Please be aware that contrary to the club directory the contact for Great Totham is now
James Pook - tel 07899 760813 email -
James has also asked that we inform all Division Two teams and neutral umpires, that Great Totham will be offering teas this season, regardless of reciprocation throughout the year.
Now with the start of the season imminent, a timely reminder of the dreaded admin ;
These rules and fines apply to T40 and T20 competitions only – T30 may want to adopt some of the courtesy suggestions – advising opposition of provision of teas, advising opposition of concession in good time.
Please advise opposition and umpires if you are planning to provide teas for the game, at least the day before the game.
Any club that concedes a match, due to lack of players, must inform their opposition within 36 hours of the start time of the match – failure to do so will result in expenses paid to the home club of £30 or its reasonable wasted expense, whichever is higher.
A concession must also be reported by the conceding team, to the Results Secretary (Kevin Hewes) – by 10pm on the day preceding the match. If this is not done the conceding side will be fined £25 and deducted 10 points.
Matches cancelled due to weather or concession can be re-arranged, however, the re-arrangement of conceded games must not be to the detriment of the non conceding club. This rule applies to match up to July 31st – any game cancelled or conceded after that will not be re-arranged.
Matches that are started and subsequently abandoned – cannot be re-arranged.
A shortened game can be arranged in the event of adverse weather, with the batting bonus points re-applied as under Rule 14A – games reduced to between 20 and 25 overs.
Team sheets should be given to standing umpires prior to the match, or swapped between captains if no umpires standing.
No player under the age of 12 at August 31st 2021 may play in the league.
No player under the age of 13 at August 31st 2021 may play in the league, without parental consent prior to the match – a form which is available on the website.
No player will be able to make their league debut after July 31st, without special dispensation form the Management Committee.
A player may only play for one club during the season, unless a transfer is approved by the League Secretary. Transfers are possible up to July 31st, forms available on the website.
Please ensure that the home club scorebook is complete at the end of the game for entry into Play-Cricket. For those scoring the match direct into Play-Cricket this does not apply.
Home clubs are responsible for reporting the result by 10pm on the day of the match – please e-mail or complete the summary result on Play Cricket for the fixture. Again if a match is scored in Play Cricket this will be acceptable, and indeed preferable. Failure to do this will result in a £5 fine for the home club.
If the match is not scored on the day in Play-Cricket, the Full Scorecard must be uploaded within 48 hours of the match. Failure to do so will result in a £10 fine.
A further £5 fine will then be imposed for every week that the scorecard is not uploaded…we once issued a fine for £50 (10 weeks without uploading correctly) for this…so you have been warned.
Please ensure that your pre and post match admin is a priority, to ensure the smooth running of the league. The league do not want to implement fines, preferring clubs to spend their finances on club projects.
With the season just eleven days away, here is a brief update on Umpires for 2022.
David Root has assigned as many umpires as he can to NECL Division 1, Division 2 and T20 matches. In some cases he has not been able to allocate umpires, and clubs will have to umpire between themselves. These appointments are visible on the Umpires tab, Umpire Appointments for April and May, as are contact numbers for the umpires.
The cost of an umpire has increased in 2022 to £40, to be paid on the day preferably by cash, but if that is not possible by cheque. We appreciate clubs are generally moving to online systems for collection of match fees, and umpires may be happy to be paid by BACS, but if that is not the case and not all people want to give out bank details, then please be prepared to pay in cash or by cheque.
Where one umpire is standing the clubs will share the cost, so £20 each.
Secondly, with Covid restrictions still in mind some clubs may be reticent in providing teas. At the AGM it was decided that it should be up to the home club whether they would provide teas and they should communicate that with their opponents prior to the day of the game. Please, if you are not providing a tea on the day can you contact your standing umpires to advise, so that they can bring their own provisions. The last thing you want is Hangry Umpire !
Thirdly, If matches are called off due to weather the home team should contact both umpires by telephone - no text message - speak directly to the umpires concerned. If an umpire turns up to a venue where the game has been called off and has not been advised the home club will be liable for any expenses incurred by the Umpire.
If matches are conceded the same procedure should be adopted, with the home club taking responsibility, however, if an away club has conceded they could contact the Umpire out of courtesy.
Finally, do not forget to complete your Umpire Assessment Forms post match - we are hoping that with the new website this will be available in an easier format this year, than submitting via Play Cricket. Details will follow as soon as the new website is live.
A Division 1 club has recently experienced problems with successive cancellations by opponents, so I should like to remind clubs of the rules and expectations, if they need to call a game off.
Rule 15A requires any away club failing to fulfil a fixture (other than for bad weather) without giving the home team 36 hours notice before the start-time to pay the home club £30 (or more, if its reasonable wasted expenses are higher.
Rule 15B requires any club unable to fulfil a league fixture due to lack of players to inform their opponents (and the league) by 10pm on the day before the game. If not, they will incur a £25 fine and a 10 point deduction, unless the Management Committee determine otherwise.
The League also expects its member clubs to show proper consideration to away teams when calling off a game due to bad weather. If possible, a decision should be made and communicated to the away team in time to avoid unnecessary travel. We would expect such contact to be via a direct phone call rather than an email which may not be picked up immediately.
Neil Brinded (Chair, NECL)
 Umpire Assessment Cribsheet.docx | 767 kB | Fri 28th May 2021 |
For those teams who have neutral umpires standing, an umpires assessment report should be completed at the earliest opportunity, and by the following Friday at the latest.
A number of Umpire Reports from the start of the season are still outstanding, a club's Play Cricket Administrator should have these reports and can forward them to the relevant person. I have attached a cribsheet for the Umpire Assessment, so hopefully these can be completed in a timely fashion.
| Add Results And Scorecards.docx | 3044 kB | Wed 12th May 2021 |
For those new to the process of adding scorecards, or new players to Play-Cricket, please find attached insturctions.
It would be better to encourage players to register with Play Cricket, and then join the club(s) they are playing for, so there are not multiple instances on the same player within the system.
Sadly due to the sudden passing of John Hepburn the league website administrator, the league are having to rethink the website and are looking to move all administration and information over to the North Essex Cricket League Play-Cricket website.
First up the Weekly Results will no longer be uploaded to current website, but should be available on the Play-Cricket website by 10pm on the day of the match as captains or representatives of the HOME side should upload the Results Summary to Play-Cricket following the match.
Tables will automatically be updated as results are entered into Play-Cricket.
Full scorecards should then be entered into Play Cricket within 48 hours of the match by the HOME side. Away side can make corrections or help out if necessary.
Currently there are a number of matches from the start of the season that are still not completed on the system. If they are not completed by this Friday, then fines will start to be imposed.
Games currently needing action ;
18th April Division 1 Colchester & E.E. v. Cavaliers – Incomplete scorecard (both innings)
25th April Division 1 Colchester & E.E. v. Springfield – Only CEE batting completed
9th May Division 2 Sudbury v. GHL – GHL opener showing as Unsure
2nd May Division 3 Coggeshall v. Witham – only Result Summary completed
9th May Division 3 Witham v. Real Oddies – a number of Real Oddies players not in member database for that club.
If you are the Away Side and you know your team for the next NECL game, please make life easier by adding the full team to Play Cricket before the start of the game.
Umpire Assessments
If you have neutral umpires appointed by the league, an Umpire Assessment should be completed by both clubs, for both umpires after the game. These are being automated by Play-Cricket (probably to a clubs Play Cricket administrator) – some have been completed without any problems.
However, there are some outstanding, so can these please be addressed as soon as possible…again the first port of call maybe your club Play-Cricket administrator.
April 18th Div 1 Colchester & E.E. v Cavaliers (both teams)
May 2nd Div 2 Great Waltham v. Great Totham (both teams)
Other information will be migrated from www.necl.co.uk to NECL Play-Cricket (https://nessexcl.play-cricket.com/Aboutus ) over time, so please bare with us at this time.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL CLUBS
The league are aware that the Results Submission form, and Umpires Assessment form are both not working, and are not submitting information. Unfortunately, John Hepburn was the font of all knowledge with regard to processing of these forms, so we are going to have to look at an alternative way of submitting results and umpire assessments.
The only practical solution is to use the Play-Cricket platform, so we are asking that the HOME side on the day of the match complete a 'Result Summary' of the game in Play-Cricket by 10pm. If the match is being scored on Play-Cricket whilst in play, then this will not need to be done.
Within 48 hours of the game, a complete scorecard should be uploaded to Play-Cricket, so captains please ensure that your opponents know all your players details before you leave the ground.
DIvision One and Two matches, and T20 matches where umpires are assigned, will have their umpires listed for the match in Play-Cricket. I have created an umpires report that will be sent to teams, and should be completed by the Friday following the game. In the rules there is a points deduction if this is not completed, but as this is new territory I am happy to leave without points deduction for the first month - while we iron out any difficulties.
Can Club Play Cricket administrators please look out for these reports and get their captain to complete at the earliest opportunity.
I will remove the links to Result Submission and Umpires Assessment on the NECL website, as soon as I discover how to that !
Umpire Appointments for April and May can now be viewed on the website, under the Umpires tab, and also in Play-Cricket for the match.
Umpires are to be paid £35, with the preferred option being in cash, unless the Umpire specifically requests electronic payment.
If a game is cancelled or conceded can the home side please contact Umpires as a priority, if the away side has conceded it would be courteous for them to also make the umpire(s) aware.
Any failure to do this going forward this season, will result in the home side having to pay the standing Umpire(s) any wasted expenses.
Where neutral umpires are standing an electronic Umpires Assessment Report must be completed by both sides and submitted by 12 noon the Friday following the game. Failure to do so will result in a five point deduction.
Division Three matches can also request neutral umpires this season, and a request should be sent to Dave Root (tel number is in the Umpire Contacts list). This is subject to availabilty of umpires, and both clubs wanting neutral umpires to stand.
It is with deep sadness and shock that the NECL committee, have to pass on the news that our friend and colleague, John Hepburn has passed away suddenly.
John was an active member of the league committee, creating the website and offering technical support to anyone who required it. His staunch support for cricket in North Essex, was always measured with cheerful good humour.
Our condolensces go to his immediate family, the Real Oddies, and to his wider circle of friends from different walks of life.
He will be sorely missed, RIP John
Changes to NECL rules as a consequence of car-sharing restrictions (up to 17th May 2021)
In recognition of the difficulties some clubs may face in getting a full side to away matches up to 17th May, the following will apply:
All clubs should note that the NECL does not intend to revert to an average points system for the 2021 season. The reason for this is that, with a relatively small number of league fixtures in each division, such a system could easily produce an artificially skewed table.
Neil Brinded 02/04/21
