R.A.Cunningham

Tel: 01928-731388

09.01.09

Directions to Hale Barns C.C.:

Leave the M56 at Junction 6 and take A538 towards Altrincham.

In about 500 yards take the second turn on the right into Brooks Drive.

After 200 yards the ground entrance is on the right.

CHESHIRE CLUBS CRICKET COMMITTEE

Winter Newsletter – January 2009

2008 was the second wet season in a row and a disappointingly large proportion of games had to be cancelled in most of the leagues. Now we are in the middle of the coldest start to a winter for some 36 years, but let us hope that the predictions from the weather forecasters are right for once and that the Summer of 2009 will be warm and dry.

CHANGES AT THE TOP

Another two years have past and Stan Davies has now been replaced as Chairman of the Cheshire Cricket Board by Jim Law. Jim, who is Chairman of Chester Boughton Hall C.C., was the nominee of the Cheshire County Cricket Club and had served as Vice-Chairman of the CCB for the last two years. The new Vice-Chairman will be Peter Davies, the long term Chairman of the Cheshire Cricket League. Thanks are due to Stan for all his work on behalf of Cheshire cricket over the last two years and our best wishes go to Jim and Peter for a successful term in office.

Meanwhile in the engine room, both the secretary, David Sharp and the treasurer, Mike Roff, have agreed to be re-elected for a further spell in office. Thank you, gentlemen.   

A DRAIN ON CLUB RESOURCES

As many Clubs will already be aware United Utilities Plc is one of the few water supply companies in the country to intend to introduce a site drainage charge system for business premises, for the drainage of water off supposedly non porous surfaces. Although Cheshire Cricket Clubs are by and large Community Clubs and non profit making organisations, they are still classed as businesses by United Utilities for this purpose. The proposed increases in charges can be very large and for Clubs who keep membership fees as low as possible and provide thousands of people of all ages, both sexes and all races with facilities to use for exercise and socialising, if unchallenged could prove to be a large drain on Club resources.

This is now set to become a national issue for the sporting community as a whole and is being taken up by the ECB, along with other national sports governing bodies, and also the press. The Daily Telegraph has launched a petition at www.telegraph.co.uk/sport against these punitive new charges, and we hope that all Cheshire Clubs will decide to register their support online.

Also the CCB wishes to take its own direct action on behalf of its affiliated Clubs, to lobby Government and try to achieve reductions similar to those previously won on the Council Tax charged to Community Amateur Sports Clubs. To help the CCB make informed representations to our Cheshire MPs on your behalf and provide the ECB with up to date information, could you please use the attached form to advise the CCB of your 2008 Water Charges and the proposed charges on the new basis for 2009 and 2010. We know that some Clubs have been asked to provide information to their league and that a number have already provided some details for Mike Woollard, our Club Development Officer, but it would be appreciated in you would inform the CCB of the latest situation.

CHESHIRE  INTEGRATED  LEAGUE  STRUCTURE

The CILS again worked well in 2008 with two teams being promoted and relegated between each of its top nine divisions. Alderley Edge became Champions of the Cheshire County Premier League for the first time, deposing Oulton Park after their hat-trick of wins. Winnington Park, one of the founder members of the CCCL, will be relegated to the CCL for the first time in 2009, accompanied by Hale Barns. Brooklands and Oakmere will be promoted to the CCCL in their place. It will be the first time Oakmere have played in the CCCL, while Brooklands return as Champions after two seasons in the CCL. Stockport, won the CCL Division 3 title at their first attempt after being admitted into the CILS at the end of the 2007 Season. Sandbach return to the CCL as Champions of the CCA after five seasons and Aston will be promoted with them for the first time. Castrol and Chelford will drop to the CCA.

A full report on Senior Recreational League Cricket in Cheshire in 2008 will be published once more in the Cheshire Cricket County Handbook in 2009, but will be available on the CCCC website by early February. 

CHESHIRE  KNOCKOUT  COMPETITIONS  2008/9

The wet weather during the summer of 2008 again interfered with the running of the Cheshire Knockout Competitions but they were finally completed in mid-September.

In the Cheshire Cup three Cheshire County League sides reached the semi-finals. Hyde beat Bowdon in one game, while Didsbury, the CCCL Division 1 Champions beat Elworth from the NS&SC Championship Division 1 in the other. The final was completed at the third attempt, at Hyde on Sunday, 14th September and a very tense and enthralling finish saw Hyde edge past the Didsbury total with their last pair at the wicket.

In the Cheshire Shield, Malpas from the Cheshire Cricket League Division 1, joined Birkenhead Park and Upton from the County League Division 1 and Marple from Division 2 in the semi-finals. Birkenhead Park beat Malpas, while Marple knocked out Upton. Birkenhead Park then won a rather one-sided final which was played at Marple.

Both Competitions were again sponsored by Lovelane Limited in 2008, but their sponsorship has now been withdrawn and new sponsors are being sought for 2009. If you know of anyone who might be interested please let me have their contact details at racunningham@keswick37.fsnet.co.uk  

The draw for the 2009 Cheshire Cup will be made during January and will then be published on the CCCC website at www.cheshire-clubs-cricket-committee.org.uk . The Rules have been altered for 2009 and now allow any player playing regularly for a club on Saturdays to play in either competition and also bona fide club members, who do not play Saturday cricket for any other club. One, or two incidents, which had occurred during matches in the Competitions in 2008, had highlighted the necessity of revising the Competition Disciplinary Code and bringing it in line with those in use by the Cheshire leagues. This would be carried out by the Competitions Sub-Committee before the start of the season.

CHILD   PROTECTION   ISSUES

Andy Margeson, the Cheshire Child Welfare Officer, has been building up a list of e-mail addresses for Club Child Welfare Officers and now has contact details for the large majority of the Cheshire Clubs. If your Club has not yet provided him with an e-mail address could you please do so. He can be contacted at a.margeson@yahoo.co.uk .

It is intended to run further Time-to-Listen refresher courses before the new season for Club Welfare Officers who have not attended a course for three years and Andy Margeson will contact these Officers by e-mail before the courses are arranged.

CLUBMARK  NEWS

From 100 Cheshire Clubs which currently have junior sections, the number accredited under the ClubMark scheme, through the Cheshire Cricket Board, has now risen to 83, the target for the end of 2007 having been 78 clubs. The Clubs who qualified in 2008 were Broadbottom, Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge, Grappenhall, Lindow, Mobberley and Stockport. Mike Woollard has continued to provide excellent support to all the clubs working towards accreditation and he reports that as many as six more clubs should achieve this aim in the near future. With his assistance all 83 Cheshire clubs had also uploaded their development plans onto the ECB CDP System by the deadline of September 30th, 2008 and were therefore recognised as ECB Focus Clubs. This meant that Cheshire had by far the biggest proportion of ClubMark clubs of any county in the country.

Of the twenty six Cheshire Clubs which first attained ClubMark in 2005, only a few remain to be re-accredited and a further 17, which achieved the status in 2006, must now start to renew their accreditation under the revised ECB Child Welfare Policy. Mike Woollard will continue to be available to assist these Clubs with re-accreditation and can be contacted on 01606-871200.

If your Club is one of the remaining Cheshire clubs which have a junior section and have not yet attained ClubMark, please think very seriously of trying to achieve this status as soon as possible. If interested contact Mike Woollard, on 01606-871200, to find out how to go about attaining accreditation.

ECB  SINGLE  INVESTMENT  SYSTEM

The large number of ECB Focus Clubs in Cheshire has helped the county to be successful in obtaining funding in the form of grants from the ECB over the two years since the ECB Single Investment System was introduced. To date application for grants for the development of club facilities, including artificial net installations, had resulted in 26 clubs receiving investment of over £500,000, while some 15 had been successful with requests for grants towards the purchase of ground machinery and had been awarded a total of over £100,000.

M.Woollard reported that the CCB had written for the ECB the requested strategies for the future development of cricket in the county and this should mean that Cheshire remained in a good position to obtain more funding in 2009. Further grant applications from Cheshire Clubs had already been submitted to the ECB and more were in preparation.

If your club is an ECB Focus Club and interested in making an application for funding towards the development of its facilities, or the purchase of ground equipment, Richard Newton and Mike Woollard are always willing to discuss a possible application with your Club, to ensure that it will meet the necessary criteria and stand a good chance of receiving funding. Either grants of up to 75% of the cost, or interest free loans may be applied for.

CHESHIRE  UMPIRES’  &  SCORERS’  ASSOCIATION

The CU&SA has over the last two years organised a system within the Cheshire Integrated League Structure whereby umpires, as they gain in experience, can move up the structure and umpire at a higher level in the game, or alternatively drop down to lower divisions if desired. Chairman, Dave Lawson, has reported that in 2008 there was encouraging signs that the system was working with some umpires moving in either direction and others splitting their appointments between different leagues.

However all leagues had still experienced shortages in the number of umpires available. The CU&SA has already run one training course for Umpires before Christmas which had fourteen participants and a second course begins soon. Please try and identify any members of your Club, who could be interested in training to become an umpire, be they players retiring from the game, or younger members who may be struggling to make the grade as players. There is still time to attend the new course, contact the organiser, Ian Bishop, Tel: 0161-962-5833(h), 0161-941-5709(w) or e-mail: ianbishop1934@btinternet.com if interested.

Course	Venue	Dates	Time	Duration
Umpires Training	Oakmere C.C.	Tuesday, 13th January, 2009	7.30 - 10.00 p.m.	11 weeks

The expenses of the course are paid by the CCCC, so you would only incur travel expenses.

The CU&SA will also be holding a one day course for Scorers Course in March:

Course	Venue	Dates	Time	Duration
Scorers Training	Hale Barns C.C.	Sunday, 15th March, 2009	10.30 - 15.00 p.m.	1 day

The organisers will be Hilary White, 01625-615498, n7vvc@yahoo.co.uk; and Ian Bishop 0161-962-5833, ianbishop1934@btinternet.com . Contact either of them if you would like to attend. Coffee and Tea will be provided but participants should bring their own lunch.

By reporting to the ECB the marks obtained by the umpires who officiate at the highest levels of the CILS, the CU&SA give the best umpires an opportunity to be invited by the ECB Officials Association to officiate at even higher levels, for example in the National Knockout Competition, the President’s trophy, or on the Minor Counties panel. Cheshire will again have two umpires on that panel in 2009, namely Alistair Davies and John Lofthouse.

CHESHIRE  CRICKET DEVELOPMENT FORUMS

The eleven Cheshire District Development Forums, each in a different local authority area, have all now held meetings since the end of the season. The Forums are important at a local level to foster co-operation on activities such as applying for grants, or organising bulk purchases, hiring of equipment, seminars on important topics such as Child Welfare and ClubMark, or sharing experience between clubs. Their performance depends on the enthusiasm and participation of their clubs and it is expected that all the Cheshire ClubMark Clubs will wish to take part and by regular attendance at their local forum meetings and commitment to taking part in their work, assist with the development of Cheshire cricket as a whole. The Forums have now been asked to keep a record of attendances at their meetings to build up a picture of club attendance.

Mike Woollard has been working hard as the Liaison Officer between the different forums and between the Forums and the CCCC and can supply you with details of contacts for your District Forum on 01606-871200. He reports that a number of Forums are again applying to Awards for All for funds to support coach training and that two Forums now have all their Clubs accredited for ClubMark.

GROUNDSMENS’ AGM

The Cheshire Association of Groundsmen held their AGM in November and chairman, Nick James, reported a membership in excess of 100, from some 81 Cheshire Clubs. During the year the CAG had organised Foundation Part A and Part B courses, and an Intermediate/Advanced course with IOG Instructors, the cost of the courses being subsidised by the CCCC. These had been reasonably well attended and similar courses were planned for 2009. The Foundation Part A Course would be at Warrington C.C. on April 1st, 2009 and the fee would be £10. The Committee had also continued to disseminate information to its members via its website at www.cag.org.uk . Contact Nick James, on 07808-723110, or at nicholas.james5@ntlworld.com if you would like to attend. The ground equipment held by the CAG had been more widely used by Cheshire clubs in 2008. The treasurer, Dave Twiney, reported that the CAG was in a sound position financially and proposed that the membership fee should remain at £10 for 2008. This was accepted by the meeting and the officers were re-elected for 2009.  

The CAG now had two qualified Pitch Advisers since Nick James had completed his training last Spring and the CAG hopes to be able to be more pro-active in advising Cheshire Clubs on how to improve their playing facilities.

PLEASE POST THIS NEWSLETTER ON YOUR CLUB NOTICEBOARD FOR THE INFORMATION OF YOUR MEMBERS.

Bob Cunningham

9th January 2009