2018 Season Readiness Checklist

Our 2018 season and 50th Anniversary Year is all but here, in spite of everything that the weather is throwing at us!

Here's a list of 'things to check' and that we hope will help ensure you are ready for Saturday and beyond.

1. Review the updated 2018 Constitution and the Rules & Playing Conditions for your Tier, to ensure you know all the regulations that apply to your matches.
2. Ensure your overseas players are registered before 31st May and that you use the 2018 form which includes guidance on supplementary evidence also required.
3. 1st XI Premier & First Divison Clubs: ensure your divisional registrations and removals are complete in Play-Cricket by 31st May 2018.
4. Ensure any other players transferring to your club after 5th May 2018 are documented using the provided form.
5. Check which electronic scoring applications will be in use and ensure your results reporting plans are in place. League requirements remain the same as previously, whether scoring electronically or not.
6. Team playing in games governed by Tier 1 Rules & Playing Conditions will continue to use Duckworth-Lewis-Stern in affected matches, but you will need to ensure you have the latest DLS-2016 software, details of which have been sent to the clubs who may need to use the standalone app. Alternatively, you can now use the DLS module in Play-Cricket Scorer Pro instead.
7. Teams playing in games governed by Tier 2 & 3 Rules & Playing Conditions will be using Duckworth Lewis via the Calculator in the Play-Cricket Scorer app. Outline instructions are already available and we will be posting further working examples here in the coming days.
8. Captain's report forms information has been sent directly to the clubs needing to complete them. Please ensure that this information is shared with all that need to know.
9. Check the correct match balls have been allocated to each team as they vary between leagues & divisions.
10. Get your pitch markers ready and available for week 1; it’s limited overs to kick things off.
11. Ensure your umpires (if not covered by panel umpires) and scorers have all your fixture details and also have the latest Rules & Playing Conditions plus info on DL/DLS as above.
12. Our 2018 T20 is getting underway. Review the playing conditions and find out about our Super Monday grounds from our website
13. If you encounter a disciplinary issue during the season, use our documented process for Championship league matches and there's a reminder on our implementation of Law 42 below.
14. Re-read the ECB weather & light guidance. Looking out of our windows we may need it! Remember too, as per PC11(a), "No game shall be cancelled prior to the agreed starting time unless by the express agreement of the two Captains”.
15. Review the 2018 online version of the Surrey Championship year-book as well as our special Anniversary edition. Lots of great reading.
16. Download the Surrey Championship app to your smartphone and have quick access to key documents and information.
17. Ensure you include references to our sponsor Travelbag in your various online & print channels and please promote their services to your members.
18. Start thinking about the Surrey Championship awards dinner which will be the final celebration of our anniversary year and, of course, do keep in touch with all our other events and plans via the dedicated section on our website.

• Unfair Play and Unacceptable Conduct
• Law 42 introduces new powers for umpires to impose sanctions for any unacceptable conduct at any time during the match. For matches under the auspices of the Surrey Championship, only panel umpires will be entitled to apply any sanction they consider appropriate pursuant to Law 42. This is in line with the Championship's approach to the sanctions available under Law 41, where only panel umpires can apply those Penalty Run sanctions. The only sanction that may be applied by a non-panel umpire is the sanction under Law 28.2.2, where the ball makes contact with any clothing or equipment discarded on the field of play by the fielding side. Where only one of the umpires is a panel umpire, they have the discretion to consult with the non-panel umpire with whom they are standing before they apply any sanction, but they are not obliged to do so.
• Where non-Panel umpires believe they would have applied the sanctions in Law 42, had the Playing Conditions permitted them to do so, they should submit a Disciplinary Report about the incident(s) to John Bramhall, Chair of the Disciplinary Sub-Committee using the same procedure above.

From around the grounds

We are sad to have learned of the recent death of former Sutton CC President, Ken Ohlson. Arrangements for the funeral and Thanksgiving Service are now known. There will be a private family funeral and a public Thanksgiving Service. The Thanksgiving Service will be at 12.00 noon on Friday 1 June at St Andrew's United Reformed Church, Northey Avenue, Cheam SM2 7HF. It will be followed by a wake at Sutton Cricket Club. All are welcome. A tribute has been posted on Surrey County Cricket Club's website.