WEST MIDLANDS REGIONAL CRICKET STRUCTURE UPDATE No1 – MAY 2018

Following the recent ‘Blueprint for Cricket in the West Midlands’ Seminar held at New Road for all County League Member Clubs one of the promises on the evening was to post informative updates to keep everyone in the loop and up to speed with how things are moving forward with the process of change. The following is a brief on what has happened so far following the Seminar, as follows;

Regional

The West Midlands League Cricket Forum Working Party which is a group formed to consider the finer details of the re-structure of B&DPCL and the associated County Cricket Leagues at the end of the 2018 season met for the first time recently for which full meeting notes ae attached at the end of this brief, as follows;

The following topics were on the agenda and briefly discussed at the first meeting: -

1. The placement and positioning of 2nd XI’s in the County Leagues from 2019 onwards 2. The placement of clubs whose 3rd and 4th XI’s are, currently, playing in a County League which is different to the County Board to which they are affiliated – Harborne, Himley, Old Hill, Smethwick and Streetly 3. The placement of clubs whose 3rd and 4th XI’s are, currently playing in the Cotswold Hills League – Dorridge, Wardens, and Stratford-upon-Avon 4. Ground & Facilities criteria in all Leagues from the start of the 2019 season 5. Compilation of fixtures for the 2019 season 6. Umpiring Policy and Appointments 7. Player Registration 8. Disciplinary Regulations and Procedures 9. League Governance

To support the process Sub-groups were formed to discuss each of the above and they will report back to the next meeting of the Working Party which is due to be held on Friday 22nd June.

The immediate priority is to resolve numbers 2 and 3 above and it was agreed that those clubs who are affected will need to make a final decision on their destination by 31st July 2018. Those clubs will be contacted, shortly, by BDPCL or the County Board to which they are affiliated, to discuss their preferences.

The Working Party consists of;

County League Representatives Adam Phillips (SCCL) Kevin Herbert (SCCC) Graham Seal (WCL) Stuart Lampitt (WCL) BDPCL Nick Archer ECB Richard Cox and Ged McDougall County Cricket Board Lead Officers (as required) In observation Bernard Szypulski (WCL Chair) – Mr Szypulski is attending due to the size of the WCL/the interaction with Cotswold Hills League/League Governance matters.

See next page for notes from the first meeting of the Regional Group

WEST MIDLANDS REGIONAL CRICKET STRUCTURE UPDATE No1 – MAY 2018

West Midlands League Cricket Forum Notes and actions - 11th May 2018 at Indoor Cricket Centre, Edgbaston:

Attendees:

Kevin Herbert (KH) – Adam Phillips (AP) – Graham Seal (GS) – Bernard Szypulski (BS) Staffordshire Club Cricket Shropshire County The – The Warwickshire Championship League Cricket League Cricket League Nick Archer (NA) - Stuart Lampitt (SL) – Richard Cox (RC) – ECB Ged McDougall - ECB Birmingham & District Worcestershire County Premier Cricket League League

1. Welcome from RC, the Why & When completed, now the what, how & who. 2. Future Purpose of a Premier League (2018-2024) paper highlighted and discussed 3. Verbal Update Report on the period Feb – May the Key issues since the Blueprint approval a. Shropshire (AP) – 2nd XIs struggling, no handbook for 2018 but introduced regular newsletters, email comms used, Whitchurch CC feedback, linear new with no comment back b. Staffs (KH) – 2 teams dropped out, 2 concessions, positive chatter re blueprint, where do we need to finish? Choice of county issue, 2020 to 10 team divisions, 6 or 7 more umpires, engaged 5 volunteers to support exec with changes c. Warwks (GS & BS) – concessions, folding teams, Umpire challenges (-5), fixtures moved for rain, grounds pressure especially Local Authority where standards are getting poorer, umpire changing room requirement out of line to BDPL d. Worcs (SL) – new advisory group to support changes, CHL clubs showing interest and EOI being drafted, umpiring criteria looked at with club providing own umpire to be considered, Play-Cricket education required e. BDPL (NA) – Dorridge CC 3 discussion, quiet since blueprint, moved start of season 4. Communication best practice (RC) a. Newsletter (Shrop) – AP to circulate to group b. Ambassadors - Staffs & Worcs have brought together voluntary support c. District Development Groups - a good opportunity for leagues to attend d. Which level would you like to play? – Staffs/Worcs are asking their clubs the question 5. Purpose of the WMLCF a. Sub Groups created, chairs appointed and members aligned as below b. RC & NA to support groups. NA to contact CCB’s re affiliation. c. Sub group chairs to co-ordinate and organise meetings to get things moving before our next meeting on 22nd June. Can add to each group as needed.

Repositioning Sub Group Umpires & Scorers Sub Group 8/10/12 team divisions?, Start & end dates Play-Cricket (4) Live, Pro, Scorer & Website Play Offs – fixtures, Naming of Leagues

Adam Phillips (Chair) Graham Seal (Chair)  Stuart Lampitt  David Gower  Bernard Szypulski  David Bird or deputy Grounds & Facilities Sub Group Playing conditions Sub Group Club Mark, Affiliation (cross border) Overseas players, Point systems, Ball types, Registration Ged McDougall (Chair) Kevin Herbert (Chair)  Adam Phillips  Bill Tranter  CCB LO (TBA) – Craig Oakley?  M Arnold or (Shrop CCB rep )

WEST MIDLANDS REGIONAL CRICKET STRUCTURE UPDATE No1 – MAY 2018

6. Fixturing in 2019 ground shares between county leagues and BDPCL discussed. Agreed that all Leagues would share with each other their League Fixturing Template to work through so that Philips/Lampitt/Szypulski (+Archer) meeting can look at the structuring of the season to satisfy current ECB Future Purpose of the Premier League criteria and local needs. 7. Hills League to be invited to the next meeting to discuss impact of new structure 8. Next meeting is 9am on Friday 22nd June at Wolverhampton CC

County

Following the Regional meeting the Worcestershire County League organised the first meeting of its own ‘in county’ working party who have been drawn together to discuss and agree the finer points of the re-structure (as introduced above) that will impact every club and team within the County League structure.

The Worcestershire Re-structuring Working Party consists of;

County League Representatives Peter Radburn, Gary Roberson & Stuart Lampitt Worcestershire Cricket Board Rep Craig Oakley Club representatives Paul Husbands, Chris Marsh, Simon Anderson, Edd Oliver, Adrian Pawsey, Trevor Ridings & Mark Brind

The major action points stemming from the first meeting were as follows;

The Group agreed that it was imperative that they knew how many teams would be interested in being a part of the new structure in 2019. The WCL Administrator (Stuart Lampitt) was asked to produce an ‘Expression of Interest’ document which was to be distributed to all of the WCL member clubs. The EOI should include a brief of the changes and an explanation of the various ‘Bands or Levels’ of play that are being proposed for the 2019 season and also include options for clubs to inform the group where they saw each team fitting in to the new structure, and choices on points such as how many teams in a division ? Start times ? Number of overs played? and facilities criteria, etc.

It was agreed that the group would meet again following the next meeting of the Regional Group and following the feedback from clubs EOI had been collated. Then the process of allocating teams into different Bands or Levels can be started.

For further information please contact;

Stuart Lampitt [email protected] / 01905 337915 / 07795 390303