LIGA DE CRICKET DEL ESTE Y DEL CENTRO

ECCL DIVISION TWO (CENTRAL) LEAGUE COMPETITION RULES (40 OVERS)

PART ONE

A. GENERAL 

A1.      The Competition shall be held under the auspices of Cricket España (CE), and it is the wish of CE that all players, officials and spectators enjoy the Competition. Enjoy Cricket as the way it should be played. 

A2.      The Competition shall be managed by the CE League Chairman and a Secretary appointed by the CE Director of Cricket. They will be responsible for the strategic management of the CE Regional Leagues and will report back to the CE Executive Committee through the CE Director of Cricket. Decisions made by the CE League Committee shall be final and binding. However, any disputes that arise must be reported to the Director of Cricket before imposing any penalties. Any club not happy with the Decision made by the League Committee, may appeal to the Chairman in writing and the Chairman will then pass this to the Director of Cricket to appoint an Independent Committee to look into the Appeal and report back to the Director of Cricket with the findings. This report and the findings will be forwarded to the League Chairman, who in turn will notify the offending clubs and this report, which will be independent of the Director of Cricket, will be final and binding, there will be no second appeal. The above procedures are required to take place within 10 days of the complaint being received by the League Chairman.

Each Region is to appoint a Chairman, a Secretary and a Membership Secretary who will be responsible for the management and day to day running of their respective Leagues. These appointments are to be made at the Regional Leagues Annual general meeting which should be held in November of each year. 

RULES  FOR ECCL – DIVISION TWO (CENTRAL) 

(i) Eastern and Central Cricket League will be known, in this document, as the ECCL. 

Subject to the above Conditions the ECCL will be conducted as follows: 

A Regional Committee headed by the ECCL Chairman will be formed in order to run the ECCL. The Committee will consist of a Chairman, a Secretary, Umpires Representative, Membership Secretary and one Ordinary Member. These Members will be elected at the Annual meeting of the ECCL Clubs held in November each year.           

  Note: This Committee is subordinate to the CE League Committee referred to in

             ParaA2 above. 

A3.      Each Club shall be responsible for ensuring that its players and officials are familiar with Competition Rules and Playing Conditions. All teams and officials will sign the CE Code of Conduct. Team Captains are to retain possession of these forms and may be asked to produce them for inspection as and when required by the appropriate officials. In addition, Team Captains are reminded that they are responsible for the conduct of both their team and individual players. 

A4.      A fixture list will be issued by the ECCL League Committee. The team whose name appears on the left side of the list shall be designated the ‘home team’. Unless otherwise agreed by the League Committee all games shall be played on the dates and at the venues specified. 

A5.      There shall be a club registration fee to the CE of €70.00 (seventy euros) and in addition, all players must be registered with CE at a cost of 6 euros per person or 150 euros per club for over 25 members.

Payments to be made to the CE account below by 28 February each year.

Account Name: Asociacion Espanola de Cricket

Account No.      2100 4453 84 0200029304

Address:            Bank Caia, Calle Valencia, Alfas del Pi 

 Non-payment of fees at the specified time shall attract the following excess payments.

Payments after the 28^th February                   Excess of €30.00 (Thirty Euros)

Teams not paying their entry fees by 1^st April shall be eliminated from the League Competition that year.  

A6.      There shall be a Match Fee of €60.00 (sixty euros) per ECCL league game per team payable to ECCL. This fee includes the cost of the match ball. Ideally, match fees should be paid six days in advance or, alternatively, before the game is played, to the Home Team Captain or the ECCL Official . Match fees are to be paid into the Bank Cajamar account using the fixture as the Reference when paying in (e.g. Reference: La Manga, or Valencia). Bank details are as follows:

            Account Number:     3058 0370 62 2720008207

            Address:                     Bank Cajamar, Los Belones 

B.        CLUB AND PLAYER ELIGIBILITY 

B1.      All clubs participating in the League must be registered with CE. 

B1a      ECCL require full information from clubs on their players, and a copy of NIE or passport details to be forwarded to the membership secretary before the start of the season and before the issue of ID cards. 

B2.      All players participating in the League must be registered with their club and with the CE.

Note!!! A player may be registered for a number of clubs but can only play League Cricket for one club in the current year. 

B3.      ALL players must be registered with CE by the 28^th February each year before the Competition starts. This should be done through the Regional Committee. A player not registered with CE by the 28^th February must get special dispensation from the ECCL League Committee before playing in any League game. Clubs shall give a minimum of 14 days notice before a newly registered player may play for the new Club. 

B4.      Normally a player shall only play for only one league team in the competition. However, a transfer of a player between clubs or regions will be allowed as follows:

a)      Transfer between clubs at the discretion of the Regional League Chairman, this must be done in writing with an explanation stop.

b)      Transfer between regions at the discretion of the Chairman of the CE Leagues. 

An application for transfer must be submitted in writing to the CE League Chairman or the Regional League Chairman for a decision.  Once approved the player will be able to play league cricket for the new Club within 7 days of Registration, providing that the player has not represented his previous Club for more than 2/3rds of the current League fixtures and he has no outstanding debt to the Club she/he is leaving.  In the case of a transfer between Regions the same rule will apply but only for the play offs for the Spanish Championships.

NOTE: The CE League Chairman’s or the Regional League Chairman’s decision shall be final and binding with no appeal..

B5.      No player under the age of 15 (fifteen) years on 1^st January shall participate in the Competition, unless prior approval has been obtained from the League Committee. Applications for that approval must be submitted to the CE League Membership Secretary at least 14 (fourteen) days before the first match in which they have been selected to play. 

B6.      The list of registered players shall be held by the CE Membership Secretary who shall provide details of player registration and membership on request. Neither the Regional League Chairman nor the League Committee can give Special Dispensation to any club or player without first notifying the CE Membership Secretary. 

B7.  Disciplinary Matters 

Any Alleged breach of the CE Code of Conduct for Players and Officials for matches played under the auspices of the ICC Development Program will be dealt with in the following manner. 

(a)   Disciplinary matters will be dealt with by the ECCL Committee or CE League Committee and the Director of Cricket will be kept informed at all times. 

(b)   If a decision has to go to an Appeals Committee the appropriate Committee will be appointed by the Director of Cricket and will be Independent of the CE or Regional ECCL League Committee. 

(c)    All complaints will be heard within 10 days of the complaint being received by the (CE)League Chairman, 

CE ANTI-RACISAM POLICY. 

This Code – one of the toughest in world sport – confirms a level of commitment from the CE and its members to promote and encourage participation at all levels (regardless of race, colour, religion, national or ethnic origin) and to ensure that there is no discrimination in the game of cricket. To this end all clubs and players are to sign the ‘Code of Conduct Acceptance Form’ attached to these rules. Team Captains are required to hold these forms for inspection when required by CE. 

 The code requires CE Members to impose punishments on spectators found guilty of racial abuse, from ejection from the venue to a life ban, and deliver preventative measures at League or friendly matches.

To assist members with the adoption of the new code, the ICC introduced an implementation template and check list shortly after the code was adopted and since the start of 2007 it has begun to monitor the application of these measures around the cricket world.

Members failing to uphold the code face penalties if racist incidents happen at a venue under their control. These penalties range from warnings through to fines and the possible withdrawal of League status for a venue.

The CE’s commitment to ensuring the diversity of the sport is respected by its participants is also enshrined in the Code of Conduct for players and officials where on-field racism is considered one of the most serious acts that can be committed, with the possibility of a life ban for anyone found guilty of such an offence.

C.        DRESS CODE 

All items of apparel shall be consistent with the traditions of the game of cricket.  Specifically, players shall adhere to the following dress code. The CE appointed or ECCL umpires shall be responsible for enforcing the dress code. Non-compliance may result in the player in question being deemed ineligible to take part in the game. 

C1.      Shirts shall be mainly white or cream with a collar. Shirts may be embellished only with the players’ club names and/or logo, and club’s official sponsors’ names. 

C2.      Long trousers shall be white or cream. Shorts and non-white tracksuit trousers are not permitted. 

C3.      Footwear shall be predominantly white cricket shoes or trainers. Spikes are not permitted. 

D.        PLAYING CONDITIONS 

D1.      Laws of Cricket 5^th Edition of the 2000 Code shall apply. Games should be played not only within the Laws but also within the spirit of the game. The major responsibility for ensuring the spirit of fair play rests with the Captains. (The Preamble – Spirit of Cricket refers) 

1. We urge clubs with two teams to recognise the Division Two Cricket League when selecting their teams, and avoid the inclusion of regular first team players. No first team player who has played or will be playing in a first division match that weekend, and national players within the first team squad, will be eligible for selection in a Division Two fixture. 

D2.      Ideally, two Umpires should be appointed for each game. The Umpires shall resolve any disputes that may occur during the game and their decision shall be final and binding. 

   D3.    Each team shall provide a scorer for each of their games. The scorer for the

Home Team shall be responsible for completing the official CE Scorebook or the home team CAPTAIN if no Scorer is provided. This Scorebook should be provided by CE and lodged permanently at all playing venues. On completion of the game it shall be checked and signed by both umpires and then handed to an ECCL League or Regional Representative.

In addition, the Home Team is responsible for completing the Match Report Form (See Annex A) and posting completed form, conventionally or electronically, to the CE Secretary within 72 hours. 

D4       The collection of Match fees and payment into the ECCL Bank Account (Cajamar) will be done by an appointed ECCL Match Official at the grounds. Team Captains will be responsible to pay the 60 euros before the toss and before the start of the game, any team not complying with this rule will not be permitted to take the field of play, the match awarded to the opposition and the league penalty of 150 euros for not completing the game will be applied.  A receipt will be given for the funds by the match official. Teams intending to pay match fees into the ECCL account in full for all league games or the 60 euros match fee for the coming weekend must let the league chairman or secretary know six days before the weekend of the game. The home team will be responsible for the erection and removal of sightscreens, positioning and repositioning of tables and chairs and the disposal of litter before and after the game.           

D5.      Each team shall submit a list of the names of its selected players and twelfth man to the Umpires at least 30 (thirty) minutes before the scheduled start of play for each game.                                                                                                                                   

D6.     The ECCL shall provide two new Grade A league balls for each match. These shall be handed to the Umpire before the ‘toss’. 

D7.      The ‘toss’ shall take place 15 (fifteen) minutes before the designated starting time for the match.  If the representative of one of the competing teams is not present at that time, the other team shall have choice of innings. 

D8.      There is no restriction on how many overs the bowler may bowl, but the ICC Rules will be in place for junior members (10-18yrs) 

D9.      There shall be a time limit of 2hrs 40mins plus any time added by the umpires allotted for each innings. The first ball of the last over must commence within the allotted time. If the team bowling first completes less than 40 overs in the allotted time, they shall complete their 40 overs but will be allowed to bat for only the number of overs completed in their allotted time. If the team bowling second fails to complete their 40 overs in their allotted time, they shall complete their 40 overs but 6 (six) runs per over for each outstanding over shall be added to the score of the batting side. There will be no bonus points awarded to the team for wickets taken after the allotted time. 

D10.    Only one tactical change of wicket keeper may take place in an innings. 

E.        LEAGUE STRUCTURE 

E1.       All Games will take place in their given Spanish Regions, (La Manga, Sporting Alfas CC, Bonalba Golf, Sonseca, Torrevieja and Levante ) . Local League Rules may apply subject to the agreement of the ECCL League Committee. 

E2.    ECCL Division Two Central will comprise of 4 Teams. Promotion to Division 1 will be as follows:

(i)                 The team that wins the League can apply to the League Committee in writing for promotion to Division One. This does not apply to the Clubs with more than one team in Division Two. 

E3.       Each team shall play the other teams in their League twice on a home and away basis.        

F.         MATCH AND LEAGUE RESULTS 

F1.       For each game, 10 points shall be awarded to the winning team.  In the event of a tie, the team losing the least number of wickets shall be the winner. (See CE League Playing Conditions (40 Overs) Part Two 13.1.b). A win with maximum batting and bowling bonus points will secure 20 points. 

In the event of a No Result game, each team shall be awarded 10 points. Any bonus points accrued at the time of abandonment shall not count. 

F2.       If any team fails to fulfil a fixture on the fixed dates on the fixture list, 17 points shall be awarded to the opposing team. In addition, the offending team will be deducted 20 points and a fine of €200 will be paid to the ECCL before the next League Game. Except in extenuating circumstances there will be no rearrangement of games. If a Club considers it has sufficient cause for a rearrangement a case is to be submitted in writing to the ECCL League chairman within 10 days of the date of the fixture. The decision of the ECCL Chairman will be passed to the CE League Chairman and the CE Director of Cricket and such decision will be final and no appeal will be allowed. 

F3.       If at any stage in a game a team refuses to play when instructed to do so by the Umpires, 20 points shall be awarded to the other team. 

F4.       If at any stage in a game both teams refuse to play when instructed to do so by the Umpires, no points shall be awarded to either team and 20 points will be deducted from both sides. 

F5.       In order to commence a match a side must have a minimum of six players available in order to start the fixture. 

F6.       Playing a non CE registered player shall incur a 10 point deduction. 

F7.       The Home Team failing to send Match Report Form to Secretary within 72 hours shall incur a 4 point deduction. 

F8.       Failing to provide a scorer will not incur a points deduction, but it is recommend that a designated scorer be provided by the home team. The scorer is to ensure that full names are entered in the scorebook. In the absence of a scorer the responsibility for the scorebooks completion and presentation to the Umpires for signing lies with the home team captain.   

F9.    Batting bonus points will be awarded as follows: 

         a. 1 (one) point for the first 50 runs scored, then an additional 1 point for every

            50 runs scored subject to a maximum of 5 points i.e. a total of 250 runs scored. 

1. Additionally, when the side batting second and winning the game, has to score less than 250 runs, points shall be awarded based on the following 

 F10.  In addition to batting bonus points, bowling bonus points will be awarded as follows: 

             a. 1 (one) point for every 2 wickets taken to a maximum of 5 points. 

F11.     The team qualifying as Regional Div 2 Champions will be the team that finishes with the highest number of points.  In the event of a tie in the number of points between two or more teams, the team that has won the most games shall be the League Champions. In the event of a tie in the number of games won, the team with the higher (or highest) Net Run Rate shall qualify. Net Run Rate (NRR) is calculated as follows:

   NRR = Runs scored x Wickets taken divided by Runs conceded x Wickets lost

G.        MEDIA COVERAGE 

G1.      The Home Team shall be responsible for completing the Match Report Form and sending it to the CE Secretary within 72 hours of the match being completed by post (Correos) or by electronic mail.

03/11/2013 ECCL Committee

THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH ECCL DIVISION TWO (CENTRAL) PLAYING CONDITIONS (40 OVERS) PART TWO.