Two divisions back on agenda

CRICKET:

NORDEN’S bid to introduce a two-division CLL was defeated at last year’s annual meeting.

But that has not stopped the Woodhouse Lane club from trying again at this year’s gathering of delegates.

In their efforts to produce what they deem to be more competitive cricket, Norden have suggested that the top eight teams in next season’s table be the clubs forming an inaugural CLL Premier League in 2013.

Under their proposal, the bottom eight would form the CLL Championship. Then, during 2013, teams in their respective leagues would play each other twice and take on teams in the other division once.



OLDHAM’S use of their Pollards ground for a fund-raising fair last season cost them a £500 fine imposed by the CLL.

And the management committee which instigated action against the club have moved to copper bottom the rule relating to use of grounds for anything other than CLL cricket. The committee have proposed an alteration to a league rule which states clubs must seek permission to use their grounds for other events.

The rule currently states this relates to the dates of Wood Cup and Burton Cup finals, plus inter-league matches. League officials want this to apply to all CLL fixtures and member clubs will vote on this issue at Friday’s annual meeting.

In a second reference to the Oldham situation, in which the Pollards’ staging of a fair resulted in the subsequent cancellation of a second XI match against Ashton, the management committee wants to impose greater penalties for reserve-team fixtures failing to be played.

Last season, Oldham were fined £10 for not fulfilling the fixture and handing the points to Ashton.

Any team doing the same this season will incur a £100 penalty if the league’s proposal is accepted by delegates at the the annual meeting.



THE management committee also wants to ensure that individual batsmen’s scores must be displayed on scoreboards at all first XI matches. They are proposing that failure to do so will incur a £25 fine for the host club unless there are exceptional circumstances.



LEAGUE matches could start half an hour earlier next summer. Norden have proposed a 1pm start for all Saturday and Sunday matches.