There seem to be some confusion. As we understand the rules at present, you cannot currently enter the UK if you’ve been in or through a country on the banned travel list (sometimes known as the ‘red list’) in the last 10 days, unless you’re British, Irish or you have the right to live in the UK.  This ‘red list’ includes countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe and some West Indian islands.  We have heard nothing from the government or the ECB on any possible relaxation of these rules.  The link below explains the current position as we see it: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transport-measures-to-protect-the-uk-from-variant-strains-of-covid-19 Travellers from Australia and New Zealand are not on the ‘red list’ at present but both have very strict rules in place to prevent/restrict overseas travel from their countries.

Following discussions in the Adult Participation Group last night, we can report that there is much optimism that Two Counties Championship cricket will start on Saturday April 17^th with a full fixture list as published.

Of course there will be restrictions in place, initially similar to last season (perhaps for several weeks after the start of the season) but the planned ECB Roadmap with full details of these plans should be published next week (nothing more specific than that has been indicated)  and we will then be an a position to update clubs further on what and for how long these restrictions will be in place.

At the MSC meeting last Monday the following was decided:

The MSC wishes to thank clubs for their input to the surveys sent out over the winter.

There will now be a 12pm start in all Division 1 matches as a result of clear support.   All other suggested rule changes were not conclusive and none will be adopted for the 2021 season.

The matter of power plays did receive clear support but the MSC are awaiting the conclusion of ongoing discussions before a decision on this can be taken.  If discussions do reach a satisfactory conclusion then this rule will also be adopted for the 2021 season – possibly on a trial basis for the first season.

A decision on a different ball for use in Division 1 matches will be taken at the end of the season when an objective assessment will be taken on the analysis of 3 other possible contenders.  These will be trialled during some Division 1 matches next season.

On the matter of the provision of teas, earlier start times and 80 over matches in lower divisions there was a lot of support but the MSC do not deem it sufficient for change. Clubs are reminded that it is within Championship rules to alter any of these by mutual agreement between clubs on a match by match basis.

In all other matters the status quo remains.

So it is looking promising for a start on time for the season 2021 …….

Most will have seen the press releases and the announcements yesterday but at the moment we do not know for sure what the playing conditions will be with regard to travel, changing and bar facilities or catering so could all please be patient for a few days until the ECB are able to clarify the exact position.

We will of course post details as soon as they are available.

 

The 2021 fixtures have now been published in Play-Cricket.

The fixture pages are correct as at the time of publishing this item. A number of changes have been made since they were first posted a couple of months ago, so every club should just check how they have been affected. Further changes may still be made before we actually announce the final list as final, and publish them all in Play Cricket.
There are still a few re-arrangements that are required, but these are clearly marked. Only the Ladies fixtures for 2021 have not been completed, fixtures for the season which have been confirmed are now listed on the Fixture pages.

We are now also awaiting guidance from the Government and the ECB with regard to resumption dates. In the meantime the Management Sub-Committee will be drawing up contingency plans in the event that a “full” season in inachieveable.

 

Clubs are reminded that the deadline for applications for 2021 for overseas players and player/coaches is the 16th February and currently the MSC have no outstanding applications on file  ……

It is worth noting at this stage that most successful applicants will be required to quarantine in a specified hotel on arrival in the UK at a cost of £1800.

The file of merging the data from the EAPL2 Player Survey and the MSC Club Survey relating to Division 1 clubs. It is in the interest of ALL clubs to take note.

MergedSurveyComplete 01-02-21

A decision on Power Plays will be made by the Management Sub Committee after consultation between them and the Umpires Association and (if agreement has been reached following this consultation) with 1st Division clubs.

In view of the convincing results in both the EAPL2 Player Survey and the MSC Club Survey it seems likely that start times for Division 1 will be moved to 12pm from the start of the 2021 season. A decision on this will be finalised at the MSC meeting later in February. On the question of a different ball for use in Division 1 it was agreed that the MSC will assess other balls in trials over season 2021 in some 1st Division matches to provide proper objective assessment on which a decision will be made for season 2022.

The decision on any other proposed changes will be made by the Management Sub Committee after any necessary further consultation between the MSC, the clubs and (where appropriate) the Umpires Association.

Rick Jones

To view all the latest Overseas Player information, then either click the link under More on the Home Page, or click the link below

Overseas Player Info

The deadline for returns to the Suggested Rule changes has expired but I intend to allow an extension until next Friday 15th January to allow for a few more replies. There has been some confusion with 2 different versions. The document can be found on the website and the correct version is attached to the email that is sent to all clubs Clubs are reminded that the status quo will be assumed if clubs have not responded by the new deadline.

There is a need for clarification as there has been some duplication.

All First Division clubs will by now have received an email sent from the MSC as a result of an initiative from the various County Boards associated with the EAPL pyramid, asking all players to give their views on the possibility of a Second Division of the EAPL. The MSC feel that all clubs should be made aware of this initiative and not just First Division clubs. The data will be analysed by the County Boards and the results sent to the MSC for appropriate action.

However in the attached file are suggested rule changes received from clubs before the AGM that the MSC have considered. Our views are outlined and where requested we would like the views of your club (not individual responses) by email to:

Rick Jones rickjones01473@gmail.com– by Thursday 31st December please.

If we have heard nothing by that date then it will be assumed that you agree with the status quo. The MSC will then analyse, adjudicate and notify any rule changes to be applied.

Rick Jones, Assistant Secretary

RuleChangeSuggestion2020

Due to the impending finalisation of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, which will lead to a change to the employment status of EU residents and possibly to EU passport holders, the League will not be looking into any possible registration of “overseas” players until after January 1st 2021, and certainly not until we have received clarifications from the Home Office and the ECB over the position of players not normally resident within the UK, and without the necessary visas to be allowed to participate in any sport, at any level.
Once such clarification has been received then we shall consider applications from member clubs, and players. We hope everyone will understand why we have to delay making decisions at this time, in case they are not valid going into next year.

Despite some optimism on Tuesday about recreational cricket restarting soon, it is now clear that this is not to be. The MSC decision circulated to clubs over the weekend will therefore stand and we hope this will help to clarify why the decision was taken.

Playing Dates and Notice Period
As our early correspondence indicated it was always our aim to give clubs three weeks notice to commence play. Whilst many of our members have committed volunteers and others lucky enough to have professional groundsmen who have been working solidly to keep squares and outfields fit for play, many others have not been able to do so. It is also our understanding that some council maintained facilities may not have had much work done at all. This has great bearing on the safety of players and cannot be ignored.
We have passed the period for start dates on the 4th and 11th July. Following feedback on Circular 4 (we received responses from approximately 60% of clubs) many of those who replied could not facilitate home matches after the 12th September. This would result in a further re-write of the fixture list and would require matches to be played on Sundays or Bank Holidays and this therefore is not a practical solution.

Transportation Issues
The current government advice states you should not carry passengers in a car unless they are from your household. Many of you will be familiar with the situation in having youngsters and non drivers in the team and you have to load up three or four cars with players and kit. It is simply not feasible to take up to 11 cars to matches and if we can keep clubs playing locally to each other it will make transport easier.

Adaptive Games
Coupled with this there is also the consideration that if cricket is allowed to start matches are very likely to be strongly adapted from our usual formats to begin with. This drew at length discussion around the geographical restrictions in our league.
For instance if we consider Division One, are we going to ask clubs to travel in the most extreme example a journey of around an hour and twenty minutes to play a twenty over match, with a small team taking say eight cars and faced with the prospect that clubhouse and changing facilities may not be open and available?

Summary
At the end of the day we want people playing cricket and in the current circumstances we want to make the decision process around whether to play or not as easy as possible. Our consideration as to the best way is to keep things as local as possible and the attached SUGGESTED groupings are a simple GEOGRAPHICAL solution to do this, without being prescriptive in any way as clubs are free to organise in any way they want, (within the ECB guidelines at that time.)
All the very best from the committee and here is to hoping that we can get some cricket
underway soon.

Suggested Groupings

Group A: Maldon (4); West Mersea (2); Witham (3); Kelvedon & Feering (2); Copford (2); Abberton (2).
Group B: Braintree (2); Coggeshall (3); Dunmow (2); Little Bardfield Village (1); Halstead (3); Chappel & Wakes Colne (2).
Group C: Earls Colne (1); Colchester Cavaliers (1); Eight Ash Green (2); West Bergholt (2); Boxted (1); Great Bromley (1).
Group D: Wivenhoe (2); Clacton (1); Elmstead (2); Frinton (2); Tendring (1); Harwich & D. (2).
Group E: Mistley (3); Hadleigh (2); Ipswich (3); Copdock & O.I. (2); Ipswich & E.S. (2); East Bergholt (2).
Group F: Sudbury (2); Long Melford (2); Haverhill (3); Brockley (2); Nowton (2); Bury St. Edmunds (3).
Group G: Mildenhall (4): Tuddenham (1); Worlington (3); Lakenheath (2); Elveden (1); Bardwell (1).
Group H: Woolpit (4); Stowmarket (2); Stowupland (2); Battisford (1); Needham Market (1); Earls Stonham (1); Walsham le Willows (1).
Group I: Kesgrave (2); Felixstowe & C. (3); Melton St. Audrys (2); St. Margarets (2); Sudbourne Hall (1); Nacton (2).
Group J: Worlingworth (1); Yoxford (1); Easton (2); Saxmundham (1); Woodbridge (2) Stradbroke (1).
Additional Notes (Parentheses indicates the number of teams fielded by that club in the Two Counties Championship)
Ardleigh and Brightlingsea are Sunday teams only, and have not been added, but clubs can still contact them.

There will be no registration of players or need to phone results or enter results on play-cricket. Players therefore have freedom to play for more than one club during this season without penalty.
The groups are organised geographically ONLY and are NOT in any way fixed as any club can organise any fixture they wish with any other club at whatever level. Thus any informal organisation of local clubs who wish to organise a “Mini League” would be supported 100% by the MSC. Sunday only teams and Ladies teams have similar freedom.
The strength of the teams can of course be varied by mutual agreement to ensure a competitive match between equally balanced teams. Consideration MUST be given to ensure that young players have plenty of opportunity to play and to that end the MSC would have no issue with, for example, 2 young players playing half a match each. – indeed such action should be encouraged.
Matches can be played on any day and at any time according to the ECB rules valid on that day and can therefore be changed at any time up to the start of the match by mutual agreement between the two teams.
There will be no Umpires Panel allocation but a list will be provided to all clubs of times and dates when an umpire is available to officiate and what the fee will be at a later date.

Up to date Club Championship Reps can be viewed via the link below.

2020 (CLUB CONTACTS)

A loophole in the Player loan rules, which was exploited last season, has now been closed tightly shut, with new rules now coming into replace the previous wording of the rules. The revised passages are in italics.

So now Rule 13 will read as such:

13. PLAYERS There will be registration of players using the England & Wales Cricket Board registration form on the Two Counties Play-Cricket website. All players must be registered on Play-Cricket. Players can only be registered after the 1^st August with the permission of the Management Sub-Committee. Players cannot play for more than one Club in the East Anglian Premier League Feeder System (Cambridgeshire & Huntingdon Premier League, Norfolk Cricket Alliance, and the Two Counties Championship, nor be a registered player for any Premier League, and any connected feeder system during a season except with permission from the Management Sub-Committee.EXCEPTIONS
    1) Any player playing for a Club in the Two Counties Saturday divisions (i.e. 1-9) is allowed to play for another Club in the Sunday League and in the Two Counties Ladies competitions.

PLAYER LOAN ARRANGEMENTS

2) Any player under the age of 16 and over 50 as of April 1^st of the current season is allowed to play for one other club providing he/she has not played more than eight matches for the parent Club. The club wishing to borrow an eligible player must submit a registration form on the Two Counties Play-Cricket website, but not check the box for a permanent transfer. The parent club will then be asked for permission for the loan to go through, and, also add the agreed length of the loan period. Players taken on loan from one club to another should not play against the parent club, and they can only play for the loaning clubs lowest ranked team, if they have more than one team in the League. Player loans arranged after August 1^st, must have had their registration approval confirmed before they can play for the loaning club.

3) Any player aged 17 or 18 as of April 1^st of the current season is allowed to play for one other club providing he/she has not played more than four matches for the parent Club. The club wishing to borrow an eligible player must submit a registration form on the Two Counties Play-Cricket website, but not check the box for a permanent transfer. The parent club will then be asked for permission for the loan to go through, and, also add the agreed length of the loan period. Players taken on loan from one club to another should not play against the parent club, and they can only play for the loaning clubs lowest ranked team, if they have more than one team in the League. Player loans arranged after August 1^st, must have had their registration approval confirmed before they can play for the loaning club.

b. There may be occasions when a new player represents his club before registration on Play-Cricket has been completed. The registration should be completed within the same time frame as the requirement to post the full scorecard on Play-Cricket (rule 19b). Should that registration still be incomplete seven days after the date of the match then a deduction of 5 points will be levied. Any further delay could result in rule 13c being applied.
As from August 1^st, registration must have been granted prior to the player being eligible to play.

PENALTIES

c. Any club adjudged to have fielded an ineligible player shall be penalized by forfeiting any points gained in that match plus a further sixteen points. In addition, the opposing team will automatically be awarded the match and receive 20 points. There will be a right of appeal for both player and club. A deposit of £50 is required to activate an appeal which will be conducted in accordance with the appeals procedure as set out under the ECB regulations for cricket leagues (see ECB regulation 4, further down this document). The player involved may be banned from the Championship for the remainder of the season.

An ineligible player is one who is not registered on Play-Cricket for the club he/she was playing, or deemed to be ineligible by the Management Sub-Committee.