Please see most recent WDCU update sent to clubs on 13 August 2021.

We continue to make good progress with our competitions and the Cups are nearly all completed.  Winners so far:

Rowan Cup – Ferguslie
Western Cup – Partick
Greenwood Cup – GHK
McCulloch Cup – (Clydesdale versus Prestwick  on 12 August 2021, at Bothwell Castle Policies)

The Saturday League competitions have been favoured with good weather and we are going to complete a healthy number of games.  Could I remind clubs to continue to accurately enter their summary and full scorecards, the Captain’s Reports and and also the “Fair Play” scores in good time.

As you will be aware, this season is extending into mid-September to accommodate the delay to the start of the season.  As light may become an issue for these fixtures, the CMC has decided that mid innings intervals for fixtures in September will be reduced to twenty minutes and would ask clubs to ensure that they bowl their overs as quickly as possible.  We have asked the CSMOA to advise their umpires to enforce the regulations regarding over rates rigorously in September.  Also, sanitisation breaks will now be aligned to the normal  drinks breaks so that should speed up play too.

The Evening and Sunday League competitions have had some issues with cancellations and re arrangements, and I would ask that clubs check that all scores/match outcomes have been uploaded to the Cricket Stats site so that they appear on the website.

There are quite a few missing so please give this your best attention,  All outstanding games need to be completed by Sunday 19th September.

Unfortunately there have been 21 Disciplinary reports so far this season which is disappointing.  Could clubs please remind players of their responsibility regarding inappropriate behaviour.  There are two in particular that I would like to highlight.  With an increasing amount of cricket appearing on social media clubs and players should be careful of what they publicly post.  As a reminder the article in the code of conduct that could be applied to comments made on social media is as follows:

2.7 Public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to any Player, Team Official, Match Official or team, irrespective of when such criticism or inappropriate comment is made.

Clubs and players should also be aware that there will be serious consequences for members and players who demonstrate behaviours found to be racist in nature.

It is important that your members and players are made aware of these issues.

COVID-19 has not gone away so if clubs experience selection issues because of that please provide WDCU with details as early as possible.

Finally please note that transfer requests at this stage in the season are very unlikely to be approved unless a club can demonstrate to CMC that there are exceptional circumstances for the transfer.

Iain Kennedy
WDCU Administrator

Please see most recent COVID-19 update from Cricket Scotland:

Dear clubs,

As we enter the latter stages of the season, Cricket Scotland would like to thank and congratulate all clubs and regional associations for their patience and management of the necessary restrictions in relation to the pandemic.  Across Scotland we have had minimal disruption, with only a handful of clubs having to postpone games due to COVID infection or the associated isolation requirements.

Scotland has now moved beyond Level 0 and following the latest relaxation in restrictions from the Scottish Government, sportscotland are now advising clubs and organisations to carefully consider risks before further relaxing their own restrictions.  Whilst there is now no legal requirement for various restrictions in relation to club cricket, Cricket Scotland recommends that club’s consider all the risks before any further relaxation of restrictions (please note that clubs are not obliged to relax any restrictions).  Guidance now places the responsibility on clubs and organisations to make their own judgement on the level of risk for travel, changing room use and spectators.

Update guidance is available here.

The key points from the latest guidance are:

The use of changing rooms is permitted where deemed necessary.  Examples of what “deemed necessary” are provided in 4.9.

• Spectators are permitted with restrictions in line with Scottish Government events sector guidance. Details on the restrictions are provided in 4.8.
• Travelling in a car with anyone from a different household should be avoided unless necessary. Additional guidance is provided in 2.2.
• During a match, sanitisation breaks can now be combined with the drinks break.
• Clubs should continue to avoid providing “cricket teas”.

Please let me know if you have any further queries.

Best regards.

Paul Macari

Please see below information on the first Spirit of Cricket Trophy match. This match will be played in memory of Sandy Strang and Con de Lange who were popular members of both clubs.

They will play for a new trophy donated by former Ferguslie Scottish Cup winning captain Duncan Forrest.

Spirit of Cricket trophy

Congratulations to the 2021 Greenwood Cup winners, GHK.  GHK defeated Albert Park in a keenly contested final at Langside CC last night.  Batting first Albert Park posted 116 in eighteen overs, and GHK chased it down, in fading light, with a couple of overs to spare.

Thanks to umpires Allan Jack and Mark Colman for keeping the game going in murky weather, and to Langside CC for providing the ground in fine order for the final.

One more final to go, and that is the McCulloch Cup between Clydesdale and Prestwick, with details of date and venue to follow.

Please see a note sent to all club contacts this afternoon.

Would all clubs please note that the deadline for transfers and new registrations of 31st July 2021 has now passed and, as such, no further transfers or new registrations will be permitted until the end of the season unless there are exceptional circumstances.

The CMC is very concerned with the number of in-season transfer requests made this year, especially from players who have already played competitive fixtures in WDCU competitions.  It has taken up a huge amount of the Administrator’s time and effort as well as the CMC’s which, especially this season, would have been better used elsewhere.  Clubs and players should note that transfer regulations will be enforced much more rigorously again next season, and any player that has played a competitive fixture for another club in the WDCU, or elsewhere in the same season, will be unlikely to be permitted an in season transfer in 2022 without a compelling reason.

Duncan Paterson
Cricket Management Committee Chair

Following their success in 2019 holders Partick retained the Western Cup in last night’s final with St. Ninian’s.  A dominant display with bat and ball eased Partick to victory at Meikleriggs.  Thanks to Ferguslie for hosting the game on a lovely evening with the ground in fine condition.  Thanks also to umpires Colin McLardie and Roy Pearson for their umpiring duties.

Commiserations to St. Ninian’s and congratulations to Partick on a splendid victory.

Hi everyone,

Partick will line up against St. Ninian’s in the final of this year’s Western Cup.  The second string of both West of Scotland and Prestwick have been in fine form this year so this game should be a cracker.  Please come along if you can, and look out for the COVID-19 regulations.

Iain Kennedy
WDCU Administrator

Please see most recent guidance sent from Cricket Scotland to all club contacts today.  Some good news for us all.

Afternoon all,

Guidance for club cricket for Level 0 now includes updates on bubble sizes, changing rooms, and spectators as follows:

• Club fixtures and cricket festivals can now take place between clubs with maximum bubble size of 500.
• The use of changing rooms is permitted where deemed necessary.  Examples of what is “deemed necessary” are provided in the guidance under 4.9.
• Spectators are now permitted with restrictions in line with Scottish Government events sector guidance.  Details on the restrictions are provided in the guidance under 4.8.

The full guidance document can be found here.

Thank you for your patience on this, and please let me know if you have any queries.

Hi everyone, Please see most recent club information update including the fair Play league tables at the mid point of the Saturday league season. Click on the attachment below to see how your club is fairing.

Good afternoon,

A few bits and pieces for you.

Firstly could I remind everyone to input their summary and full scorecards in as per the agreed timescales. Please remember to input all competition results so that our website stays current!!

Please also keep letting me know should any fixtures be rearranged.

It is also important that where required the captains report on the umpires performance is submitted too.  I summarise these reports and forward to CSMOA who use the information to inform  appointments and arrange feedback to the umpires.

In games where there are player:umpires this report should also be completed so I can monitor the standard of each teams player umpiring and if necessary consider issuing sanctions to those not up to standard.

As we are at the half way point of the season I have issued the “Fair Play” league tables to date.  I am pleased that there are very many 5s awarded (the highest score) and to date only five 1s.  Check out where your teams lie in the tables, and if you are not pleased with what you see please take some action to bring about improvements.  Please remember the scores given are from your opponents, not the umpires or WDCU.

WDCU fair play scores

WDCU have had a number of COVID-19 related issues reported to it, and I would encourage you to keep letting me know should you have any positive cases or players having to self isolate.

Good luck for the second half of the season.

Kind regards.

The Semi-Finals of the Greenwood Cup take place this Thursday night with a 6pm start.  The winners meet in the Final at Albert Park on the 5th of August.

Hillhead v GHK
Motherwell v Albert Park