Foreword

It was thirty years ago (that’s a Pearl Jubilee for those who have an anniversary this year) when the two senior cricket leagues in Hertfordshire merged to form the new Hertfordshire Cricket League with 75 clubs in four divisions at 1st, 2nd and two 3rd XI divisions.

Six years later, Saracens became our Sponsor and gave us the wherewithal to build a strategy and structure to support clubs in their development over the years, starting with an innovative project to provide free helmets to every club in the first year of mandatory wearing of helmets for juniors. Here we are, in 2023, with 100 clubs, 28 divisions, 279 teams, 13,000 registered players, 350 qualified umpires and 80 qualified scorers. Not a bad record.

Right now, costs on all fronts are at their most challenging, and we will do well to manage through these difficult times. For example, the cost of cricket balls for 2023 has reached £80,000 and the cost of panel umpires now exceeds £45,000 for those top teams using the panel. Add the cost of equipment and maintenance, groundstaff, pavilion management and administration and we will all have to find ways to mitigate as much of that outlay as possible.

In a nutshell, that cost conundrum is high up the list of responsibilities the League Executive is expected to address with the advice, guidance and funding from our governing bodies, and why we must develop a direction of travel that meets those aims. Structure, match formats, reduced travel, and complying with the ever-changing regulations to keep us safe and legal, are some of the key elements we have to consider, and why we have implemented some of the changes in the last five-year spell.

Barry Hellewell’s extensive Secretary’s Report on page 80 looks back at 2022, and rightly raises growing concerns on staffing and usage of grounds, the growing number of match concessions in the lower divisions and worries about on and off-field matters which we must not ignore. The following paragraphs are my comments which pick up Barry’s thoughts and are for discussion at our Exec meetings and no doubt reflected in coming surveys. In terms of the general structure, we operate as a true pyramid, as opposed to a structure in other leagues with divisions for the different XIs, and for now we believe that our approach works for the majority. There are ongoing thoughts about division(s) for single-team clubs with a route into the main structure, more divisions to become regionalised, and we have formalised a structure for friendly matches for those teams that have no ground or opponent on a Saturday due to drop-outs or ground issues. There are also now options in some of the lower divisions to switch a match from Saturday to the Sunday to “get the game on”. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to match formats. Feedback tells us that the Premier divisions like the split of timed and overs matches, and the remainder prefer overs matches with different lengths and start times, so no change for the coming season, but time will determine whether future changes are needed.

I spotted this headline for a Sunday Times article in March : “ Is IPL taking the game to a new level or is it just a vulgar monstrosity?”. The IPL is 15 years old now but does still divide views. However, the fact that some of the player skills have transferred to County and Test cricket with great success has surprised many a traditionalist, so the ever-increasing number of national versions of the IPL remain in the fixture lists and are here to stay. It seems clear from our league experience that our Premier divisions like the T20 format as a warm up weekend and a chance to progress to becoming national champions. However, the lower divisions have been lukewarm at the option to play in a league T20 competition (only 20% of teams apply, due to other choices) so we will see how 2023 pans out. Other formats, such as 15-15 or 10-10, are trialling in other counties, as is The Hundred, so we have to keep an open mind. The lifeblood and potential survival of clubs and our sport relies on a healthy intake of youngsters every year, and that entails a club structure that needs to find managers and coaches to support that section. Easier said than done, with qualified coaches in short supply, but there are courses every year via the County, and I urge you to make every effort to use that resource. To that end, the links between club and schools remain a valuable way to generate and foster a lasting interest in cricket for both parties. The revival of the Development Divisions project did not get off the ground last year due to clashes with school timetables, so we are trying again. Essentially it is for interested clubs to address the challenge of trying to give more young players a chance to hone their skills and learn in a team including three or four senior players. As said many times, your young players are your future, and they are quick to vote with their feet if you ignore them.

Winter training courses for umpires and scorers are going well again, and, although numbers are lower than previous years, we are encouraged by new recruits in recent weeks. We need all clubs, especially those using panel umpires, to find suitable recruits to support the panel.

Our financial position remains very healthy and is again primarily thanks to Nigel Wray and Saracens for their continued backing as our Prime Sponsor since 2000, and we work with them to promote their brand while helping your club to reduce running costs by various means. Good governance requires us to keep a significant reserve in place for any unseen circumstances, so we are bringing back the annual subscription, but considering ways to return financial benefit back to clubs by way of credits, such as a return percentage of ball-order costs. Thank you, Nigel, for your vision and help with the development of our league.

Kookaburra Readers has now been with us as our supplier of sponsored league balls for over 20 years, and for funding our T20 and Trophy competitions. Neil Pullen and his team are great supporters and their sustained backing of our league is another reason for our financial health.

Please feel free to contact any of us on the Executive if you have any questions or ideas for us to consider, and with an eye on succession planning, please let us know if you are prepared to take on a role on one of our committees. It is vital that we stay in touch with the views of players and administrators alike.

I said it last year, but I strongly advise that the management team in every club makes sure that its players and members are fully aware of the new regulations on and off the field (for example EDI, Safeguarding, the Non-Discrimination Code, and the revised ECB General Conduct Regulations) and to ask questions if there is anything you don’t understand. Finally, my personal thanks go in particular to the members of our hard-working Executive Committee and its sub-committees. On behalf of your Executive, I also pay tribute to the scores of volunteers who keep your club running, and on whose efforts you are so reliant. Enjoy your season once the rain stops and the jet stream behaves.

Tony Johnson Chairman