EVCL News

November 2011 27 April 2011	Umpires Course Reminder that league will be running an Introduction to Umpiring Course at Caldbeck CC on Sunday 20 November from 1000am – 4.00pm with Bill Scott and Doug Beebe leading. It is free to all persons registered with an EVCL club. AGM : Press officers report followed by Minutes Clubs in the Eden Valley Cricket League (EVCL) will be playing their cricket in another country in the 2012 season. One of the county’s three major weekend cricket leagues, the EVCL is traditionally associated with the gentle rolling pastures and green and fertile land that is the Eden Valley, but as from next season a number of clubs in the league, those in the league’s fourth tier, will be playing their cricket in bonny Scotland. This follows the unanimous decision of all clubs attending the league’s AGM in Penrith Rugby Club on Monday night to admit the 1st XI cricketers of Langholm Cricket Club to the league. The league had previously stretched its boundaries to include players from the Keswick and Cockermouth clubs in its structure but to venture over the border into Scotland marks a significant new departure. And yet the EVCL was 100 per cent behind the move as indicated by the strength of the vote in favour at the annual meeting. In making a successful application to join the EVCL, Langholm Cricket Club will be leaving The Borders League in order to do so. But, strangely enough, they had to travel further at weekends for their cricket in Scotland than they will when competing in the Eden Valley next summer. Road improvements and speed of access once on the motorway means that they will reach many EVCL home grounds within the hour. In fact the journey to the Penrith meeting took much less than an hour. And for EVCL clubs in the league’s bottom tier, the Third Division of a four-tier league (Premier, First, Second and Third divisions) the journey into Scotland will see them play on a scenic ground with excellent facilities, including a recently refurbished and extended pavilion. The case for joining the EVCL was put by Langholm CC representative Duncan Elliott who said that the club (founded in 1858) was ambitious and needed a fresh challenge, having played in the Borders League since 1930. The club fielded two senior teams and three junior teams and it was the club’s 1st XI that would be playing in the EVCL if accepted. “We have recently carried out £40,000 worth of improvements on our pavilion and are looking to extend further,” he added. “Visiting teams will receive great hospitality and if they would like to make a day of it and stay for a social event in the evening then they will be most welcome.” The representatives of the Langholm Club expressed their delight on returning to the meeting room and being informed that they had been unanimously accepted into the EVCL. Langholm will play in the Third Division after a suggestion from the EVCL management committee that they be immediately elevated to the league’s Second Division was narrowly defeated. Langholm join the league at a good time. League treasurer Andy Baker told the meeting that because the league had a financial surplus, club subscriptions were being halved and the fees for match balls were also being reduced from £10 to £5 for the forthcoming season. They will also be one of the first clubs to take part in a new format for the EVCL League Cup competitions. Instead of the customary 40 over per side game (the same for league matches) with bowlers restricted to a maximum of eight overs each, the clubs decided to opt for a new 20/20 two innings format with various restrictions placed on batters and bowlers and all designed to increase participation and give captains even more to think about! The league’s management committee has been proactive in trying to enhance the quality of the league and its clubs and grounds. For example it is looking to hold grounds man courses next season and also wants to improve the number of EVCL umpires through encouraging member clubs to put forward potential candidates for courses to be held this winter. Doug Beebe, of the Association of Cricket Umpires, was at the meeting to explain a one-day introductory course (course fee £10) could be followed by a three day Level 1 course (£40) by those who wished to gain qualifications. An inventory was also taken at the meeting of ground equipment held by individual clubs with a view to a sharing programme which would enable some clubs to complete much-needed work on their squares by borrowing or hiring equipment from near neighbours. It was also reported that money-saving collective deals could be achieved in buying loam and seed for Autumnal ground work. League chairman Dougie Farmer welcomed the initiatives. “The league’s management committee is determined to do its utmost to help clubs at a time when many are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the increased costs of running a local cricket club,” said League Chairman Dougie Farmer in welcoming the across the board initiatives. The AGM doubles up as the League’s annual presentation evening and a member of the Management Committee, Matthew (“Taz”) Burbury, of the Caldbeck club provided an entertaining and informative review of the 2011 season. He referred to the fact that the league had celebrated 50 years of cricket in 2011 and had staged a representative match at Keswick’s Fitz Park ground featuring an EVCL XI (drawn from founder clubs) and a Henry Olonga XI. “It was a great game, a good crowd and a marvellous day,” he said. “In fact it embodied everything that is good about Eden Valley cricket.” 2011 was a record-breaking year, he added. Despite the fact that 28% of league matches were rained-off, a lot of runs were scored and there were 23 centuries with Appleby CC’s Phil Brabbins hitting 176 (a new best in division 1 record) Martin Brakewell, also of Appleby, 191 (a new league record at the time) but then along came Steve Percival, of Shap CC, to hit 207 not out and set a new record that could well stand the test of time. Individual awards were as follows: Batting – Premier Division; Mark Vasey, Scotby (average of 84) Division 1; Phil Brabbins, of Appleby (79.2) Division 2, Tony Steele, Longtown (53.4) Division 3; Steve Clark, Keswick 2nds (71.3). Bowling – Premier Division; Stu Marshall, Stainton (average of 10.57) Division One; Robert Hook, Kirkby Stephen (8.64) Division Two; Jimmy Freebairn, of Rockcliffe (7.61) Division Three; Phil Corrie, Irthing Vale (6.9). Catches – Premier Division, Jamie Brownrigg (Caldbeck), Division One, James Shorrocks, (Shap), Division 2, Adam Armistead (Penrith 3rds), Division Three, Matt McNaughton, (Penrith Academy). Wicket keeping - Premier Division, Sam Scully (Cockermouth 2nds), Division One, Matt Wilson (Edenhall), Division Two, Nick O’Hara (Great Corby), Division Three, Sam Tiffin, (Penrith Wanderers). Most Man of the match awards – Andrew Gate (Edenhall). Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Eden Valley Cricket League Held at Penrith Rugby Club on Monday 24 October 2011 The Chairman (Douglas Farmer) welcomed all to the meeting. 1) Roll of clubs Representatives from all clubs except Baggrow & Blennerhasset and Kirkby Stephen were present. 2) Minutes of the 2010 annual General Meeting were approved. Proposed: Stainton Seconded: Temple Sowerby 3) Hon. Secretary’s report Rick Kay introduced himself to clubs as the new secretary and advised that a new email address would be circulated soon, once the website had been updated. 4) Hon. Treasurer’s report The accounts for the year that had been circulated with the notice of the AGM were presented to the meeting. AB highlighted that a substantial surplus had accumulated over the year. It was noted that subscriptions and fees appeared higher than the previous year due to late payments from 2010 being received in 2011. Expenses for Cup finals and representative matches had increased as there were more games and Cumbria Cricket Board fees increased to £30 per club from £20. As a result of the surplus league fees would be reduced to £5 per team and the cost of cricket balls would be reduced to £5 per ball. Ball collection nights would be notified to clubs in the same manner as last year. 5) Hon. Fixtures secretary’s reports (i) Norman Shuttleworth NS indicated that he had given leeway to clubs for them to submit score sheets on a monthly basis if the result was communicated to him. This had worked in some cases but not for all clubs so the rules would be more strictly adhered to this coming season. Trophies – Late and non-return of trophies had been a problem this year, the rules clearly state that fines will be levied for late return. Thanks to Steve Percival, Gilbert Pyke, Andrew Gate, Adam Jakeman and Nigel Fowles for regular reports from their games and to Keith Richardson and Tim Sykes for the cup reports. The prize for the best reports went to Keith Richardson. Cockermouth II’s had applied to go into the North Lancs League, this may have an effect on Div 1 and if their application was successful this would mean an extra team would go up, with two still going down. Cricket (ii) Taz 10th year of presentations and celebrated 50 years of the Eden Valley Cricket League with a representative match of a league 11 – v a Henry Olonga 11 at Keswick’s ground in Fitz Park. Presentation took place of the trophies to the clubs. 6) Applications for membership Applications had been received from Langholm Cricket Club and Baggrow & Blennerhasset Cricket Club 2nd 11. Dave Elliott from Langholm Cricket Club made a presentation to the meeting. Questions raised from clubs related to travelling and the ability to put out teams. It was approximately 45 minutes from Penrith to Langholm, they themselves were used to travelling in their current league so it would not be an issue and they had a thriving junior section who wanted to progress so fixture fulfilment would not be a problem. They currently have no promotion or relegation in their league so the EVCL would give them new experiences. Langholm left the room for the other clubs to discuss the application. The Chairman summarised the application and advised the clubs that the committee were proposing that the application be accepted. Other clubs local to Langholm spoke in support of their application and indicated that it is a well-run club. VOTE: Unanimous to accept Langholm’s application. VOTE on which division they should start in: 14 - Div 3, 12 – Div 2, 3 – Abstain. There was no one present from Baggrow & Blennerhasset to speak about their application to enter a 2nd 11 in the league. Their application was proposed by Stainton, but there was no seconder, so the application failed. 7) Specific proposals of motion – all circulated beforehand. Rule D3 – All afternoon matches shall consist of 40 6-ball overs for each team Amend to read All afternoon matches shall consist of a maximum of 40 6-ball overs for each team Proposed Great Corby, Seconded Edenhall. Y = 29, N = 1, AB = 0. Rule D6 – In the event of bad weather or unsuitable ground conditions, the captains shall have the discretion to limit the overs to a minimum of 24 six-ball overs to be played. The amount of overs to be bowled shall always be divisible by four and the resultant number shall be the maximum of overs allowed per bowler. Matches not started by 4:30pm shall be counted as a draw. Amend to read In the event of bad weather or unsuitable ground conditions, the captains shall have the discretion to limit the overs to a minimum of 20 six-ball overs to be played. The amount of overs to be bowled shall always be divisible by four and the resultant number shall be the maximum of overs allowed per bowler. Any matches not started at the appointed time because of inclement weather or unsuitable ground conditions four overs per side shall be removed from their allocation for every 30 minutes (or part thereof) lost to the weather. Matches not started by 4:30pm shall be counted as a draw. Proposed Temple Sowerby, Seconded Scotby. Y = Unanimous. Rule B9 – If a club has more than one team in the same division then it must designate which is the senior team prior to the season commencing. Rule B7 will apply as if the senior team were in a higher division Amend If a club has more than one team in the same division a player may not play in league matches for both teams over the same weekend. Proposed Carlisle, Seconded Braithwaite. Y = 29, N = 1 AB = 0 The committee proposed 3 options for the league cup competition for 2012, each option as discussed and clubs asked to vote for their favourite option, summarised below:- 1) No change. 2) 36 overs with maximum of six overs per bowler. 3) All matches to be played as two 20 over innings per side match. When winning the toss the team electing to bat first will then bat third and the opposing team will thus bat second and forth. The team which bats first and leads by 30 runs or more after the first innings have been completed shall have the option of requiring the opposition to follow on in their second innings. A team may declare one or both innings. Any overs not bowled will not be allocated to the opposing side. Each innings shall be for a maximum of 20/6 ball overs, with an individual bowler limited to a maximum of five overs per innings. Only three of those bowlers used in a side’s first innings may bowl in the second innings. Those batsmen who have batted in the first innings may not bat in a team’s second innings until those who did not bat in the first innings have batted. In the event of a tie, the team which loses the least number of wickets in both innings shall be declared the winners. If this is the same, the team leading after the first innings will be declared the winners. If this is the same, a bowl off will be required. Votes as follows:- 1) – 2 2) – 9 3) – 17 Option 3 will be trialled in 2012 and further details/rules will be forwarded to clubs. 8) Committee election taken on block after enquiries made if anyone else wished to stand:- Proposed Stainton, Seconded Penrith. VOTE: Unanimous. 9) Any other business (i) Umpires courses to be run, a 1 day starter course in November and a 3 day course in the New Year, clubs to put forwards people ASAP. (ii) NS noted the league had surplus funds and questioned whether it would be of use to clubs if the league purchased some equipment for clubs to use. A poll was taken of certain items of ground equipment by Paul Ruddick for further discussion by the committee. (iii) NS trying to arrange a groundsman course/demonstration on preseason and post season preparations. (iv) Discussed possibility of bulk buying of loam next year to get better prices. (v) Cricket tour to South Africa – details to be circulated. 10) Junior and Senior League Cup draws took place, the results of which will be released on the website. MEETING CLOSED League Press & Publicity Officer Keith Richardson from Keswick CC was recently appointed as Press & Publicity Officer for the Eden Valley Cricket League.  Keith comes with a long involvement in local cricket as well as being a published author and journalist.  He is looking for any information about league cricket which he can use here on the website or within the local (and national) press to publicise and promote local cricket. If you have any material that you feel Keith can use, please contact him direct at keithr@rivergretawriter.co.uk. In addition, the News & Star newspaper are always looking for pictures for their weekly cricket column.  If you have any notable events in matches, please try to get something captured in a picture and send it to Keith who will forward it on.
27 April 2011	County Welfare Officers Message Two of the League's players have recently taken up roles as County Welfare Officers with the Cumbria Cricket Board.  The following message is released to all Cumbria Clubs - Cumbria Cricket Board (CCB) County Welfare Officers – 2011 Season You may be aware that two new CCB County Welfare Officers were appointed late last year.  Both Neil Swainson and Mark Cameron bring a wealth of experience in the area of child protection as well as both having played cricket at local club level in the county for a number of years.   The CCB are in the process of updating information about Club & League Welfare Officers and providing training for those that need it.  This is not a quick process and we would ask you to bear with us whilst this transition takes place. One thing that has raised its head again & again in the last few years is the subject of on-field behaviour.  Most of us play the game of cricket because we always have, however old we are.  We play it because we enjoy it and we play it to win.  Otherwise there would be no point in playing it.  Whether we are any good at it can be immaterial.  Those of us who are a bit older see many youngsters coming into the game.  Some of these youngsters are exceptional and have had opportunities that perhaps the older ones never had.  They may go on to greater things than we ever managed within cricket.  Some just enjoy playing and come along for the enjoyment of playing team sport.  Some turn up to help us out to get 11 players on the field.  Whichever category they fall into, they and every other player on the pitch should expect the respect of those playing with them and against them.  We need to ensure that these players enjoy their game of cricket and want to come back the following week to play again – they are the future. Sadly we are seeing standards of behaviour and discipline falling on the cricket field.  Perhaps this is a society issue but for many years, cricket has held its head up as a sport where there is a respect for fellow players and we need to ensure that we maintain these standards. Sledging is now part of the game and stump microphones, invasive TV analysis and on-field ‘square ups’ in top level professional cricket have given an insight into how the game is sometimes played at that level – which some have brought into club, junior & schools cricket. As Welfare Officers for the county, we are asking everyone and more especially the administrators, more senior players and those who act as umpires to try to redress this balance.  You have a responsibility to act to ensure that we don’t drive anyone from the game and especially junior players.  This season let’s try to improve the cricket experience for all by applying a few simple fundamentals. No swearing on the field of play Sledging (if it has to be done) is confined to support & comment for your team-mates and not aimed personally at the batsman to scare, intimidate or insult Umpires decisions, no matter how unfair they seem, should be taken without comment and with grace Captains (or umpires if appointed) have a duty to step in and deal with on-field issues when they occur so they don’t linger or escalate All the junior players playing in senior leagues should be of a suitable standard – but should be bowled to in a manner appropriate to their age & given the circumstances of the match Let’s ensure that cricket in 2011 continues to be enjoyable for all players & participants and new players can be attracted to the game through our positive actions. A copy of this can be downloaded HERE.
21 April 2011	Two pre-season meetings have been arranged as follows : Tuesday 26 April at Penrith Cricket Club Wednesday 27 April at Carlisle Cricket Club Both commencing at 7.30pm. Two representatives from your club are requested to attend to collect your ball allocation (minimum of twelve @ £10 each - cheques made payable to EVCL)  We are fortunate in that the two recently CCB appointed County Child Welfare officers both play in our League;  Mark Cameron  and Neil Swainson. To introduce themselves to the clubs and to advise clubs on their responsibilities to junior players they both have agreed to address the meetings for a short period.  Given the comments made at the AGM regarding the increasing prevalence of onfield abusive language, and the penalties now available to the Committee, we are keen to have their input to remind players of their obligation towards younger players. A few clubs have forwarded details of changes in captains and match day contacts. All being well the full list will be available at both meetings for you to confirm or amend those details. That should give me sufficient time to update the website so that details should be correct for the first weekend of the season. The meetings are fairly low key, more of a social occasion than formal. The bar will be open at both venues - Penrith's will be open specially as it is normally closed midweek - so we hope you will take the opportunity to converse will fellow cricketers to see how they have fared during the winter and to renew old rivalries. In the meanwhile if anyone has items of interest they wish to bring to everyone's attention please contact our new secretary, Rick Kay or myself.
6 December 2010	"Out of the Ashes" - Special Screening Mark McAlindon from Great Corby Cricket Club would like to invite all cricket lovers to a special screening of the film 'Out of the Ashes' which is due to take place at the University of Cumbria's Calva Bar in Carlisle at 2pm on Sunday 16th January.  The film charts the progress of the Afghan national cricket team from nowhere to the Word Cup stage.  Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for children - and include entry, some hot & cold food and a complimentary drink.  Proceeds go to Great Corby Cricket Club and tickets can be booked from Mark on 07850 965841.  For some background - http://www.outoftheashes.tv/main.php.
24 June 2010	Fixtures As a result of the changing fixtures, the Word & PDF formats have now been withdrawn leaving the web page edition as the most up-to-date.
24 June 2010	PARKING RESTRICTIONS AT KESWICK CC (Message from Keith Richardson) Keswick Cricket Club is the subject of parking restrictions imposed by the trustees / town council who run Fitz Park on which the club and ground is situated.  These restrictions permit the club to have access for TWO KCC CARS ONLY to service the pavilion on match days. A new adventure play area recently opened in the park has resulted in a massive increase in the park's use by children and families. Clearly, the combination of cars and a play area is not a good one and the club and the trustees / town council are increasingly concerned about cars and other vehicles entering the park. it is imperative therefore that the rules relating to TWO CARS only on the ground are not broken. Would all visiting clubs, players, spectators and umpires please respect these rules in future when visiting Fitz Park. We appreciate that finding parking space in Keswick is not easy, especially in the busy summer months, but there is parking available at the nearby swimming pool (drive past the ground round the back of the Keswick Hotel to gain access) and then walk the short distance to the ground. Secondly there is parking at the nearby football club where access is from Crosthwaite Road. From there it is a short walk up through the park to the cricket ground. Under no circumstances should anyone enter the ground in vehicles, drop off gear and then leave to find parking. Your cooperation in this matter would be much appreciated. Regards Keith Richardson(Chairman, Keswick Cricket Club).
24 June 2010	Sunday 27 June - England v Germany Oh dear, thank you Landon Donovan...... Considering the situation the rule relating to times that a match has to be played will be relaxed for this day only. Therefore you may start and finish outside the 2-8.00pm. framework. So you could, for instance, play the first innings prior to the football and the second after Germany have been eliminated, or play a restricted overs match after the conclusion of the football. Both captains must be in agreement prior to the start of play. If no agreement is reached you will have to play within the 2-8.00pm. time scale. Reluctantly we will allow the game to be played the following Sunday - 4 July - but only on the provisio that if the match is not completed on this date then it must be played in the following midweek. Two alternative midweek dates must be in place, agreed by the captains and the Fixture Secretary informed of the dates before 4 July. Matthew and myself have tried to be flexible here and hope this consideration will be reciprocated. If, however, a match is not completed for whatever reason then a report will be required detailing the reason and action maybe taken which may result in elimination from the Competition. Needless to say please inform any appointed umpire of your alternative arrangements. If England manage to beat Germany then the same situation may occur the following weekend and maybe subject to further alteration. Both Matthew and myself are away this weekend, so any queries to Andrew Benson (01768) 866 623 or 07584 260 679
26 May 2010	E-Mail Address Can all clubs please note that Norman can be contacted using his old e-mail address of norm@normshutt.plus.com and not the one previously shown on the league site homepage.  That will be set up in the near future but to avoid confusion please use his old one.
11 May 2010	Fixtures The new updated fixture list (especially relevant to Division 3) is now available in Excel and PDF formats.
3 May 2010	League Rules A new, updated version of the League rules is now available on the EVCL Rules tab.  It is provided in word and PDF formats for download.
27 April 2010	Results, Ladders & Fixtures The first results & ladders of the new season are available now using the tabs to the left of this page.  These will be updated as results come in. The updated fixture list for Division 3 is now available using the tab to the left.  A downloadable document with the new fixture list will be available shortly.
16 April 2010	Web site The site presently is an incomplete article, which should be rectified in the coming weeks. Continue to use the current e-mail addresses for myself and other Committee members until we have completed the change over. It is hoped that the results will be updated on the new site next week, but check the existing one as an alternative just in case there are some last minute hiccups. Registrations A reminder to clubs that a full list of players is required by the first weekend of the season, ie next Saturday/Sunday. They can be sent with the scoresheet if convenient. I still hold last season's lists in an excel format. For convenience, if you wish for me to send you your clubs' list, so that you can amend same, then let me know. Match day/Club contacts Some of you have already sent me updates for the forthcoming season, but if you haven't please do so asap. Purposely haven't updated the site as would like to do so towards the middle of next week rather than on a piecemeal basis.  Ball allocation Balls are now ready for collection from Matthew Burbury (western area)  - 01697 476 457, Andy Baker (Carlisle) 01228 544 918 or myself 01768 863 963 at £10 each, with each side commited to purchasing a minimum of a dozen. I'm willing to drop allocations at any point within the Penrith town area if you can't get round to my place. Cheques can be left with Matthew or myself or posted directly to Andy Baker at 4, Wetheral Street, Carlisle CA2 5UP Cockermouth CC There's the good news, and the not so good news here. Cockermouth have secured the use of the cricket ground within Malcolm Wilson's compound at Dovenby. Below is an extract from an e-mail from Andrew Mason, who is reprising his role as second team captain, regarding the site; "Cockermouth CC will play home games at Dovenby Hall Estate, the home of Malcolm Wilson's MSport Rally headquarters. Directions are here http://www.m-sport.co.uk/images/directions.pdf so please could you circulate these to all the clubs. ALL GAMES WILL BE PLAYED ON AN ARTIFICIAL SURFACE which was laid last week, with the inevitable need to play in trainers. The changing facilities will be rudimentary - there will be a portakabin delivered this week and there will not be showers, and only a chemical toilet. Access to the site is through a security controlled gate at the main entrance. The security guard will be expecting teams to arrive so simply report to the gatehouse on arrival please." Given the exceptional circumstances the Committee have decided that rule C7 (regarding Premiership matches being played on a grass wicket) will not apply to Cockermouth for this season.  Unfortunately the flood as had a detrimental effect on morale at the club to the extent that they have withdrawn the third team from the League. It is hoped that this is a temporary measure and that they will re-enter next season once they return to their own ground at Sandair. This causes some problem with fixtures in the third division as some teams were due to play them once, with other teams twice. Given given Matthew the good news today and he will look over the fixtures this weekend to ensure that clubs have an equal number of games. Inevitably it will mean at late amendment to fixtures in that division. Hopefully it will be sorted prior to the season starting. Keswick CC Below is an e-mail recieved from Keith Richardson this morning; I am sorry to have to inform you that Keswick Cricket Club secretary and 1st X1 scorer Barry Ward died of a suspected heart attack yesterday. Barry, a Keswickian who spent his working life as a planning officer for Westminster City Council in London, retired two years ago and returned to his home town where he readily took up the duties of secretary and scorer at Keswick CC.  A likeable character, Barry was soon heavily involved in the running and organisation of the cricket club and he will be sorely missed by everyone at the club and those who got to know him throughout the leagues.  Umpiring appointments We have an increase in the number of people wishing to officiate at matches. However, any more wishing to have a go by themselves, or assisting a current umpire is most welcome. Please ring me to discuss further. The first batch of appointments, for April - May, should be with the relevant clubs by the beginning of next week at the latest.  Club insurance The Committee strongly advise each club to have public liability insurance; the recent events at Workington and Cockermouth are self evident. We did look at a group insurance scheme, but given the different reqirements of each individual club, was found to be impracticable. The ECB website at  http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/non-first-class/clubs-need-to-check-insurance-cover,309252,EN.html gives details of a firm specialising in cricket grounds, recommended by them. In addition is was thought that clubs should have a first aid kit readily to hand, and someone at the club nominated as a first aider.