
O The use of the new BS standard helmet was now mandatory in 1st class and international cricket and its use was strongly recommended by ECB for cricket at league level.
O Following legal cases elsewhere, umpires were now recommended to inspect ground conditions independently before consulting together as to the fitness for play. If either umpire considered conditions unfit, play should not commence. If at any tine during the game, umpires felt conditions were unfit, play should be suspended.
If there was any standing water, play should not take place.
O Discipline in the League was considered reasonable, but there was no room for complacency. Sledging and over vociferous appealing were the worst problems. Umpires were being instructed to issue cautions for Level 1 offences which did not imply an automatic ban, but could contribute to the totting up process.
O Criteria for Fairplay markings were strictly defined by ECB ACO; there was no room for manoeuvre by umpires. With generally good marks within the league, and many 4s recorded it did not take many lower marks (2s) to drop a team down the rankings.
£5,000 fines money can be better spent
O More than £5,000 in fines had been collected for late and unrecorded match results in 2015, money which should be better used within clubs. The new match reporting system was outlined which did away with paper sheets for 1st XI cricket. Communicating results, Fairplay marks etc. would be handled on-line. Ist XI scores and results must now be posted on play-cricket.com by 10 p.m. on match days and the full scoreboard by 12 noon the following day.
O Pitch markings criteria now allowed for limited seam movement and spin. Marks of 14 plus (out of 20) were considered acceptable; 17 plus as very good. In 2015 only one mark below 14 was recorded across the divisions.
O Captains were asked to consider individual criteria when assessing umpires. This was important for umpires aspiring to promotion.
O Regulation changes: individual bowling restrictions of 17 overs in 110 over games; 15 overs in 100 overs games; 12 overs in 90 overs games and 10 overs in games of 80 overs.
Thirty yard fielding circles would apply in all 1st XI League matches where two panel umpires were officiating.
O A group of six captains under Toby Drummond (Toft) would coordinate future rule changes and publicise them to clubs. Captains should ensure their players were made aware that the route for changes was via clubs not individuals
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USE OF PINK BALLS
ALL 34 clubs competing in the Joseph Holt T20 competition will be supplied with extra pink balls to give them a minimum stock of 18. This is designed to avoid potential shortage and a reversion to red balls mid-innings if they get lost.
This season’s cricket ball order to Readers’ including junior balls and scorebooks is valued at more than £56,000. Each full member club will receive free of charge 12 red balls and a set of fielding circles plus six pink balls as above.
These balls, together with Handbooks, Team Cards and Result sheets will be available for collection at the preseason Management meeting at Warrington on Wednesday, April .13 (8 p.m.).
UMPIRES PANEL: The League umpires panel is expected to be roughly 50-strong in 2016, up to half a dozen down on 2015. A recruitment drive has been launched.
One likely outcome is that few if any appointments will be made to cover League 2nd XI Premier Division games in 2016. Any spare County League umpires will be urged to stand in UK Fast League 1st XI games if requested.
Bob Abel has succeeded Ken Spilsbury as the League Umpires marks co-ordinator.
Geoff Young replaces Jon Hacking as League umpires appointments secretary.
Special registrations flood in
LEAGUE Assistant secretary Tony Morris reports the following players had been specially registered up to and including Tuesday, March 29.
Overseas players: 14
BOLLINGTON: Faiz Kippie, aged 31, South African all-rounder.
BROOKLANDS: Daniel Duke, 24, New Zealand all rounder
CHEADLE HULME: Talor Williams, 21, New Zealand all-rounder.
CONGLETON: Ben Scowen, Australian. No further details.
DAVENHAM: Givon Christian, 23, South African all rounder.
GRAPPENHALL: Ryan Ninan, 30, South African all-rounder
HYDE: William Walker, 23, Australian all-rounder.
LINDOW: Jake Martin, Australian. CV awaited.
MACCLESFIELD: Nick Bertus, Australian wicket-keeper/batsman. Second season.
MARPLE: James Menzies, 23, Australian all-rounder
STOCKPORT: Shea Gribben, 21, Australian all-rounder
TATTENHALL: Brett Siebert. 20, Australian batsman.
URMSTON: Adam McMaster, 19, Australian all-rounder.
WARRINGTON: Huw Stone, 21, Australian all-rounder.
* Some of the players referred to above and others yet to be registered are mentioned in Club News pages 7-8.
Ordinarily resident (two years): five
MACCLESFIELD: Adnan Khan; Ciaran Sanders (both at King’s School, Macclesfield)
NESTON: Charles Fernando; Simon Mugava; Billy Ouzoudis.
Ordinarily resident (180 days): five
BOLLINGTON: Scott McGovern
BROOKLANDS: Jaydutt Kamath, 32, Indian.
MACCLESFIELD: Harlan Greig, 18, South African. Eligible from May 8.
URMSTON: Bevis Burke, 21, St. Kitts &Nevis.
WIDNES: Rajiv Singh, 32, Indian.
County contracted players: one
URMSTON: Matthew Parkinson, 19. Lancashire leg-spinner
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33 clubs vie for 2nd XI Joseph Holt T20 Trophy
ALL member clubs except Northwich and Oulton Park, who conceded games last season and are rendered ineligible, and non-entrants Christleton will be competing for the 2nd XI Joseph Holt Trophy in 2016.
Holders Chester Boughton Hall enjoy a home tie against Weaverham in round one, while new members Lindow go to Macclesfield and Ashton on Mersey host Hyde.
The draw has been devised regionally up to and excluding the semi-finals. Round 1 has to be completed by May 30; round 2 by June 20; quarter-finals by July 28. Finals Day will be at Warrington on an August date yet to be decided.
Group 1 preliminary round:
Marple v Cheadle
Round 1:
Marple or Cheadle v Bollington
Cheadle Hulme v Alderley Edge
Bramhall v Congleton
Stockport v Bredbury St. Mark’s
Group 2 round 1:
Sale v Urmston;
Brooklands v Didsbury
Ashton on Mersey v Hyde
Macclesfield v Lindow
Group 3 round 1:
Warrington v Nantwich;
Grappenhall v Davenham
Middlewich v Timperley
Bowdon v Toft
Group 4 round 1:
Upton v Tattenhall;
Neston v Widnes
Chester Boughton Hall v Weaverham
Alvanley v Oxton
1st XI Finals Day is at Toft
AS previously reported, the 1st XI Joseph Holt T20 Finals Day will be staged at Toft on Sunday, July 10.
Group games for the 34 entrants begin on Thursday, May 12.
The T20 Competition secretary is now Geoff Wellsteed, to whom all requests for date changes, disputes, etc. should be addressed. He will collate weekly group results from the League website under new arrangements for prompt reporting.
CHESTER TO STAGE 3rd XI FINALS
FINALS Day in the 3rd XI Jack Gardner Trophy competition is to be staged at Chester Boughton Hall provisionally on Sunday, August 21.
Knutsford have withdrawn from the competition and also from Sunday 3rd XI Central Division, leaving eight teams playing 14 games.
League exit Under 21s tournament
THE League have withdrawn their Under 21s team from a proposed a four-cornered mid-week competition also involving the Liverpool Competition, Northern League and North Staffs & South Cheshire League.
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UMPIRES’ 2016 MEETING DATES
PRE-season meeting of the League Umpires & Scorers Association is at Timperley on Monday, April 18 (8 p.m.).
Other 2016 meetings are: Mid-season at Toft on Wednesday, July 6; end of season at Sale on Wednesday, September 21; AGM at Toft at Toft on Wednesday, November 9 (all 8 p.m. )
O Alistair Davies has been named as MCC umpire on an official MCC tour to Holland in August.
Cheshire launch Academy
CHESHIRE’S Development XI is to be re-named the Cheshire Academy in 2016 with emphasis on the under 19 age group. Fixtures:
Tuesday, June 14: Shropshire Academy at Whitchurch: 11.30 a.m. (provisional)
Tuesday, July 12: MCC at Marple: 11 a.m.
Thursday, July 14: Warwickshire Academy at Kenilworth Wardens: 12 noon.
Tuesday & Wednesday, August 9 & 10: Cumberland at Sale (11 a.m.)
Revised Cheshire Cup dates
REVISED dates for the 2016 Cheshire Cup are as follows:
Round 1: Sunday, May 22; round 2: Sunday, June 26; Quarter-finals: Sunday, July 24; Semi-finals: Sunday, August 21; Final: Sunday, September 4.
Dates of games in the Cheshire Shield are as originally announced: Round 1: Sunday June 5; Round 2: Sunday, June 19; quarter-finals: Sunday, July 10; Semi-finals Sunday, July 24; Final on Sunday, August 24.
23 clubs enter NatWest Under 19s T20
ORGANISED in Cheshire for the Cricket Board by Development Officer Mike Woollard, 23 clubs have so far entered the new NatWest Under 19s T20.
Fostered by Lord’s, the competition is designed to give more opportunity for competitive cricket to older junior players and will be played in mid-week later in the season For further information contact (tel. 01606 871 200).
O BY March 25, a total of 70 Cheshire clubs had been registered to take part in Cricket Force weekend on April 1 –3. This compared to 102 in 2015.
Groundsmen make plans
MEMBERS of the Cheshire Association of Groundsmen met at Timperley on March 14 for an interesting ECB/IOG training presentation involving umpires and pitch markings.
This was followed by an open forum with a group of County League Umpires & Scorers Association members.
An all-day Foundation A course is to take place at Warrington on Tuesday, April 5 starting at 9 a.m. costing £20 for affiliated clubs. There will be a Foundation B course at Bramhall on Tuesday, September 6 restricted to 10 people with a maximum of one candidate per club.
The CAG AGM is on Monday, October 25 at Timperley
Secretary Brian Jarrard urges members who need advice on their squares to contact CAG Pitch Advisors Nick James (mobile 070808 723 110) or Paul Agar (mobile 07801 300 614). Their services are free and Cheshire is fortunate to have two such excellent men available, he says. They are also fully qualified to provide a spraying service at competitive rates.
Secretary Jarrard points out that some clubs are going outside the county for help, not a course of action he supports.
Meanwhile, CAG are also offering a free survey of club squares with a personalised programme on how to render improvements. Any club interested should contact Messrs. James or Agar or secretary Jarrard (e-mail )
Further information about this excellent organisation can be found on line at www.cag.org.uk
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The Cricketer to carry more club news
THE Cricketer magazine have announced plans to give more space to club news next season.
They want to hear about any notable individual or team performances, interesting snippets, wonderful tea ladies etc. to fill out a specialty enlarged section following views offered to them in a membership questionnaire.
Clubs should either send this information direct to the magazine’s Editorial Assistant at or leave it to Newsletter to pass on the information for them, as The Cricketer receive weekly/monthly copies of activities in the Vivio Cheshire County League together with 25 other organs of the local, regional and national press .
O Cheshire County Premier League cricket is also covered in The Cricket Paper, a weekly magazine available at bookstores every Friday.
Chester’s high hopes in Echo knock-out
CHESTER Boughton Hall will be attempting to win the Liverpool Echo knock out for the third time in four years in 2016. They, together with Neston and Oxton, are the only three County League representatives in an entry of 33 clubs. The competition is in its 43rd year and is now being organised by Merseyside-based journalist Paul Edwards.
The Group D regional draw, games to be played by June 5 is: Port Sunlight v Oxton; Chester Boughton Hall v Parkfield Liscard; Caldy v Birkenhead Park; Neston v New Brighton.
Pink balls are permitted in any match prior to the final as long as both teams aggree and it is hoped to involve umpires from the County League in matches involving clubs from that league. Coloured clothing is not encouraged.
Regular news of Cheshire County League cricket will be covered by Paul Edwards in the Echo next season in liaison with CCL Press officer MTB
Two well-known Competition personalities, Chris Rimmer of Ormskirk and former Merseyside Umpires supremo Mike Dixon have been appointed 1st and 2nd XI scorers respectively by the Lancashire County Club.
SENTINEL SUPPLEMENT
THE Stoke Evening Sentinel plan to carry a 32-page Cricket Supplement in their issue of Tuesday April 12 which will highlight the close-season activities and prospects of clubs in the Cheshire County and Cheshire Leagues and the Cheshire County Club.
Cricket writer Chris Travers, a long-term professional associate of the Newsletter editor, reports that the Sentinel now has a new cricket facebook page which can be visited throughout the season at; www.facebook.com/SentinelCricket.
The Sentinel receives a copy of the League Newsletter throughout the year and regularly carries news of our activities
Indoor play-off?
KINGSLEY AND Oulton Park have finished joint top of the Vale Royal Indoor League, possibly alongside Weaverham.
Fixtures end on April 7, when a decision will be made about the winners.
The League is run by Oulton Park’s Peter Robinson with Andy Bennion doing to website legwork. All matches are played at St. Nicholas HS, Northwich on Tuesday evenings.