MINUTES
of the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Meeting
held
at Henfield Cricket Club on Tuesday 1st June 2004
Will the HOME clubs in the Sunday Cup Competition on Sunday 20th June telephone the details that evening to Paul Tolchard.
Present N Teague (Chairman), D Semmons (Treasurer), L Claydon (Competitions Secretary), N Nolan (Secretary & Selsey), P Tolchard (Results Coordinator) and representatives from Burgess Hill, Henfield, Scaynes Hill, South Bersted & B and Wisborough Green. Felbridge & S and Southwick sent their apologies but were fined £10 for non-attendance.
Minutes of the Management Committee
Meeting held on Tuesday 13th April 2004 were approved and signed.
Matters Arising
The vacancy for Vice-Chairman was filled by David Horsman accepting the post.
It was agreed that the additional category
of "Facilities" be added in connection with the Laurie Cheesman
Award. Mr Horsman agreed to prepare the
forms.
Nothing had
been heard from East Preston regarding an alternative ground for the
playing of their 1st XI fixture on August
7th (v Selsey). Crawley
Eagles would be the League's representative in the Sussex CCC Twenty/20 Tournament as no other club had offered to
take part; SCCC had asked whether any club possessed two pitches to stage matches on one Sunday next season
and the name of Arundel would be put forward.
Correspondence
The
Association of Sussex Cricket Leagues had sent a copy of a letter from Haywards
Heath CC regarding a player - Dan Hall - who owed the club money believing he
might play for Billingshurst. The
latter had been advised and had replied by stating they would not play him
until he had settled the debt. Billingshurst
had since written to say that they had suspended member Chris Osborne from
playing for one month from May 22nd following a disciplinary meeting.
Competition Secretary's Report
Mr Claydon
reported that only four matches had been played on May 1st and 13 on May 8th.
The two-week suspensions of the two Ifield players coincided with
both weeks when the two Ifield 1st XI
fixtures were cancelled. It was
suggested that future bans should relate to fixtures actually played.
Neither
Aldwick nor Ifield had clarified their free dates for 2005.
Clymping II
had scratched on successive Saturdays to Barns Green (22/5) and Crawley (29/5)
and were fined £10 for each occasion.
There had been no claim from either opponent and no indication from
Clymping as to their situation.
There had
been nine incidents of no (or late) match details forms for the first two
weeks (and £5 fines). There had been important omissions on forms
from Middleton I 1/5, Burgess Hill I 15/5, Scaynes Hill II 15/5 and Arundel I 22/5
and there were Tuesday postmarks re St Andrews II 15/5, Eastergate II 22/5 and
Slinfold I 22/5. Too often clubs had
not completed the top part of the form by not ringing the three sections
requested.
Other
Reports
As
Treasurer, Mr Semmons reported a balance of £2,888-25 (including deposits
of £885) and that fines already amounted
to £185, with 14 clubs failing to telephone cancellations on the first Saturday. He also reported that the raffle at the Annual Dinner hadn't
yielded the funds anticipated and it was agreed not to hold one at this
season's dinner.
Having
scratched their opening fixture, Eastergate had cancelled their remaining two
group matches; points would be awarded to their opponents.
Letters had
been received from East Preston and Pagham regarding their unplayed match on
May 9th which East Preston had called off at noon due to the condition of the
ground; improving weather meant play would have been possible and Pagham
claimed the points, but it was agreed that East Preston had acted in good faith
and that the match should be treated as cancelled.
Mr Tolchard
reported that the Press had contacted him for results that he hadn't received
and requested that those for June 20th be telephoned to him on the day.
Changes to
Rule proposed by Lindfield and Arundel
Malcolm
Page (Lindfield) and Neil Chitty and Steve Mullen (Arundel) attended to explain
their proposed changes to rule which sought to widen membership to include 3rd
X1s of existing member clubs, as well as single-team clubs, and to increase the
size of the divisions to ten teams each in a single competition comprising
eight divisions numbered from 1 to 8.
It was their wish that these be presented so that implementation would
be from next season with a 19-week programme having only one spare Saturday for
each team. In addition, they wished the present four hours plus 20 overs to be
replaced by matches of a maximum of 94 overs, with no more than 50 permitted
for the first innings, for batting points to be earned at 100, 125, 150, 175
and 200 and for bowling points to begin at 6 wickets when a team elects to bowl
first. A tea interval of 25 minutes was being proposed, also that all matches
in August should commence at 1.30pm, that pitch covers should be used if
available, that there be adjustments in overs for time lost to bad weather, that
there should be a bigger fine of £20 for scratching a fixture and that any team
scratching four times should be suspended from the League, resulting in the
club having to reapply for membership for the following season. The proposals
were debated at length and one variation agreed to was that the 94 overs be
split 49 maximum (first innings) and 45 plus any balance from the first
innings. The impact of slow bowling was
discussed and penalty runs considered. Mr Claydon favoured retaining separate
1st and 2nd XI competitions and thought it unwise to alter the structure of the
League at less than a season's notice. With play in September a problem with
football taking many players and grounds, he pointed out that a 19-week
programme would mean play on two April Saturdays.
It was
agreed that a further, revised presentation be made to the next meeting and a
decision made as to whether there should be a postal ballot and/or a special
general meeting in September.
Mr Semmons
announced that he would stand down as treasurer and press secretary
at the end
of the 2005 season and cease operating the web site. A letter and details had
been received from Sussex League umpire Terry Urben re neutral umpires and a
disciplinary code but time didn't allow for a discussion and the subjects would
be left to the next meeting.
Ansty had
sought permission to play a Zimbabwean and the Committee endorsed Mr Teague’s
agreement to this. The clubs also
asked as to the eligibility of players with a Euro passport, but as the Sussex
League regard them as overseas players they have to be treated as such.
Future
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Meeting dates: July
6th, August 3rd, and September 7th.