So, what does it take to make sure that you play a game next weekend? Or, if you are a Club, how do you make sure that you have a team?
The CCC has decided to make this a singular issue Newsletter, the topic having acquired an immediacy and intensity of debate as a result of an open letter from a small club in the lower levels of the Hertfordshire league who admitted to being unable to put together enough players to fulfil their two Saturday league fixtures, and were forced to concede both.
This Pandora’s Box was opened by Bayford and Hertford CC who conceded both their games in divisions 3B and 10 East – despite having registered over 100 players with the Herts League at the beginning of the season.
It transpired that 12 other clubs conceded fixtures over the same weekend in Hertfordshire, and this was mirrored in Cornwall, Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Somerset – and – given the number of social media requests from across the country, we may surmise that there is a disturbing trend at the lower end of the club cricket league structure.  The picture was then repeated for the second weekend in a row.
During this period NCC has been active in acquiring data and has a lively social media dialogue across the country, as well having contributed to a Radio Essex programme covering distressed clubs in the region.
As Cricket Clubs we start our lives with the ethos of wanting to play cricket.
                                                                                    Competitive edge
We then morph into trying to be better at cricket and, at the same time, we try to provide the best facilities we can to sustain our cricketing aims.
Then we join Leagues to further sustain the competitive edge to our game, and those Leagues develop rules which make sure that the games we play are fair and equitable.
And this has been so for the past 9 generations since The Gentlemen of Hambledon graced our pitches.
Then we find that, in some cases, enthusiasm for the game is a diminishing asset and so we want to change the bases under which we wish to play.
But the Leagues, to which we have associated ourselves, are entrenched within their rules and, because they can, they prevent us from being flexible in our attitudes.
So, how do we react, with responsibility for the youth and future of cricket in our grasp, without appearing to be wrecking the infrastructure which we helped to put into place?
There is a strange dichotomy in the world of Club Cricket at the moment. 
On the one hand there are more registered players across the country than ever.
On the other, we have cricket clubs unable to fulfil their fixtures due to lack of players.
                                                                                             Pandemic
We know that the pandemic has had an odd consequence of Big Clubs getting bigger.  Equally we are aware that the individuality of Clubs does not easily accommodate a “sharing” mentality.
Surely now is the time to break the vicious circle and look for equitable and sensible solutions so that smaller Clubs can retain their core values?
Hertfordshire is one of the largest Leagues in the country when it comes to numbers of clubs and divisions in its remit.  The Herts League has already taken steps so that clubs in some of the lower divisions are able to have duplicate registrations by local region – but few clubs know about it.
Yet there are over 3000 cricketers registered in Hertfordshire.  How many of those registered are “regular” players, and how many of the  “regular” players did not get a game last weekend?
If a large club with three or more teams has an excess of say, 3 players on an any given Wednesday or Thursday, how can they tell other local clubs that they have players for loan purposes?  And in any case are they willing to do so?
                                                                                                Condone
But even if they were so disposed, how would they know which clubs to contact if they had either an excess or a shortfall? And would the Leagues condone such actions?
What appears to be required is to establish a central player register of both players and clubs, county by county and league by league, with availability on a weekly basis. The envisaged system can only work for extremely small geographical areas and should only reflect the situations in the lowest 20% of divisions in Leagues.  Preferably, clubs will pre-nominate the other clubs in their locality (not necessarily in their own League) to the central register for speed of response.
The National Cricket Conference has a remit from the ECB to “Find a Player – Find a Club” and we are making sure that we have the resource to make that work.  We are preparing a “forum” facility on our website where we can alert specific parties to either scarcity or glut.
Find a Player Find a Club
It requires a flexibility from the Leagues to allow cross registration abilities, not just within leagues but by geographical proximity. We can envisage a system evolving as in Hertfordshire but with modifications. The process is only workable on a very localised basis, as well as it being marketed correctly and openly.
This innovative process can only succeed if the Family of Cricket  acknowledges this as a need to be implemented from the bottom up, but it will have to change the terms of its Will. The NCC is available to write and enact the codicil, and we would like to do it as soon as possible – but only within a cooperative environment, encouraged and promoted by our major stakeholders – County Boards, Leagues and Clubs. 
Watch this space.
Any thoughts ? Email them to Robbie Brook : ccc@club-cricket.co.uk

​One-time County Division 1 champions Liss are among six clubs to have withdrawn from the Hampshire League, alongside Bransgore (D2), Hordle Village (D6SW), Shrewton III (D6NW), Holybourne II (D6NE) and Rotherwick (D5NE).

Bishops Waltham cricketers will take the field in Saturday’s opening Hampshire League Division 2 match against Ferndown Wayfarers in shirts sponsored by First Choice Therapy, the sports and remedial massage therapists, based at 4 Cross Street.
The new season has begun on a promising note - a high scoring defeat at Southern Premier League Hambledon preceding a fine 14-run victory over Old Tauntonians & Romsey II in which James Hunter and Luke Carvey made unbeaten fifties and Ed Dadd took six wickets with the ball. 
The club fields three Saturday teams in the Hampshire League, along with a Sunday XI and a side participating in the Winchester & District Midweek League on Tuesday evenings.
Based at the Albany Ground, just off Winchester Road, they are pro-active in junior cricket and run sides from age nine upwards.

Colden Common, Otterbourne and Sporting Wessex are looking for a regular wicket keeper for the 2022 season, ideally someone who has previously played at Hampshire Cricket League County 3 level.
If there are any budding wicket keepers who aren't getting games at their present clubs, CCO & SW maybe be the club to offer you the opportunity to fulfil the role.
If you are interested please contact Colin Hutton on 07761 250832 or by email at chut@noc.ac.uk

A 1.75 tons roller which has sat for the past six years deteriorating in the long grass on the boundary edge at Parley has been fully refurbished for use by the local Hampshire League club this coming season.
The roller is 63 years old, 25 of which were spent at Dean Park playing an important role in preparing pitches for Hampshire’s County Championship matches.
Anxious to enhance the quality of their own pitches and so get their ground accredited for potential promotion to the Southern Premier League in 2023, Parley engaged DJB Machinery from Tonbridge, Kent, who sponsored the full refurbishment of the roller – and what a superb job they did !
“DJB Machinery took the roller back to their Tonbridge base, where they provided a mechanical upgrade, installed new parts, and repaired and repainted it. What a fantastic job they did, none more so than Dan Bryce and Albert,” beamed Parley cricket manager Keith Clarke.
“Hopefully, the roller will continue to serve the club for many years to come in the hands of the Parley ground volunteers, especially as DJB Machinery’s sponsorship deal includes a six-month service arrangement.” 
Parley will play pre-season friendly matches at Dorset Premier League side Martinstown and against SPL neighbours Bournemouth before opening their HCL Division 1 programme at Alton on May 7.

​The Hampshire Cricket League plans to return to normality in terms of playing regulations for its Saturday afternoon matches this summer.
Games across the board were restricted to 40-overs per side last year, but the league intends to return to a 50, 45 and 40-over format down the 19-division pyramid when play begins on May 7 2022.
That means Division 1 matches will be 50-overs per side, with a restriction of ten overs per bowler, with play starting at 12.30pm.
Games in Divisions 2 and 3 will last 45 overs (nine overs per bowler) with 1pm starts. 
Divisions 4 to 6 will be of a 40-over duration (eight overs per bowler) again starting at 1pm.

We all know how important umpires (and scorers) are to the game of cricket and every batsman will have tales of those occasions when there was 'no way I could have been out' !
Here's the chance for you to get one or two people from your club trained up as umpires at the standard required for your friendlies, your league matches and even for the league panel of umpires, should the individual concerned wish to go that far.
The Stage 1 and Stage 2 courses, both being held at The Leaze – headquarters of the Dorset Cricket Board and Wimborne & Colehill CC - are being held on Saturdays March 26th and April 9th, respectively.  These may well be of interest to HCL clubs in the New Forest and obviously Bournemouth and Dorset.
For information the Stage 1 is designed to equip an umpire to be able to stand for a club in friendly matches whilst the Stage 2 is a requirement for anyone wishing to join a league panel.
Stage 1 UES1/000504 - https://booking.ecb.co.uk/d/s8q5c6
Stage 2 UES2/000474 - https://booking.ecb.co.uk/d/t8q5cn

Langley Manor cricketer Ken Morrison is the Hampshire League’s new chairman, succeeding Denis Emery in the hot seat.
A retired chartered accountant, Ken graduated from Southampton University in 1982 and initially played Sunday friendly cricket for Merlin for around 20 years.
A batsman/wicket-keeper, he joined Langley Manor some 15 years ago and mainly plays third and fourth team cricket in the regional divisions.
Ken confesses to be a big soccer fan and, having grown up in Suffolk, follows the fortunes, or otherwise, of Ipswich Town.
He said: “Having recently retired, I am excited to be getting more involved in local cricket and am looking forward to joining the Hampshire Cricket League management team. 
“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Denis Emery and Philip Wilson, the retiring Chair and vice Chair, for their outstanding contribution to the management of the League.”
The Hampshire Cricket League has 185 clubs for the 2022 season, which will begin on May 7 and a thriving Ladies section which has three divisions and plays on Sundays.

THE terminal shortage of money, players and volunteers has led to the folding of Brading — with the sad prospect of more cricket clubs on the Isle of Wight likely to follow suit.
Middlemead, Brading's home since 1987, once thrived as players and families devoted their time to the club, which boasted two Saturday teams, one on Sundays and players taking part in midweek touring games.
Money was raised from events and donations to buy the land at Middlemead, on the edge of Brading, and transform a farmer's field into a ground Island cricket could be proud of.   The club had a spell playing in the regional divisions of the Hampshire League.
How times have changed.
Club stalwart Ian Hailes, whose family has a long association with Brading and island sport, explained: "Difficulties finding funding, players, paid up members and, crucially, a lack of volunteers, has become a downward trend this past ten years — making this a heavy workload for the remaining few of us who ran the club.
"Income dropped considerably amid the cancellation of two seasons during Covid, with bills paid, wickets needing to be prepared and maintenance of the clubhouse, which made the club financially unsustainable."
But cricket shouldn’t be lost to Brading as the club has gifted Middlemead to the Isle of Wight cricket board "so that matches can be continued and enjoyed there. 

​St Helens, who play in the Island League, are also in deep trouble, with so few players committing to the club.
Charlie Millington, a stalwart at St Helens for 40 years, put out an appeal for players, past and new, to join this coming season — and a stark warning.
"We had to cancel some fixtures last season, mainly through lack of players. It would break my heart if the club had to fold after all the hard work I, and numerous others, have put in — sourcing and building a very nice new pavilion, plus all the hard work done in providing a superb square and a lovely place to come and play village green cricket," said Charlie. 

Hursley Park has been deeply saddened by the sudden death, aged 71, of Nick Bacon, a prominent batsman/wicketkeeper for the club from the mid-1970s onwards and, since retiring, a valued and active member of the groundstaff at The Quarters.
Nick joined Hursley Park during the mid-1970’s and has continued to be associated with the club ever since.  He was a hugely respected history teacher at Hamble Community College for over three decades.
In the early days when HPCC had only two Saturday XI’s, Nick was a prominent member of the second team playing in South West Division II of the Hampshire Cricket League as a wicket keeper and batsman. His enthusiastic, unorthodox style in both these disciplines proved very successful and in 1980 he topped the batting averages for this division. He took a great deal of pride in both his and the team performance.

Opportunities for 1st XI cricket as a wicket keeper were limited in the 1980’s with Paul Wright and Adrian Aymes behind the stumps, and later Martin Kellaway, but when not required as the keeper, Nick played many times as a specialist middle order batsman in the first team. He was part of at least two of the three Park sides that won the First Division of the Hampshire Cricket League in that era.
I was fortunate to be the captain at that time and found Nick to be a very good team man, with impeccable availability, very helpful to the captain when behind the stumps, and a great character both on and off the field. 
As a qualified Coach, he coached the junior teams at Hursley Park for many years. This in addition to his commitment to coaching and organising school and association cricket in both Southampton and Winchester. 
Nick was a very good club man,  and after retiring from playing become a well respected member of the volunteer groundstaff at the club. He was adept at almost any task that he was confronted with, from repairing the drive to preparing and repairing the pitches .
He had a great sense of humour and was a long standing stalwart, good cricketer and willing worker who contributed much to the success of the club. He will be sadly missed by his family and remembered by all those who played and worked along side him.      An innings cut far too short.  Chris Westbrook.

The Hampshire League annual general meeting on Thursday (7.30pm) will once again be conducted by zoom.
Retiring chairman Denis Emery's report reads as follows -
Finch Group, the local Commercial Insurance Company, continued to sponsor the HCL for £3000 last year, the second of three years.  Finch Group already insure 80+ of our Clubs and I thank them for their continued support.   
This past year has been another testing one for the Committee and our clubs, the second season affected by COVID 19. The weather was indifferent at the start of the 2021 season.  We lost fewer clubs over the year and have 10 new entrants for 2022.  
I must congratulate the champions as I know it involved great effort to win a league over many games. We congratulate Havant II and Sway on their promotion to the Southern Premier League (SPCL).  We welcome Hythe & Dibden and Tichborne Park to HCL Division 1, teams I am sure that will want to return quickly to SPCL. 
The Women’s Hampshire League continues to grow, and we have now over 20 teams divided into three divisions.  This coming season we continue with our Development League Division 3, which proved successful last year. We are also providing a few T20s in readiness for the 2022, as again there will be no County Women’s team. 
The two presentation evenings returning to the Ageas Bowl were well attended and enjoyed by all. I must remind clubs that the Committee expects their members to behave themselves at these presentations, which was not the case for some clubs during the first evening. We have to thank our Secretary Anne Carter, with help from our Treasurer Clare Taylor for the superb arrangements.   Mike Vimpany again did a brilliant job as MC at the first presentation evening, it being his last for the HCL after some 30 years behind the ‘mic’, and Paul Turner at the second. 
Due to the difficulties of COVID reducing players’ availability we have not brought back the three strikes and out rule, waiting for another year before looking at it again. Teams cancelling will still be punished as normal. The Committee were sympathetic to pleas from clubs affected by COVID and quite rightly allowed games to be cancelled. We as a Committee listen to clubs and are always happy to put any proposals to the AGM.
Andy Stevenson has once more done his best to keep travel to a minimum in leagues 3-6.  I believe he has done a brilliant job with reducing travelling throughout the lower divisions. We are always going to have problems with the size of our county as some of our clubs will always be out on a limb.  On request, we have also provided teams with the HCL concessionary code for trips to the Isle of Wight. I believe it is 20% cheaper.
A special mention must also go to our Fixture Secretary, Stewart Frazier, who in conjunction with Andy gets the format and fixtures out before the year end, and from far away finds solutions to ground unavailability.
I would like to thank all the Committee again for their hard work throughout the year.  They spend many voluntary hours, running the Hampshire League.  The Rules & Discipline Sub Committee chaired by Paul Turner had a few discipline cases to manage last season.  The Vice Chairman Philip Wilson kept the web site ticking along in the absence of a media person, and he was instrumental in getting Play Cricket up and running last season. Play Cricket has been a great success with all our clubs able to use the system, and made the reporting of results much easier and convenient for all. Clare Taylor and Mark Heritage collated the important Club Ground marks, which are a priority in promotions and relegations. Neil Campone had the complex job of compiling the averages.  
Our Grounds Sub Committee chaired by Martin Livermore worked tirelessly all season to ensure the standard of our pitches did not fall. Clubs have to be responsible in marking the grounds as we cannot get around hundreds of matches each week to see if pitches and facilities are acceptable. We have used some of our income for free handbooks and try and help club umpires to attend courses.
I would like to thank our Vice Chairman Philip Wilson who has worked hard for the HCL for the past 14 years and, like me, is bowing out after the AGM.  He has been a rock we could all rely on for any problems, whether administrative, web site or discipline related.
I became Chairman of HCL in 2016 with some ideas to help move the League forward, and to pass on my experience of over 50 years playing and officiating at local cricket.  I have achieved what I set out to do, and hope that HCL carries on the initiatives going forward.  I have enjoyed my time, even though on occasions we have experienced difficulties trying to ensure HCL ran smoothly, with outside influences, ground shortages and the decline in the sport. COVID has also caused real problems over the past two years, but I salute our clubs and our committee in the way they have dealt with this adversity, now we are coming out of the other side.  
As the worst is now over, I have decided to stand down and let someone younger hold the reins.  I know you will give the new Chairman the same support that you gave me.  I thank you for letting me be Chairman, it was an honour to serve the HCL.  I will still be around appointing umpires and you may see me officiating occasionally at your game. As a player and as a Committee Member, the Hampshire Cricket League will always feature in my memories.

​Hursley Park stalwart Don Crossley, one of the best known faces around the Winchester club cricket scene, has died having suffered from dementia for the past year or so. He was aged 83 years.
In his playing days, Don was a very technically correct left-handed batsman, who spent most of his career for Hursley Park. 
He later served on the Club’s committee as secretary and fixture secretary, a busy task in those days, with league fixtures on Saturdays, Sunday matches, a number of midweek games, as well as evening league. 
Don was born in Blackburn and because of his formative years watching Lancashire League, he was always a great supporter of league cricket. 
He was a well-known character on Hampshire club grounds.  He held dear the traditions of the game, but was far removed from being a die-hard supporter, stuck in the past. He had been an advocate of city franchises for some forty years, though this was long before the advent of t20 cricket. 
His interests in the game were wide ranging, whether as a player, administrator, historian, collector, and spectator. 
He was co-founder of the Cricket Memorabilia Society and became Vice-President. He was an astute collector, always sensitive to the fluctuations in value of various items. His book and autograph collections were extensive. 
He also supported the Cricket Society movement as a whole and always enjoyed meetings of the Hampshire and Dorset societies. 
When watching cricket, he invariably wore his Hursley Park sweater. For formal occasions, he would take Sir Leonard Hutton’s England blazer from his wardrobe.    Alan Edwards.

​Shrewton have snapped up former England, Surrey and Warwickshire star Rikki Clarke.
The 40-year-old first signed terms with Surrey in 2000, going on to have a two-decade career in the professional game before retiring last year.
Clarke has been associated with Shrewton since moving to the area in 2017. And he is now set to compete for the Salisbury club from this season.
“I have given the majority of my life to cricket and even though I am now retired from the professional game, I still want to give something back," said Clarke.
"I want to have fun with friends while helping the club progress to higher levels and standards.
“Focusing on recruitment of new players to the club and developing the younger generation the best we can is at the forefront of our minds as a club."
Clarke, a 6ft 4in all-rounder, scored almost 18,000 runs during his illustrious career, also taking more than 800 wickets.
He represented England on 22 occasions, including two Test matches, between 2003 and 2006.
Clarke shone on the county scene. Aside from a tough year as captain at Derbyshire, Clarke started and finished his pro career at Surrey, with an eight-year stay at Warwickshire in between.  He won three County Championships, two T20 titles and two ODI trophies.
Shrewton are set to compete in Division Two of the Hampshire Cricket League in 2022, starting their season at Rowledge on May 7.

Havant seconds managed to play just over half their scheduled 16 matches, winning eight of them and having seven either abandoned or washed out altogether. But a points per average record of 21.22 enabled them to finish comfortably ahead of Sway and take the Division 1 title.  The pair will both play Southern Premier Division 3 cricket in 2022.
Opener Andrew Galliers hit 50 or more three times in scoring 352 runs, partner Faizan Tahsin scoring 200. Bowling credits to left-arm spin pair Graham Burns and Steven Matthews. ​

MUDEFORD romped to the Division 3 title, winning all 11 completed matches alongside having seven scheduled games rained off.  
​Harry Dye's return of 421 runs and 16 wickets included one remarkable performance against Verwood, when he made 92 and later ran through the opposition batting with a 6-22 return.  Ronak Patel's 105 in the key win over runners-up Fair Oak II was Mudeford's sole hundred for the season, while Ryan Attree's 28-wicket haul included 6-12 against Southampton Community.

BRAMSHAW
Standing (from left): Zane D’Monte, Daniel Eckton, Jamie Martin, Bailey Loveless, Jonty Loveless, Simon Booth.  Front: Joe Coombs, Johnny Murray, Jack Booth, Tom Arnold, Michael Kingston 

Tom Arnold led from the front as Bramshaw lifted the Division 1 crown, his 587-run tally being complemented by 14 dismissals behind the stumps. 
The New Forest village side won all bar one of their 11 matches, the initial three rounds of games falling to the inclement weather. In all, they lost six matches to the weather and one to Ferndown Wayfarers, the only side to physically beat them.
Arnold's run haul included two centuries - a best 156 against promoted Odiham & Greywell - and four scores of fifty or more.  Simon Booth and Jonny Murray each made over 225 runs, while Jonty Loveless, Michael Kingston and Joe Coombes enjoyed the spoils with the ball. 
​

​​The Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal has received a £170 boost from cricketers attending the first of the Hampshire League's awards presentation dinners at the Ageas Bowl.
​Their generous contributions enabled the Fareham branch of the RBL to raise a staggering £32,000 to such a worthy cause.  Well done guys !
Photographs from the two dinners can be seen on https://davevokes.photography/galleries. They will appear on this website in the next week or so. 

What summer of contrasts for Island pair Ryde and Shanklin & Godshill in the Hampshire League !
Whereas Ryde built on their All Wight success in the covid curtailed 2020 season by finishing runners-up to Bramshaw in Division 2, Shanklin (promoted in 2019) finished bottom of the pile, with only three wins from 13 outings.
Ash Goldsmith was the star turn for Ryde, combining his 262 runs with 24 wickets as the side won nine of its 11 matches.  50s star Kerry Rice made 222 runs and Ben Baker 208, with Julion Jayerajah picking up 20 wickets.

PENALTIES for alleged late umpire reports have not been applied to the 2021 Dorset Funeral Plan Premier League table, the Dorset Echosport can reveal.
The revelations mean that Poole Town, and not champions Dorchester, should have won the league.
Last season Dorchester beat rivals Poole by just four points, securing the title on a dramatic final day.  However, the drama has continued into the off season.
Echosport has obtained documents revealing seven of the nine Premier League clubs have allegedly submitted late umpire reports.
Leaked files, when cross-referenced with the final league tables, show Dorset Cricket League (DCL) officials have failed to apply penalties to five clubs in the division for the alleged late reports.
One of those, Dorchester, has allegedly submitted three late umpire reports, amounting to a deduction of 10 points.
It means Poole Town would have won the league by six points – if the DCL had enforced the penalties.
​The Dorset Funeral Plan League has applied for ECB accreditation.
For the full story read: www.dorsetecho.co.uk/sport/19720416.dorchester-title-doubt-alleged-late-umpire-reports

​WEYMOUTH Cricket Club’s first team has been relegated to Dorset County Division Two after being found to have fielded an unregistered player three times in the 2021 season.
Malick Kudmany, the unregistered player in question, was knowingly fielded twice by the club under another player’s name – once each for Weymouth’s first and second teams.  Kudmany then played a third game, again for the Seasiders’ first team, under a second pseudonym.
After discovering the discrepancies, the Dorset Cricket League (DCL) slapped a 100-point deduction on Weymouth’s first team – 50 points per game Kudmany played – for misleading league officials.
Securing seven wins in the 2021 season, the Seasiders finished the campaign in fifth place on 215 points, some 73 points clear of the County Division One drop zone.
Weymouth successfully appealed the harshness of the penalty, however, the DCL reduced the first and second team’s total deduction to 80 and 25 points respectively.
Eighty points equates to four maximum-point victories.
It means the penalty was still narrowly sufficient enough to relegate Weymouth’s first team to Division Two by seven points.
Compton House are therefore reprieved from relegation, with Weymouth finishing in ninth and Beaminster in 10th.
Weymouth’s second team finished bottom of County Division Five North & West, regardless of the 25-point fine.
                                                                                 Devastating blow
Weymouth chairman Simon Browne told Echosport: “This is obviously a devastating blow to the club, losing our (County Division One) status for reasons other than what took place on the cricket field in 2021.
“As soon as the committee became aware, we contacted the league and were nothing but compliant and co-operative in the hearings and other correspondence.
“I expected that we would lose the points from the games concerned, as is the case with most other sports in such a similar situation, and possibly get a small financial penalty or match ban for the individuals concerned.
“However, the actual punishment of 50 points per game, then reduced to 40 per game on appeal is in the opinion of the club, very unfair, especially as the points total represents the equivalent of four 20-point winning games.
“Also, to increase the penalty by five extra points for each subsequent game is not consistent with the other league regulations on player registration. This particular factor is significant, given the club has been relegated by just seven points.
“We were given no credit for our co-operation and nor was any reference made to the fact that Weymouth CC did not benefit from the registration issue, other than be able to field 11 players in a game, thereby avoiding league punishment for scratching games due to player availability.
“We have conducted our own internal enquiry and the club has put in steps to ensure that this situation should not occur again.
“Weymouth CC committee took the decision to support the captains rather than punish them further, hoping the individuals learn from it.
                                                                                             Concentrate
“Throwing the book at them – as the League have done with the club – would have demoralised all concerned and impacted our player numbers. This is something we can ill afford at present.
“We would now like to put this difficult period behind us and concentrate our efforts on readying the club for the 2022 season.”
DCL chairman Jon Ridout, on behalf of the League Management Committee, said: “The Dorset Cricket League requires that all players must be registered and that the agreed medium for this is Play-Cricket.
“The reason for players registering is so that the league knows who is participating in matches. It ensures that the club have a record of who is playing for their teams because the registration process collects personal data which a club may need.
“It is a comfort to parents and guardians that their young players are playing in an environment where participants have completed a basic form of ID. The data returned on the match scorecard was also used as the basis for Track and Trace during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Where a person plays under a false name it completely breaks the cycle of trust between player, club and league.
“In the circumstances with Weymouth there was no dispute that the club had played an unregistered player on three separate occasions using two different names, neither of which was the player’s true identity.
“This takes the matter far outside the normal scope of league rules which were designed to punish a one-off offence.
“In Weymouth’s case there must have been a number of parties involved in disguising the player’s ID. The club has not taken any action against the persons involved in the cover up.
“In respect to our disciplinary process the complaint was heard by three committee members and a decision made. The decision on a points deduction taken by this committee was 50 points per match which reflected the seriousness of the rule breach.
“This decision was appealed and a separate hearing took place with three other committee members. The appeals committee reviewed the evidence and found that there were no additional matters to support an appeal.
                                                                                               Unavailable
“They did review the penalty and imposed the following revised sanction which incrementally enhanced the penalty.
“The composition of the disciplinary and appeals subcommittee was structured so that any person whose club may have been affected by playing against Weymouth CC made themselves unavailable to serve on either committee.
“The full committee received reports from the original and appeals committee and ratified the decisions made.
“Committee members agreed that the points deduction has regard to the current league rules point deductions and the fact it was not a one-off, so the point deduction was incremental.
“The main committee did not make any directions to the disciplinary committee about any potential penalties.”
Kudmany, who was free to play in the Dorset Cricket League, has had previous disciplinary issues, including a lengthy 2015 ban imposed after being involved in an on-field incident playing for Old Bournemouthians  against Hordle Village.
When contacted by Echosport, Kudmany said he used a different name to avoid harassment from other clubs and players relating to those past matters. He also offered his sympathy to Weymouth for their punishment.
Seasiders’ captain Harry Mitchell has been given a two-game ban for knowingly submitting a team sheet to officials containing a false name.
His ban is suspended until September 2022, owing to his outstanding work as a coach, volunteer and excellent previous behaviour.
Under the ruling, the DCL have established a precedent of penalties for an identical offence.
In the first instance, a club will sustain a 20-point penalty plus a deduction of points earned during the match in question.
This rises to 25 points plus deduction of points won in a second match and 30 plus deduction of points earned in a third match.
Article reproduced by kind permission of the Dorset Echo.

​TRIBUTES have been pouring in for one of the Island’s true cricketing legends, Keith Mitchell, who died recently at his home in Binstead, aged 80, and whose will visit the crease for one last time on Friday morning.
His 11.15am funeral at the IW Crematorium at East Cowes is expected to be attended by scores of his sporting contempories, who will toast his memory in the Fighting Cocks PH at Arreton later.   
Keith, a ‘run machine’ who skippered the Island and a highly successful Newport Cricket Club team, also coached cricket at the club and was a highly respected umpire in a life devoted to the sport on the Island, which spanned more than five decades.
He also played football to a high standard on the Island, and golf, as a member at Osborne. 
His working life started at Saunders Roe and continued at British Hovercraft Corporation, Westlands and GKN Aerospace as a troubleshooter on their supply chains, visiting suppliers around the country. He had stints working away in Yeovil and Canada during the late 70s and early 80s.
Sports and entertainment journalist, the late John Hannam, chatted to Keith last year, sharing a fascinating account of his sporting life in a feature the County Press ran. 
                                                                               Talented
Keith told John that in the local football scene, Keith played for a talented East Cowes Vics side and, despite suffering extensive knee injuries, he continued to play for Barton Sports, who famously defied the odds to win the Division One Cup against a strong Brading Town side, as well as Parkhurst Old Boys and Saro Sports.
After a season or two with Saro, Keith, a lifelong Spurs fan, finally retired from football to focus on his cricket.
When Keith was just 15, he played his first game for Newport seconds, then, a game later, he went straight into the first team.
Newport became unbeatable and won the first-ever Whitbread Knock-Out Cup against Ryde in 1966 — scoring 107 not out.
As a teenager, Keith played for the Island against Hampshire’s club and ground team, who were so impressed after he made 70 not out, he was invited to play a match for them.
Keith, nicknamed ‘Mitch’, plundered thousands of runs for Newport in a 40-year career, which saw him score century after century and win a special Colin Cowdrey Award in one particular season.
In his feature, John described Keith as the most complete home-grown batsman he have ever seen on the Island.
“Anyone who scores 1,603 runs in an Island cricket season, at an average of 84.30, just has to be rather special,” said John, who died last month.
One of Keith’s greatest personal moments was when he captained the Island against the MCC, skippered by his idol, Godfrey Evans.
                                                                                Legend
He told John he was also a big fan of England and Gloucestershire wicketkeeper, Jack Russell, who he met on a few occasions.
In his first match as Island skipper, after another legend, Bill Jenkins, stood down from the role, Keith hit a century.
In his first game for the Island, against the Pakistan Eaglets, he played against a very young Mushtaq Mohammad, who went on to become a great all-rounder at test level.
He coached young Newport players and, after retiring from the game, became a highly respected umpire.
Countless tributes — many of which have been posted on the IW Football and Cricket Nostalgia Facebook page — have been paid to Keith from former team-mates, those he played against and those who simply appreciated his skill.
Robert Buckett said: “Keith was a legend, on and off the pitch, as a player and umpire.”
Former Newport cricketer Mark Sherwood, said: “It was an honour to have played with him. He was a great role model as a player.”
Echoing those sentiments was Peter Buckley, who said: “Mitch was the captain of a very talented and successful Newport side. A true gent who always had time for a chat.”
Brian Porter said: “A really nice guy. Great captain. I can count myself fortunate to have played both with and against him.”

Havant seconds have regained their Southern Premier League Division 3 berth after powering to a thumping 173-run victory over Easton & Martyr Worthy - a result whch secured the Division 1 title.
But Fareham & Crofton blew their outside chances of finishing second after losing by seven wickets to St Cross Symondians III - Sway benefitting accordingly.  Subject to accreditation, they will go up with Havant.
The champions designate posted a powerful 250-5 at Cockets Mead, where Andrew Galliers (69) hit a half-century and left-arm spinner Graham Burns (5-9) enjoyed his second cheap five-wicket haul of a shortened summer as EMW plunged to 77 all out.
Anything  less than a maximum-point haul from their visit to the Royal Green Jackets Ground would effectively deny Fareham the second promotion place ahead of Sway.
Their innings was a bit of a curate's egg. A promising 106-1 (half-centuries from Tom Kent and Virat Sahu) became 136-6, when skipper James Headen smacked a quick-fire 65, including six maximums. Fareham took tea at 227-8.
For most of the season that would have been a winning total against St Cross IIIs, but the Winchester club enjoyed a rare full availability across the board and fifty-plus scores from James Burridge, Raj Niak and Paul Hawkins swept them to a seven-wicket win.  
That left Fareham fifth behind Parley and Bournemouth II, who both ended their summers on a winning note.

​Roshan Embalanga (pictured above) hit 106 and Sam Rook 56 in Parley's 282-8 against Alton II, who came back with 219, despite Ben Blackford's 5-47 return.  Bournemouth made 165-8 to trim Hursley Park by 14 runs.
Tom Wallis (89) top scored as Portsmouth posted 185 against Compton & Chandler's Ford, whose three-wicket win owed much to Ethan Sharpe (62) and Andy Gorty (42 not out).
Oli Southon's unbeaten 30 was hugely significant as Burridge saved their necks with a four-wicket win at Old Basing (115), where the hosts batsmen found Sampath Prathapisinghe and Srujith Wickramasinge as hard to face as spell !
Lymington II said their CD1 farewells with a five-wicket defeat by Winton, while Longparish pair Chris Clarke (5-15) and teen Zach Allen (3-13) sent relegated Andover II tumbling to 106 all out and a 92-run defeat.   Parish made 198-7.

Havant seconds took an emphatic step towards being crowned Hampshire League Division 1 champions - without even playing their penultimate match !
Their scheduled home match with Longparish was called off late on Saturday morning, enabling them to maintain a healthy 21 points per match average which none of their challengers  will be able to match if Havant win their final match at Easton & Martyr Worthy.
Parley's five-wicket defeat by Sway has kept the promotion door ajar for Fareham & Crofton, who could snatch an unlikely second place if they score a big win at St Cross Symondians III.
Fareham have been worse hit than Havant II in terms of cancellations. Havant were weather hit seven times; Fareham also on seven occasions, with two more games called off due to covid issues in the opposition camp.  
Nine 'no resuts' in a 17 match summer represents over half the scheduled matches - and a serious loss of income.
Fareham vent their frustrations on Burridge II, Dan Wimble (pictured above) smashing 93 as the Bath Lane club chased down 169-8 (Jack Paskins 56) to win by eight wickets.
Sarang Urankar hit a century as Bournemouth II posted 219-7 (Freddie Oldfield 44) against Compton & Chandler's Ford, who fell from 95-2 to 175-7 once Ethan Sharpe (51) and Liam Palmer (47) wer parted. 
Jonny Coombs also looked set for a treble figure score, but was dismissed for 27, agonisingly 73 runs short of a century.
Nicky Wyatt (48) and Ish Ahmad (47) came close to fifties in Portsmouth's 187-9, which proved too many for Easton & Martyr Worthy (153 all out).
Tom Doherty's 5-20 return put Hursley Park in the driving seat against St Cross Symondians (139), but the outcome was in the balance as HP slipped to 62-5.  Jai Solanki (30) and Oli Green (27)  restored parity.
Lymington lurched closer to relegation with a four-wicket defeat by Old Basing.  They looked set for the drop alongside already demoted Andover II.

​A CAPTAIN’S knock from Tim Noble (41 not out) and a swashbuckling cameo from Hugh Bernard ensured Sway won their crunch game against fellow high-flyers Parley, opening up the possibility of promotion into the Southern Premier League for the first time in the club’s history.
Noble led his side home with a patient and assured knock against a very decent and disciplined Parley attack, before Bernard came to the crease and launched 24 off just 12 balls to ensure Sway chased down 154 with 15 balls to win by five wickets with 15 balls to spare.
Will Crossley (27) and Alex Hall (15) had done sterling work to lay the platform for the win, with help from Dan Bailey and David Steadman, before Bernard walked to the crease like a man on a mission smacking his first ball to the boundary, and a towering six soon after.
Noble finished the job alongside Jon Grasham, smacking a lovely cover drive to the boundary to set off wild celebrations.
The batting backed up an assured bowling display, with Jon Waller (2-29) and Steadman (2-31) making some early inroads, Steadman producing a breathtaking catch off his own bowling to dismiss the dangerous Roshan Embalagama.
Marcus Braggington battled hard for the visitors and struck a well-made 47 before hitting the impressive Bernard to Waller in the covers; Bernard took 2-21 to finish with a terrific 27 wickets overall, a total likely to make him the league’s most successful bowler in his debut season.
Grasham (1-21) continued his fine form with an assured spell – including dismissing Ollie Green for 35 – while the excellent Dan Bailey (3-27), mopped up some late wickets to reach 25 scalps for the season.
Sway usurped Parley into second place with the win but do not play again this year . They can however, be caught by Fareham – who now lie third, despite playing only seven games so far this season – and due to Bedhampton's pre-season withdrawal to St Cross Symondians III next week needing a 23-point win or more.

Andover, Burridge and Lymington second teams, along with Easton & Martyr Worthy, are all struggling to stay afloat in the Division 1 relegation zone.
The quartet all lost their round 15 matches, with Andover going down by 92 runs at promotion chasing Parley, where Shane Green (49) and Tom Saunders (52) top scored in the hosts 203-6. Andover rolled over for 111, with teenage spinner Spencer Savage taking 4-21.
Burridge lost by five wickets to Hursley Park after collapsing from a healthy 112-2 to 160 all out – a total Hursley polished off with Matt Branford (71 not out) improving on opener Tom Flynn’s 44.
Lymington suffered a 50-run home defeat by Fareham & Crofton, who boast a very healthy points per match average, even though through rain and covid call-offs they are no where near playing half their scheduled number of games.
Dan Wheble, with 32 and a 4-36 return with the ball, had a decent game for Fareham, who comfortably defended 191 (Tom Kent 44) by bowling Lymington out for 141, Jack Morris (38) and Tom Sykes (30) doing their best for the losers.
Table topping Havant, like Fareham & Crofton, have suffered only one defeat in their truncated summer. They were without a round 15 game due to Bedhampton’s prep-season withdrawal.
Sway warmed up for their meeting with Parley next week with a 33-run win at Alton, who chasing the visitors’ 239-8 were going nicely at 110-2 on the back of Ryan Hale’s 96 and an unbeaten 38 from Ellis Ballinger, teenage son of Julian.   But the last seven wickets fell for 94 and Alton closed 206-9.
Earlier, Alex Hall (69) and Tim Noble (35) provided a sound start for Sway, who benefitted from an unbeaten 43 from Neil Prince to get them to 239-8.
An unbroken 86-run partnership between Sarang Urankar (79) and Freddie Oldfield (47) cemented Bournemouth’s 225 against Easton & Martyr Worthy, dismissed for 146.
Charlie Preston was the star of St Cross Symondians’ five-wicket win over near neighbours Compton & Chandler’s Ford.  He took 6-28 with the ball as CCF were bowled out for 170 (Liam Palmer 38) and then made an unbeaten 30 to help Blair Brown (41) chase down the runs.
Longparish were well placed at 131-2 (Scott Sturt 45) and later 172-4, but lost heir last six wickets for 25 runs and were 197 all out against Portsmouth II, who won by five wickets.  
The ever promIsing Matt Shaw and Indie Chakrabarti made half-centuries for Portsmouth, while the exciting Matt Walton took 4-25 for the city slickers.