Shepherd Neame Essex League

Minutes of Autumn Management Meeting

on

Sunday 11th October 2015

Present:

A Kennedy, G Salmon, A Jenner, M Vandome, G Jelley, T Kilby, C Greenhill T Clarke and forty voting club members.

It was reported that four of the premier league clubs do not yet have live scoring. There are now funds made available by the ECB for live scoring and it was in the interests of the whole league if we could obtain live scoring for all the 1st XI premier league.

There was discussion regarding the Duckworth Lewis regulations. Again funding may be available for some of the costs but not all.

It was agreed in principal that the match rules should be made simpler not more complicated by tinkering with the rules but that we would try and fall in line with the ECB as far as possible.

There was discussion regarding the limited over fixtures in 2nd XI cricket. Umpires and scorers were difficult to come by. Less than half the clubs have them and there is quite a considerable cost to the clubs involved in paying.

Play Cricket administration had deducted 325 points last season due to administrative errors and often because the away clubs did not tick the various boxes. George Salmon asked clubs to make sure that care was taken in completing all the forms for the play cricket review.

The first round of the league cup would be played on 23rd April and the T/20 for the ECB qualification would be played only by the premier and 1st XI twenty clubs and there would be four groups of five. It was hoped that a county wide tournament, details of which will be progressed, would include other sides from divisions two and three who wish to enter.

There was an under nineteen competition which could accommodate approximately twenty five sides but only thirteen of our sides had entered and it was felt that we should try and increase this number.

As far as the use of cricket balls was concerned none had been returned and remarks generally had been good.

Tom Kilby reported that there was only one Saturday when there was a slight shortage of umpires due to illness and on that particular day two of the matches had to umpired by just one individual.

Discipline in the year had not been satisfactory with twelve level one offences and nine level two. There were also three level four offences which had involved lengthy bans.

As far as Clubmark was concerned it was felt that by 2017 there was a distinct possibility that division two clubs would be required to have this. The clubs were also asked to please keep their details of responsible officers up to date.

Thanks were generally given to clubs for their help with taking Shepherd Neame products but it was stressed that they should do all they could to at least discuss with the company the possibilities should they wish to change breweries.

The response for the dinner on 23 October was good at the present time.

As far as reports from the umpires and captains were concerned the online reporting was satisfactory but not ideal and the forms would be reviewed and hopefully made simpler.

It was proposed that next year the handbook would be available online rather than in printed form and that the £200 charge for contributions for each club for printing purposes to £100 which would be refundable if either a full page or two half page adverts were obtained.

As far as preparation of the leagues and fixtures were concerned clubs were asked to confirm the number of teams they would be submitting by 31 October so that the work could commence. Clubs would be entitled to pull out any sides which they found they weren’t able to run providing this was done by 31 March 2016. This would be without penalty but penalties would apply should any club pull out after that date.

The fixtures secretary pointed out that we would need details of special arrangements regarding ground requirements and because of the timing he recommended that clubs that were uncertain about some of their lower elevens should assume that they were entering because the pullout date of 31 March was without penalty and the preparation of the grounds and fixtures would make it easier for clubs to reserve their second or third grounds as necessary.

There was a discussion regarding the subcommittee that was to meet regarding the introduction of regulations for 2016 which would then be put to the AGM for the following year. Clubs were asked to put forward details of any lower eleven members that they thought would be appropriate for this subcommittee as soon as possible so that the appropriate people could be appointed and get to work with the recommendations to put to the general committee in the first place.

The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Chair at 12.00pm.