(h) If a club fails to provide an umpire for the whole match (including when a requested panel appointment cannot be made) the club will be deducted five points. If, in the week prior to the match, a previously appointed panel umpire has to withdraw or is withdrawn from standing in the match no points deduction will be made. (i) Umpires appointed to stand in Division 3 fixtures are encouraged to have passed either the Association of Cricket Umpires & Scorers GL6 course or the ECB Association of Cricket Officials Level 1 course. For all matches (j) Teams in all divisions are strongly encouraged to provide umpires. (k) Where players are required to stand as an umpire, only as a last resort should players aged under eighteen umpire any part of a match unless qualified as an umpire or by agreement between both captains. Where possible, anyone aged under eighteen who is asked to umpire should stand only at the striker’s end with an adult at the bowler’s end. (l) All teams are encouraged to provide a scorer for the duration of the match.
11. Reporting of Match Results (a) Results shall be reported to the League by the home club texting to 07800 008108 (details outlined elsewhere in this handbook). (b) The home club is responsible for reporting the result to the Results Secretary. Failure to report the result by the Sunday 10pm deadline will result in the league imposing a five point penalty on the offending club. (c) Additionally, for Division 3 matches only, it is the duty of both teams to report on the failure of a club to provide an umpire. (d) All scorecards are to be recorded on the Play-Cricket website by the home team no later than 11pm of the Tuesday following the match. Failure to comply with this rule will incur a £10 fine. (e) In the event of a cancelled match, only the home team has to notify the League. Failure to report the result or the full names of the umpires will result in the League imposing a £10.00 fine on the offending club. Also a five point deduction will be imposed on any club that has failed to provide an umpire for the duration of the match, except as provided for in Playing Rule 10(h). (f) Any club fielding an unregistered player will be deducted all points gained in that fixture plus a further ten points (two points for Development Division fixtures). (g) All fines levied by the League will be published on a weekly basis, together with the League tables. Any club that believes there are grounds to dispute any fine levied must do so within six days of publication. Otherwise the fine will be added to the Club’s Statement of Account and will become payable at the end of the season when there will be no further opportunity to dispute the fine. (h) Any player correctly registered on Play-Cricket and time-stamped prior to 11am on the day of the match will be eligible to play that day. 12
12. Refusal to Play Clubs refusing to fulfil engagements and/or obligations shall be dealt with as the League Management Committee decides.
13. Pitches (a) The pitch may be completely covered at any time; this includes any interruption of play. (b) The League recommends that suitable covers be made available and used where appropriate.
14. Unable to Raise a Side (a) In the event of a club being unable to fulfil a fixture, thirty points will be awarded to the non-offending team and ten points will be deducted from the offending team. (b) Any club that fails to honour two League fixtures during the course of a season will face an automatic vote on their continued membership at the following League Annual General Meeting. (c) In the event of a club not being able to field the requisite number of teams, that club must honour the higher team’s fixture. If on that particular day it is a ‘double header’ between two clubs, the club with two elevens may request the remaining fixture to be played at home. (d) Where the club that fails to raise a side only has one team, the return match will be played at the nonoffending club’s ground (if that is the wish of the non-offending club). If the offending club is unable to fulfil the return match the points deduction will be doubled. (e) A side that is unable to raise a team in Premier to Division 5 can choose to still honour a Development XI fixture in preference to the higher eleven fixture. This doesn’t prevent the club suffering a points deduction for not honouring a fixture.
15. Discipline The League will conduct its disciplinary procedures in accordance with the principles adopted by Bedfordshire Cricket Ltd, augmented by the following: (a) All clubs and their members are subject to The English Cricket Board’s Disciplinary Rules, Code of Conduct and Guidelines on the Conduct of Hearing and Appeals. (b) Clubs may not select players who are subject to a ban imposed by the League or Bedfordshire Cricket Ltd for any game during the period of that ban. The League shall inform clubs of any such bans as soon as possible. A breach of this requirement renders the club liable to the League’s disciplinary procedures. The League’s disciplinary process will be guided by the English Cricket Board’s Sentencing Guidelines-Recreational Game (October 2000) or any subsequent edition and Directive 2.6-Fixed Penalties.