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Home , Anya Shrubsole, Charlotte Edwards, Danielle Hazell, Sarah Taylor (cricketer), Sophie Ecclestone

Ma THE Regulations & Laws changes summarised … MCC match venue sought … Sarah DAZZLER 170 McCann and Jennie Kitzinger to play for MCC at Lord’s …. Two four- hauls for in India … All representative fixtures listed

CHESHIRE WOMEN’S LEAGUE

The annual Captains’ meeting was held on March 21, and covered issues such as:

• Regulation changes in League competitions • The new Laws of • The need for all team managers, coaches, captains, regular umpires and regular scorers to obtain DBS clearance as soon as possible • The need to ensure that al players are old enough to play senior cricket according to ECB rules • The need to inform the League in advance of the match if a player represents a second club during a season (e.g. via the loan system, a dual T20 registration or a permanent transfer) • The need to send results sheets to Karen Prince for all matches in all League senior competitions. Clubs are encouraged to input their own results via Play Cricket, however they should still send the signed and completed sheet to Karen for audit purposes. Results sheets should record the names of all players who participated in the match, even if they did not bat. The names of fielders effecting catches and outs, and wicketkeepers effecting catches and stumpings should also be recorded, as there are fielding and wicketkeeping awards based on these criteria. For a run out, the fielder credited should be the player who makes the final throw in the fielding sequence, and not the player who removes the bails • The need to communicate summary result details to myself by 1900 on the day following the match. This is compulsory in division 1/2, the senior Knockout Cup and the T20 divisional competition, and is encouraged for division 3 and the Development Knockout Cup. This can be done via a live phone call, or by emailing the official Results Summary Form, or by completing the full scorecard on Play Cricket • Fixtures in division 3 or any of the T20 competitions can be re-arranged by mutual consent of the two clubs involved at any time up until the scheduled date of the match. Division 1/2 fixtures can be re-arranged by mutual consent up until Sunday April 15, which is one week before the start of the season, and after this time can only be re-arranged if the home team has no ground available to stage the fixture

The latest master fixture list, including all re-arrangements of which I have been notified, can be viewed here.

The latest list of main contacts at each League club can be viewed here.

Any club interested in staging the prestigious annual fixture between the League XI and the MCC is asked to contact Sarah McCann and Carol Ingham to discuss. This year the match takes place on Thursday August 30. Hours of play are likely to be approximately 1100 to 1800. There is likely to be just the one meal interval. The host club will need to provide lunch for the 30 or so players and officials and open the bar throughout the day for spectators.

The next meeting of the League Committee will be on Wednesday June 6 at 1930, venue to be confirmed.

The Association of Cricket Officials (ACO) has launched an Online Scorers Course, suitable for complete beginners who want to score on a regular basis, or for existing scorers who want to improve their skills.

This Online Occasional Umpires Resource from the ACO is for those who may find themselves asked to umpire all or part of a match on an occasional basis, and is not aimed at regular umpires.

As Oakmere seek to become the first club since 2012 to retain the League Championship, the League’s clubs are not only

seeking to ensure that there will be a new title winner in 2018, also face the task of ending Chester Boughton Hall’s 11-

match winning run in T20 competitions, which dates back to their Knockout Cup loss to Wistaston in May 2016. Wistaston

themselves recorded a similar 11-match winning run in T20 in 2014-15. These are certainly the best T20 winning runs in recent years, although Chester won 19 straight matches in the shorter format between August 2007 and August 2009, with the run being ‘book-ended’ by two losses to Poynton. Chester were in fact unbeaten in the 33 matches they played in all competitions between a T20 loss to Poynton in August 2007 and a League defeat to Oakmere in August 2009.

NATIONAL KNOCKOUT The second round on May 20 sees Didsbury drawn away to Norden of Lancashire, while Stockport Georgians travel to Derbyshire to play Whitwell. Were both clubs to win these matches, they would meet in the regional quarter-final at Didsbury on May 27.

CHESHIRE SENIORS

Cheshire will once again concentrate on T20 cricket for the 2018 season. Following promotion to division two, Cheshire undoubtedly face a tough season, especially with three teams to be relegated from the division. However, with Cheshire having landed two home matchdays, the travelling schedule is not as tough as it might have been. The campaign opens with winnable matches against Wales and Durham at home – possibly an ideal chance to start on a positive note.

The full fixture list is:

NatWest Women’s County T20 Division Two

June 10 Durham & Wales H (Ashton-on-Mersey) 1030 & 1630 17 Somerset & Hampshire Taunton Deane, Somerset 1030 & 1330 24 Northamptonshire & Gloucestershire Finedon Dolben, 1030 & 1330 Northamptonshire July 1 Scotland & Berkshire H (Chester Boughton Hall) 1030 & 1630

Like last year, Cheshire will stage a ‘BigClash’ T20 double header involving some of the county’s elite players. This will take place on Bank Holiday Monday May 28 at Oakmere, just 13 days before the county team’s first match. The two matches will allow:

• The established members of the county squad to gain quality T20 match practice • Aspiring members of the county squad to stake a claim for selection • Leading CWCL players, whether or not they currently aspire to play , to gain additional representative experience

OTHER NEWS

April 24 is MCC’s Women’s Cricket Day, when two all-star women’s matches will be staged on the hallowed turf of Lord’s. The first match at 1000 will be an intra-MCC match that will feature Cheshire’s Jennie Kitzinger and Sarah McCann. Jennie Kitzinger will then also play for MCC – alongside , and - in the day’s second match against Middlesex Women at 1330, which will mark the first occasion on which the Middlesex team have played on the main ground at Lord’s. Admission is £5, payable on the day. The matches will also be streamed live on the Middlesex CCC website. The matches are expected to break the record for the highest attendance for a domestic women’s cricket match (excluding those played as double-headers with men’s cricket) which stands at 3,413 for last year’s Super League Finals Day.

Laura MacLeod and her son George Newton travelled to Kenya recently to support the work of charity Cricket Without Boundaries.

JUNIOR GIRLS CLUB CRICKET & SENIOR WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

Jess Lewis at the Cheshire Cricket Board would like to hear from any club interested in hosting a Women’s Softball Festival. It is hoped to run a formal softball league in Cheshire during June and July this year.

LANCASHIRE THUNDER

Alex Hartley joins for 2018, with Sarah Taylor now allocated to .

Wistaston Village and Cheshire wicketkeeper Katie Bennett has been selected to attend Lancashire Thunder’s Regional Development Centre. These Development Centres, run by each of the Super League franchises, have replaced the ECB’s Under 19 Development Programme.

ENGLAND WOMEN

With the one-day matches on ’s tour of India not counting towards the ICC Women’s Championship, it was something of an experimental England squad that made the trip to India, where they took part in a T20 series with as well as playing an ODI series against the hosts. Sarah Taylor did not make the trip as England continue to manage her recovery from a stress-related condition, was injured and other established names such as Lauren Winfield and were rested. , Alice Davidson-Richards and made their international debuts.

The best moments for England largely came early on in the tour, firstly beating Australia in the T20 opener with all of three overs in hand, and then pulling off a record run chase for a women’s T20 international, spearheaded by an incredible 124 from 64 deliveries from Danielle Wyatt.

Sophie Ecclestone was amongst the most economical England bowlers in the T20 matches, but it was in the ODI series – won 2-1 by India – that she really came into her own. Her 4-37 in the first match so nearly brought about a win for England, but her 4-14 from 10 overs in the second match was undoubtedly her first major match-winning contribution in an England shirt.

Of course, many followers of the women’s game expressed their disappointment that there was very little media coverage of the tour back in the UK, with no TV coverage and no radio commentary. Supporters were left to follow the matches via live internet scorecards, and the occasional reports from the ground on BBC Radio 5. Coach Mark Robinson echoed these concerns in his post-match interview following the spectacular T20 win India. Media coverage of women’s cricket in general is however increasing all the time, and it has to be acknowledged that, prior to the advent of satellite television, overseas tours by England men’s teams often attracted similarly low levels of coverage.

T20 Tri-Series group matches: Australia 149-8 ( 3-26, Natalie Sciver 2-29), England 150-2 (Sciver 68*, 58*) India 198-4 (Natasha Farrant 2-32), England 199-3 (Danielle Wyatt 124, Beaumont 35) England 96 (Alice Davidson-Richards 24), Australia 97-2 England 107 (Wyatt 31), India 108-2 ( 2-17)

T20 Tri-Series Final: Australia 209-4 (Gunn 2-38), England 152-9 (Sciver 50, Wyatt 34, 30)

One day series v India: England 207 ( 45, Beaumont 37, Hazell 33, Wyatt 27, Sciver 21), India 209-9 (Sophie Ecclestone 4-37, Georgia Elwiss 2-14, Hazell 2-34) India 113 (Ecclestone 4-14, Hazell 4-32), England 117-2 (Wyatt 47, Beaumont 39*, Heather Knight 26*) England 201-9 (Jones 94*), India 202-2 ( 2-37)

England's Heather Knight, Natalie Sciver and Anya Shrubsole are among Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year, with Shrubsole featured on the front cover of the Wisden almanack for 2018.

Sophie Ecclestone recently scooped the Cricket Society’s Most Promising Young Cricketer award.

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

(all in the Cheshire Women’s League, all 1330 starts)

Sunday April 22

Division One: Oakmere v Didsbury, Wistaston Village v Appleton Division Two: Stockport Georgians v Oxton, Stockport Trinity v Leigh Division One/Two Cross-Divisional: Chester Boughton Hall v Ashton-on-Mersey Division Three Cross-Divisional: Marple v Hawarden Park

Sunday April 29

Division One: Appleton v Chester Boughton Hall, Wistaston Village v Didsbury Division Two: Ashton-on-Mersey v Stockport Trinity, Leigh v Oxton Division One/Two Cross-Divisional: Oakmere v Stockport Georgians Division Three Cross-Divisional: Nantwich v Hawarden Park

APPENDIX I – LAWS & REGULATIONS

Laws of Cricket

October 2017 saw the most far-reaching changes to the Laws of Cricket for a decade. Some laws have been re-numbered, and others altered, merged into other Laws or removed. Club umpires, captains and scorers are asked to familiarise themselves with the principal changes. Some of the changes, to apply in UK domestic cricket from the start of the 2018 season, include:

Law 2 – The umpires

If just one umpire thinks that conditions are dangerous or unreasonable, then play will now be suspended. Previously, both umpires had to agree to suspend play. Similarly, both umpires must agree that conditions are safe for play to be resumed.

It is now specified that the umpires must meet with the captains and what is to be agreed. This now includes agreement regarding the use of covers and the agreement of intervals, including drinks.

Law 5 – The bat

The thickness of the edges of a batsman’s bat shall not exceed 40mm and the overall depth of the bat must not exceed 67mm.

Law 10 – Covering the pitch

Full covering of the pitch, together with bowlers’ run ups where possible, is to be allowed as standard.

Law 16 – The result

If a player refuses to leave the field after being deemed guilty of a Level 4 offence (see Law 42), then this could constitute grounds for the umpires to award the match to the opposing team.

Law 18 – Scoring runs

The first and final warning for deliberate short runs no longer applies, and on every occasion that an umpire considers that a batsman deliberately ran short, all runs from that shall be disallowed, and five penalty runs shall be awarded to the opposing team.

Law 19 – Boundaries

The boundary must be marked so that it is not possible for the sightscreen to be within the field of play at any stage. The boundary marking will therefore need to take account of every possible position of the sightscreen during play.

Law 20 – Dead ball

The ball will no longer become dead if it becomes trapped in the helmet worn by a fielder/wicketkeeper, although it will still become dead if it lodges in a batsman’s helmet.

Law 21 – No ball

All underarm deliveries shall be called as a ‘no ball’.

Any instances of a ball being clearly thrown, rather than legitimately bowled, will now be subject to a first and final warning, followed by the bowler being suspended from for the rest of the innings.

All deliveries where the ball bounces more than once before reaching the popping crease shall be called as a ‘no ball’.

All ‘no ball’ deliveries will result in just one run being scored as a no ball from that delivery. All additional runs from the same delivery shall be recorded as runs to the striker, or as byes and leg byes, as applicable. (All runs from a wide delivery will continue to be recorded as wides.)

Law 24 – Fielder’s absence & substitutes

A substitute shall now be allowed to take over as wicketkeeper, subject to the umpires being able to control the situation to prevent abuse. A substitute may not however act as wicketkeeper if the original ‘keeper is removed from the field of play for a Level 4 offence under the new Law 42.

All players that leave the field must spend the same amount of time back on the field before being permitted to bowl. There is no longer any allowance for players who leave the field for less than 15 minutes to bowl immediately. This ‘penalty time’ can be extended into a team’s innings, and dictate the time at which a player can start their batting innings, if all the penalty time has not been served by the end of the team’s fielding innings. These restrictions will not apply where a player leaves the field after suffering a visible external blow.

Law 25 – Batsman’s innings & runners

If no players have been dismissed when a batsman requires a runner, then any of the batting side can act as runner. However, if the non-injured batsman’s wicket then falls, the dismissed batsman must take over as the runner.

Runners are only permitted for injuries that affect a batsman’s ability to run.

While acting as runner, and standing at striker’s end, the runner must keep some part of their person or bat behind the popping crease until the ball reaches the striker.

Law 28 – The fielder

If the ball comes into contact with an item of clothing (e.g. a cap, clothing or equipment) that has accidentally fallen from a fielder, this is not classed as illegal fielding.

Law 30 - Batsman out of her ground

If the batsman grounds the bat (held in the hand) or any other part of her person within his/her ground, and provided that the batsman has continued forward momentum, and subsequently inadvertently loses this contact with the ground when the wicket is put down, the batsman will be protected from being Run out. In addition, the same protection will apply to a striker diving back into her ground to avoid being .

Law 33 – Caught

A catch can now be taken after the ball has been in contact with, or become lodged in, a helmet worn by a fielder/wicketkeeper.

Law 34 – Hit the ball twice

No runs can be scored from a ball lawfully struck twice other than the penalty for No ball and penalty runs (other than for the ball hitting a helmet on the ground).

Law 37 – Obstructing the field

A batsman who willfully handles the ball, once in play, will now be out under this Law rather than under a separate category of Handled The Ball.

Law 38 – Run out

A batsman can now be run out if the ball has previously deflected off a helmet worn by a fielder/wicketkeeper.

Law 39 – Stumped

A batsman can now be out stumped if the ball has previously deflected off a helmet worn by a wicketkeeper.

Law 41 – Fair and unfair play

Any cloth used to dry the ball must have first been approved by the umpires.

There will now be no first and final warning for deliberate attempts to distract the striker, and all such offences will attract a five-run penalty.

All full pitches bowled above waist height of the striker, in an upright stance, are to be called as ‘no ball’. The procedure of first and final warning, followed by suspension from bowling for the rest of the innings will now apply – there will now be no second warning.

In order to be protected from the chance of being run out, a non-striker must now remain in her ground until the moment at which the bowler would be expected to release the ball.

Five penalty runs can now be awarded to the opposing team for any action which the umpires consider to be unfair, but which is not specifically covered elsewhere in the Laws. A first and final warning shall be given, before the penalty is applied on the second transgression.

Law 42 – Players’ conduct

Four new categories of offence have been created, together with a series of penalties to be applied for offences of this type:

Level of offence Examples of offences at this level Penalties to be applied 1 Abuse of the playing area, or of cricket equipment First and final warning to be applied to the entire Dissent at an umpire’s decision by word or action team, followed by a five-run penalty if there is a Using obscene, offensive or insulting language second occurrence of a Level 1 offence by the Making obscene gestures same team during the match. The five-run Excessive appealing, or aggressively advancing penalty can also be imposed for a first Level 1 towards the umpire when appealing offence if there has previously been an instance of Level 2-4 misconduct by a member of the same team during the match. 2 Serious dissent at an umpire’s decision by word or Five-run penalty action Inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with another player Throwing the ball at a player, umpire or other person Using language or gestures of a seriously insulting nature 3 Intimidation of an umpire, whether by language or Removal of the player from the field for one fifth gesture of the number of overs allocated for the innings, Threatening to assault another player plus a five-run penalty (If the player is a fielder, no substitute shall be allowed. If they are bowling at the time, the over in progress must be completed by another member of the team. If they are batting at the time, another batsman must replace them, and not only must the requisite number of overs be served as a suspension, but they must wait until a wicket falls to resume their innings.) 4 Threatening to assault an umpire Removal of the player from the field for the Inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with an remainder of the match, plus a five-run penalty. umpire (No substitute will be permitted). Any act of violence or physical assault

All Level 1-4 offences will be reported to the executive of the team in question, and to the League Disciplinary Officer.

The new Law 41 and Law 42 are further explained in this online tool.

It is also notable that for the first time, the Laws are written in a gender-neutral way, with an increased use of generic nouns like ‘fielder’ and ‘bowler’ and use of ‘he/she’ when required. The term ‘batsman’ remains however, as it is in regular use in women’s cricket.

CWCL Regulations

Regulation changes in CWCL competitions for 2018 include:

• Teams who have entered the National Knockout will be permitted to re-arrange matches in Division ½ where these clash with fixture commitments in the National. However, in these circumstances, the other club will have the right to choose the Sunday / Bank Holiday date on which the CWCL match is played, subject to this not being a date on which the National Knockout entrant club already has a scheduled fixture • Division 3 players who play for the same club in the Development Knockout will be free to select a second club to represent in the Senior Knockout and the T20 Divisional Competition • The regulation allowing a bowler two warnings for bowling of full pitches will be maintained in all League competitions. The new Law which stipulates that a bowler is only allowed one warning, and is then withdrawn from the attack on the second occasion, will not apply in League competitions • The special regulation authorising umpires to award penalty runs for instances of dissent or abuse has been removed from the regulations of all League competitions, as the issues involved are now fully covered under the new Law 42 of the Laws of Cricket

Regulations for ECB Competitions

Regulations to apply in all ECB-administered T20 competitions (including senior and junior County T20 and the National Knockout) include:

• There will be a six-run penalty for every over not bowled, should the fielding side have not commenced bowling the 20th over after 75 minutes of the innings • If the scores are tied at the end of the match, the team losing fewer will be the winner. If this is equal, the winner will be the team with the higher score at the end of the powerplay (the first six overs of each innings). If this is still level, then the scores at the end of the 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st over will be used to determine the winner. Only in the unlikely event of all these being equal will a one over per side eliminator take place • The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method will be used to determine the result in rain-affected matches where each team has still had the opportunity of batting for five overs. If a match where DLS has been used results in the scores being tied, a one over per side eliminator will take place, regardless of wickets lost, or the score after any particular over • Deliveries passing down the leg side of the batsman in her normal stance will be called as wides • All no-balls, except those called for short-pitched bowling (bouncers), will result in the following delivery being a ‘free hit’

Specific regulations for the County T20 include:

• All matches in Divisions 1 and 2 will be played with a white ball • The winning team must enter the full scorecard on Play Cricket within 24 hours of the conclusion of each match

Specific regulations for the National Knockout include: • Clubs may use players from one named local club as ‘guest players’. Only four such guests can be used during the competition. The names of these players must be submitted to Sue Laister at the ECB no later than five days before the club’s first match in the competition • Clubs may name 12 players for each match, provided no more than 11 bat and no more than 11 are on the field at any stage • Each team should provide their own umpire for all matches except semi-finals and finals. This need not be a qualified umpire, although this is very much encouraged, and it can be a coach or club member who is ‘compliant with the laws of cricket’ • Each team should provide their own scorer for all matches • The winning team must enter the full scorecard on Play Cricket within 24 hours of the conclusion of each match

Regulations to apply in all ECB-administered 40 over competitions (including Under 15 And Under 17 County cricket) include:

• There will be a six-run penalty for every over not bowled, should the fielding side have not commenced bowling the 40th over after 160 minutes of the innings • The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method will be used to determine the result in rain-affected matches where each team has still had the opportunity of batting for 10 overs. • Deliveries passing down the leg side of the batsman in her normal stance will be called as wides • All no-balls, except those called for short-pitched bowling (bouncers), will result in the following delivery being a ‘free hit’

APPENDIX II – CHESHIRE WOMEN’S & GIRLS’ REPRESENTATIVE FIXTURES 2018

Cheshire Women’s 1st XI - NatWest Women’s County T20 Division Two

June 10 Durham H (Ashton-on-Mersey) 1030 10 Wales H (Ashton-on-Mersey) 1630 17 Somerset A (Taunton Deane) 1030 17 Hampshire Taunton Deane 1330 24 Northamptonshire A (Finedon Dolben) 1030 24 Gloucestershire Finedon Dolben 1330 July 1 Scotland H (Chester Boughton Hall) 1030 1 Berkshire H (Chester Boughton Hall) 1630

Other Senior Representative Matches

May 28 – intra-Cheshire T20 challenge, Oakmere August 30 – Cheshire Women’s League XI v MCC, venue TBC, 1100

Cheshire Girls’ Teams

Under 17 County Championship A Division Group 1 June 27 Nottinghamshire H July 3 Yorkshire A (Stainborough) 1200 12 Lancashire A 17 Durham H 20 Durham A August 1 Yorkshire H 6 Lancashire H 8 Nottinghamshire A (Welbeck) 1200

Under 17 T20 Group 1 May 31 Cumbria H 1030 31 Durham H 1630 July 26 Cumbria Harrogate 1330 26 Yorkshire A (Harrogate) 1630 August 20 Yorkshire 20 Lancashire

Under 15 County Championship A Division Group 1 May 17 Durham A (Sacriston) 1100 23 Lancashire H 1300 June 12 Lancashire A (Bury) 1300 25 Yorkshire H 1300 26 Northumberland H 1300 July 6 Northumberland A (Stocksfield) 1200 11 Yorkshire A 1300 31 Durham H 1300

Under 15 T20 Group 1 May 29 Cumbria H 1030 29 Northumberland H 1630 July 24 Cumbria 1330 24 Yorkshire 1630 August 17 Yorkshire 1330 17 Lancashire 1630

Under 13 Friendlies May 14 Lancashire A (East Lancs) 1200 June 4 Leicestershire H (Sandbach) 14 Lancashire H (Lymm Oughtrington Park) 21 Leicestershire A 25 Cumbria H (Barnton) July 5 Shropshire H 9 Northumberland A (Benwell Hill) 1200 16 Cumbria A (Millom) 1200 August 9 Shropshire A (Wrekin College)