North West Cricket League
1. TITLE & CONSTITUTION
1. 1. TITLE & CONSTITUTION
The League shall be called NORTH WEST CRICKET LEAGUE.
2. The divisional structure will be as follows:-
3. The PREMIER SECTION will consist of the 1st Elevens of the Premier Clubs and will consist of 2 Divisions; The Premiership &
The Championship. There will be promotion and relegation between the two Divisions on a 2 up, 2 down basis.
4. The CONFERENCE SECTON will consist of 2nd Elevens from the Premier Section Clubs, together with the 1st & 2nd Elevens of
Conference Section Clubs and will consist of 3 divisions. There will be promotion and relegation between the three Divisions on
a 2 up, 2 down basis.
5. The DEVELOPMENT SECTION will consist of one division containing 3rd & 4th teams.
6. There will be no promotion or relegation between the 3 Sections.
7. Upon joining the League all clubs will be required to lodge a sum of £400 with the League Treasurer in the form of a Bond. The
Bond will be repayable after the club has completed 3 seasons in the League and has not, at that date, tendered their resignation
from the league.
8. Any club which is expelled from the League, or which ceases to be a member of the League, shall at once forfeit any rights to
participate in the assets of the League.
9. THE LAWS OF CRICKET 2022 Edition shall apply.
10. THE STRUCTURE OF THE LEAGUE FOR 2023 WILL BE AGREED BY THE LEAGUE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO
FACILITATE THE INTEGRATION INTO THE ABOVE STRUCTURE FOR 2024.
(nb:- the above line deleted from the rules at the end of 2023 season)
2. MANAGEMENT
1. The League shall be governed by an Executive Committee consisting of a President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary,
Treasurer, Umpires Secretary, Registrations Secretary, Assistant Secretary, League Safeguarding Officer, Deputy Safeguarding
Officer, Chief Development Officer, Junior Section Development Officer, Youth League Chair, Deputy Youth League Chair,
Umpires Appointments Secretary, Disciplinary Secretary, Disciplinary Officer, League Administrator, Press Officer & Social Media
Secretary.
2. The Hon. Officials shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election if they so wish.
3. Unless otherwise agreed, The Executive Committee will 12 times a year on a monthly basis. They will also meet 6 times a year
with a representative from each member club in attendance on a bi-monthly basis.
4. The Hon. Auditor and Hon. Solicitor shall be elected annually but shall not be ex-officio members of the League Executive
Committee.
5. The Chairman of a meeting shall be entitled to a casting vote if this is required.
6. The League Executive Committee may delegate its powers to a sub-committee.
7. Emergency Committee. Any five League Officials to form a League Emergency Committee.
8. The League Selection Committee shall consist of at least two members elected for this purpose following the receipt of
nominations.
9. The League Executive Committee, or any member club, shall have the power to nominate to the League A.G.M. the name of any
person who by his/her meritorious service, for and on behalf of the League itself, shall be considered suitable to be granted
Honorary Life Membership of the League. Such Honorary Life Members shall be invited to special League functions and shall be
eligible to attend all meetings of the League, but without voting powers.
The League Secretary shall, on the written request of any Club Secretary, stating the business to be transacted, within 21 days,
call a meeting of the League Executive Committee and in the event of the business being considered by the Committee as trivial
or unimportant, the Club so requesting the meeting shall pay the cost of the meeting.
11. League Officials shall be paid such expenses as are agreed by the League Executive Committee, following their submission to the League Treasurer.
12. Any action taken by a member Club which shall bring the League into disrepute shall be punishable as the League Disciplinary
Committee shall decide.
13. Any contravention of the rules herein contained shall entail such punishment as specified in the Rules itself.
14. Any decision of the League Executive Committee and in relation to sanctions only decisions by the League Executive may be
the subject of an appeal. Any such appeal must be made in writing and submitted to the League Secretary within 7 days of the
original decision, accompanied by a cheque for £25 payable to the North West Cricket League which amount will be refunded in
the event of such Appeal being successful. If the appeal is unsuccessful the club is responsible for the cost of the appeal hearing.
15. The Secretary will forward details of the appeal to all clubs and the appeal will be heard at the next meeting of the League
Executive Committee, unless the Secretary believes the matter needs to be determined at an earlier hearing.
16. If an earlier hearing is needed the Secretary will call such a meeting not less than 7 days after the appeal is lodged. ALL club
representatives will be invited to attend and vote at any appeal hearing, subject to the following. Members of the League Executive
Committee will not be allowed to vote at any appeal meeting.
17. Appeals In all cases of appeal to the Committee the representatives of neither the appealing Club, nor the ones of those appealed
against will be allowed to vote. The Chairman for the time being of the Committee shall not vote except in the case of an equality
of votes when he shall be entitled to exercise a casting vote. Disciplinary Appeals will be as per ECB Regulations.
18. The decision taken at such an appeal will be FINAL and there is no further right of appeal.
19. The League Executive is empowered to investigate ways of accommodating Clubs whose Leagues may be disbanding, also any
Club who may be interested in joining the League.
20. The Hon. League Treasurer WILL impose a 20% levy on ANY account not paid within TWELVE WEEKS of his issuing the
ACCOUNT.
21. A list of fines from non-compliance with League Rules will were practical be submitted to the Clubs on a monthly basis. The Clubs
will then have until the next League Executive meeting to pay such fine or at the discretion of the League Executive the fine will
be doubled.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS
1. A General Meeting of the League shall be held annually on the last Monday in November. At the Meeting a Statement
of Accounts, duly audited, shall be presented, Officers elected, Rules amended, and such other business transacted
as may be deemed desirable: Notices of motion for inclusion in Agenda must be forwarded to reach the Secretary
not later than 30th September in each year. The rules of the League may only be altered at an A.G.M. or Special
General Meeting.
2. Any proposition to the League Secretary for the League A.G.M. shall only be accepted for the Agenda if there is a
Seconder for it, in writing, subject to the same deadline. Notice of any proposed alterations for discussion at the
A.G.M. shall be forwarded to the Secretary of each Club by October 31st. Amendments to such proposals for the
A.G.M. shall be received by the Secretary with a Seconder in writing by 14th November.
3. Voting entitlement at an (Annual) General Meeting is as follows:
a) One vote to each Club.
b) One vote to the Umpires’ Representative.
c) One vote to the Junior League Representative.
d) The Chairman of such meeting shall not vote except in the case of an equality of votes when he shall be entitled
to exercise a casting vote.
e) No member Club which has applied for membership of another League shall be entitled to vote on resolutions
laid before any Annual General Meeting whilst such application is pending.
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS
1. A Special General meeting may be called by the Secretary of the League providing that notice of the Meeting together with
notice of such business to be considered at the Meeting, shall be given to all Member Clubs not less than 21 days prior to
the date fixed for the Meeting.
2. Requests for matters to be considered at a Special General Meeting shall be submitted to the League Secretary in writing
and will only be accepted if the request/matter is seconded.
3. Any amendment to the proposals for discussion at an S.G.M. shall be provided to the League Secretary, duly seconded, not
less than 14 days before the date fixed for the S.G.M.
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4. Voting at an S.G.M. shall be as in Rule 3 (3).
4. LEAGUE MEMBERSHIP
1. Any Club joining the League shall pay an Entrance Fee of £25.
2. Subscriptions shall be of such amounts as the League Executive Committee shall, from time to time, decide.
3. The League Executive Committee shall have power considered necessary to accept Clubs into membership of the League,
subject to ratification by the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting of the League.
4. Any member Club wishing to approach another League with a view to possible membership of that League, shall first obtain
written permission from the League Secretary. Such permission shall not be interpreted as resignation or dismissal and shall be
granted within 7 days unless the Club has failed to fulfil its financial obligations to the League or has failed to observe the Rules
of membership.
5. Any member Club intending to resign its membership of the League shall inform the League Secretary, in writing, by 30th June
of its final season of membership.
6. Any Club in membership of the North West Cricket League irrespective of Division, must enter its 1st XI as its premier team,
playing in the League.
7. New Applicants:
a) If a new club applies to join the League, consideration will be given by the League Executive Committee as to whether they
fulfil appropriate criteria for joining the League and in particular the Premier Section.
b) The criteria for admission to the League will be determined from time to time by the League Executive Committee but will
include the Ground/Playing area, Club facilities – changing rooms, umpires’ rooms and refreshment facilities and the
standard of cricket previously played (this list is not exhaustive).
c) Subject to fulfilling the above criteria, a club that would be of appropriate standard to join the Premier Section of the League,
may be admitted to the Premier Section. If there are Two Divisions of the Premier Section, then the club entering the League
in this way will join the lower division of the Premier Section.
d) In such a case the club’s 2nd XI will join the lower division of the Conference Section. If it is felt that a club warrants entry to
the League, but that their first team is not suitable for entry into the Premier Section, then it will be open to the League to
admit such a club, allowing both the club’s 1st and 2nd XIs to join the Conference Section. In that situation, both the club’s
1st XI and 2nd XI will join the lower division of the Conference Section.
e) Relegation and promotion places would be adjusted accordingly to balance up the number of clubs in the leagues if there is
a new member/s. Such balancing exercise must be agreed by the League Executive Committee following a successful
application for entry to the League.
