News Online

Download details of The Lord’s Taverners re-launched Grant Aid Scheme for NTPs / Ends / Nets 2007, a copy of the new application form and the revised Guidelines. This takes the form of a "Zip" file (a file which contains other files) so either right-click here and save it to your own machine (note from Webmaster: I recommend using the original name of "Grantaid.zip") by choosing "save target as" or choose "Open". Windows XP will open it automatically when you do this, but otherwise you need to have an unzipping application like WinZip (available free on the net). Whatever course you take, when the unzipping application runs, choose "Extract Files" when you should see the two files comprising the "Zip". One is a .pdf file (opens with Adobe Acrobat) and the other a Microsoft Word file (opens with any Word-Processor).
This information can also be found on The Lord’s Taverners website under the ‘Who Do We Help Section’ – Youth Cricket.

Joe Harris is starting a new Under-15 cricket league in 2007. This is predominantly aimed at smaller and community based clubs, not yet strong enough for youth alliance cricket. You may have seen some details in The Norfolk Youth Newsletter. You can find out about them at the South Norfolk Community League website.
There has been an explosion in the numbers of children playing cricket over the past few years, and this competition will give even the smallest and emergent youth sections the opportunity to experience the game at a competitive level.

Geoffrey Wlliamson has informed us that there is a new sports hall at Aylsham High School with cricket nets. If you know of any club in the area who wishes to use them, or if you fancy a look round the hall contact him.

Chance to Shine Initiative

Chance to Shine is run by the Cricket Foundation, which is an independent registered charity (number 326202) based at Lord's and at Edgebaston.
Cricket Foundation will raise £25m from the private sector, which the government is committed to matching. Current supporters contributing to the £10m raised to date include Allianz-Cornhill, Slazenger, the Lord's Taverners and private individuals.
In Chance to Shine's first full year of operations in 2006:

• 45,360 boys and girls participated in the schools programme in 2006, of which 41% were girls, with 10% from ethnic minority backgrounds and 1% children with disabilities
• 450 primary and 150 secondary schools were involved in the programme in 2006
• 20,652 hours of coaching were delivered, of which 76% was during curriculum time
• 5,414 matches were played

Andrew Flintoff's England side may have lost the Ashes 5-0 but there's hope for the future as a local club has joined a £50m programme to get children in state schools playing competitive cricket again.
Hales Cricket Club will be providing six local schools with up to 50 hours of free cricket coaching each this Summer through a national campaign bringing the sport back to state schools.
Thanks to the Chance to Shine campaign, the club will receive free Slazenger kit and the funds to deliver expert coaching to the schools. The Cricket Foundation, a registered charity, launched Chance to Shine in May 2005 when fewer than 10% of state schools played competitive cricket, and coached more than 45,000 children last summer.

Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, is president of CtS, and England bowler Matthew Hoggard is its leading ambnassador. The ten-year campaign will set up sustainable cricket proghrammes in a thoird of state schools in England and Wales by 2015, and is the largest single-sport grassroots campaign in UK history.
Nick Gandon, director of the Cricket Foundation said "While Chance to Shine is not a 'search for a star' programme, giving children a chance to learn the gane can only widen the pool of talent from which the England team of the future will be selected."
Wasim Khan, operations director for the charity, said the campaign was about providing vital opportunities to children rather than producing the next generation of England players. "By playing cricket competitively, children learn about teamwork; respect for authority through accepting the umpire's decision, and taking individual responsibility - because noone can help when you're under a high catch. It's also one of the few sports that boys and girls can play together."
Khan added, "Feedback from schools in 2006 proves the educational benefits as they use cricketing examples across the curriculum. It improves pupils' discipline generally, and staff are enjoying learning about cricket too. We hope that it will bring together communities in schools."

Hales chairman Pete Dye is delighted the club has been invited to carry out the Chance to Shine programme. To form and strengthen links within the local schools will help bring back cricket into state schools. The interest is definitely there, and if we can provide the chance then the abundance of talented young cricketers will filter through to the game through this very worthwhile project. Hales have signed up former county player Quorn Handley to lead this. He will also be joining our coaching team on Monday nights throughout the summer. He is one of the top county coaches, so to have him on board is a massive boost for the club. The schools involved are Hobart, Loddon Junior, Thurton, Thurlton, Ellingham and Seething.

Insurance cover for Coaches

In recent weeks following the distribution of the ECB directive laid out in full below, we have had over 30 calls from Clubs concerned as to the validity of the cover provided by their insurance policies for their club coaches. The ECB directive appears to have created a stir with their statement set out below:

‘ECB are aware that in some circumstances coaches, particularly those without any formal coaching qualifications, may either not be covered under the general club insurance policy or may have only very limited cover.’

We have spoken to our Insurers to confirm their position, which is that for amateur cricket sports clubs their policy is that coaches do not have to hold coaching qualifications. The only proviso is that the coach is a club member and that they are only covered for club cricket coaching activities. If there is any private coaching, even using the club’s own facilities, then separate coverage is required.
As we have already discussed our policy wordings include Professional Indemnity Insurance to limit of £1,000,000 any one accident or occurrence without additional charge when Public Liability cover is purchased. We cannot comment on the position of the ECB Scheme in light of the ECB statement; however, our client clubs clearly have peace of mind knowing that they have clear and specific cover for the circumstances highlighted in the ECB directive.
We offer highly competitive premiums for Liability, Personal Accident, Property and other specific sports club related covers and currently cover hundreds of UK Cricket and Sports Clubs on the basis of tailored policies and appropriate levels of cover. Should you require any further clarifications please do not hesitate to contact us.

Coaching - insurance cover advice

It is important for any club to ensure that it carries appropriate insurance (including public liability) to cover the club's likely risks and liability to its members, players, helpers and the general public. ECB are aware that in some circumstances coaches, particularly those without any formal coaching qualifications, may either not be covered under the general club insurance policy or may have only very limited cover. It may be the case that without the proper cover, the coach is not covered in the event of any accident or injury that he or she suffers and/or that the club may not be insured in the event that the coach's activities give rise to any loss or damage for which the club is ultimately responsible. We would therefore advise that each club checks its current (and any future) insurance policy with great care.
As you may be aware, not only does the ECB Coaches Association (ECBCA) provide training and a recognition of an individual's coaching qualification but membership of the ECBCA automatically includes certain minimum levels of public liability, employers liability and personal accident cover.
If coaches do not hold a qualification recognised by ECB, they will not be able to become members of ECBCA. We would therefore encourage them to seek an appropriate qualification. More information about the courses available and local contact information can be found on the ECB Coaches Association website.
If coaches are qualified but are not members of ECBCA, application forms can be downloaded from the ECBCA website.

Important Information
on Overseas Players / Coaches

These are the regulations concerning overseas players / coaches as the Norfolk Cricket Board understands them.

1) If your overseas player is not going to coach youngsters in schools or at your club: There are no special requirements for this category of player. New work permit regulations now allow for those with a working holiday visa to undertake any form of paid work.
2) If your overseas player is going to have significant or regular contact with children and is coming to the country for the first time: These player coaches must:

• Hold a qualification equivalent to UK Level II
• Hold current Good Practice Child Protection course and First Aid Appointed Persons course certificates
• Provide the equivalent of a CRB check from their home country. Police "Letters of good conduct" are the minimum requirement. Please note that countries not covered by the CRB's Overseas Information Service include Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and a number of West Indian islands.
• Visiting coaches must register with Coach Education at Edgbaston with the form available from them, and pay £50 to obtain course materials.
• The visiting coach will receive course material at his UK address.
• The coach must then contact the CDO who will verify the identity of the coach via the CRB Clearance Certificate and then complete the "Overseas oach Clearance" form and send it with a copy of the clearance certificate to the ECB Child Protection officer at Lord's.
• Confirm that the Child Protection course and First Aid courses have been completed.
• See that the coach understands safety guidelines on helmets, fast bowling directions and fielding regulations.
• Discuss with coach his plans for Summer coaching
• CDO will notify Coach Education when satisfied.
• Coach Education will then notify Work Permits (UK) that the coach has met requirements
• If your coach is working in schools, he must attend the "Coaching in Schools" module being run by the Norfolk Cricket Board at Taverham Hall on Monday 16th April (10.00am - 4.30pm). Please contact CDO.
• The club should have adequate insurance cover for your overseas player/coach. (Cover through the ECB CA allows for £5 million Public Liability and £10 million Employers Liability, as a guide).

3) If your player is coaching youngsters but has been at your club before: Everything as above, but it will only cost £10, as there is no course material, though I would suggest that if your coach has missed out on the requirements as laid out above in previous seasons, you cover all aspects as terms of the club's insurance may be breached.
The ECB have stated that clubs should be aware that it is a breach of the Work Permit regulations for a player to undertake coaching duties until the above procedures have been completed.

Norfolk Cricket Going to the Dogs!

Between April 2007 and March 2008, 27 leading greyhound tracks in England will be offering grass roots, community sports clubs a unique fundraising opportunity. Each participating track will host a minimum of 9 Greyhound Sporting League evenings. Six local clubs will be invited to take part in each evening.
Each club will receive a minimum 100 tickets FREE to sell to their own members, friends and family. The tickets have a face value of up to £6 each providing clubs with an opportunity to raise up to £600 to help fund the development of their club. To add to the drama and fun on the evening the 6 clubs compete against each other on the track. Each club is allocated a trap number and the dogs then run to win points for their club. The winning team is then crowned GSL champions and receives a commemorative trophy.
Demand for places will be high. Sporting Leagues will be approaching clubs from all the major participation sports in your area, including football, rugby, tennis and cricket. To register an interest and book a place all clubs must contact Sporting Leagues Limited.

Important Information for Juniors in League Cricket

A new directive has been issued by the ECB regarding juniors in league cricket.
Under-13s need permission from their parents to play in league cricket
Under-11s need permission from their parents and from the league as well.

Get Extra Active!

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Join our brand new extranet site today and as a professional member of Active Norfolk you will be entitled to all these great benefits...

• The opportunity to network and share ideas with key professionals in your area, through our forums and bulletin boards
• The latest news and information on your chosen sport or subject through our monthly e-zine
• The ability to book courses and events online
• Priority invitations to Active Norfolk events
• Free promotion of your service/activity via www.activenorfolk.org
• Access to support and help 24/7
• The latest news on 2012 initiatives
• Plus much, much more!

So what are you waiting for ... visit www.activenorfolk.org/extranet and get extra active today!

Towards the Olympics – A Summary of the Project

Year 9 students from KES are taking part in the ‘Towards the Olympics’ project, an ambitious programme which organisers hope will culminate in students volunteering at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Co-ordinated by iNet, the international arm of the UK Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, the project will link schools in Hong Kong, Chongqing, Beijing and Britain via on-line learning and feature a youth sports festival in Beijing this July.
Students will create on-line resources in English and Chinese on topics such as the history of the Olympic Games, the Olympic ideals and preparation for the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and London 2012. They will also post information on their lifestyles, cultures and sport. KES students are already in contact with students from their partner school, Tsinghua High School in Chongqing.
In phase one of the project nine boys and two girls will travel to Beijing on 16th July this summer to take part in the ten-day sports festival to be held at Beijing Normal University. The KES students will be joined by students from Tsinghua High School and at the request of their Chinese partners, the KES students will teach them to play cricket whilst, in return, the Chinese students will teach them the art of Tai Chi. The outcome of this teaching and coaching will be a mixed game of cricket as well as a joint demonstration of Tai Chi. This activity will be part of the Festival that will include an Opening Ceremony and a Closing Ceremony that will be attended by a number of Chinese dignitaries as well as current Olympic athletes. The Festival is being sponsored by Li Ning, a sporting legend in China who won three gold medals in gymnastics at the 1984 Olympic Games in. He now runs the biggest sports retail outlet chain in China.
As well as the sports Festival, the KES students will enjoy a number of cultural opportunities and experiences, including visiting the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. They will also attend a banquet in the Great Hall of the People.
The KES students will prepare for the challenge of teaching cricket to the Chinese students in a number of ways. All those selected for this phase of the project have received regular cricket coaching over the past three or four years and they will use this experience as a basis for what they are going to offer the Chinese students. The England and Wales Cricket Board have expressed an interest in supporting the project and will be training the KES students using the ‘ECB Cricket Young Leaders Award’. Additionally, they will be providing Inter-Cricket equipment and t-shirts for all the students. The equipment will be will be left with Tsinghua High School so that they can continue to play, and hopefully teach students from other Chongqing High Schools to play.
A particularly interesting feature of the programme will be the production of a simple Inter Cricket manual which will illustrate some of the skills needed to play cricket, as well as outlining the rules of the game itself. The manual will be written in Mandarin. The KES students are already learning some basic Mandarin words and phrases in preparation for the challenge. The work being done in preparing this manual and in introducing the students to some basic Mandarin is being funded by a grant from the Youth Sport Trust as part of their programme for linking languages with sport. The students are meeting the cost of taking part in this project themselves but financial support and sponsorship is being sought in the local community.
The second phase of this project will see another cohort of KES students travelling to Chongqing in the summer of 2008 to meet with students from Tsinghua High School and taking part in a programme involving visits to Xian and Beijing, including the chance to attend the Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Games.
The Towards the Olympic Project is one strand of King Edward VII School’s rapidly developing links with China.

The Katchet: an aid to Fielders everywhere

The original and best catching practice device. Used by some of the best cricket players and coaches in the World. It is also ideal for hockey goalkeepers. Katchet offers easy to use practicality coupled with portability and a constant challenge for cricketers of all ages and abilities. 14 out of the 16 teams in the 2007 Cricket World Cup have the Katchet in their training kitbag.
Suitable for use with any soft or hard ball, Katchet will provide realistic sport specific training for almost all fielding positions.

The Australian cricket team in fielding practice	The Katchet with its bag	Katchet throwing technique

"I was first shown the device on our recent Ashes tour. Since that time we have used the boards extensively with the Australian cricket team. As a coach who is on the road for many months of the year, the "Katchet" cricket board is a welcome addition as it is light, durable, and is easily transportable." John Buchanan, Coach – Australian Cricket Team The Katchet is now available through Signature Sports, where you can also view or download videos of the device being used in action.

Radley College Awards

Radley College (Abingdon, Oxfordshire) are offering awards of up to 100% of full boarding fees to those who might be interested in applying to go to the college. They have foundation awards for entry at 11+, 13+ and 16+ and you can visit their website for more information. They can also be contacted via the telephone on 01235 543000. Any award that is offered is 'needs-based' subject to a review of financial circumstances. Click on the thumbnail at right to see the poster.

Need more volunteers?

Perhaps you need someone to keep your website up to date, someone to take minutes at a meeting, help with the teas, someone to manage your volunteers or even a club chairman? Well, look no further than your local Volunteer Centre. Volunteer Centres can extend the range of people who volunteer in sport and may well be able to identify someone with special skills who would not usually have found their way into sport. Thousands of people walk through the doors of their local Volunteer Centre looking to give something back to the community. Around 20% of these people state they would be interested in helping a sports organisation. Sadly, less than 5% of the volunteering opportunities registered with the Volunteer Centres are from sports clubs or sports organisations. What does that mean for your club? That the volunteers you are looking for are already there and you just haven’t found them yet. Volunteer Centres can help you with the following:

• Operating as brokers – putting potential volunteers in touch with opportunities and training, and linking organisations seeking volunteers with the appropriate people
• Encourage local interest in volunteering and community activity through the promotion of volunteering at local events
• Delivering good practice training
• Providing information for volunteers and volunteer managers/co-ordinators

So what now?

If you would like to register your volunteering opportunities with your local Volunteer Centre please complete this form and return to your local County Sports Partnership who will pass on your details to the Volunteer Centre nearest to your club.

Case Study: Melanie Plummer

Mel first contacted her local Volunteer Centre in Stevenage in early November 2006. She was determined to use her extra free time she had to do something positive and decided that volunteering in her local community would be a great way to make a difference.
Mel didn’t have any particular volunteering pathways in mind but did know she wanted to have fun, enjoy her volunteering and keep active. After talking with her local Volunteer Centre it was clear that her interest in football as a child would give her the ideal opportunity to get involved in volunteering. After being put in touch with Hertfordshire’s Coach Development Officer, Dale Welch, she was able to discuss the opportunities available to her and how her development as a volunteer could be supported. Through the Herts FA Dale was able to organise a local placement for Mel at Bedwell Rangers F.C who are a Stevenage based Charter Standard football club.
After meeting with the club chairman Mel began her volunteering work by helping out in junior coaching sessions, gaining experience and confidence. The club is now supporting Mel to complete her level 1 football coaching award allowing her volunteering time to have a greater impact on the club. With more qualified coaches at the club its volunteer workforce are now able to offer more and more chances for local kids to get involved, stay involved and reach their potential in sport.
Hertfordshire’s Coach Development Officer, Dale Welch says that this is just one example of a willing volunteer finding the sports volunteering pathway. There are many more potential volunteers out there who are registered with their local volunteer centre who are looking for opportunities to volunteer.

Don't delay. Get in touch with your local Volunteer Centre. Active Norfolk or Do-It.
If you have a volunteer opportunity or would like further information please complete the details on the form here and return it.

To find your local Volunteer Centre please visit: www.volunteering.org.uk
To find out more about Sport England and to get the latest news and information about our various initiatives and programmes, please go to: www.sportengland.org

Active Norfolk's address:
Active Norfolk
The Turner Road Centre
Turner Road
Norwich
NR2 4HB

Norfolk Cricket database up and running!

Our online database is now fully operational. Designed to be easy to use, you can perform all sorts of searches relating to both Clubs and Club officials in the Norfolk Cricket Board regions. For instance, list all those clubs which play on Sundays, show all the officials at Diss CC, etc. It uses intelligent searching, so if you (for example) want to find "Norwich" but leave the final "h" off, it will still bring up Norwich. To get there you can either use the Admin button on the home page and then click on the Database icon or use this link.

Volunteering Update

Russell Doel has provided us with a document that helps toward making the most of volunteers, and how to acquire them. Click here to have a look at it. You can of course download it in the usual ways. For instructions on how to do this, see numerous points throughout the website - ("I don't want to keep repeating myself" says the Web designer!)

Head Coach to be Appointed

The Norfolk Cricket Board is to appoint an Elite Player Performance Head Coach to mastermind the new Emerging Players Programme, an ECB initiative to foster the development of future First Class/England potential within the county. The programme entails intensive coaching for the age group 13 – 16 year old boys and/or girls with outstanding talent. Only minimum Level 3 standard coaches will be considered for this post. To apply please contact the Board’s secretary, Derek Cousins by telephone (01603 207464) or via email. You can download a job description and associated documents here (in a "zip" file). The closing date for applications is 15th October, 2007.

Cricket heroes receive NatWest ‘OSCA’ recognition

No red carpet and usually no fanfare, but today the ECB and NatWest shone a spot-light on the outstanding contribution made to cricket by volunteers at the fifth annual OSCA’s ceremony at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Gerry Sutcliff MP, Minister for Sport, joined cricket stars Mark Ramprakash, England Women’s Captains Charlotte Edwards and Rosalie Birch at the ceremony.

Seven awards were made to recipients from across the country in a range of categories, including Lifetime Achiever which was presented to David Cherry of Oxfordshire for his role as ‘Mr Cropredy Cricket Club’. David has been associated with the club for nearly 60 years, including stints as Captain during the 1970 and 80’s. In 1995, David secured a purpose built ground and new pavilion for the club but still takes time to umpire, assist with facilities, and run the Brackley District mid-week league. Steven Benson from Cumbria was awarded the Young Volunteer Award having been described in his nomination as the ‘heartbeat’ of his club. The Building Partnerships award was won by Philip Spong from Devon for his extensive work in creating sustainable links with local schools. The NatWest CricketForce Award was awarded to Shepperton Cricket Club who took part in the largest volunteering event in sport and demolished and rebuilt their entire pavilion largely with help from volunteers. The special award from NatWest, ‘Another Way’, was won by Wendy Bedeau from Bedfordshire for her innovative and inclusive approach to engaging youngsters in her community by marrying cricket and faith. David Moseby from Devon was awarded the Leagues and Boards OSCA for his work in creating, training and providing umpires across the county. The Behind the Scenes OSCA was awarded to Therese Warwick from Herefordshire who was described in her nomination as ‘Wonder Woman’, taking roles including club secretary, welfare officer, membership and registration, grant applications, schools coaching and community liaison.

ECB Chief Executive, David Collier, said “We received hundreds of excellent nominations for the 2007 NatWest OSCA’s and I was delighted to welcome all nominees and our seven worthy winners to Lord’s today. Volunteers are the life-blood of our game. Without them, cricket simply would not survive and the OSCA’s ceremony is a small way of thanking our army of volunteers and celebrating with them the massive contribution they make both to their communities and to the whole of cricket”.

Gerry Sutcliffe MP, Minister for Sport, said, “The England and Wales Cricket Board have a world-class volunteering programme, which includes annual events such as the NatWest OSCAs and NatWest CricketForce. Volunteering and Sport are essential for the well-being of our communities and I am very pleased to support the OSCA’s and congratulate the seven winners”.
Caroline Carpenter, Head of Brand Strategy, NatWest said, “NatWest recognises the invaluable commitment volunteers make to the development of cricket in the UK. I am so pleased NatWest is part of this event which pays tribute to all the unsung heroes of the game”.

For further information, please contact the ECB Communications Department on 020 7432 1200 or visit the volunteering section of the ECB website.

Norfolk Over 50/60's Cricket General Meeting
at Dereham, Kings Head on Monday November 19th at 7.30pm

Agenda

Apologies for Absence
Proposed Structure for 2008
Election of Officers
Any Other Business

All positions will be up for election at the meeting and the organising group are hopeful to have nominations for all posts prior to the meeting. Please contact Mike Banham - 01953 860694/07818 070490 for nominations, apologies, clarification on any items.

Proposed Committee posts

President
Chairman
Secretary
Fixture Secretary
Treasurer
Press/Media Secretary
Rep to Norfolk Cricket Board Recreation Committee

O50 Ist XI Captain
O50 2nd XI Captain
O60 1st XI Captain
O60 2nd XI Captain
2 x Committee Members

Supporting suggestions

Committee to meet as required but at least 3 times per year - End of Season/Pre AGM, Pre-Season and Mid Season AGM to be held Oct/Nov each year.
Membership and Match fees to be determined by Treasurer with Committee but initially planned as £5 for each.

Committee to deal with issues such as :-
Pre-season event and Dinner
Kit/sponsorship
New players
Web site
Tours
Constitution

Touring Sides

East Drayton Cricket Club from Nottinghamshire are looking to tour Norfolk on Saturday 28th June and Sunday 29th June and are looking for fixtures.
The club are a mixture of youth and experience, and are happy to play anywhere in Norfolk. If you are able to play host to to East Drayton please contact Simon Bingham on 07817499763 or by email.

Two brilliant Competitions from Cricket World!

First: Win a powertraveller movietraveller

For entertainment on the move, this is your chance to win a powertraveller movietraveller, a 7" Display Tablet portable DVD Player. Ideal for passengers to watch on a long car journey, yet compact enough to travel on a family holiday, the player comes complete with remote control, carry case, headrest bag, worldwide adapters.
What is more, if you wish to buy one for Christmas, or any other product from powertraveller, then Cricket World readers can gain a 15% discount by visiting powertraveller and entering CW0708 when prompted for a Coupon Code when ordering. Powertraveller produce a number of innovative gadgets, many of which will make excellent Christmas gifts.
To win the portable DVD player we have to give away, please click here. The competition is open to UK residents only and will close on January 15th. Editor's decision is final.

Second: Win a complete Team Strip

Cricketworld.com has teamed up with Signature Sports to find a cricket club, school, college or university that wants to look like champions and play like champions. This is your chance to win a cricket strip for your team for the 2008 season. Your kit will include:

• 15 x sets of playing shirts, fleeces and trousers.
• Your choice of white or coloured clothing from the current Signature Sports International range as shown on their website
• Your club logo embroidered on each item, including all set-up charges
• Delivery to your club Free Of Charge - UK, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland only. Delivery charges will be applied elsewhere.
• Additional items, logos, numbers etc can be added at published prices.

To enter, simply follow this link and answer the simple questions you find there. Entries must include your choice of clothing and colour options from the Signature Sports range, including the product reference code. The clothing option can be changed at a later date if required by the winning club.
Entry will imply that you are happy for both Cricketworld.com and Signature Sports to contact your organisation with details of further promotions and product information. Your details will not be passed on to any other third parties.
Entries close 20th December 2007. The winner will be contacted by 31st December 2007 and published on both the Cricket World and Signature Sports websites. The judges' decision is final.

Officials ballot to combine with ECB

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is delighted to welcome the members of the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers (ACU&S) following the result of the ballot on their future. Requiring a majority of two-thirds to be passed, more than 74% voted for the establishment of the ECB Association of Cricket Officials (ECB ACO) and for ACU&S to be wound up. The ACU&S will cease functioning from January 1, 2008, from when the new organisation (ECB ACO) will be in place. An interim chairman will be appointed to oversee the transition and arrange for the appointment of a management board as soon as possible.
Since its early days in 1953, the ACU&S has successfully been developing umpire and scorer training courses and its reputation has grown around the world. Mike Gatting, ECB Managing Director of Cricket Partnerships, said: “The work completed in this important area of the game by ACU&S has laid a strong foundation for the further development of officiating. Together with the resources available to the governing body of the sport the partnership with officials can be strengthened and taken on to new levels. This is a positive move for the sport and especially for the officials.”
Geoff Lowden, Chairman of ACU&S, said: “The membership has taken a positive decision to move forward and to ensure the work done since the start of ACU&S is built upon. There is little doubt that the game has developed over the last few years and the demands on officials have increased at all levels. ECB ACO is in the ideal position to provide the support that the officials require.”

Cricket World: Players Bringing Game Into Disrepute

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Alastair Symondson, head of media at Cricket World:
I recently wrote in an editorial, in Cricket World magazine, about some of the problems facing umpires, particularly in the international arena and with some of these issues extending to club and youth cricket as well. With the recent furore in Australia these issues cannot now be ignored.
Some of the technological improvements in TV coverage, which have come about over the recent years due pressure by the TV companies to make cricket more 'accessible' and exciting for a TV audience, are now being championed to allow umpires to refer to TV replays for all umpiring decisions including catches - this may seem ridiculous to a cricket purist; certainly, when I have played cricket, I have always known if the ball has gone to ground whether fielding in the slips or in the outfield and I have always signalled it so- likewise, I have always known if I have nicked the ball as a batsman - there are much wider issues at stake here, which go right to the core of the game of cricket.
In my opinion, it is partly the responsibility of the player to honestly acknowledge the true circumstances of an incident and not totally the responsibility of the umpire to decide or to have to refer it to TV replays for a decision - that is what cricket is all about - the spirit of the game. It is the responsibility of the batsmen to walk when they have nicked the ball to the keeper and not to have to force the umpires to have to make those decisions - whatever happened to 'walking'?
By not 'walking' or 'signalling' a grounded attempted catch, these actions by players, whether at international, club or youth level, go against the very 'spirit of cricket' and what the game is all about. If we dehumanise cricket to such an extent by allowing players to act in this way, or by allowing technology to decide everything, then we are in danger of losing the true 'spirit' of the game...
For the full article, and to join the debate, click here.

Northants Cricket

If you are interested in one of our local first-class counties - their fixtures, players, news etc., visit their website where you can also subscribe to their electronic newsletter.

Vacancy in Irish Cricket!

Leinster Cricket Club, Dublin, Ireland are accepting applications for the position of Female Professional Player and Coach for the 2008 season. In 2006, Australian International Sarah Edwards held the position, and benefited hugely from the experience. Our Club has over 500 members. We have 8 mens teams, 3 ladies teams, 8 Schoolboy teams and 5 schoolgirl teams. We also feature other sections such as Tennis, Squash, Bowls and Table-Tennis. We also boast a Gym and a Bar.
We are one of the only clubs to employ an overseas professional. We are very committed to the development of our ladies section. With the largest amount of Schoolgirl members in Dublin, we are in an excellent position for the future. We hope that by hiring an experienced coach we can give our members the best possible coaching.
For more details on the position go to our club website, or email me directly. You can also see photos from last season and the 2006 season on this Flickr site...
Rob O'Connor

Norfolk Cricket Board Unveil 3-Year Plan

Keir Hounsome and our new CDM Richard Honnor have produced an exhaustive document which details the ways in which cricket in Norfolk should go up until 2010. It covers such areas as plans for Coaches, Volunteers, Ladies cricket, finance and a great many other topics. Click on the NCB logo on the left to download a copy. It is a 40-page "Word" document and the file is about half a megabyte in size, so non-broadband users - have patience while it downloads.
You can either left-click on the picture and you will be able to read the document (if you have Word of course!) or you can right-click on it and save the file to your own hard drive by choosing "Save target as".

Get Into Get Back Into!

Active Norfolk would like to introduce you to a scheme called ‘Get Back Into’ which aims to help encourage people to “Get Back Into” a sport that they once participated in, or something new, within a friendly and non-competitive environment.
The aim is to run ‘Get Back Into Cricket’ in April with a taster session leading into 8 weeks of informal coaching sessions, the players might then be ready to play club cricket. The plan is to run these sessions at clubs, using club facilities and coaches, making the link between the sessions and the club strong. The activity will be funded by Active Norfolk who can pay for coaches (providing they are qualified) and venue hire (if applicable). This is a good opportunity for clubs to boost members and give qualified coaches some paid experience.
The ‘Get Back Into’ branding has been finalised, publicity material is in circulation and the website is live. Active Norfolk will provide the marketing expertise and support to promote this programme locally. The regional campaign is being officially launched in June with an awareness week and there are talks in progress with ITV Anglia who are keen to give the project coverage.
If you are interested in running ‘Get Back Into’ sessions at your club please email Stephen Hulme at Active Norfolk.

Foundation Degree in Community Sport

This London-based course may be of interest to some of our website visitors. Click here to view or save the Abobe Acrobat file.

Special book offer

This month we publish "On Cricket" by James Lawton, chief Sports Writer for The Independent and Sports Writer of the Year. It brings together his best writing on cricket and offers a powerful commentary on the world of cricket over the last decade. As the publisher we are offering the book direct to cricket fans at a special price of £7.99 including postage and packing (RRP £9.99). For details of how to order please see below.
The book is introduced by Michael Atherton, former England cricket captain, and this is reproduced below. If you'd like a further taste then we will happily email sample chapters as a pdf - but don't want to clutter your email at the moment. Address is:
Caroline Warhurst at Dewi Lewis Media
8 Broomfield Road
Heaton Moor
Stockport SK4 4ND
Tel: 0161 442 9450
Available direct from the address above at a price of £7.99 including postage & packing. Send a cheque payable to "Dewi Lewis Media". The book will be sent by second class mail by return of post. Payment can also be made by PayPal but I'm afraid we don't have the facility to take credit cards.

FOREWORD by Mike Atherton

The arrival of that species known as the "chief sports writer", is always an occasion of much rejoicing amongst us more narrow-minded, specialist and humble reporters. Not out of any deference, you understand, but simply for the reason that the Test match at hand must be taking place in one of the nicer parts of the cricketing world - Sydney, say, or Barbados, perhaps. The "chiefs" have the pick of the crop and would never be seen in bleak outposts like Multan or Faisalabad.
As it happens, I believe that newspaper readers are enjoying a golden time with regards to the chief sports writers of what used to be called Fleet Street. Simon Barnes, Martin Samuel, Richard Williams, Paul Hayward, Oliver Holt, Jim Holden and, of course, Jim Lawton are all bright and able; they all have something different to offer and, more often than not, they are a terrific read. That Jim was crowned top of the pops at the What the Papers Say awards this year is a fine testament to his enduring qualities.
Some of those qualities stood out when last I worked alongside Jim during the Ashes series of 2006. Often, during the memorable Adelaide Test match, we agreed to meet for dinner with Simon Barnes of The Times. Jim was always the last to arrive. That could be taken to mean that he's a slow worker; more realistically it suggested that this is a man who cares deeply about his work even, dare I say it, after all these years. His enthusiasm for sport remains undimmed (he's still out there at events when many of his generation might have settled for the armchair and a windy column) as does his professionalism and craftsmanship.
During dinner, talk would inevitably turn to sports writing and writers. I remember Jim saying how important it was for a sports writer to take a position and how important it was for him to be right more often than wrong. Both lines of thought were probably in response to my quizzing him about the outspoken position he took on England's chances at the last football World Cup. He'd have looked damned foolish, I said, if England had triumphed. It was a lesson learned and an approach that informed my equally damning predictions of England's likely performance at the forthcoming cricket World Cup.
Taking a strong and courageous position is what Jim's most famous brush with cricket, or more accurately a cricketer, was about. And what a monument to try to slay: Viv Richards in his own Antiguan backyard! It is a claim to fame that not many sports writers can boast - that the captain of an international team delayed his entry on to the stage so that he could get something off his chest because of something you've written. But, then, good sports writing is not a popularity contest.
Clichéd, perhaps, but the mind's eye image of a sports writer is of the well-travelled, hard-living, non-conformist showing considerable grace under the tightest of deadlines. A latter-day, poor man's Hemingway, perhaps (although I dare say that Hemingway might have felt compelled to tone down some of Jim's more flowery adjectives). Now, with the internet and satellite television revolution upon us, the days of that romantic vision of the trade might be numbered. Not quite the last of the Mohicans, Jim, I'm sure, gives thanks that the majority of his career pre-dated those twin developments. Latterly, at The Independent, it seems to me that he has enjoyed almost a second coming as a sports writer. Writing for that newspaper carries considerable weight and clout, and Jim's work there is required reading for those who are interested in sport and sports writing. And even though we may occasionally sneer when the "chiefs" ride into town - "after all, what do they really know?" - they always seem to find, drawn from that well of accumulated wisdom from all sports, a greater truth.
It is always a pleasure to see Jim at the cricket these days, just as it is always a pleasure to read his take on things. A pleasure you can now have all over again by browsing this collection.
Mike Atherton of The Times
June 2008

Groundsman of the Year Awards

'Cricket World' are pleased to announce the Cricket World Groundsman of the Year Awards for 2008. If you would like to nominate a Groundsman for the 2008 Awards, please email them or Telephone 01476 565569 / Fax:+44 (0)1476 572901, or link to more details which includes an online application form for nominations for the Cricket World Groundsman of the Year 2008.
The winners will be invited to a presentation at Lord's at the end of the season. Please do send in your nominations for these awards ASAP! Plus...

Win £5,000 worth of Dennis Mower Equipment for your Club

Cricket World has teamed up with Dennis to offer cricket clubs the opportunity to win The Perfect Cricket Pitch Mower.
The Dennis FT has established itself as the mower of choice for cricket grounds in the UK and overseas. The versatility of the mower with its cassette system means you can rely upon just one machine to prepare the match pitch, bring new strips up to playing condition and also renovate those previously used.
All you have to do is fill in the form online for your chance to win a Dennis FT510 Mower & Cassettes!

Norfolk Newsletter goes Online!

We now have our own online newsletter, containing up-to-the-minute news from all that's going on in the county. To read it, click here.

Women's and Girl's Cricket

Are you a women or girl who is interested in playing cricket? Players of all age and abilities are welcome to find out more information by contacting Kerry Holl. Don't be shy, give it a try!

Cricket Forum

You might like to give this a try! Short Backward Square is an on-line forum where you can talk and voice your opinion on all things cricket. It's run by Andy Greenfield who says he's passionate about the game, so just click on the link above to give it a visit. Looks very well organised.

Norfolk Girl gets Call-up!

Norfolk Ladies opening bowler, Louise Cadge, 17, has been selected for the Junior Super Fours 2009. Louise was selected after having a successful trial at Trent Bridge last month. The Junior Super Fours, like the senior format, comprises the top 52 players in the under 19 age group in the country. The players make up regional squads and compete against each other, in the hope that they can then make the grade for the national under 19 squad.
Louise, who started playing at thirteen, is from a cricketing family; her father Mark and brother Steven also play. She is a regular player in Vauxhall Mallards 3rd team and is also a member of Swardeston Ladies. Louise has also been a member of the Norfolk Cricket Academy which is coached and organised by Steve Goldsmith for three years.
2008 was a successful season for Norfolk Ladies as they won the LV County Championships London and East Division 5, and Louise has been a valuable member of the team after making her debut as a 14 year old in 2005. She worked her way through the county structure after previously captaining the girls' under 15 team.
Louise said, "I would like to thank everyone who has helped me over the years, specifically my mum and dad who have encouraged me. I must also thank Steve Goldsmith who has helped me and guided me over the last few years."