NORTH SOMERSET YOUTH CRICKET LEAGUE
The aim of the League shall be to promote, encourage and develop youth cricket.
REPORT 2008
In its 44th consecutive year the number of clubs participating held its own at 20. Another 2 more in 2009 would be enough for 2 full teams! 70 individual teams took part across the 4 age levels which was itself a record. So many were they that for the first time the U11s had to be divided into Hildreth and Trego geographical sections and the only age level still run on an all-play-all basis was U17s.
Geographic sections have the upside of lightening the burden on hard-pressed managers, otherwise needing to pencil in a solid 4 months of weekly match dates. But the downside (isn’t there always one?) is that smaller sections means fewer fixtures. So, paradoxically, more enthusiasm, more participation and more teams leads to less cricket. But without paid team managers, there is no other real way.
Equally paradoxically, the greater the well-intentioned regulation of youth cricket, the greater the demands for organisational, safety, coaching and competitive standards to be raised year on year, the fewer volunteers are willing to take on the responsibilities of running youth teams. Long gone are the days of just turning up, managing a game of cricket for kids and going home.
The weather was a paradox too. Isn’t it always? May was a record-breaker: hot, dry and without cause for cancellations. Whoever heard of a May when nothing was rained off? Then the summer set in: day after day, week after week, month after month of rain. Managers made extraordinary efforts to get matches in but often in vain. The U15 league play-off final between Clevedon and Nailsea exemplified the challenge: 4 unsuccessful attempts rained off and ultimately so wet that even a bowl-out could not be held, with the U15 title shared. Title-sharing was an unfortunate feature of 2008.
At U17 level, though, WSM maintained their record in recent years of taking the division unbeaten. Claverham (who have not won here since 1991) finished close runners up with fast-improving Uphill just behind. WSM and Claverham reached the Cup final but here also even a bowl-out was too wet to stage. Plate winners were Cleeve.
In the U15s, last year’s champions Failand & Portbury (in the Trescothick (North) section) were unable to enter a team through shortage of managers but Nailsea (2007 runners up) went one better this year to top the table undefeated. Their nearest challengers were Bristol (formerly Optimists) and Congresbury (who last won in 1990). In the Blackwell (South) section, Clevedon came out winners but the end of season inter-section play-off was abandoned and the title shared. Clevedon took the Cup with a comfortable win over Cheddar Cavaliers, with Blagdon winning the Plate competition. Cheddar Cavaliers took the Parsons (South) section while Cleeve Comets were Caddick (North) section winners. August did for the play-off though. Cheddar overwhelmed Clevedon in the Cup final and the Plate competition was won by Failand & Portbury over Uphill Castle.
WSM Wizards were again strong at U11s age and took the Trego (South) section unbeaten. Claverham took maximum points from their 9 matches in the Hildreth (North) section but here again no outright division winner could emerge as August had taken to the boats.
The League once again enjoyed (and is very grateful for) excellent support from the Bristol & District Umpires Association (Peter Smithard) who provided umpires sometimes at very short notice and often again and again as fixtures were rearranged.
In the one representative game (1 of 4) played, the NSYCL U11s lost to the Bristol & District League in a 30-over match at Twyford House but the volunteer League XI managers had done their best to maintain this valuable inter-league playing level for those just below county standard.
It was with great sadness that news was received of the sudden death of Matt Billing, eldest son of long-time Failand & Portbury manager Jane Billing, and the League joins with many who had played with and against Matt in youth teams to express their deepest sympathies to his family. Events like this put everything into perspective.
Administration of the League this year went exceptionally smoothly, thanks largely to the efforts of Mark Walker (Results Officer), John Waters (Junior Secretary) and Stewart Dewer (Chairman). Once again the League’s sponsors Westcountry Ground Care of Axbridge kindly met the handbook printing costs and their ongoing support for this enterprise is very welcome. Our President Brian Rose continued on board as well.
Finally, as always, the League depends on the volunteer efforts of umpires, scorers, parents, groundsmen and others to keep youth cricket afloat in this part of Somerset; each was a Noah of 2008.
Robert Humphreys
Secretary
North Somerset Youth Cricket League
26th November 2008
For AGM 23.1.09
SECRETARY’S REPORT (INTERNAL)
(SUPPLEMENTAL TO PUBLISHED REPORT
IN SOMERSET CRICKET BOARD HANDBOOK) 2008
General
1. My report in relation to external events is as supplied to and published by the Somerset Cricket Board in their annual Handbook (copy attached). This part of the report deals purely with internal matters.
2. At the last AGM I again tendered my resignation and asked for volunteers to take over the position of League Secretary. None was forthcoming. Accordingly, I agreed to carry on in office but with continued reduced scope of duties. The receipt, processing and publication of results was a function continued with the Results Officer Mark Walker.
3. John Waters (in addition to his duties as U13 and U11 Secretary) continued with the organisation of all Cup and Plate finals as well as inter-division play-offs at the various age levels. This largely involves confirming grounds (as published in the Handbook), arranging umpires, encouraging teams to be present and to have with them appropriate trophies and arranging for trophies to be presented at the game. John also liaises with the League’s sponsors Westcountry Ground Care in relation to their annual payment to cover the printing costs for the Handbook and liaises with the printers on site in relation to collection of and delivery to me of the Handbooks when printed.
4. Sometimes finals are genuinely rained off but in all other circumstances my own preference has been to decline to agree to rearrangements proposed by one or other of the participants to suit their convenience.
5. The functions that I retained were:
(a) organising and arranging the AGM,
(b) generating and circulating fixtures,
(c) preparing and supplying to printers and distributing copies to the clubs of the League Handbook,
(d) dealing with questions about the rules and complaints during the season,
(e) arranging and participating in appeals against my own decisions and those of the U13/U11 secretary at our respective levels,
(f) and writing and arranging for publication of the League’s report in the Somerset Cricket Board Annual Handbook.
6. No volunteer was prepared to take on the function of overall orchestrating the League’s representative fixtures with other leagues (insofar as available). Certain individuals offered to organise certain specific matches at certain levels.
7. Again, I invite a volunteer to take over from me the position of League Secretary for 2009 and ongoing. This will be my last year.
2008 season
8. Let me first thank Mark Walker and John Waters for their excellent work throughout the season carrying out their respective functions and also those individuals who were able to run such representative fixture games as they were able to put together.
Issues for me during the season
9. Issues were put to me at various stages throughout the season and the outcomes of these would be routinely known to the clubs concerned and the other officers but by no means in all cases to all clubs. It may be helpful, therefore, if I run through these various issues and their outcomes in the chronological order in which they arose:
10. Fixtures were circulated by email on 25th March 2008 (27th March 2007 having been the date the previous years).
11. Requests from a number of clubs were made to swap venues or alter fixtures for mutual convenience as agreed with the other side during the window between circulation of the fixtures and the date of commitment to printing the Handbook.
12. The 2008 Handbook was circulated in electronic form on 14th April 2008, including contact details of all managers.
13. The text of the Handbook was posted on the League website on 1st May 2008, including copies of minutes of AGMs going back a number of years.
14. Mark Walker set up and made available to all the results website.
15. It was confirmed that managers’ integrity was relied on not to switch for advantage players between A and B teams and that intentionally there was no Rule wording addressing this.
16. Requests were made for the “extension” of the fixture timetable to put back the dates of play offs and cut off dates for qualification by particular clubs who had played insufficient games. These requests were rejected as being unfair on clubs who had taken steps to fulfil their fixtures in time.
17. Our deepest sympathies were conveyed to the family of Matt Billing (Failand & Portbury) whose sudden death occurred in October 2008.
18. Out of all the above points and issues, I would make the following observations:
19. The League exists on the foundation of mutual goodwill and integrity of volunteer managers and youth organisers. In the heat of battle, it is always worth standing back and reminding oneself that these competitions are not World War III.
20. Fixture dates, including cut off dates for qualifications and for finals, are carefully calculated for the fixture lists at the beginning of the season and all clubs are entitled to rely upon those fixtures as being the fixtures. Inevitably, some clubs will make arrangements to ensure that they can meet those dates whilst other clubs cannot or will not do so. It is unfair on those clubs who have taken the fixture list at face value and made their arrangements on that basis to subsequently treat the fixture dates as being a moveable feast and a mere opening shot in an endless process of jockeying amongst clubs concerned for fixture dates to be moved.
21. Genuine rain-off of fixtures (or unfitness of ground) properly generates a postponement but clubs need to be aware that their electing to rearrange some of their fixtures to suit their own convenience does not result in the competition milestone dates of general application being moved in response.
22. It is always open to clubs, despite the prescriptions in the Rules, to agree between themselves before a game to modify those Rules e.g. by allowing one club or the other to play overage players. However, in default of such prior notice and agreement, the League Rules prohibit overage players from playing. The League does not take on the responsibility for condoning the playing of overage players without agreement, not least because of the safety concerns which would arise.
Robert Humphreys
League Secretary
NSYCL