Ma THE League welcomes four new teams … All regulations finalised for 2019, including the DAZZLER 183 formation of a division 4 … Cup draws made, with a new Knockout Plate being created … Sophie Ecclestone named in World XI and awarded World Emerging Player crown CHESHIRE WOMEN’S LEAGUE For the 2019 season, the league welcomes four new clubs and four new teams. Lindow and a joint Heaton Mersey and Cheadle team will enter the new division 4, while Porthill Park will play in division 1 due to the strength of their playing squad, which includes several of the younger members of the Staffordshire senior squad. Marple have become the latest club to form a women’s second team, and this team will take their place in division 4. Agr eed resolutions from the Rules Meeting: League newcomers Porthill Park will play in a six-team division 1 where the teams will play each other home and away over 40 overs per side. Clubs wanting additional Sunday cricket will enter the cross-border Cheshire/Lancashire tournament and/or the National Knockout. The eight division 2 teams will play each other home and away over 35 overs per side, with maximum batting points at 130 runs. (Nantwich, Upton and Appleton 2nd XI have all been promoted to this division). Five teams desiring 30 over cricket will play in division 3, where all Sunday matches will be played as 30 overs per side and midweek matches as 20 overs per side. These teams will play each other three times (Marple, Lymm Oughtrington Park, Wo odley, Hawarden Park, Didsbury 2nd XI) The four remaining development teams will play each other 3 times in 20 over matches in division 4 (Chester Boughton Hall 2nd XI and new teams Marple 2nd XI, Heaton Mersey/Cheadle & Lindow). Loan players will be allowed as follows: • Division 1 clubs can obtain loan players from divisions 2 to 4 • Division 2 clubs can obtain loan players from divisions 1, 3 & 4 • Division 3 clubs can obtain loan players from divisions 2 & 4 • Division 4 clubs can obtain loan players from division 3 only • No player may make more than 3 loan appearances for the same club in the same season There will be no automatic promotion between divisions, but the division 2 champions will be promoted to division 1 if they so desire. In divisions 3 and 4, all clubs interested in promotion to the higher division are invited to apply at the end of the season The entrants to the T20 Divisional Competition will be divided into two regional sections playing the others in the region once No teams in division 1, or any other competition, will now be deducted points for not fielding 11 players The League Chair now has the power to agree to postponements of division 1 and 2 matches in exceptional circumstances only The first-round losers in the Senior Knockout will progress to a Plate competition. The Senior KO will be seeded so that the hold ers (and also the 2018 runners up if necessary) will receive a first round bye. All other 2018 quarter finalists will be seeded and will play away in the first round to an unseeded team. In all knockout matches and the T20 regional divisions, the first half of the overs will be bowled in a block from one end, followed by the second half of the overs in a block from the other end. Except for the over where the fielders change ends, the batsmen will change ends after each over. All competition regulations can be viewed here. External competitions: A total of six league member clubs will play in external tournaments in 2019 in addition to their CWCL fixture programme. Didsbury, Stockport Georgians and Porthill Park will play in the National T20 Knockout; and Chester Boughton Hall, Didsbury, Leigh and Stockport Trinity will play in a cross-county T20 tournament with some of Lancashire’s leading clubs. All three League entrants in this year’s National receive first round byes. After nearly reaching National Finals Day last year, Didsbury will host Ribble Valley Vipers at the second round stage, and Stockport Georgians are at home to Leyland, with Porthill Park travelling to the winners of the first-round match between Sentinel and Four Oaks Saints. Fixtures: The master fixture spreadsheet for the CWCL and associated competitions in 2019 has been issued to club representatives, and can be viewed here. Seeking a third successive title, Oakmere kick off the season on Sunday Fixtures: The master fixture spreadsheet for the CWCL and associated competitions in 2019 has been issued to club representatives, and can be viewed here. Seeking a third successive title, Oakmere kick off the season on Sunday April 28 at home to top flight newcomers Porthill Park. These fixtures will take place on the dates shown unless re-arranged as permitted by league regulations: 1. If the home team has no ground available to stage the match on the specified day 2. If the match is re-arranged by mutual consent of the two teams involved. In divisions 1 and 2 this can only be done up until April 21, in all other competitions re-arrangements are permitted by mutual consent at any time prior to the fixture date 3. If the match is affected by adverse weather conditions, although here different rules apply to different competitions (Divisions 1 & 2 – no re-arrangements permitted for this reason; Divisions 3 & 4 – re-arrangements permitted if the match is completely washed out, but not if it commences but is then abandoned: KO Cups & T20 regional divisions – re-arrangements permitted if sufficient overs for a result cannot be completed) Please refrain from re-arranging matches on any of the Finals Days: August 18 - CWCL Finals Day August 26 (Bank Holiday Monday) - Any CWCL finals rained off on 18/8 and involving the finalist in the cross-county competition will be played on this day September15 - A one-match final between the top Cheshire and Lancashire teams in the cross-county tournament will be played on this day at Northern CC. This is also a reserve day for any other CWCL finals. Knockout Cup With a Plate competition having been introduced for first round losers, the draw for this competition was seeded. 2018 finalists Appleton and Stockport Trinity received byes to the second round, while the other quarter-finalists from last year were also seeded, then the unseeded teams were given home advantage in the first-round draw. A separate second round draw was then conducted to avoid a situation whereby the two 2018 finalists were automatically paired together at this stage. The full draw is: Cup Round 1: A – Upton v Wistaston Swans B – Nantwich Vipers v Stockport Georgians C – Ashton-on-Mersey v Oakmere Kats D – Marple v Chester Boughton Hall Deemons E – Porthill Park v Oxton F – Woodley v Didsbury Swordettes Cup Quarter-Finals: 1 – Stockport Trinity Fire v Winner C 2 – Winner E v Appleton Tigers 3 – Winner D v Winner B 4 – Winner F v Winner A Plate Quarter-Finals: Loser A v Loser B Loser C v Loser D (Winners of these progress to Plate semi-finals, with Loser E hosting Loser F in the other semi) Development Knockout Cup The draw for this competition is: Quarter Finals: A – Didsbury 2nd XI v Heaton Mersey & Cheadle B – Lymm Oughtrington Park Lightning v Lindow C – Chester Boughton Hall 2nd XI v Marple D – Hawarden Park v Woodley Semi Finals: Winner A v Winner B Development Knockout Cup The draw for this competition is: Quarter Finals: A – Didsbury 2nd XI v Heaton Mersey & Cheadle B – Lymm Oughtrington Park Lightning v Lindow C – Chester Boughton Hall 2nd XI v Marple D – Hawarden Park v Woodley Semi Finals: Winner A v Winner B Winner C v Winner D CHESHIRE SENIORS Unlike last year, Cheshire have only one home matchday in their County T20 campaign, but have a fairly short trip to Derbyshire, plus longer trips to Durham and Devon. The full fixture list for Cheshire in Division 2 is: June 9 Derbyshire A (Rolleston) 1030 Scotland Rolleston 1330 16 Somerset Durham venue 1330 Durham A 1630 23 Yorkshire H 1030 Worcestershire H 1630 30 Essex Devon venue 1330 Devon A 1630 ENGLAND WOMEN England fell at the last hurdle in the World T20 in the West Indies, as they lost to Australia for the third time in a final in this format. England comfortably beat India in the semi-final, with India having themselves beaten Australia in the group stages, but once again the Australian final hoodoo struck for England, depriving them of the opportunity to be reigning world champions in both formats simultaneously. Cheshire’s Sophie Ecclestone took 2-22 in the semi-final win over India, and 1-12 from four overs in the final, including the key wicket of Alyssa Healy. One of the main positives for England was the performance of former Scotland spin bowler Kirstie Gordon, who made her international debut in the tournament. Sky Sports have committed to screening all of England Women’s 2019 summer programme, even where it clashes with the men’s World Cup. Perhaps due to the lack of main county grounds with capacities of around 5,000 in the North, many of the venues are in central England. WEST INDIES ODIs on Thursday June 6, Sunday June 9 & Thursday June 13 at Leicester, Worcester and Chelmsford respectively. IT20s on Tuesday June 18, Friday June 21 & Tuesday June 25 at Northampton, Northampton and Derby respectively WOMEN’S ASHES v AUSTRALIA ODIs on Tuesday July 2, Thursday July 4 & Sunday July 7 at Leicester, Leicester and Canterbury respectively Test from Thursday July 18 – Sunday July 21 at Taunton IT20s on Friday July 26, Sunday July 28 & Wednesday July 31 at Taunton, Chelmsford and Hove respectively Sophie Ecclestone has been named World Emerging Player of the Year for 2018 by the International Cricket Council, after taking 35 wickets in nine one-day internationals and 14 Twenty20s during the year.