Meggies awarded Lincs title pennant

CLEETHORPES Cricket Club has received another award to add to the extensive collection at Chichester Road headquarters.

The coveted green and gold pennant for winning the Division One championship of the Lincolnshire County Cricket League was presented to Meggies' third team representative Paul Sunley during the mid-winter meeting of clubs in Market Rasen.

Stamford Homes' Mick Barton was named secretary of the year, while the award for the best performance in a single match went to South Kelsey's Sri Lankan all-rounder Chandi Wathukarage for scoring 100 and taking five for 18 in a Premier Division match against Horncastle.

Among those also nominated were: Gary Bierlein, 62 and 5-46, Market Rasen v Keelby, Division Two; Gary Bierlein, 52 and 7-61, Market Rasen v Hykeham, Division Two; Ed Bosworth, 88 and 5-25, Nettleham v Grimsby Town, Division One; Chris Hammond, 64 and 8-10, Hykeham v Holton-le-Clay, Division Two; Rob Young, 56 and 6-31, Haxey v Barton Town, Division Three.

Nathan Poundall, captain of Premier Division champions Hartsholme, took the trophy for most improved player under-21.

Also nominated were Market Rasen's Luke Robinson and Outcasts' Jamie Belton.

The joint Lincolnshire League and Grimsby League dinner and presentation evening will be held on Thursday, March 18 at Blundell Park.

This summer will see team captains in all sections of the Lincolnshire League, rather than just the Premier Division, awarding marks to their match umpires. Any below six out of 10 will have to be accompanied by a letter of explanation to the league from the club giving the low mark.

The introduction of the more extensive marking system was requested by the three associations appointing officials to matches.

The meeting also agreed a £2-a-game increase in umpiring expenses. And Gordon Turner, representing the Grimsby and District Umpires' Association, informed clubs that match officials must now oversee the tossing of the coin by captains to decide choice of innings – a new instruction from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

League chairman Bob Welton said he wished to place on record his thanks to all officials throughout the county.

"We are looked after very well by our umpires," he said.

A full debate was held on the benefits and possible difficulties if the Lincolnshire League decides to introduce an online system for recording all its match scorecards and handling player registrations, rather than the traditional method of completing sheets and forms.

Mark Atkins (Haxey), who helped introduce this digital switchover at a senior league in South Yorkshire, gave an informative presentation to the meeting and explained how the system worked, stressing many benefits.

Having carried out online tests using information from some of last season's games, league statistician Andy Sharp (Keelby) then outlined possible pitfalls and difficulties.

A lengthy discussion followed, with many questions being raised and answered.

The majority of club representatives seemed in favour of the online system. However, the league chairman pointed out it could not happen for the 2010 season, as changes to rules would be required – and that could only be achieved at an annual meeting.