The MSC have held an extensive review into an allegation of illegal payments to a number of players by one of our member clubs.

We have undertaken a thorough process.   Having been provided with this evidence the MSC is satisfied that all players in question that are still playing at the club have never been paid for playing cricket at any time now or in the past.

This matter is now closed but clubs are reminded of the content of Rule 13g below:

No player shall receive any payment, inducement or provisions from any source whatsoever for playing in the Two Counties Cricket Championship.
N.B. PROVISIONS include benefits in kind; air fares, accommodation, cars, petrol tokens, etc. Where it is normal practice to pay bona-fide travelling expenses to bona-fide members, these can be allowed but the amount paid shall not exceed the cost of petrol, assuming 30 miles = one gallon (4.5 litres), and shall only be paid to the car owner/driver. In addition, the costs of public transport shall be evidenced. Any club in breach of this rule is liable to be expelled from the Championship.

There has been some confusion over the past few weeks and the definition below is what will be used for all matches in Divisions 1 to 3 henceforth……

Wide Bowling – Judging a Wide Umpires are instructed to apply a very strict and consistent interpretation in regard to this Law in order to prevent negative bowling wide of the wicket. Any offside or legside delivery which in the opinion of the umpire does not give the batter a reasonable opportunity to score shall be called a wide. For guidance purposes, in adult cricket a legside wide shall be called if, irrespective of where the ball pitches, it passes outside the line of the batsman and the leg stump, despite his movement.

Where there are no Panel Umpires present then the rule will be applied by the two captains on the day.

It was agreed at the AGM to trial three different cricket balls with a view to a possible change for use in Division 1 matches for season 2022.  One such trial took place last weekend and more will take place on Saturday June 26th in the Division 1 matches at:

Coggeshall V Hadleigh

Woolpit V Wivenhoe

Witham V  Mistley

Our thanks go to these clubs for their support – one advantage to participating clubs will be that we have succeeded in negotiating a deal with the suppliers where no charge will be made to any club using a trial ball.  The Umpires Panel have kindly agreed to evaluate each ball after the match and return a completed form to me.  It is hoped that the bowlers in these matches will also give me their considered opinion – any input is valuable and it makes an objective analysis possible at the end of the trial period.

The balls will be made available to particpating clubs before the match and we will arrange for collection afterwards from the Umpires.

It would be very helpful if (in addition to the many tasks that fall upon skippers during the week) they could make contact with the umpires who are down to officiate in their matches for the next couple of weeks to let them know what arrangements have been made, particularly with the provision of teas.  The appointees for the matches and  contact numbers for the umpires can be found on the Umpiring tab above.  Many thanks ……

Further to the posting below on Step 3 of the Roadmap (click the link in the posting for full details), travel restrictions and the provision for spectators have been relaxed. The rules for On the Field activities remain as they have been for season 2021 so far…….

However the MSC have decided that it is impossible to make a Championship wide recommendation for all other aspects that have been relaxed in Step 3 because the facilities will vary considerably for each individual club.

Changing Rooms
Showers
Hospitality
Teas

Accordingly all clubs will need to decide whether or not to apply their own local rules for each of the headings above before Saturday 22nd May. If these are changed locally then a Covid Risk Assessment should be undertaken and any necessary changes to signage should also be made.

Any changes you choose to make should be forwarded to all the clubs (by email or text) for which you have home fixtures and to any umpires allocated to those fixtures.

It may be that clubs may well decide to stick with the arrangements that have been in place since the beginning of the season until Step 4 of the Roadmap (hopefully) relaxes restrictions altogether

Just to clarify as there may have been some confusion ……

The short term rule changes to the rules relating to the above have now ceased from Monday 17th May and future matches of these types can no longer be rearranged.

However all clubs who wish to rearrange matches that were subject to travel restrictions or matches cancelled without a ball being bowled BEFORE 17th May can be rearranged at any time UP UNTIL 3rd JULY (the half way point of the season) by mutual agreement between the two clubs.  When rearrangement does take place please advise Rick Jones.

As you are all aware new regulations will come into effect on 17th May in Step 3.  If you have not already seen them full details can be found on the ECB website at:

https://www.ecb.co.uk/Covid-19?utm_campaign=12374290_Non-Playing-Admins%20Week%204%20%282021%29&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Email_AdHoc&email=@HASHEDEMAIL@&dm_i=1FT6,7D82A,7G5X46,TWIU3,1

Those regulations that are applicable to the whole of the Championship from 17th May are listed below:

1.  The regulations relating to all on-field activities remain the same.
2.  Travel restictions:  You can leave your home to exercise and take part in informal and organised cricket. Car sharing is permitted at Step 3 so travel restriction is no longer a reason for cancellation
   
3.   Spectators are permitted at both public and private venues. Spectators must observe social distancing and legal gathering size limits (groups of up to 30 outdoors).

Further detail of arrangements which are specific to each individual club will be sent out within the next few days.

The MSC find it difficult to rationalise the difference between a fixture cancelled while travel restrictions are in force and one cancelled for bad weather.  Only 2 matches were completed on Saturday with most cancelled in the morning…..

So it has been decided that in any fixture cancelled without a ball being bowled, the affected clubs will be allowed to rearrange by mutual agreement on Sundays, BHM and where clubs have a “free” Saturday during the 22 week of the season.   This temporary rearrangement rule will be in force for as long as there are travel restrictions – which of course may only be for the next two weeks.   When fixtures are rearranged then please let Rick Jones know so that the fixture list can be amended on play-cricket.  We would hope that, particularly in the leagues with a reduced number of teams, if the above regulation does not fit then a friendly match could still be played outside the remit of the Championship.

(Clubs with panel umpires officiating in their matches are reminded that according to the rules a match should not be called off without the agreement of a panel umpire.)

Much better this week with only the two so far – but Easton miss out again…… !

Apologies for the look of the website at the moment, it is going in for a small revamp this weekend and will look more aethetically pleasing as well functional.

You will note that there is a new Ladies tab and the Seniors tab has been “promoted” to a tab on the main menu.  This reflects the perceived importance of these two areas in our Championship.

The following fixtures that were victims of travel restrictions have been rearranged:

Dunmow v Sudbourne Hall  Div 6  to Sunday 20/6

Maldon v Colchester Cavaliers  Div 8/1 to Sunday 15/8

You are reminded that all fixtures of this type can be arranged wherever there if a vacancy, on Sundays or BHM.

Well done to these four clubs …….. !   Hope to see some more …….

Add to this

Wivenhoe v IES Div 4 to Monday 31/5

Thanks to the two clubs