To:  Club U15 Organisers

 

Date:  28^th April 2008

 

Dear Organiser

 

                        Re:  Nationwide U15 National Club Championship

 

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to this prestigious competition.  I am the Competitions Manager here at the ECB and if you have any queries regarding this competition that cannot be dealt with by your County Organiser then my contact details are at the bottom of this letter. 

 

Enclosed within this mailing you will find your Nationwide Pack, kindly produced by the sponsors of the Competition.  Contained within the pack you will find a copy of the Competition Rules and the details of the latter stages of the competition. 

 

ECB Safe Hands leaflets – Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children

Also included are three different sized publications about the ECB’s Safe Hands Policy for Safeguarding Children.  This is vital information that must be cascaded throughout your club.  The large leaflet is the Club Information Booklet, the 4 copies of the small booklet are for the relevant coaches within your club and the 10 copies of the leaflet contain the guidance for parents.  If you require any additional copies of these publications then please contact Child Protection Team at the ECB on 020 7432 1200.

 

Competition Rules

There are various rules that I feel must be highlighted after certain clubs failed to comply with these requirements last year.

 

·        Qualification of Players       see Competition Rule 6                               All players must be bona-fide Junior Members of the club they represent and play for the club in the Junior League or Leagues that the club enters.  A player may play for only one club in the Competition in any one season.  (NB If your club enters two teams they must be treated as separate clubs.)

 

·        Rain affected matches           see Playing Condition 1.2                             A minimum of 10 overs a side will constitute a match. …                             It is envisaged that matches will still be 20 overs a side – this amendment is brought in to provide for a result in exceptional circumstances.

 

·        Fielding circles see Playing Condition 1.5.1                                          Two semi-circles shall be drawn on the field of play. …The radius of the semi-circles shall be 30 yards.    

 

            P.T.O.                                                              

·        Fielders on the leg-side   see Playing Condition 1.5.2                              At the instant of delivery, there may not be more than five fielders on the leg side.

         

·        Batsmen retire at 50              see Playing Condition 1.8                      When a batsman reaches or passes the personal total of 50 runs they must ‘retire’ and will not be allowed to return.  A batsman can continue their innings beyond 50 if their ‘retirement’ would end the innings before the agreed number of overs have been bowled.                                             This rule was introduced last year but it appears that not all clubs complied.

                   

National Knock-out stages and Regional Finals

Please note that if your team is successful at your County Final you will then enter the National Stages of the competition.  This will include at least one preliminary round, but no more than two, prior to the Regional Final.  All the Regional Finals will consist of 4 teams with semi-finals followed by a Regional Final and a third place play-off – so each club will have two matches on the day.  The dates for the four Regional Finals are included in the Portman Pack along with details of the two County Play-off Rounds of qualifying matches needed by the various County Champions prior to these dates.

 

National Final

The National Finals will be held at Kibworth Cricket Club on Thursday 21^st August.  This is a new venue for these Finals and is more centrally located than Bournemouth as Kibworth Beauchamp is 5 miles south east of Leicester.

 

I hope that you all have a successful and enjoyable season and that the youth section of your club continues to flourish.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

Patrick Mahony

Competitions Manager

 

020 7432 1229 (direct line)

07917 521522

Patrick.Mahony@ecb.co.uk