Lancashire League Handbook 2017

22 The tea room award was also a close-run affair with a tie for second place on 98.2% Enfield and Ramsbottom. But the winners with a full plate with 100% were Todmorden. The Joe Collier Trophy is decided by the marks awarded by Umpires at each match for the sportsmanship of each team and is based on a total of both First & Second Team Marks. Every Club achieved at least 90%. In third place with 96.7% were Bacup. Next with 97.22% were the Championship winners, Ramsbottom. But in top place with full marks, 100% were East Lancs. The last award is the Alick Ormerod Trophy which is again marked by the umpires but this one is on the effectiveness of first team captains. Teams two to four scored 99.05, 99.1, 99.1 and this meant that Ramsbottom and Bacup tied for 2nd place. The overall winners were East Lancashire who scored 100% meaning that every winner in the umpire’s awards had a full score. 2017 is our 125th Anniversary and sees the League expand, not by as many Clubs had originally been intended, but by three and we will welcome Clitheroe, Darwen and Great Harwood into the competition. The format will be that each Club will play every other team once and at that point two divisions will be formed and again teams will play everyone in their division once to provide overall champions and winners of the “B” division with promotion and relegation introduced. Our doors are still open for applications to join us with our ultimate aim being two divisions of 12 and we have advertised publicly to this effect. It may take some time but I am sure we will get there. We are moving forward as a League and the introduction of new teams in conjunction with the introduction of promotion and relegation will freshen up the League and create highly competitive cricket. There will undoubtedly be snags and pitfalls along the way but it will be worth it in the long run. I submit my report for approval.