Chairman’s Report 2020 AGM

Who could have predicted how 2020 would turn out, a year of change on many fronts.

It all started with a process to find a successor to our excellent League Secretary, Ed Leverton. There were several expressions of interest and applications with three strong candidates interviewed. David Sheppard was appointed and started with us at the beginning of April. “Shep” joined us having spent the previous sixteen years administering the performance department at Surrey County CC. A baptism of fire would be an understatement with the spread of Covid 19 and the subsequent lockdown. Hopefully from the outside the transition has been seamless and I must thank Ed for his contribution during the handover period.

With a delayed start to the season and ever changing potential resumption dates it was difficult, if not impossible, to make any plans. Some principles were bounced around by the LMC in early April which started the thought process and framed the outcome. Personally I was always confident in the abilities of the wonderful group of volunteers, the team, who make-up the LMC to produce and deliver a match programme that reduced travel, grouped teams of relative strength and provided a competitive edge. 

To support member clubs during this unique season the DCL waived subscriptions and, for a period, absorbed the significant cost of cricket balls. This allied to reduced ECB and Sponsorship funding decreased income by £22,000. Steps were taken to mitigate costs, where possible, resulting in a nett loss for the year of £10,000. The outlook is uncertain as the implications of the pandemic continue to affect many. The ECB have recently made 20% of their staff redundant and are unable, at this time, to provide any clarity over future Premier League funding. The teams-based model agreed for the past and next season is still on the table and if implemented in full should benefit the DCL, as it would increase revenue. The uncertainty over this and other sponsorship income makes financial planning very difficult and clearly the DCL cannot operate on a loss making basis. As a consequence of the above the LMC is proposing an increase in subscriptions for the 2021 season, the first for many years, with the caveat that if sufficient funding is received from the ECB then this increase would not be implemented.

 A financially robust DCL will be well placed to face the challenges ahead, influence and support initiatives that move the game that we all love forward.

Nick Rogers 

Chairman