A PERSONAL VIEW By Andy Richley, Market Rasen CC
With another Lincolnshire League AGM coming up, I was wondering if the following post might be of interest.
If they're good enough, they're old enough ...
Over the past few years, a number of clubs have proposed a change to the Lincolnshire League's rules on the age at which players are eligible to play, reducing the elgible age-group to U13. Potentially for certain groups of players - i.e. those in County sides / squads for their age etc..
Cleethorpes CC have proposed a change to Rule 6.9 g) for the 2011 AGM as follows:
Rule 6.9 General Points
g) Players under the age of 13, taken from August 31st of the previous year, may play in league and cup matches
but U13 age group players are ineligible to bat and bowl. A fine as per rule 8.1 shall apply for non-compliance
We propose the above rule is removed and replaced with the following:
g) ECB Guidelines for Junior players in Open Age Cricket shall apply
Please note these guidelines are already published in the Lincs League handbook
Having captained a young 2nd XI in Division Four for the past three seasons and playing for a club that has a slew of talented U13 players this season - and has had in previous years as well - my view on this debate is heavily skewed in favour of a rule change to allow U13 age-group players to participate fully. However, I believe the following reasons, whilst not being exhaustative, do demonstrate why this would be a positive step for the league as a whole:
Teenage cricketers develop more quickly playing adult league cricket. A lot of our talented teenagers are going to move on to other clubs at some point, either because they're tempted by a higher standard of cricket / coaching / facilities, or because they're headed off to University / employment etc.. Missing out on an entire year of their development is detrimental to both the players and their clubs. As the players take longer to develop and the clubs fail to reap as much benefit as possible from their youngsters before they move on.
Other leagues in our region - at both higher and comparable standards of cricket - already allow U13 age-group players to participate fully, including the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire ECB Premier Leagues and the McKinnells Lincoln and District Sunday League. This inconcsistency leads to confusion for clubs, administrators, players and parents.
Every year U13 age-group players bowl and bat in the Lincolnshire League due to; mis-understandings with regards to the regulations, incorrectly recorded birthdays, pushy parents and any number of other reasons. Generally teams become aware of the situation and do something about it before the league has to, but the fact that this happens annually suggests that either the fact that the Lincolnshire League's age criteria differ from other local leagues leads to confusion or that clubs are deliberately subverting the rules in order to give their youngsters the games they need to develop. Bringing the Lincolnshire
The Lincolnshire League is, effectively, suppressing the level of competition available to its members and the standard of cricket played by preventing local cricketers from testing themselves against the best players in the region. Very few players currently in the Lincolnshire County U13 squad would look out of place in the lower reaches of the Lincolnshire League and they would improve the quality of the teams they play in, rather than suppress it.
The fact that U13 age-group players are allowed to field - including keeping wicket - and yet cannot bowl or bat is inconsistent. If a player is good enough to stand up to the stumps, suitably helmeted etc., at U13, it is contradictory that they are prevented from batting. Similarly, U13 players are allowed to chase leather for 45 overs and are only restricted with regards to where they can field by the general ECB guidelines, however they are not allowed to bowl.
If you're good enough, you're old enough.
As mentioned above, from a personal perspective I would like the Lincolnshire League's rules on age qualification to be simplified and changed so that once a player is in the U13 age-group they are able to play, whether they bat, bowl, keep wicket or are merely specialist fielders. As a result clubs, players and parents would all win, with increased participation, a higher standard of cricket for all and an even bigger pool of talented players for Lincolnshire's Minor Counties side.
I'd be interested to hear any feedback you have on this topic. Hopefully by the time we get to the next Lincolnshire League AGM we may be able to win over some of the clubs who have reservations on a change to this rule.
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Andy
ReplyDeleteIn many ways I agree, but in others I'm not so sure.
I fully agree that the Lincs League is out of line with many other leagues, and apparently the ECB guidelines.
As a parent of a Lincs U13B player I have little doubt that my son could have effectively bowled and fielded in div 3 - though his opportunites would have been limited as we have several U17s and over 21s who also want/deserve to bowl. But more importantly in Joe's case I am not sure that he should have batted in men's cricket this year. He will be a decent batsman once he grows enough that an average bounce is not chest high. But I'm not sure that a year of batting at 11 and scoring one or two at best would have done his confidence any good. And I'm not sure that his finger bones are yet up to a direct strike from an opening bowler.
I know that there are many U13s who are perfectly up to men's cricket, but I also am sure that there are many very good U13s who could have their love of the game damaged by too soon entering the senior fray.
The best U13s already get lots of cricket, be it with club or county. Is it really so bad that they have to wait another year before they have to share the field and a changing room with us uncouth adults?
Andy replied:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback. From my perspective I do think that we should only be played U13 cricketers who are ready for the challenge and if their physical, or technical, development means that they're not ready then leaving it another year is fine by me. Especially if playing them would impact their enjoyment and future love of the game.
However, there are plenty of U13 age-group players who are capable of thriving at this level and it's unfortunate we hold them back when comparable, and higher, leagues don't.
I have no comeback on the changing room front I'm afraid!
The point about having criteria for the selection of under 13s is that not all of them are ready to play. In reality the vast majority won't and it is only a few exceptional players that will play.
ReplyDeleteThe question with regard to the proposal is should the development of the exceptional players be slowed beause the majority aren't up to that standard.
Development is undoubtedly enhanced by playing challenging cricket which the exeptional player will get playing with seniors.
Under 13s can and do play sucessfully with seniors all over the country, inluding Linolnshire. This is why the EcB produced the guidance that they have.
It seems to me if the Lincs League reject the official guidance that either;
a) We don't believe the evidence and official guidance
b) We are not interested in the development of the best players
c) or we don't believe that Lincs League clubs have the skills to make the necessary judgements.
Is there another alternative ?
Andy replied:
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of that. And you're right, we're not talking about dozens of U13s flooding the league. There are probably, at most, 20 lads in the County every year who are potentially impacted by this. And not all of them are either in catchment, or good enough.
My understanding is that the ECB have never put an official guideline in place, but have left it up to Leagues to decide for themselves. They've simply put the usage and safety restrictions in place and that's all.
My past experience of this topic at League AGMs is that a) and c) are certainly the case, although you'd need to replace believe with agree in point a) and believe with trust in point c).
On point b) to say the league aren't interested in the development of the best young players is a rather emotive way of putting it. However, for the U13s who are held back a year I think it's correct.
The alternative view would be that the ECB have left this decision up to leagues for a reason and that this hasn't stopped Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Nettleham, Louth, Haxey, Messingham, Caistor et al from producing some very fine young cricketers. Obviously playing Lincs League cricket a year ealier may have enabled them to become even better players, but there's no actual evidence to point to that.
Hi Andy
ReplyDeleteThe ECB have put out an official guideline. I think it was printed in the front of the LL handbook this year.
It doesn't have the weight of the bowling restrictions for example which is a directive.
The guidelines were framed following feedback from clubs and leagues all over the country. Whether the LL AGM give any weight to the experience of all these clubs is of course up to them.
It should perhaps be remembered that the present rule is not compliant with the guidelines as it allows a child of any age or ability to play LL cricket (though not bat or bowl). The consequences of this need pondering.
As for evidence as to the benefit I think that there is a lot of evidence that the earlier that skills are learnt the more adept someone becomes at them.
I seems a shame that some of the most able players are by-passing the LL for other leagues or first teams.
Eventually the LL will catch up with what seems to be common experience around the country, and give our best youngsters the greatest possible chance to make it to the top.
Andy Replied:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the correction on the guideline / directive from the ECB. That's what I was trying to say and failed spectacularly in doing so.
I can only agree wholeheartedly with the rest of your points. The dichotomy of allowing U13s to keep wicket, standing up (suitably helmeted) but not bat or bowl is particularly striking.
As you've said, the Lincs League will change its mind on this one day. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.