(Clubs please note that in all cases the Management Committee’s decision is final)
1. TITLE
The organisation shall be called the Kookaburra Mid Bucks Cricket League (in association with Hawkinsport & Son).
2. OBJECTS
The objects of the league shall be to promote annual adult and youth leagues, knock-out competitions and other cricket events, including representative matches.
3. EQUALITY
The league will execute its objectives fairly and without prejudice to age, gender, disability, race, ethnic origin, creed, colour, social status and sexual orientation.
4. MEMBERSHIP
(a) The League shall be open to all clubs whose playing strength, playing areas, changing
facilities, administration and tea facilities meet the standards laid down by the Management Committee or an Extraordinary General Meeting.
(b) Each member club must be affiliated to the Buckinghamshire Cricket Board or, for those member clubs not
located within Buckinghamshire, the cricket board of the county in which they are located.
(c) The league fully supports and adopts the ECB “Safe hands – Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children”.
Each member club must adopt the ECB “Safe Hands” policy and produce a club “Safeguarding Document”.
(d) Any member club wishing to withdraw from the league must inform the League Secretary, in writing, before the 1st.October.
(e) All member clubs must be insured for public liability.
5. SUBSCRIPTION
Each member club must pay an annual subscription (currently £50), as determined by the Management Committee, by March 1st each year. The Management Committee shall have the power to raise additional subscriptions on an annual basis. Any club failing to comply with this rule will be fined the sum of £10.00
6. MANAGEMENT
(a) The management of the League shall be vested in a Management Committee which shall
consist of President, Chairman, General Secretary, Fixture Secretary, Treasurer and ten members elected from clubs of the league.
(b) All officials of the league shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for re-election at the Annual
General Meeting which shall be held in December each year.
(c) Each club must send a representative to an Annual General Meeting and any Extraordinary General Meetings.
Any member club not represented at an Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting will be fined £10.00
(d) Each club shall be entitled to one vote on any matter other than for the election of the Management
Committee (see Constitution Rule 6j), or on any matter that only affects reserve teams when only clubs
having a reserve side shall be entitled to vote.
(e) Any proposal put forward by a club must be seconded by another club of the League.
(f) Any proposed alteration to the Constitution or to the Rules of Play must be put in writing and
received by the General Secretary before October 1st. The General Secretary shall circularise all
member clubs with these proposals no later than November 1st.
(g) Extraordinary General Meetings can be called at the written request of not less than five member
clubs, or at the discretion of the League President, League Chairman, or General Secretary.
(h) The President, Chairman, General Secretary, Fixture Secretary and Treasurer shall not be allowed
to vote on any matter but the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote in the event that the
same number of votes are cast for and against any motion.
(i) A quorum of the Management Committee shall consist of four members.
(j) Candidates for a seat on the Management Committee must be nominated by their member club. In the
event of more than ten candidates being nominated, ballot papers shall be prepared and voted upon at
the Annual General Meeting, each club to have ten votes. No club shall nominate more than
one representative for the Management Committee.
(k)Any vacancies on the management committee shall be advertised to all clubs to ensure that a full
management committee exists at all times.
(l) All decisions of the league shall be by simple majority of the members present.
(m) Any moneys received by the League Treasurer shall be paid into the League’s account within
seven days of receipt.
7. POWERS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
(a) All questions of eligibility, qualification of players, interpretation of
rules, or any question in dispute not provided for in these rules, shall be referred to the
Management Committee, whose decision shall be final.
(b) Any club receiving a behaviour mark of 3 or less on an umpire's card shall be subject to disciplinary action by the management committee including if necessary the creation of a sub-committee as set out in Section 8 Discipline.
(c) Any club receiving an outfield or pitch mark of 3 or less on an umpire's card shall be required to notify the Management Committee what action is being taken to improve the outfield or pitch for future matches.
(d) Any club may protest to the Management Committee regarding the action of any other club. The protest will only be considered by the Management Committee when it is submitted in writing by a club's secretary and enclosed with a £25 lodgement fee. The written details together with the lodgement fee must be sent to the league's General Secretary within 5 days of the event taking place. The club raising the issue must send a copy of the details to all other clubs mentioned or involved in the protest. If appropriate a Disciplinary Sub Committee will be set up in accordance with Section 8 of the Constitution. The £25 lodgement fee will be returned if the protest is upheld.
(e) Any player reported by a spectator, umpire, player or one of the participating clubs for ungentlemanly behaviour, failing to observe the Laws of Cricket or not playing within the Spirit of The Game, shall be subject to disciplinary action as determined by the Management Committee. This could include fines, deduction of points, or suspension. If appropriate a Disciplinary Sub Committee will be set up in accordance with Section 8 of the Constitution.
8. DISCIPLINE
(a) A Disciplinary sub-committee shall be setup whenever the Chairman, General Secretary or Management Committee considers it necessary.
(b) The disciplinary sub-committee shall consist of three members selected from the management committee or officers of the league. The disciplinary sub-committee will fix a date, time and venue to meet representatives of the disputing clubs within 14 days of the event and representatives of the clubs MUST attend.
(c) The disciplinary sub-committee shall follow the guidelines issued by the ECB and adopt the following 3 stage process (1) acquire the facts and decide if any charges should be made. (2) If appropriate charge the clubs or individuals involved, who shall be given the opportunity to make representation to the disciplinary sub-committee, and decide what penalties if any shall be levied. (3) If an individual or club wishes to appeal then the process set out in 8(d) shall be followed.
(d) Any appeal must be made in writing to the league general secretary within 14 days of notification of the penalties levied and include the grounds for the appeal together with a lodgement fee of £25. An Appeals Panel will be setup in accordance with guidelines issued by the ECB. The panel shall consist of three members selected from the league officials, the league management committee or club officials who have not served on the disciplinary sub-committee. The appeals panel will fix a date, time and venue within 14 days of the appeal being lodged and those clubs or individuals MUST attend. The Appeals Panel may increase, reduce or quash the penalties levied after receiving presentations from the league disciplinary sub- committee and the appealing parties.
9. FINES
(a) In addition to the fines specifically mentioned in these rules, the
Management Committee shall have the power to impose fines on clubs for other offences,
subject to a maximum of £10 per offence.
(b) The Management Committee shall also have the power to increase the fines imposed on
persistent offenders of a rule, subject to a maximum of double the normal sum.
(c) Fines must be paid within 20 days of notification. Failure to do so will result in
an automatic doubling of the fine and the deduction of points.
(d) The level of fines shall normally be reviewed annually by the Management Committee
who shall present any proposed changes to the Annual General Meeting for approval by the member clubs of the league.
10. DIVISIONS
(a) The competing teams shall be divided into a Premier, First, Second and
Third Division (and more if necessary).
(b) Automatic promotion and relegation of the top two and bottom two teams shall apply to
all divisions, subject to the following:
- No club shall have two teams in the same division. The first team position shall take
priority in the promotion and relegation status.
- The Management Committee shall have the power to override the normal promotion and
relegation rules if they feel it necessary, to be in the best overall interests of the league.
- The placing of new teams entering the League shall be at the discretion of the Management Committee.
- Second and Third teams shall be invited to be promoted to a higher division, but will have the right to decline.
11. TROPHIES
(a) The team obtaining the greatest number of points during the season shall be
champions of their respective division and shall hold the challenge cup until the following season.
(b) In the event of two or more teams tying for first place the champion team shall be decided
based on most wins, most winning draws, most ties and then most losing draws. If more than one
team is level after these results have been taken into account then special play-off games will be held.
(c) All trophies must be returned to the league secretary suitably engraved by the holders, by July 31st each year.
12. CLUB SECRETARIES
(a) Each member club must notify the General Secretary of the name and address
of their respective club secretary within fourteen days of any change being made.
(b) Club secretaries must reply to any official correspondence from the League Officers within
28 days (unless otherwise stated) of the date on the correspondence. Failure to do so will
result in the club being fined the sum of £10.00.
13. THE LAWS OF CRICKET
All matches shall be played under the Laws Of Cricket approved by the MCC (2000 Code 4th. Edition – 2010), except where the League Rules of Play expressly state differently.
14. FIXTURES
(a) The fixtures list for each season shall be prepared as soon as practical
after the annual general meeting by the Fixture Secretary. Each member club shall be supplied
with a copy of their fixtures as soon as they are completed by the Fixture Secretary.
(b) If a club can foresee a problem with a fixture date for the following season a written
request must be submitted to the Fixture Secretary before the Annual General Meeting. (Note:
League matches always run from the first Saturday in May for a total of 18 weeks. The dates of league matches cannot be altered.)
15. REGISTRATION OF PLAYERS
(a) Any bona fide member of a member club shall be allowed to play for that club in
matches organised by the League provided that the player is registered with the league before competing
in his first match in the season concerned. The league will supply each club with a list of players
deemed to be registered for that club by the 1st March each year. All clubs must supply the league
secretary with an updated list of all players to be registered for that club with an allocated
registration number before the season starts. Any additional players to be registered after the
lists have been supplied must be notified to the league secretary either by the supply of an updated
list, or by submitting a registration form. Registration is completed when an acknowledgement has been
received back from the league secretary. In Division 1, 2 and 3 urgent registrations may be authorised
on match days by obtaining the opposing captains signature on a registration form before the game starts.
The registration form must then be submitted with the result card for that match.
(b) The dates of birth for all registered players under 18 on the previous 31st August must be notified
to the league secretary either on the registration list or on a new registration form. (The age of under
18 year olds must also be entered on the results card see Rules of Play - League Matches) Section 7 and
Rules of Play - Knockout Matches Section 9).
(c) No player shall be allowed to be registered with more than one member club in the same season.
Players may however be transferred between the 1st May and the 1st August each year. Only one transfer
shall be allowed for each player in any one season. An application to transfer a player between clubs
must be made in writing and signed by the player, the secretary of the club holding the existing
registration and the secretary of the club to which the player wishes to transfer. The transfer will be
completed when acknowledgement has been received from the league secretary.
(d) If a registered player plays regularly for a non member club on a Saturday then special permission
must be sought from the league management committee before submitting a registration form. If a registered
player starts to play regularly for another club on a Saturday his registration with this league will be immediately cancelled.
(e) Special permission must be sought from the management committee before registering a player who has
received a payment or benefit in kind in any form from any club or sponsor related to playing cricket.
Before registration will be considered the following details must be supplied to the committee – nature
of the financial reward, details of any club that the player is currently playing for; details of other
clubs that the player has played for in the past five years.
(f) Any club playing a non registered player in a league match will be fined the sum of £5.00 per non
registered player. The team playing a non-registered player will be deemed to have scratched, and the
match awarded to their opponents by way of a walkover. Additional action by way of additional monetary
or points fines shall be at the discretion of the Management Committee.
(g) Any club playing a non registered player in a knockout match will be fined the sum of £5.00 per non
registered player and, subject to Management Committee discretion the match will be awarded to their opponents.
16. UMPIRES AND SCORERS
(a) Each team must provide its own umpire and scorer. For league matches umpires must
each be paid a minimum of £10.00. Should it be impossible to commence any match due to bad weather a
fee of £5 must be paid to each umpire.
(b) Umpires must be know the Laws of Cricket and be at least 18 years of age unless they have attended
an Umpires Course run by The League, ECB or The Bucks Association of Umpires & Scorers.
(c) Scorers are encouraged to attend a course run by The league, ECB or The Bucks Association of Umpires
& Scorers and be able to concentrate fully for the length of the match.
(d) The home team must provide tables and chairs for scorers, umpires coats in good condition, and a visible scoreboard
17. SCRATCHED GAMES
(a) No team may scratch a league or knockout game without the permission of the League Fixture Secretary.
(b) No game may be scratched without notifying the Fixture Secretary and the opposition. The opposition must then phone the captain of the team scratching the match to confirm that the fixture has indeed been scratched.
(c) Second XI or Third XI teams who are unable to field a full team and scratch a league game on or before Wednesday of a match shall incur no fine.
(d) The following scale of fines shall be paid to the League Treasurer by teams scratching a game. The fine collected from a team scratching an away league game will be passed to the home team in full recompense for the costs of that scratched match.
£25 all scratched Knock-Out Games,
£25 when the home team scratches a league game,
£25 when the away team scratches a league game before 9:00pm on a Wednesday,
£50 when the away team scratches a league game between 9:00pm on Wednesday and 9:00pm on Thursday,
£75 when the away team scratches a league game after 9:00pm on Thursday.
(e) Any team scratching three or more games during a season must re-apply for membership at the next Annual General Meeting.
(f) The minimum number of players required to constitute a team shall be 8. A team fielding fewer than 8 players at any time during a match will automatically forfeit the match. Unless there are any extenuating circumstances the game will be treated as a scratched game and a fine levied as in Constitution 17(d).
18. PITCH PREPARATION
(a) The home team is responsible for preparing the pitch and outfield. Non-turf pitches are not allowed.
(b) If covers are available the home team must inform the away team captain before the start of the game of the type/nature of the covers available and what part of the pitch/bowlers run-ups are covered. Covers may be used as long as BOTH captains agree and notify the umpires before the start of the game.
(c) The home team must ensure that sawdust is available for the fielding team in wet conditions.
(d) The boundary must be marked with a continuous white line or rope.
(e) The pitch must not be rolled within 30 minutes of the start of any match or during the match.
19. NOMINATION OF PLAYERS
In accordance with The Laws of Cricket, captains must nominate their team before the start of the match by entering the names, registration numbers and dates of birth of any Under 18 year old players in their team onto the result card. The result of the toss must be entered on the card which should then be passed to the umpires to enable them to make sure that the ECB directives relating to young players are fully applied. The names and registration numbers entered must be the identical to those used on the registration form.
20. REPORT OF MATCHES
(a) The home team captain is responsible for ensuring that the result card already
completed with the nominated players is retrieved from the umpire, fully completed with scores and
signed by both umpires and captains. The card must then be delivered or posted to the fixture secretary.
(b) Both Home and Away teams are encouraged to submit match results over the Internet using the
league’s web site (www.midbuckscricket.org.uk) ensuring that results are received by Sunday 12 noon.
Where the internet is not used the home team of each league match must inform the Fixture Secretary
of the result by phone or personal delivery of the signed match card between 9:00am and noon on the
Sunday following a league match or within 3 days of a knockout match. Any club failing to make report
in accordance with this rule will be fined the sum of £5.00 on the first occasion and forfeit all points earned for all subsequent occasions.
21. YOUNG CRICKETERS
The league fully supports the ECB directives relating to young cricketers.
ECB Guidance for Clubs and Leagues
i) All clubs must recognise that they have a duty of care towards all young players who are representing the club. This duty of care also extends to Leagues that allow the participation of young players in open age groups in their League. In addition the following specific requirements apply to young players in open age cricket.
ii) Making the step up from junior to open age cricket is a significant event in any player's cricket experience. Ensure that the player's safety, personal development needs and overall cricket experience are considered.
iii) There is no definitive age at which they should be introduced to open age cricket but determine each case on an individual basis dependent on their ability and stage of cognitive and emotional maturity to take part at this level, taking into account the requirement that no Junior Cricketers younger than the age group of under 13 can play in open age competitive cricket.
iv) ECB Fast Bowling Directives and Fielding Regulations (see later) should always be adhered to for junior players in open age cricket. All young players who have not reached their 18th birthday must wear a helmet with a faceguard when batting and either a helmet or faceguard when standing up to the stumps when keeping wicket. A young player acting as a runner must also wear a helmet even if the player they are running for is not doing so.
v) Any player in the Under 13 age group must have explicit written consent from a parent or guardian before participating in open age cricket. Clubs must ensure that their player registration procedures ensure that consent is obtained.
vi) Provide an opportunity for players to show their talents in an appropriate way. Children who are just used as fielders will not fully experience the game.
vii) Be supportive at all times for all forms of effort even when children are not successful. Try and put them in situations where they will experience some success (however small) and ensure plenty of praise and encouragement.
viii) Try and involve them in all aspects of the game wherever possible i.e. socializing, team talks, practice, decision making etc. so that they feel part of the team.
ix) Children will often feel more comfortable and able to perform if they have a family member or friend also playing in the side.
x) Remember, children's early experiences will remain with them always and will often determine whether they want to remain playing the game or give up and do something else!
xi) Clubs and Leagues can apply more strict restrictions on the participation of young players in open age cricket at their discretion. It is strongly recommended that a parent, guardian or other identified responsible adult is present whenever a player in the Under 13 age group plays open age cricket. This could include the captain or other identified adult player taking responsibility for the young player.
ECB Fast Bowling Directive
Young fast bowlers must not be over-bowled. The following guidelines must be observed –
Up to Age 13 – maximum 5 overs per spell, 10 overs maximum per day;
Under 14 and Under 15 – maximum 6 overs per spell, 12 overs maximum per day;
Under 16 and Under 17 –7 overs per spell, 18 overs maximum per day;
Under 18 and under 19 –7 overs per spell, 18 overs maximum per day.