IT’S 21 years since devoncricket.co.uk went live for the first time and since then thousands of stories have been published, writes Conrad Sutcliffe.

I have news-edited the site from day one and in all those years have never had a reaction to any story quite like the one published last week concerning the provision of teas for games in the Tolchards Devon Cricket League.

The Devon Cricket Board’s Facebook page has been humming ever since the story went live with comments for and against the continuance of an official tea.

One story attracted nearly a thousand likes within 55 minutes of going live! Judging from the contents of my digital post box, the dust hasn’t settled yet. Here are some of the latest comments...

DAVID Gambie is a former league chairman (2006-09) who has been rules and regulations secretary of the competition for the past two years. He has recently asked to stand down.

Gambie feels clubs have different priorities concerning teas depending on where they are on the league ladder. Volunteers, or the lack of them, are also a factor.

David GambieGambie said the league proposed two modified amendments to the original ‘no teas’ rule change in an attempt to clarify what clubs either wanted or did not want.

His view is this question will come back sooner rather than later. He writes:

“Apart from the two major clubs (Bovey Tracey and Paignton) the other Premier and A Division clubs appear to want to retain tea as an integral part of a cricket match.

“Some of the smaller clubs are anti the provision. The reasons range from cost, lack of volunteers and organisation (getting the provisions and preparation).

“As the ‘old’ rules and regulations officer, when confronted with a bland proposal stating ‘no official tea;’ this put the league management committee (LMC) into a quandary. It could be taken as ambiguous. If (there is) no official tea could there be an ‘unofficial tea’? Also, you have to look at what such a proposal does to other aspect of the league administration process?

“It was for those reasons I decided to try and cover both bases leading to the two amendments for clubs to ponder. One of these was the option to provide a tea or not, thereby giving real flexibility to clubs to control choice.

“Of course, it couldn't be simply from the LMC viewpoint, just saying to a club do or don't tea. There had to be caveats to qualify the choice, ie: advising all concerned of the choice made and in good time. Possibly, the caveats were not acceptable hence all three proposals failed on the night, getting nowhere near the two-thirds majority required.

“Clearly, this matter will not go away and rightly, will be a discussion point next year. However, I believe that it would be right for this subject to be discussed at the next LMC meeting as present will be club officials of all sizes and the umpires’ representative.

“Whilst the annual meeting has voted for no change to the tea arrangement for the coming season, from a purely personal viewpoint, as a player and an umpire who welcomes a cricket tea being provided and of any standard, I see no reason why the DCL should object if a club or clubs ask for a dispensation this coming season. “This is especially so as Covid-19 will still be around irrespective of everyone being vaccinated.

“I would add that the cost of tea is determined by the league* (that is the clubs). No club asked for the cost to go up this past annual meeting.”

*Editor’s note: Fixed-price teas first appeared in the league’s handbook in 2001 following a vote at the previous annual meeting to bring it in under rule six. The cost was agreed as £33 per team. It has not changed since.

VETERAN scorer Nicholas Evanson, is concerned many clubs are looking at the issue of providing teas through rose-tinted glasses.

Evanson has criss-crossed Devon during three decades running Torquay’s scorebook and can see plenty of pitfalls attached to putting the emphasis on players and officials to take a packed tea.

DIY teas might have worked in 2020, but Evanson is dubious there will be an appetite for them again.

“Long-distance travelling is likely to return, you can’t guarantee good weather and there won’t be the novelty factor,” said Evanson. Ask the players in a year’s time."

Evanson, is most concerned about his on-field colleagues – the umpires.

“Three hours on a cold, exposed ground, no warm food provided and because of their duties during the interval insufficient time to heat any of their own and eat it,” he said.

His own profession would also get a rough deal. He asks the question: Have match officials been considered in this debate?”

IT’S not just league cricket that has been questioning the viability of providing teas. Paul Berman, the secretary of Devon Seniors, said teas are an issue to county sides in the national competitions.

“Devon seconded a similar proposal for Seniors National competition that was not successful at recent annual meeting,” said Berman. “That was simply to say ‘home team not obliged to provide tea’.

“I think if we are faced with even vaguely similar restrictions in 2021 to what we had this year then the norm will be a phone call on a Thursday to the opposing captain telling him that no tea will be available due to either the financial costs of deep-cleansing the pavilion, or lack of Covid-proof volunteers, etc.

Interesting that (many) comments came from Premier Division clubs. It's the smaller, lower downs where it is already hard to put teas together. How it can be right to set it at £33 after so many years is beyond me. Anyone heard of food cost inflation?

“Why not set the default at ‘no tea’ and if your club is blessed with willing tea ladies then do it. It only needs one phone call to the visiting team.”