Lincolnshire County Cricket League Official Handbook 2022

Chairmans Message As I write my first Chairman's message to you all. I have had little time to sit back and reflect on all the changes and challenges that we have faced over the last 12 months. 2021 started in the worst possible way when we lost our Chairman of 28 years Robert "Bob" Welton on the 9th January following his long battle with cancer. Wnether or not you agreed or disagreed with any of Bob's thoughts & actions over his many years in this seat, Bob always acted with the courage of his convictions and with what he believed was best for cricket in general. Onto the 2021 season & what a learning curve it was! A New County-wide Disciplinary Procedure was put in place. Yes, we had a few minor disciplinary issues that we had to deal with in house but I thank you all for your efforts in ensuring that no LCCL Club ended up in front of the County Panel. For me it was great to get out umpiring in 2021 and to listen to the ideas of so many of you over the course of the season with regards to the changes you wanted to see in the LCCL. The great thing about this was that many other members of our Committee were hearing the same things on their travels around the League as well. This meant that going into our AGM we had a clear picture of what was required with many exciting and refreshing ideas on the table for discussion. Many of these ideas were passed at the AGM and we will see how they go in the coming season. Whether it be the changes to tne overseas players rule that could potentially help increase player numbers and allow clubs to tap into "New" Player resources or tt,e changes to our entry requirements which for the season ahead sees acceptance for artificial pitches at the lower levels of our league, we have seen developments which may well help drive the prospect of Saturday Cricket for some more clubs. Another factor may be the changes to our League structure to provide more cricket for those at the bottom of our League with an extended cup competition and a regionalised basement division. These changes give us hope for a strong future. It was extremely sad for me to see East Halton fold as I will hold many fond memories and friendships from my time with the club. However, from the loss of one club it is nice to welcome three new teams to the LCCL for the 2022 season and I wish Brocklesby Park, Grimoldby & Nettleham 3rds good luck in the coming season. I would also like to wish Nettleham 1st good luck as they embark on their return to the ECB Premier League after a five year stay in our Premier Division. However, 2021 also showed that no matter how much we tried to put things in place for any potential disruption in the face of the ongoing Covid Pandemic, you won't always know if it is the right thing until it is truly tested! As it turned out the rule we had was solid if we lost full weeks of the season but nobody anticipated losing "odd" games across the League each week once we finally had our first confirmed positive case. However, YOU the clubs used the League Rules & found an amicable solution to the situation in front of us. As the year closed, Lincolnshire Cricket put out a proposal to the committees of the 3 Saturday Leagues to discuss and give feedback on the proposal in its current form. The Committee of the LCCL believes it is nowhere near the finished article and needs a lot of work before it is ready for general consideration by our clubs. This Proposal would see the 3 leagues merge to form a Pyramid structure within Saturday Cricket in Lincolnshire. Whilst there may well be some positives Please look at the full picture when this proposal is finally unveiled & remember what JFK once said "Change is the law of life, And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. But change for change's sake can be more damaging to your efforts towards creating an engaged and inspired workforce than no change at all" before making your decisions on whether the LCCL should be a part of this reorganisation, remember to remove your club hats, think about what is best for cricket & not just your own clubs as, at the end of the day, the LCCL is your league and you, the Clubs, help shape its future direction.. I wish everyone involved in Cricket the very best for 2022 and look forward to meeting up with many of you over the coming months, hearing your thoughts on the changes we have made and also any future changes you would like to see in the LCCL. 2