Clubs hoping to avoid wash-out

Followers of The Lake Garage CLL may be baffled by science in the 2009 season.

Clubs have voted to introduce a Duckworth/Lewis style calculation aimed at avoiding draws in rain-affected matches.

As the last two summers have been marred by incessant rain, clubs were eager to reduce the number of washouts.

Norden proposed the introduction of the Duckworth/Lewis system, which has been in operation in the first-class game for a number of years, on a trial basis for first-team matches in the 2009 season.

It is a complicated formula, but is essentially based on the side batting second receiving 25 or more overs and having to achieve a target score to secure victory.

Walsden seconded the proposal and clubs voted 11-4 in its favour. If the trial is successful, it will be implemented for first and second-team matches for the 2010 season.

Heywood’s proposal that any overseas player who has appeared in first-class cricket cannot be registered as an overseas amateur was carried by an 8-7 margin.

The management committee’s proposed new rule aimed at clamping down on alleged illegal payments to amateur players was introduced by a 10-4 margin.

It states that no amateur player shall receive any payment of any kind from any source whether it be club officials, members of the club or supporters from their own pockets.

Payment is defined as money, gifts, free teas, free subscriptions, travel expenses and other ex-gratia rewards.

And the rule also states that any player who has been approached in any way which suggests playing for remuneration must report the matter to the management committee.


THE league made a substantially reduced profit of £957 for the year ending September 30, 2008.

In the previous 12-month period, the league had a surplus of £2,277.

Income was almost £1,300 down which was due to a 25.3 per-cent drop in the amount of fines levied to £1,520, a reduction in the amount of sponsorship received by £1,750 and a fall of almost £1,000 profit from the league dinner.

But those losses were offset to some degree by a £1,160 surplus from the one-off dinner to mark brewers John Willie Lees’ 25-year sponsorship of the CLL.


CLUBS have voted not to enter the Cockspur Twenty20, a national knockout organised by the English Cricket Board.

It was a problem trying to accommodate the games for the competition in an already congested fixture calendar.

The winner of the 2008 CLL Twenty20 competition would have represented the league in the 2009 Lancashire knockout and then, if successful, progressed to regional and national finals.

Walsden’s Allan Stuttard called for a restructuring of the CLL which would enable clubs to enter outside competitions.

And he has urged the league to have immediate discussions so that any changes can be implemented from the 2010 season.