Proposal to re-structure the Tolchards Devon Cricket League
The Tolchards Devon Cricket League provides a competitive framework for League cricket for its member clubs across Devon. In doing so it attempts to cater for a range of ambitions and to be relevant to –
Players from clubs who want to play at the best level of competition possible and for whom the competitiveness of matches is important, irrespective of the distance that they have to travel.
Players from clubs for whom playing the game with their mates on a Saturday afternoon, whilst having a competitive game, is what’s important. Ideally that game should be relatively local i.e. within 30 minutes travelling time.
The first set of ambitions are not exclusive to those clubs that play in divisions of the League that are countywide. The second set of ambitions are not exclusive to those clubs that play in the regionalised divisions of the League. The challenge for the DCL Management Team is therefore to arrive at a structure that allows both sets of ambitions to co-exist and thrive.
What Players and Clubs have said
2016 was the second year that the Regionalised C and D divisions had been in operation and also the second time that the League has held its own player survey. This year the survey attracted almost twice as many responses from the regionalised divisions as it did from those divisions that are Countywide.
Taken together with the feedback from both the Chairman’s and Divisional meetings there are some clear messages emerging –
Players and Clubs from the Premier, A and B Divisions see little need to make any major changes to either the structure or playing regulations of those divisions.
Players and Clubs from the Regionalised C and D divisions have real concerns over the competitiveness of matches. Some teams are being asked to play at a level that their abilities cannot cope with, with the net result that players are leaving the game and clubs, and teams, have had to withdraw from the League.
Comments that have been provided by Devon cricketers as part of the recent National Cricket Playing Survey have included: -
· Too far to travel and teams struggle to be competitive in a 1st XI league while bringing young players through to play senior cricket.
· The Devon Cricket League is dominated by the Premier Division and large clubs. Smaller clubs have none or very little say in how they would like the format in the lower leagues to happen.
· The DCL do not provide a straight through league structure, therefore as a very small club we have no option than to join the 1st XI divisions, which has proved demoralising for many of our new but competitive players.
· Regionalisation does not work, too big a gulf between players’ skills and abilities. Too many games with no competition.
· In our division the stronger teams are so much better than the weaker teams (like my team). We have lost by 10 wickets twice this season and 150+ runs, even 301 runs on one occasion! Not very enjoyable.
· Small clubs with one team not looked after.
Loss of clubs, teams and players
Since the close of the season two clubs have withdrawn from the D division of the League. Two more clubs have merged to create a single club with two elevens. Three clubs have withdrawn their third XI’s. Additionally, across the League, 35 games were conceded where clubs were unable to raise teams.
The Plan
All member clubs in the Devon Cricket League have been circulated with a proposal for a restructure of the Devon Cricket League. For the 2017 season the structure remains the same, with the exception that South Brent Cricket Club have, at their request, been moved into a second XI division.
For the 2018 season an All Through League is being proposed below a countywide top three divisions. Places in the new structure will be competed for during the 2017 season.
Clubs are encouraged to discuss these proposals with their committees between now and the League Annual General Meeting on 27th January 2017.
Edward Leverton – Secretary
Tolchards Devon Cricket League
