Peter Sykes 2013 Handbook Report
As I put pen to paper on my report for the 2013 handbook, it is a cold January afternoon, the
temperature outside is just above freezing and the forecast for the rest of the week is snow! Given
these conditions, the Cricket season seems a million miles away and yet, as the 2012 summer served
to remind us, these sorts of adverse conditions could become something we grow to be familiar with
as Cricket is forced to face the current and future challenges of climate change and the impact they
will have on the game.
In 2012, the ECB carried out a lot of research in to the impact of the wet weather and, not
surprisingly, the research showed that the significantly increased rainfall in 2012 compared with
previous seasons had resulted in substantial losses in revenue for clubs caused by cancelled
matches, training sessions and money needing to be spent on repairing pitches following flooding.
Allied to this, ECB research shows that in future years the costs associated with running the game
will only continue to rise as the essential resources required to run the game become either more
expensive or sparse. What all of this means is that we as a Cricket Board and clubs throughout the
county need to start acting now to ensure that we safeguard the future of the game. This means
looking at ways of keeping people at clubs even when a game is cancelled, looking at sustainable
facilities and looking at how alternative versions of the game may keep people interested in spite of
weather or cost.
On that final note, the ECB received positive news prior to Christmas with regards to their Sport
England Whole Sport Plan award for the period 2013-2017. In total the ECB will receive £20 million
during that four year period with a further £7.5 million invested in to the Cricket Foundation, the
organisation that delivers the Chance to Shine initiative. This money is for investment in to the
recreational game but with several conditions attached to it in terms of the priority areas that Sport
England will require ECB to report back to them on. The most heavily weighted area is around player
retention with 60% of the funding connected to it. With that in mind I come back to the issue of
keeping people interested in the game as it will be a key challenge for all Sports, not just Cricket, as
we enter a competitive era for Sport on the back of London 2012 and the legacy it has had in terms
of raising awareness and opportunities in previously lesser known Sports.
For Cricket, we now need to ensure that we have alternative offers of the game such as social
Cricket and greater indoor opportunities that can entice new participants who don’t want to commit
to all day Cricket and the cost and travel that is associated with it. On this front, clubs throughout
Wiltshire were excellent in 2012 in terms of running 6 a side festivals, corporate days and pub/social
leagues.
However, in addition to new formats of the game, we cannot afford to neglect the traditional format
of league Cricket but our challenge is to review current structures to ensure that the game is more
accessible and players are not turned off because of excessive travel, high costs or meaningless
Cricket. In terms of that, 2012 was again a positive year for Wiltshire Cricket as, along with the
Boards of Gloucestershire and Somerset, we worked closely with the West of England Premier
League (WEPL) to produce restructure options which will address travel issues and look to provide
more meaningful Cricket for all clubs throughout the WEPL structure, including 2nd XIs. For 2013, a
timeframe has been produced for adopting a restructure which could potentially come in to force
for the 2015 season. At this point it would be wrong of me not to thank the Wiltshire County Cricket
league who have cooperated fully with everything that we are trying to do and have embraced the
potential changes that will impact on their league size and capacity.
In terms of Sport England’s award to ECB, this is positive news for Cricket Boards as it will mean that
between 2013 and 2017 we will continue to receive central funding to support the activities that we
deliver on a local level. The exact amount of funding we receive and how it works will not be known
until April as the ECB finalises and agrees a Memorandum of Understanding between itself and the
39 County Cricket Boards. However, what we do know is that the way in which we report to ECB and
how our performance is measured will be changing.
In previous years, we have been required to submit a serious of numerical targets on an annual basis
and it has been against these targets that we have been performance measured and our funding
aligned. Moving forward, ECB has recognised that being constantly measured against numerical
targets is perhaps restrictive and does not allow for enough creative thinking or focus on quality.
Therefore, during 2013 we have been tasked with producing an Outcomes based Strategy which will
incorporate an insight led action plan and self-assessment process to take us forward over the
coming years. Involved in producing this Strategy will be various local partners and organisations and
essentially the result will be a Strategy against which our funding will be aligned over the next four
years.
Working towards outcomes as opposed to number driven targets is going to be a refreshing way of
working. At the time of writing we have already begun the process of producing the Outcomes
framework and already it has forced us to ask questions as to what our actual purpose is. Previously,
Cricket Boards have been inclined to organise and deliver lots of activity and programmes of work
without actually knowing whether it is what is needed. By knowing what the desired outcomes for
Wiltshire Cricket are, it will make us think and challenge how we plan and prioritise different areas
of work over the next four years.
Moving away from Strategy and national information, despite 2012 season being a frustrating
season weather wise it was still a very positive and productive year for Wiltshire Cricket Limited. In
terms of the club network, we delivered our first series of Club forums. The forums were set up to
try and provide greater interaction between the club network and us as a Board, and we also hoped
that they would act as an opportunity for clubs to get together and share ideas and best practice.
The forums were a huge success on these fronts with three forums taking place during the year.
Various companies and speakers attended the forums to discuss a variety of topics and they are
certainly an initiative that we will be continuing in 2013.
Also with regards to club development, 2012 was a great year for Goatacre, Marshfield, Purton,
Redlynch and Hale, Steeple Langford, Trowbridge and Westbury and District Cricket Clubs as they all
successfully achieved Clubmark re-accreditation. Clubmark is the accreditation which recognises
clubs that run safe, effective and child friendly junior sections. A lot of work goes in to achieving the
award so well done and thank you to the volunteers within each of the clubs.
Away from club development, our associations also enjoyed successful years. Firstly, the Wiltshire
Groundsman’s Association (WGA) continued to work tirelessly to support clubs throughout the
county. The initiative that begun in 2012 to provide pitch marking visits to clubs within the Wiltshire
County Cricket League continued in 2013 and the association also managed to secure funding to
purchase a second grounds equipment trailer and scarifier. This means that when hiring out
equipment for end of season renovations there will now be two trailers that clubs can access
meaning that more clubs can be serviced. At this point, I must thank the Wiltshire County Cricket
League and WEPL for providing funding to support the purchase of the trailer and scarifier. In
addition to the trailer and pitch marking visits, the WGA continued to provide support to groundstaff
by arranging days out and courses, and in 2013, the WGA’s support to clubs will expand through the
release of a free calendar for all affiliated clubs that will act as a pitch planner for clubs and a
promotional tool for the association.
Another association, the Wiltshire Association of Cricket Officials (WACO), also enjoyed another
fruitful year in 2012. More umpires and scorers were trained at level 1 and beyond and the
committee grew to include more dedicated officers in different positions, including a
Communications Officer who has ensured the website is constantly kept up to date. Throughout the
year, the association also ran various forums where umpires and scorers could get together to
discuss current and relevant issues meaning that all in all WACO continues to be a shining example
of how an ACO should operate. The end of 2012 saw Lesley Morgan, Chair of WACO since its
inception, stand down with Peter Hemmings replacing her. Lesley has done a tremendous job
throughout her time at the helm of WACO and I would like to place on record my thanks to her.
Fortunately, she will still remain involved with the association through her role as Scorers Education
Officer and I know that under Peter’s Chairmanship WACO will continue to thrive. Indeed in 2013
there are exciting things to come as umpire appointments are made to district matches and the
Wiltshire County Cricket League Division 1 for the first time.
Although I say it every year, I would just like to place on record my huge thanks to all of the Wiltshire
Cricket associations. I have mentioned the WGA and WACO but there is also the Wiltshire County
Cricket League, Youth League, Over 50s and 60s and the various organisers of the Wiltshire Indoor
competitions. Wiltshire Cricket Limited is only as strong as the volunteers that support it and we are
indebted and continually grateful to the many volunteers that work within the associations that I
have just mentioned.
On the playing front, 2012 was obviously a frustrating year because of the weather with
approximately 50% of district and county fixtures being cancelled. This made it very difficult for our
county and district age group managers, coaches and players to put together any momentum or
form during the season. However, I thank them all for persevering during what was a very
challenging summer.
Despite the weather though, there were particular highlights during the year, one of which being the
Academy XIs success on their pre season tour to Dubai where they won three out of four matches.
The Academy return to Dubai in February for a tour that provides great experience for our elite
players in terms of playing in different conditions and getting used to the experience of being away
from home.
It would be impossible for me within this brief report to review all of our county age group
performances although what I would say is that across our boys and girls age groups we won 46% of
our matches. Also, on the performance front, one of my particular highlights of the year was
travelling to Wormsley to watch the senior side play in the MCCA Knockout final against
Cumberland. Although the result didn’t go Wiltshire’s way, it was superb to see so many homegrown
players in the matchday squad. With the performance structures we now have in place I am sure
that we will continue to see many players playing for the county in the years to come who have
come through the age group set up.
Already in this report I have thanked the many volunteers and associations that help to make
Wiltshire Cricket what it is. Before I finish this report I would like to add to this list of thank you’s by
making special mention of the three professional officers who I work with on a daily basis.
Firstly, Lisa Keightley has continued to work extremely hard to develop the women and girls game
throughout the county. 2012 was a big year for Lisa as she embarked on the ECB Level 4 coaching
qualification and also took on a new role as ECB Women’s Academy Coach. Despite these time
consuming roles she has continued to do her Wiltshire job with complete dedication. It is no surprise
that after three years in the role, our girls county age group sides are now beginning to win matches;
Lisa’s experience, knowledge and input has been crucial in creating the interest and structures that
have enabled us to develop competitive girls county age group teams.
Secondly, I would like to thank Alan Crouch for his work in the role of Head of Performance. Alan
looks after all aspects of boys age group Cricket including running the Emerging Players Programme
(EPP) and Academy team. Alan works every night of the week, either running an EPP session or
delivering a group academy training or fitness session. His enthusiasm for the role and commitment
to ensuring our players develop is outstanding and it was no surprise to hear that one of Alan’s
former EPP players, Tom Alsop, was selected for the England Development Programme and England
Under 19s training camp in 2012. Congratulations to Tom and I wish him every success in trying to
achieve selection for the Under 19 World Cup in 2014.
Tom was not the only player to achieve success in 2012 and elsewhere in this handbook you will be
able to read about the Wiltshire Cricket presentation evening that took place in September 2012
where all of our outstanding individual performances were recognised.
The final officer that I would like to mention is Wiltshire’s Cricket Development Officer, Ali Goddard.
Ali has two main roles, one as Chance to Shine Manager for the county, and two as Coach Education
manager for the county. However, in reality Ali does a lot more and is always a great support with all
other aspects of Cricket Development. In terms of Coach Education, during the 2012-2013 winter we
will have run another four UKCC1 courses and one UKCC2 course, training approximately 60 new
coaches. Ali has promoted and driven all of these courses and has also worked very hard to ensure
he is up to speed on the restructure of Coach Education that is coming in to place for September
2013. This restructure will see a completely new pathway for coaches meaning that tutors will need
to be retrained and the way in which we organise and promote courses completely reviewed. I have
no doubt that Ali will guide Wiltshire through this process smoothly.
In terms of Chance to Shine, 2012 was a changing year for the scheme with funding being provided
to Cricket Boards in a new way. Previously, funding had been provided on a project by project basis
whereas in 2012 we were allocated a finite amount of funding to invest in to clubs and schools in the
way that we saw best. This was a much better way of working as it allowed us scope to invest in to
clubs of all different sizes, however for Ali it meant much more administration and time spent on
managing the. The result was we worked in 79 schools and in 2013 this will increase to 94.
So there we go, that was 2012 and a brief snapshot of what is to come in 2013. There are many
things that I have not reported on that either happened in 2012 or are planned for 2013, however if I
was to mention them all this report could go on forever. The most important things for me to say is
that Wiltshire Cricket is thriving because of the passion and commitment that our professional staff,
associations and volunteers commit to the recreational game throughout the county. It makes my
job extremely pleasurable to do and I continue to feel very honoured to be in the position that I am.
2013 promises to be an exciting year for Wiltshire Cricket Limited and I wish everybody involved
with the county an extremely enjoyable season.