Harlow Town 1's

[bearski]

Just a quick thing, maybe i missed it in the hubbub of Christmas and what have you, but is it true that Harlow Town 1's have come straight into Div 4?? I know their 3rds got promoted into 4(at least i think they did), but did i miss an announcement to say that the 1's would swap with them and take their place, just seems like a bit of a slap in the face for the 3rds to me!!!!

[paul]

Just a quick thing, maybe i missed it in the hubbub of Christmas and what have you, but is it true that Harlow Town 1's have come straight into Div 4?? I know their 3rds got promoted into 4(at least i think they did), but did i miss an announcement to say that the 1's would swap with them and take their place, just seems like a bit of a slap in the face for the 3rds to me!!!!How Harlow Town manage their teams is really down to them. I believe that the 1st XI classification is more one of convienience than anything. I'm sure someone from Harlow Town will chip in to clarify, but they have made no secret of the fact that since joining the league they want the focus of the club to be in our league. It makes sense to name the sides accordingly. Details of the sides joining and how the vacant positions were filled are in the minutes of the last meeting. They are on my ever expanding list of info to move or post here. As soon as I have I'll point to it. :arrow:

[Aldo]

Yes it is true our 1st XI will be playing in Div 4 and our 2nd XI playing in Div 6 of the HECL. We hope that in the near future our 3rd XI will also be able to participate in the league, hopefully in a new Div 8.

This was reported recently in the Harlow Star...


THERE will be no competitive cricket for Harlow Town's third team this season.</P>

It has been forced to play friendlies after its place in division four of the Ten-17FM Herts &amp;amp; Essex League was usurped by its senior team.</P>

The Ash Tree Field club has quit the Lords International Essex League, taking its first two teams into the Herts &amp;amp; Essex League.</P>

The club's first team will start life in division four, while the seconds will be in division six.</P>

But Stuart Alderson, who was captain of last season's third team when they won division five, holds no grudges. He will run the club's U-15 and U-16 teams this season after standing down as captain. He said: "It was a unanimous decision (at the club's annual meeting last week) and received a lot of support.</P>

"The third team had hardly anybody between 18 and 40. The youngsters are going to be going for second team places."</P>

He added: "Over the last two or three years our first and second teams have lost their enthusiasm. The wickets and grounds will be better in this league."</P>

First team skipper Vic Goddard, the acting headteacher at Passmores School, explained: "We were playing on under-prepared surfaces where if a batsman went forward he did not know if the ball was going to shoot along the ground or go over his shoulder.

Our plan has always been to have our 1's 2's and 3's playing league Cricket in the HECL league. We decided a few years back to put the 3rd XI in to "hopefully" move up a couple of leagues before swapping in the 1's. I don't think anyone in the league would have benefited from our 1's starting in Div 6.



We are very much enjoying our cricket in this league and hopfully over the next few years our 1's 2's and 3's find their level in the league.



I have to say as 3rd XI captain last year, I do not find this a "slap in the face". It's about having plans for your club and following them through over a number of years. The 3rd XI did what was asked of them and won back to back promotions. We do not have&amp;nbsp;1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI and 4th XI squad. All members of the club aspire to play at the highest standard possible within the club and if your good enough regardless of age then you are given a chance. We have some great youngsters coming through and they will be pushing for 2nd and in some cases 1st XI selection this year. We run ourselves as a "CLUB" and not simply a series of teams, might sound a bit bullish but it's true.



It is a great shame that the 3rd XI will have no league cricket this year, but hopefully it is o&amp;shy;nly a short term problem.

[Aldo]

Crickey.... that format of that last post looked very different before I submitted it!

[paul]

Crickey.... that format of that last post looked very different before I submitted it!I'll sort that. There are still some teething problems with the new software that I'm sorting. :shock:

[bearski]

I wouldn't get your hopes up on the wickets being much better!!!(cue an avalanche of protests) But ours certainly isn't brilliant(and i do the wicket!!). But surely that is part of the game, a levelling of the playing field so to speak, any decent player will adapt to any wicket i guess. Well. i wish everyone the best of luck for the forthcoming season anyway, just hope the weather gets a bit warmer

[paul]

I wouldn't get your hopes up on the wickets being much better!!!(cue an avalanche of protests) But ours certainly isn't brilliant(and i do the wicket!!). But surely that is part of the game, a levelling of the playing field so to speak, any decent player will adapt to any wicket i guess. Well. i wish everyone the best of luck for the forthcoming season anyway, just hope the weather gets a bit warmer And how many clubs are behind on ground prep this year with the horrible weather of late. I know we are at Thorley and we have always been complimented on how well our strip plays.

With Bob, doing the groundkeep at Stortford football club this year we're a bit worried about the markings this year, penalty spots on a length etc.


hopefully in a new Div 8. That would be Division 7 I hope Aldo. Division 8 would be a ways off yet I would think. Tue the league are actively seeking clubs to form a Division 7 this year due to number of applications over the last few years but I would think a period of consolidation would be in order after that. The league has grown immensely over the last four years both on and off the field. We would need to think hard before expanding further and plan very carefully.

As to Harlow town I think they have managed the transition from one league to another in very admirable fashion. Its hard to keep players enthusiasm and commitment when you are forced to join at a lower level than the club probably warrants. Well done and good luck for the future to you and all clubs in our league.

[Aldo]

Thanks Paul,

post looks much better now

Bearski, let me assure you we have played on some "shockers" over the past few years

The other league also gave us some travel issues and the general spirit in which the games were played was appaling.

From my initial two seasons in the HECL (with one or two expections on the spirit front :wink: ) we will be much better off

[paul]

Thanks Paul,

post looks much better now

Bearski, let me assure you we have played on some "shockers" over the past few years

The other league also gave us some travel issues and the general spirit in which the games were played was appaling.

From my initial two seasons in the HECL (with one or two expections on the spirit front :wink: ) we will be much better offNo problem,

My experience of other leagues is the same number of good and bad wickets. What is very different is the spirit in which the cricket is played, its something our league should be proud of and make sure that we maintain. Also the amount of traveling that the lesser clubs have to do. Our last season in the Saracens league for our 2nd XI they gave us 10 away fixtures and 4 at home hardly sustainable for a side of colts and Dads. :x

[jelski]

willow beaters and stort 1s the good old days cant wait sure you guys will do well but please tell me what level was your 1s playing at last year and how would you class that standard against the teams you are going to be playing this year...........

[paul]

willow beaters and stort 1s the good old days cant wait sure you guys will do well but please tell me what level was your 1s playing at last year and how would you class that standard against the teams you are going to be playing this year...........Nah Willow Beaters vs Big Box THAT was the fixture to play in all those years ago. Nigel spanking EB all round the park while Wags and Toppo fought over the last Rizlas and warm cider. How we ever finished I'll never know. Happy days.

I think however Harlow Town choose to move leagues they are going to be strong for the first few years. Thats not their own fault but a product of our policy not to parachute teams. Other clubs have done it in the past and I'm sure Harlow Town will find their level and contribute greatly to the standard of cricket in the league and the manner in which it is played. I for one look forward to being thrashed by their two's instead of their fours this year. May ask to play in the ones that week, after all the two's don't use me effectively anyway :lol:

[Aldo]

Jelski,

It's difficult to judge the various leagues and the "standard" within each. I guess we will find out over the next few seasons. I have been generally impressed with the standard of teams we have played against in the first two seasons though.

Paul, I don't think our 3rd xi has actually thrashed anyone (with perhaps the exception of Hockerill III's ;-)). We finished runner up in Div 6 and then again in Div 5 and I'd like to think we have made a few new friends along the way.

I seem to remember we were quite lucky against Thorley twice in our first season, tons from me are as rare as rocking horse sh!t and you were unlucky to be on the receiving end of one in the first match and I think I might have nicked 4 or 5 wickets in the second match to win the game..... perhaps I should just play against you boys every week :lol:

Opps, just remembered I have officially retired!

:cry:

[paul]

lPaul, I don't think our 3rd xi has actually thrashed anyone (with perhaps the exception of Hockerill III's ;-)). We finished runner up in Div 6 and then again in Div 5 and I'd like to think we have made a few new friends along the way.

I seem to remember we were quite lucky against Thorley twice in our first season, tons from me are as rare as rocking horse sh!t and you were unlucky to be on the receiving end of one in the first match and I think I might have nicked 4 or 5 wickets in the second match to win the game..... perhaps I should just play against you boys every week :lol:

Opps, just remembered I have officially retired!

:cry:Hah got you there cos I was playing in the one's that week. You would have had a double ton and an extra wicket if I had been playing for the two's. Last time I played you boys was in the other league and I got a few against some young bowler that had obviously been trained to throw the javelin:roll:

Seriously yes we've always had good contests against Harlow Town and played excellent spirit. I look forward to our meeting this year. You'll have to join the back of the line if you want to play us every week.

[shrekkie]

Oops, just remembered I have officially retired!

Retired, NO!!! Retiring lasts forever, you don't wanna do that until you are at least 89 years and 364 days old. Cricket is life as we know it (except if Liz is reading this in which case "Liz, you are of course what makes life complete"). If anyone notices I have a black eye at the spring GM, it'll be because she didn't quite understand the comparison!!

[Plumester]

"If anyone notices I have a black eye at the spring GM, it'll be because she didn't quite understand the comparison!!"

either that or youve run into Christian again !

[Aldo]

Although I might turn out for the 3's or 4's against Nazeing II's if we are short.

[Ship2Shore]

Jelski,

Paul, I don't think our 3rd xi has actually thrashed anyone (with perhaps the exception of Hockerill III's ;-)). We finished runner up in Div 6 and then again in Div 5 and I'd like to think we have made a few new friends along the way.

Its good that you single us out for special mention, just checking are you refering to the time when you beat us by 13 runs or the time where you managed to beat 10 young boys? You must be so proud!

Also now you are in the league I glad that you can now have a clear message, as whoever I spoke to from Harlow who attended the AGM seemed 'unsure' which teams will be entering the league, when I challenged him on the miss match of strength of Harlow first's and second's playing in division 4 &amp; 6 respectively.[/quote]

[woppow]

Jelski,

Paul, I don't think our 3rd xi has actually thrashed anyone (with perhaps the exception of Hockerill III's ;-)). We finished runner up in Div 6 and then again in Div 5 and I'd like to think we have made a few new friends along the way.

Its good that you single us out for special mention, just checking are you refering to the time when you beat us by 13 runs or the time where you managed to beat 10 young boys? You must be so proud!

Also now you are in the league I glad that you can now have a clear message, as whoever I spoke to from Harlow who attended the AGM seemed 'unsure' which teams will be entering the league, when I challenged him on the miss match of strength of Harlow first's and second's playing in division 4 &amp; 6 respectively. Would that be the same ten young boys playing in the !st's and 2nd's that got relegated from their respective divisions? Or the 11 "weak" players you sent down for a Sunday fixture including 3 1st teamers, a season or so ago that racked up 300 plus against our young players and laughed as they tried to chase them. Funniest thing was watching Bob M and Paul W bat out the last 20 overs without scoring a single run just to complete the draw. Never heard you lot so quiet:lol: Look forward to this years games

[paul]

Guys, Lets keep things civil. The season hasn't started yet lets put a lid on the bitching.

[Aldo]

Jelski,

Paul, I don't think our 3rd xi has actually thrashed anyone (with perhaps the exception of Hockerill III's ;-)). We finished runner up in Div 6 and then again in Div 5 and I'd like to think we have made a few new friends along the way.

Its good that you single us out for special mention, just checking are you refering to the time when you beat us by 13 runs or the time where you managed to beat 10 young boys? You must be so proud!

Also now you are in the league I glad that you can now have a clear message, as whoever I spoke to from Harlow who attended the AGM seemed 'unsure' which teams will be entering the league, when I challenged him on the miss match of strength of Harlow first's and second's playing in division 4 &amp; 6 respectively.[/quote]



Couple of pionts, firstly there was no intent on disrespecting Hockerill III's I was trying to point that in fact we had NOT run through teams with ease. I agree that on the particular day we beat Hockerill by 198 runs with one of our 14 years old's scoring 134 runs we were much stringer than the opposition. We did as always make a game of it as is our way and used two opening bowlers with a combined age of 25 and for other bowlers over 40 years of age. The game was played in good spirit and your lads stayed around for a beer after (or a glass of coke). At no point did we ever or will we ever disrespect any team we play against.

Secondly, the reason we were unsure at the HECL AGM, I believe, is that we had not had our own AGM, where the decision on what Harlow Town teams would play in which league would be decided. At that point we were still undecided on whether we should pull out of the Lords League. As you can imagine this was a lengthy debate at our AGM and our members voted unanimously to put our 1's and 2's into the HECL and drop out of the Lords League.

[Ship2Shore]

We decided a few years back to put the 3rd XI in to "hopefully" move up a couple of leagues before swapping in the 1's. [/quote]

[peterfrancis]

so just to check if we(Hockerill) wanted to put our 1st XI into Div 6 this year so to get our 3rds up the league and our 2nds into Div2 to hopefully keep our 1,s in there for following season and our 3rds into Div4 thats ok.

[paul]

so just to check if we(Hockerill) wanted to put our 1st XI into Div 6 this year so to get our 3rds up the league and our 2nds into Div2 to hopefully keep our 1,s in there for following season and our 3rds into Div4 thats ok.Yep, nothing to stop you selecting club members to play in any of your sides. The only thing you can't do is give preference to the 2nds or 3rds by canceling a 1st Ix fixture, rule 11b. Whether that is the best approach for your club and the needs of its members only you as a club can decide, and whether it would achieve those ends is another debate.

There is little that I see that Harlow town have done that is improper. They have from the start made it clear they wanted to move all their league activities to our league. They could have entered a much stronger XI to begin with. Instead they have chosen to try to place a team that would compete at the level they played at maintaining competitive cricket for their members and opponents alike. If they see the time as right for them to play their 1st XI in Division 4 so be it. What would we have them do play their 3rd or fourths in Division 4 and their 1st or 2nds in division 6??

[gladders]

Have to agree with Paul,

Having recently left after playing for many years with Harlow Town (Stort) the time was right for the club to move leagues

Ideally the club would have liked to have gone in at a higher level than div 4 but that would have been grossly unfair to those clubs who have already been in the league for a while.

HTCC will want to progess through the leagues and too find their level as quickly as possible and the only way to do this is to play the strongest team

In an ideal world it may would have been great to wait another couple of years but if you had suffered the amount of cheating, abuse, shocking puplic parks gounds and general bad behaviour HTCC have experienced over the past 10 years you will appreciate why the club has decided to move i.e playing on nice grounds and decent clubs on a saturday

[Aldo]

We decided a few years back to put the 3rd XI in to "hopefully" move up a couple of leagues before swapping in the 1's. [/quote]

Yes, that is what we said to the HECL AGM 3 years ago when we joined.

And you question is?

[peterfrancis]

yes Paul I agree with most of what u say but what if S/loughton or Theydon Bois 1s or even ourselves got relegated and there 2nds did well and got promoted through the leagues and went above them your saying that they could then say right we are going to put our 1st teams back into the higher leagues , won't that make a mockery of the league system because in a way this is what Harlow are doing(not the mockery) I am looking forward to playing harlow town weather 1st,2nds,or 3rds but just fill that the league should make sure they set there stall out right.

[Aldo]

yes Paul I agree with most of what u say but what if S/loughton or Theydon Bois 1s or even ourselves got relegated and there 2nds did well and got promoted through the leagues and went above them your saying that they could then say right we are going to put our 1st teams back into the higher leagues , won't that make a mockery of the league system because in a way this is what Harlow are doing(not the mockery) I am looking forward to playing harlow town weather 1st,2nds,or 3rds but just fill that the league should make sure they set there stall out right.

Interesting debate, but not sure this really has anything to do with us? If we had had 3 teams in this league last year then I could see the connection, perhaps.

However, last year we had two teams in another league, this year we have no other teams in that league, and as a club our 1st XI will always be our highest placed league team. Hence our team in Div 4 becomes our 1st XI, and our team in Div 6 our second XI. Again, this was made clear to the HECL committee from the beginning.

Perhaps we should have called our HECL team which started in Div 6 then moved up to Div 5 our1st XI from the start then everyone would have been happy :) Personally I think it irrelevant what each team is called. It has always been clear what our intentions were and we have followed that path.

I think it very very very unlikely that our 2nd XI would ever overtake our 1st XI, but if they did then I guess I can start to see your point, as I said above our strongest team will always be the highest placed league team at the start of each season.

Peter, your second XI (which I assume is your second strongest side) will be playing our 1st XI (our strongest side) in Div 4. I guess there is nothing in the league rules that prevent you from selecting “your” strongest side (i.e. 1st XI) against us in those fixtures should you as a club wish to do so :)

[peterfrancis]

I can see what u are saying Stuart but when u look at who is playing in your league for the season and u see a 3rd XI side (who ever it may be) and then suddenly they are changed for a first XI team who will of course be of a much higher standard i.e thats why they play 1st XI cricket it makes u sit back a think should this be allowed but if the league are happy with this then so be we will just get on and play.And as a club we would not change our sides, so your 1st WILL play our second XI team meaning our second eleven best players after our first eleven best :D
while i am on i am trying to send Steve Coleman something u won't happen to have his home address.?

[paul]

yes Paul I agree with most of what u say but what if S/loughton or Theydon Bois 1s or even ourselves got relegated and there 2nds did well and got promoted through the leagues and went above them your saying that they could then say right we are going to put our 1st teams back into the higher leagues , won't that make a mockery of the league system because in a way this is what Harlow are doing(not the mockery) I am looking forward to playing harlow town weather 1st,2nds,or 3rds but just fill that the league should make sure they set there stall out right.I think that the best way to look at this is say that the league relies on the integrity of each club to field a side that is competitive for the level that they are at. If a clubs 2nd XI were to pass their 1st XI then you could only draw one of two conclusions. First that the clubs selection policy were not all it could be, because as you say, you should select your best XI on the day to play in the first team. If the 2nd XI are consistently better then that may not be the case. The other possible reason would be that there is a big gulf between the level of cricket between two adjacent divisions. In which case the 2nd XI would fair no better than the 1st XI. Not a situation that that I think would apply in our league. I'm not suggesting that you as a club would strengthen a team to artificially promote them to a level above their natural standard, but any club that did would I feel soon be found out.

In the case of Harlow Town they have been very upfront about their intentions and in the short term they are going to be strong. They will find their level and at the same time they will introduce a stronger level of cricket in the league as a whole and I for one welcome that, even if it means a little imbalance on the way. The trick for them is to keep their better players as they integrate into the league. Hopefully our reputation for decent spirited play will help them do that. Don't forget that clubs like Theydon Bois that you mention as well as others made the transition in just such circumstances and have had to balance the level they play at and keeping their better players at the same time. Now they hopefully have found a level that suits both them as a club and the league as a whole.

We are a relatively young league in many respects and the decision to introduce clubs at the bottom up is one that was made as a bench mark so as we didn't have to parachute clubs at the expense of existing members. Even when clubs have been entered in higher than the bottom division this has been done only when a vacancy exists and all clubs effected have been consulted.

Ultimately the purpose of the league is to allow clubs to play competitive league cricket at a level that they are comfortable with. What does it matter if you are in division 4 or division 1 if the cricket allows your club members to compete at their level. There is always going to be the possibility that some clubs are stronger than their standing for a variety of reasons. We cannot legislate for that. The wider picture is far more important as far as I see it.

[Aldo]

I can see what u are saying Stuart but when u look at who is playing in your league for the season and u see a 3rd XI side (who ever it may be) and then suddenly they are changed for a first XI team who will of course be of a much higher standard i.e thats why they play 1st XI cricket it makes u sit back a think should this be allowed but if the league are happy with this then so be we will just get on and play.And as a club we would not change our sides, so your 1st WILL play our second XI team meaning our second eleven best players after our first eleven best :D
while i am on i am trying to send Steve Coleman something u won't happen to have his home address.?

Peter,

just sent you a private message with the Colemans new address.

[Grahame]

Slightly changing the subject but if I have read the comments correctly in this forum, is it being implied that if towards the end of the season a first team is safe from relegation but your second team needs to win their last game to stay up, it's ok to select your best players in the 2nd XI and field a weaker 1st XI for that weekend?

[paul]

Slightly changing the subject but if I have read the comments correctly in this forum, is it being implied that if towards the end of the season a first team is safe from relegation but your second team needs to win their last game to stay up, it's ok to select your best players in the 2nd XI and field a weaker 1st XI for that weekend?Yep, thats right. Whether that is right for your 2nd XI, the club or the people that have to play for another season at a higher level than they may be capable is entirely down to the club involved. I know what I'd advocate.......but if you think that is the right thing for your 2nd XI regulars your entirely allowed to do that.

[Sturds]

"Slightly changing the subject but if I have read the comments correctly in this forum, is it being implied that if towards the end of the season a first team is safe from relegation but your second team needs to win their last game to stay up, it's ok to select your best players in the 2nd XI and field a weaker 1st XI for that weekend?"


"Yep, thats right. Whether that is right for your 2nd XI, the club or the people that have to play for another season at a higher level than they may be capable is entirely down to the club involved. I know what I'd advocate.......but if you think that is the right thing for your 2nd XI regulars your entirely allowed to do that."

Paul. I realise this is only your opinion but how does this fit into the Leagues ethos, as shown below and at the top of the Home page?

"it should be played not only within the Laws, but also within the Spirit of the Game. Any action which is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself."

[paul]

"

Paul. I realise this is only your opinion but how does this fit into the Leagues ethos, as shown below and at the top of the Home page?

"it should be played not only within the Laws, but also within the Spirit of the Game. Any action which is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself." I think if any club did strengthen a side just to maintain a league standing it would damage the club rather than the game,.... but that is just my "opinion" 8)

[Grahame]

Yep, thats right. Whether that is right for your 2nd XI, the club or the people that have to play for another season at a higher level than they may be capable is entirely down to the club involved. I know what I'd advocate.......but if you think that is the right thing for your 2nd XI regulars your entirely allowed to do that.

Paul, for the avoidance of doubt I want to confirm that I think it is absolutely the wrong thing for a club to artificially strengthen its second XI in the senario outlined above. I just wanted to point out that it would be possible to do so.

[paul]

Yep, thats right. Whether that is right for your 2nd XI, the club or the people that have to play for another season at a higher level than they may be capable is entirely down to the club involved. I know what I'd advocate.......but if you think that is the right thing for your 2nd XI regulars your entirely allowed to do that.

Paul, for the avoidance of doubt I want to confirm that I think it is absolutely the wrong thing for a club to artificially strengthen its second XI in the scenario outlined above. I just wanted to point out that it would be possible to do so.Grahame, I wasn't fpr a moment suggesting that your club would. Just like yourself making the point..

In fact I don't believe there are many clubs in our league that would make a decision like that.

The general feeling of the committee when it has been raised in the past is to let clubs deal with selection policy themselves. We all know how hard it is to get 11 men per side together some days. To limit them to one side within clubs is going to be hard to manage from a clubs perspective and also hard to monitor from the league perspective.

As an example last year I played both in our ones and twos. With family and work commitments we have to allow people to do so. I played several times in Division 6 against division 1 players returning from injury. We have to allow clubs to select accordingly. If a wholesale switch of players took place the league would have to judge whether the spirit of the game had been breached but only after a complaint had been received from the oppo. I still think it highly unlikely. We have a growing reputation in our league for fair play and sportsmanship that has had clubs queuing up to join us.

[Pagemaster]

I guess this just brings up the old can of worms that was raised at the end of last season again, and seems to happen every year.
This happened to us twice last year towards the end of the season. The first time was to avoid a 2nd XI being relegated and second time to help get a 2nd XI promoted.

You can say all you like about the spirit of the game, but can you honestly say that the a first team sitting very comfortably in mid-table mediocrity will not allow their players to play for a 2nd's to help promotion or relegation battles.

Just P!sses me off when we struggle as it is just to get one team out a week. Just completely defeats the object of village cricket as far as I'm concerned.

[bearski]

I agree with the last comment there Pagemaster, it does seem to defeat the object of village cricket, but i guess it isn't gonna change while there are teams with 2 or more sides in the league. Whilst it has never happened to us, i have spoken with a few players from 2nd,3rd and 4th XI's and it would seem that the majority of them would be rightly p!ssed off if they weren't playing and a 1st teamer was, so maybe most teams are self governing. As Paul said, i can't really see the point of playing your 1st team in a 2nd team game to try and keep them in a league they are not capable of staying in off their own backs

[JasonGladwin]

Harlow Town have always tried to balance the sides in the HECL. They could, as paul said, have thrown in the 1st xl at div 6 and made a mockery of all of the games.

They have tried to make the games competative and really i think they should be applauded for this

Having played for the club, i kow that they would not artificially strenthen the teams to save a team going down

Good luck Harlow Town for the new season

[GregAWCC]

Just to add my two penny's worth, AWCC is one of those small clubs that always struggles to get a team out (especially last year) and therefore don't have the luxury of a 2nd 11. I don't have a problem with what Harlow are doing as it sounds like they didn't have a lot of choice. With village cricket you don't know one season (or week) to the next what a team is going to be like as people come and go - so you just play who turns up and get on with it. I know a couple years ago there where rumblings about S Loughton suddenly getting lots of South Africans to play for them - but honestly would any club have turned them away - didn't think so. So good luck to Harlow and we'll see you in the cup in a couple of weeks -- hope you enjoy slopes.

[jelski]

so just to check if we(Hockerill) wanted to put our 1st XI into Div 6 this year so to get our 3rds up the league and our 2nds into Div2 to hopefully keep our 1,s in there for following season and our 3rds into Div4 thats ok.

anyone that whats to a have a pop a you in my eyes is welcome......

as for moving your players around no need your umpires can win you all the games you like..............................

i quote "that was not an edge it's our ground when the ball goes through here it sounds a bit clicky" PMSL...........................................

come on the street 2007 here we come...................................

[paul]

Once again,

Guys keep it civil. These forums are not here to moan about the oppo under any circumstances. If you have issues then take them to email, private message or complain officially to the disciplinary committee. If anyone wants to start a slanging match the Essex County Boards are a good place to go. Don't forget anything you post publicly ANYWHERE can lead to the committee taking action against you or your club for bringing the the game and the league into disrepute. Lets keep the debate constructive and measured.

[peterfrancis]

Jelski i think u have read into what i put wrongly all i was saying is the same that harlow has done and that is to swap teams around and for saying that our umpires win us games take a look at what happen to all 3 of our teams last year(Relegated) so our umpires did't help did they.???? look forward to next week. :D

[jelski]

ok pete just pulling your plonker as we all know you love a wind up.................

wags is not playing this week ............lol