Well it’s not ……… but let’s hope it is the last ………………… A 1st team player at Worlington CC tested negative on Monday after feeling nauseous on Friday.  He did play however in the fixture with Braintree on Saturday.  All 1st team players from Worlington CC have now been tested and there are no more positive results – the player did not enter the clubhouse and went straight home after the match still feeling ill   Braintree CC have been informed. At the moment there are no plans for either team to cancel the fixtures due to be played on Saturday 4th September.  The MSC feels that as both clubs have previous experience of a covid outbreak that they can take all measures with testing and tracing of their members as they deem appropriate.

The MSC, after representations from the two clubs and the panel umpire(s), have decided that the above match shall be treated as a concession by the home team.  The Division Three table has been amended.

Clubs fortunate to have panel umpires are reminded that a match cannot be called off for bad weather before the start time without the permission of any panel umpire.  In matches where no panel umpire(s) are appointed the home team must speak with an official and/or the captain of the visiting team and give them the opportunity to visit the ground before calling a match off.

Regretably the following fixtures today (14/8/21) are cancelled due to Covid outbreaks at various clubs   –  Maldon CC both 1st and 2nd XI,    Braintree CC Ist XI,   Little Bardfield Village CC

During the last few days there have been further positive tests for Covid at the following clubs:

Bardwell CC

Braintree CC

Little Barfield Village CC

Maldon CC

And more at Haverhill CC

At all these clubs the MSC is satisfied that the relevant measures have taken place …… It is significant to point out , however, that in many of the cases reported in the past few weeks the trend seems to indicate that large social gatherings in pubs and clubs seem to have been a contributory factor.

You have been warned ………  No-one is suggesting that you lock yourself away for the foreseeable future as life has to go on but we urge common sense in the short and even medium term …..

An update can be found by following the link from the Carbon Centurions match against Eight Ash Green CC on Friday 2nd July.  Details of this important initiative can be found on our previous post  ……

Press Release – CC Launch – July-1

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.