MINUTES OF THE UMPIRES CAPTAINS MEETING

HELD AT FSC ON APRIL 15^th 2010

 All clubs were represented apart from Little Lever

Matters raised

1 Club Administration  Paul Rayment explained the procedure for sending in the result sheets and umpires mark sheets.  Each club would have a user ID and a password.  Once completed a copy would be sent to the BL website and a copy to the sender.  For first teams all information re the match was needed but for second teams just the result and any outstanding performances.  A question was asked would the same format be able to be used for the Bolton News and that would be looked into. The full result sheets had to be sent by the Monday lunch- time and the umpires mark sheets were to be with Malcolm Kinder by the Thursday. The same fines would apply as last year. Some lee- way would be applied in the first couple of weeks and any club having problems was to let Ray Taylor know. The umpires mark sheet was in the same format as last year. A suggestion was made re marking on a scale 1-5 and the umpires secretary said that had been tried the first time and clubs found it very easy to fill in the 3 without much thought. The present categories were given a numerical value when received.

2 Discipline. John Hutchinson, the new disciplinary committee secretary said not a lot will change . The only new procedure would be that the umpires would grade any reports into Minor, Standard and Serious offences.  A minor offence was querying of umpires decisions too often. If a player was reported for several of these offences then action could be taken. The standard offence and punishments were as per last year  and  a serious offence was physical abuse etc which would be dealt with by a hearing.

 The Disciplinary code was not published in the handbook but the committee would follow the ECB guidelines.

 He asked for at least two volunteers from Club officials to sit on the disciplinary committee as at present there were representatives from Egerton , Walkden and Tonge.

 The Chairman hoped that clubs would try to avoid  the need for reports as the behaviour of the players was in the captain’s hands. This year umpires had been told to report all incidents.

3New Rules  ECB had issued a new bowling directive which everyone had copies of. Umpires had been told to stand at an angle of 45degrees when stood at square leg so as to watch an incoming ball , in light of the fatal accident that happened in another league last year.

 As for the Bolton league rules all scoreboards must have runs to win shown and the overs be operated from 50 down.

 A question was raised re whose decision it was for a game to start. The final decision was with the umpires. They had to be sure conditions were safe for all on the field.

4 Rules and Competitions Committee. Mrs Knott said she had taken over from Mike Hall as Chairman of this committee.  As far as the run rate calculations were concerned ,once the  target had been agreed and the game commenced the target would stand and there would be no altering it if a mistake had been made.

 Captains were reminded the only allowance for time lost was for a serious injury . A question was asked re the Hamer Cup and would the dates stand and not be moved like last year. The captains were told the dates were fixed and if a new date couldn’t be agreed within the time limit then it was to be played on Monday evening etc .  What ever was agreed, the game had to be played by the Friday of the date of the next round.

 Both the League Chairman and Umpire ‘s Chairman wished teams a good season and  hoped all games were played in the  right spirit and respect was shown to all concerned with the game.

  KKnott

 Umpires secretary